The Word for Today with Ray: September 2025

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Vaniah, Meremoth and Eliashib - Ezra 10:36

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani; the sons of Pahathmoab; the sons of Harim; the sons of Hashum” and “the sons of Bani” which included “Benaiah, Bedeiah and Chelluh”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty six of Ezra, Ezra added “Vaniah, Meremoth and Eliashib”, where we read,

Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib

The verse reads, “Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,” Ezra began with the word, “Vaniah” or “Jehovah is praise”, “Meremoth”whose name means “elevations” and “Eliashib” or “God restores”. Ezra added the men of Israel whose names mean, “Jehovah is praise, elevations and God restores” to the list of men who married foreign wives and put them away at the commission of Jehovah God through him.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover through Ezra another group of names for the men of Israel who intermarried with the foreign women. “Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib” were obedient to the command of God to separate from wives that were not of the nation of Israel. God wants us to be obedient to Him because doing so will give us the best life possible. God knows we are prone to sin against Him and His ways, and those sin lead to death. (See Romans 3:10,23; 6:23) It was for this reason God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross in our place, (See 2 Corinthians 5:21) and when we submit our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live according to that truth. (See John 16:13; Acts 1:8)

Next time Ezra adds, “Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, ...”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

Benaiah, Bedeiah and Chellu - Ezra 10:35

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani; the sons of Pahathmoab; the sons of Harim; the sons of Hashum” and “the sons of Bani”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty five of Ezra, Ezra added “Benaiah, Bedeiah and Chellu”, where we read,

Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chellu

The verse reads, “Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chellu;” Ezra began with the word, “Benaiah” or “Jehovah has built or Yahweh has built up”, “Bedeiah” whose name means “servant of Jehovah” and “Chellu” or “my accomplishment”. Ezra shared how “ Benaiah, Bedeiah and Chellu” were among the men of Israel who married foreign pagan wives and separated from them after being commanded to do so by Jehovah God through him.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra how “Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chellu” put away their foreign wives in obedience to the commission of God through him. They knew they violated God's command, and they repented of their wicked ways. God wants the same for us. He knew we violated His law and have thereby sinned against Him, and the wages for those sins is death. (See Romans 3:23; 6:23) For this reasons God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we surrender our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a desire to keep His laws as we are empowered to do so by His Holy Spirit.

Next time Ezra added, “Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ...”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

The Sons of Bani - Ezra 10:34

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani; the sons of Pahathmoab; the sons of Harim and “Of the sons of Hashum”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty four of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Bani”, where we read,

Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

The verse reads, “Of the sons of Bani;” Ezra began with the words, “of the sons” or “pertaining to the male offspring and progeny” “of Bani” which means “belonging to Bani whose name means built”. Ezra shared how the male offspring of “Bani” were among the men of Israel who married foreign wives and put them away.

The verse goes on to say, “... Maadai, Amram, and Uel, ...” Ezra added the word, “Maadai” whose name means “ornament of Jehovah”, “Amram” or “exalted people”, “and Uel” whose name means “wish or will of God” to the list of men. Ezra shared how the men of Israel whose names means “ornament of Jehovah, exalted people and wish or will of God” were added to the list of the men of Israel who married pagan wives and separated from them at his command.

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra about more of the men of Israel who intermarried with foreign women and separated from them when God through Ezra told them to do so. The offspring of “Bani” named, “Maadai, Amram and Uel” obeyed the LORD and purified themselves from the pagan nations. God wants us to be separated from the world and it's sinful ways, and because we are inclined to sin against Him, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and include our names in His “lamb's book of life” and grant us the ability to live with Him forever. (See Revelation 21:27)

Next time Ezra includes, “Benaiah, Bedeiah and Chelluh”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

The Sons of Hashum - Ezra 10:33

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani; the sons of Pahathmoab and “the sons of Harim” including “Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty three of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Hashum”, where we read,

Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

The verse reads, “Of the sons of Hashum;” Ezra began with the words, “of the sons” or “pertaining to the male offspring and progeny” “of Hashum” whose name means “rich”. Ezra said the male offspring of “Hashum” were part of the men who married pagan women and eventually put them away.

The verse goes on to say, “Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.” Ezra added the word, “Mattenai” whose name means “gift of Jehovah”, “Matthathah” or “gift of Jehovah”, “Zabad” whose name means “he endows”, “Eliphelet” or “God is deliverance”, “Jeremai” whose name means “my exaltation”, “Manasseh” or “causing to forget”, “and Shimei” whose name means “renowned” to the list of men. Ezra mentioned the men of Israel whose names means, “gift of Jehovah, gift of Jehovah, he endows, God is deliverance, my exaltation, causing to forget and renowned” in the group of men who married pagan foreign wives and subsequently separated from them.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra the names of more of the men of Israel who separated from their foreign wives after instructed to do so. God was calling the people of Israel into an exclusive relationship with Him and His ways, and He does the same today through His Son Jesus whom He sent into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us the value of following His way for all our lives.

Next time Ezra includes, “the sons of Bani”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah - Ezra 10:32

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani; the sons of Pahathmoab and “the sons of Harim”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-two of Ezra, Ezra added “Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah”, where we read,

Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah

The verse reads, “Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah” Ezra began with the word, “Benjamin” or “son of the right hand”, “Malluch” whose name means “counselor” “and Shemariah” which means “and kept by Jehovah”. Ezra shared the names of more of the men of Israel who married foreign wives and put them away including those whose name mean, “son of the right hand, counselor and kept by Jehovah”.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we see how Ezra named one by one the men of Israel who forsook God's way of marriage and were wedded to foreign women. However, each of them, including “Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah”, separated from their wives when told to do so by Ezra. God wants us to be obedient to His ways, and when we have violated them, (and we all have – See Romans 3:23) there are consequences that lead to death. (See Romans 6:23) For this reason God sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we put our faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and help us by His Holy Spirit to obey Him and His commands.

Next time Ezra adds, “the sons of Hashum”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Monday, September 29, 2025

The Sons of Harim - Ezra 10:31

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the offspring of the children of Israel who put away their strange wives by listing, “the sons of Immer; Harim and Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah; Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer; Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; and of the sons of Elam; and of the sons of Zattu; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani” and “the sons of Pahathmoab”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-one of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Harim”, where we read,

And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

The verse reads, “Of the sons of Harim” Ezra began with the words, “and of the sons” or “and pertaining to the male offspring and progeny” “of Harim” which means “belonging to Harim whose name means dedicated”. Ezra shared how the male offspring of “Harim” were also among the men of Israel who married foreign women and became separated from them.

The verse continues, “Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,” Ezra added the word, “Eliezer” whose name means “God is help”, “Ishijah” or “Jehovah will lend”, “Malchiah” which means “my king is Jehovah”, “Shemaiah” or “heard by Jehovah”, “Shimeon” which means “heard”. Ezra shared how the men of Israel whose names mean, “God is help, Jehovah will lend, my king is Jehovah, heard by Jehovah and heard” were among the men who married pagan women and subsequently put them away.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover through Ezra more of the names of the men of Israel who intermarried with the foreign women. They heard God's directive through Ezra to separate from their wives, and they obeyed. God calls upon us to receive His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind as our personal “Savior and Lord”, and when we do, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a passion to obey His Holy Spirit as He guides us into all truth and empowers us to live according to the truth we learn.

Next time Ezra mentions, “Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…