A Time of Much Rain - Ezra 10:13

In the book of Ezra, Ezra said, “Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, You have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As you have said, so must we do”, and in chapter ten and verse thirteen of Ezra, Ezra said, “it is a time of much rain”, where we read,

But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

The verse reads, “But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two:” Ezra began with the words, “but the people are many” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover the human beings both male and female exist as numerous and abundant in number”, “and it is a time of much rain” or “and it, the current moment and period exists as a moment and period of a great and numerous amounts of rain showers”, “and we are not able to stand without” which means “and we, the people of Israel, in no way or manner are capable nor have the ability to arise and be established”, “neither is this a work” or “nor and not in any way does this, the time of separating from foreign wives, exist as” “of one day or two” which means “belonging to a single sunrise to sunset or two sunrises to sunsets”. Ezra shared how there was a great number of people who were guilty of marrying pagan wives, and the rain showers were so abundant that it caused them not to be able to arise or perform Ezra's request within one or two days. 

The verse goes on to say, “for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.” Ezra continued with the words, “for we are many” which means “because, since and on account we, the people of Israel, exist as numerous and abundant in number” “that have transgressed in this thing” or “who have rebelled, revolted and offended within this treacherous and unfaithful act”. Ezra shared how the people said there were a great number of the people of Israel who violated God's command by marrying pagan women. 

When we think through Ezra's words in this verse, we learn how there were a great number of the people of Israel who intermarried among the foreign people, and because the timing of this assembly was during massive rain showers, the people were unable to arise and perform the separating from them. God's plan was at work, and He was not only convicting the people of Israel of their sinful ways, but He was also motivating them to repent and change. God loves people, and before they turn from their sinful ways, they must know they are living contrary to His commands. This is sin, missing the mark, and for this reason Jesus came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we submit our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a passionate desire to align with Him and His ways. 

Next time Ezra says, “Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand”, 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".