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…
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".
No comments:
Post a Comment