In the book of Ezra, Ezra said, “O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken your commandments, which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which you go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this”, and in chapter nine and verse fourteen of Ezra, Ezra asked, “should we again break your commandments?”,where we read,
Should we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? would not you be angry with us till you had consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
The verse reads, “Should we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations?” Ezra began with the words, “should we again break” which means “are we, Ezra and the people of Israel, to violate another time” “your commandments” or “your, Jehovah God's, ordinances and precepts”, “and join in affinity” which means “and become sons and daughters in law” “with the people of these abominations” or “alongside and accompanying the human beings both male and female belonging to the present disgusting, abominable, idolatrous and abhorrent acts and deeds”? Ezra questioned whether he and the people of Israel should violate the ordinances and precepts of Jehovah God another time by becoming sons and daughters in law with the idolatrous and disgusting acts of the foreign people.
The verse goes on to say, “would not you be angry with us till you had consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?” Ezra continued with the words, “would you not be angry with us” which means “will you neither and in no way be breathing hard, displeased and enraged with us, Ezra and the people of Israel” “till you had consumed us”which means “until such a time that you, Jehovah God, ended, finished and made us, Ezra and the people of Israel, to perish, “so that there should be no remnant” or “with the result being that not exist a residue or remainder” “nor escaping” which means “no and not in any way exist any deliverance or rescuing”? Ezra asked Jehovah God whether He would be enraged and displeased with him and the people of Israel for their insolence to the degree of totally devouring them without anyone being rescued if they forsook His ways again.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how Ezra questioned whether he and the people of Israel should remain in relationships with the pagan people who committed wicked acts and deeds, and he wondered whether or not Jehovah God would not be filled with wrath against them to the point of completely destroying them without anyone being left or delivered. This is not the way God wanted it to be, and because He loves the people of Israel, He wanted to save them and have them commit to keeping His laws and ways. God loves us as well, and when we yield our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins, we shall be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and given a desire to separate ourselves from pagan ways to become a part of His remnant of believers in the world.
Next time Ezra says, “O LORD God of Israel, you are righteous”, 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".
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