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”, and in chapter ten and verse twenty-eight of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons also of Bebai”, where we read,
Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
The verse reads, “Of the sons also of Bebai;” Ezra began with the words, “and of the sons” or “pertaining to the male offspring and progeny”: “also of Bebai” which means “even so and indeed belonging to Bebai whose name means my cavities”. Ezra shared how the male offspring of “Bebai” were listed as men of Israel who married pagan wives and separated from them.
The verse goes on to say, “Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.” Ezra continued with the word, “Jehohanan”whose name means “Jehovah has graced”, “Hananiah” or “God has favored”, “Zabbai” which means “pure”, “and Athlai” or “whom Jehovah afflicts”. Ezra shared how the men of Israel whose names mean, “Jehovah has graced, God has favored, pure and whom Jehovah afflicts” put away the foreign wives they had married.
When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover through Ezra another group of men who put away their foreign wives after being confronted by him. “The sons of Bebai” were obedient to the directive, and when God exposes sin in our lives, we are to obey Him as well. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a desire to turn from sins that He reveals are in opposition to Him.
Next time Ezra adds, “the sons of Bani”, 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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