The Sons of Elam - Ezra 10:26

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; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri. Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah”, and in chapter ten and verse twenty-six of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Elam”, where we read,

And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

The verse reads, “And of the sons of Elam;” Ezra began with the words, “and of the sons” or “belonging to the male offspring and progeny” “of Elam” or “belonging to eternity”. Ezra shared how the male offspring of “Elam” were among the men who were separated from their pagan wives. 

The verse goes on to say, “Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.” Ezra continued with the word, “Mattaniah” whose name means “gift of Jehovah”, “Zechariah” or “Jehovah remembers”, “and Jehiel” which means “God lives”, “and Abdi” or “servant of Jehovah”, “and Jeremoth” which means “He is the Most High”, “and Eliah” or “my God is Jehovah" or "Yah(u) is God”. Ezra included “Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah” in the group of men who were separated from their foreign wives when Ezra commanded them to do so. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra the names of more of the men of Israel who were to put away their wives. “Elam's sons”, “Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah” were part of the group of men of Israel who married pagan wives in violation to God's command. This caused great reproach to come upon them, and for this reason, they were to be separated from their wives. God wants us to separate from the sins that are in our lives, and because we “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (See Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (See Romans 6:23), God sent His Son Jesus 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, reveal our sin to us and help to put them away so our lives are pleasing in His eyes. 

Next time Ezra shares about, “the sons of Zattu”, 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".