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; of the sons also of Bebai; the sons of Bani”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Pahathmoab”, where we read,
And of the sons of Pahathmoab;
Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
The verse reads, “Of the sons of Pahathmoab;” Ezra began with the words, “and of the sons” or “and pertaining to the male progeny and offspring” “of Pahathmoab” which means “belonging to Pahathmoab whose name means pit of Moab”. Ezra said the male offspring of “Pahathmoab” were among the men who married foreign women and subsequently put them away.
The verse goes on to say, “Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.” Ezra continued with the word, “Adna” whose name means “rest or pleasure”, “and Chelal” or “completed”, “Benaiah” which means “Jehovah has built or Yahweh has built up”, “Maaseiah” or “work of Jehovah”, “Mattaniah” which means “gift of Jehovah”, “Bezaleel” or “in the shadow or protection of God”, “and Binnui” whose name means “built up”. Ezra shared how the men of Israel whose names mean rest, completed, Jehovah has built, work of Jehovah, gift of Jehovah, in the protection of God and built up were in the midst of the men who married foreign women but separated from them.
When we consider Ezra's words in this verse, we discover more of the men of Israel who violated God's way for marriage. God wanted to keep the people as a pure nation, and in the same manner, He wants us to be holy before Him. (See 1 Peter 1:16) This is only possible through a relationship with God's Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us the value of every person to Him.
Next time Ezra includes, “the sons of Harim”, 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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