In the book of Ezra, Ezra said, “Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore”, and in chapter ten and verse two of Ezra, Ezra shared how Shechaniah and one of the sons of Elam said, “we have trespassed against our God”, where we read,
And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
The verse reads, “And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, ...” Ezra began with the words, “and Shechaniah” whose name means “dweller in Jehovah” and was “a descendant of Zerubbabel whose descendants returned from exile with Ezra” “the son of Jehiel” or “the male offspring and progeny belonging to Jehiel whose name means God lives”, “one of the sons of Elam” which means “a certain male pertaining to the male offspring and progeny belonging to Elam whose name means eternity”, “answered and said unto Ezra” or “gave account, responded and uttered, declared and proclaimed to Ezra whose name means help” the following words. Ezra shared how“Shechaniah” and a certain male offspring belonging to “Elam” gave an account to “Ezra” according to the following words.
The verse continues, “we have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land:” Ezra added the words, “we have trespassed” which means “we, Shechaniah, a certain male offspring belonging to Elam and the people of Israel have been unfaithful and acted treacherously” “against our God” which means “in opposition to our, Shechaniah, a certain male offspring belonging to Elam and the people of Israel's, Supreme Deity”, “and have taken strange wives” or “and have established relationships and become married to foreign, alien and strange female spouses” “of the people of the land” which means “belonging to the human beings belonging to the country, territory, region and district”. Ezra shared how Shechaniah, a certain male offspring belonging to Elam” confirmed that he and the people of Israel had acted treacherously and married foreign women who belonged to the foreign districts.
Finally the verse says, “yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.” Ezra concluded this verse with the words, “yet now there is hope” or “still at this time there exists abiding expectation” “in Israel” which means “within Israel whose name means God prevails and was the name of the descendants and nation of the descendants of Jacob”“concerning this thing” or “about and on behalf of the trespass of Israel”. Ezra ended this verse by sharing how there remained great expectation within the nation of “Israel” even though they “trespassed” against God.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra how “Shechaniah” and one of the male offspring of “Elam” informed him of the transgression of the people of “Israel” who intermarried among the foreign people in the area which was previously occupied by them. Jewish people were not to marry foreign people, and because they forsook the ways of God, they were held in captivity for seventy years in Babylon. God wants His people to be a pure people, and because no one is holy, He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we yield to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and keep us in alignment with His ways and relationships through His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth. (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16; See John 16:13)
Next time Ezra says, “let us make a covenant with our God”, 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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