The Sons of Nebo - Ezra 10:43

In the book of Ezra, Ezra began to name the male 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; the sons of Pahathmoab; the sons of Harim; the sons of Hashum; the sons of Bani” and “Shelemiah and Nathan, and Adaiah, Azareel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah and Joseph” and in chapter ten and verse forty-three of Ezra, Ezra added “the sons of Nebo”, where we read,

Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

The verse reads, “Of the sons of Nebo;”. Ezra began with the words, “of the sons” or “pertaining to the male offspring and progeny” “of Nebo” which means “belonging to Nebo whose name means prophet”. Ezra shared how the male offspring of “Nebo” were included in the list of the men of Israel who married pagan foreign wives and separated from them when directed by God through Ezra to do so.

The verse goes on to say, “Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.” Ezra continued with the word, “Jeiel” whose name means “God sweeps away”, “Mattihiah” or “gift of Jehovah”, “Zabad” whose name means “he endows”, “Zebina” or “bought”, “Jadau” or “timely or lovely”, “and Joel” whose name means “Jehovah is God”, “Benaiah” or “Jehovah has built”. Ezra included “the sons of Nebo” named “Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, Joel and Benaiah.” in the list of men who intermarried with foreign women and brought reproach upon the nation of Israel. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra about another man, “Nebo”, who had male offspring who violated the way of God by marrying pagan foreign women. God knew the Messiah, His Son Jesus, would descend through the nation of Israel and the entire world would be benefitted by Him. The people of Israel are loved and chosen by God to be the nation through whom all the world shall be blessed, (See Genesis) and any alteration would compromise His way of salvation. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind through the nation of Israel, and when we put our faith and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and help us know how valuable a pure lineage was for Israel in His Divine plan to save us. 

Next time Ezra says, “all these had taken strange wives”, 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".