10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites—men, women, and children alike—gathered around him. The people wept loudly.

 

As Ezra was praying and confessing the sin of Israel, a large crowd joined him in this revival. This intense conviction was needed in Israel, and it is needed in America as well.

 

10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard.

 

It was against the Mosaic Law for the men of Israel to take upon foreign wives. Shecaniah was so touched by Ezra’s prayer, that he approached Ezra and confessed his sin in detail. He did not try to rationalize his sin, as so many carnal Christians in the church do today.

 

Shecaniah himself was not involved in the mixed marriages since his name does not appear in the list in verses 18–44 (although his father and five paternal uncles do appear). Shechaniah, like Ezra, identified himself with his people. He had enough courage to choose and obey God rather than please his relatives. 

 

Many carnal Christians today will stay and support a shallow teaching church with heretical doctrine, just because their parents, family members, or friends attend the church. If a church is involved in shallow teaching or if a church teaches heretical doctrine, then it should not be supported, even if the family has been members for over 200 years.

 

Almost every denominational church teaches heretical doctrine. In the appendix, a list of these denominational churches is listed.

 

10:3 Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 

 

Gentile demonism was so powerful, seductive, and addictive, that God allowed these Jewish men to divorce their pagan wives and send their children out of Israel. If the children were not sent away, then they would grow up under their mother’s demonic influence and corrupt Israel. God is very serious about mixed marriages. The children would go away with their mothers, just as Ishmael went way with Hagar.

 

10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!”

 

Ezra was seen as the chief spiritual leader who was to execute this divorce procedure. The leaders told him to take charge and make it happen. 

 

Revival means that the leaders and the believers are to be strong and act decisively. The prayers of atheists, agnostics, and evolutionists are not heard by God. They have no part in revival. It is the mature believers who must be strong in bible doctrine, strong in prayer, and decisive in action. Carnal believers do not know the Word of God, so they will pray for the wrong things.

 

10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn oath. 

 

The leadership and the people took an oath to get rid of the pagan wives and children. The oath was binding to God Himself. Demonism was not allowed in the new Israel.

 

10:6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles. 

 

Ezra fasted for the exiles.

 

10:7 A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. 

 

All exiles were called to assemble in Jerusalem.

 

10:8 Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

 

The people in the surrounding towns of Judah and Benjamin were all within fifty miles or less of Jerusalem, so they could all reach Jerusalem within three days after they had heard the proclamation. Anyone who did not arrive at the assembly would have his property confiscated by the government. He would also be excommunicated from any assembly of the exiles, including temple worship. The temple worship pointed to the atonement of the Messiah.

 

10:9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains.

 

All of the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem for the assembly. The ninth month of the year was around December, which was the time of the heaviest rains and coldest weather. It was extremely cold in Jerusalem, since it is over 2,500 ft. in elevation.

 

10:10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have behaved in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to the guilt of Israel. 

 

Ezra was not a seeker-friendly pastor.

 

10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents and from these foreign wives.” 

 

Ezra commanded that God was to be praised and that the foreign wives were to be dismissed. This edict of complete divorce from wives and children seems severe, but it was necessary if the divine mission of Israel was to be accomplished. Solomon married pagan wives, which led to the introduction of demonism in Israel. Ezra had been given complete authority by King Artaxerxes to teach the laws of God to the people of Israel and to enforce these laws through magistrates and judges, even to the extent of capital punishment when necessary.

 

10:12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: “We will do just as you have said!

 

This was a tough decision for this group to make. They were going to have to send away their wives and children. This revival brought action, not lip service.

 

10:13 However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy season. We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this matter. 

 

The cold rains of December began to fall upon the assembly.

 

10:14 Let our leaders take steps on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”

 

The Jews were allowed to marry Gentile proselytes who converted to Judaism. The elders would set up judicial inquiry courts to determine if these wives had actually converted to Judaism.

 

10:15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 

 

There were only four men in the entire assembly who did not want to separate from their demonic families.

 

10:16 So the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider this matter on the first day of the tenth month, 17 and on the first day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had married foreign wives. 

 

It took three months to complete these intense investigations.

 

10:18 It was determined that from the descendants of the priests, the following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 10:19 (They gave their word to send away their wives; their guilt offering was a ram from the flock for their guilt.) 10:20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. 10:21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. 10:22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah. 10:23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 10:24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri. 10:25 From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah. 10:26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 10:27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 10:28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 10:29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. 10:30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 10:31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 10:32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 10:33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 10:34 From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 10:35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 10:36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 10:37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu. 10:38 From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, 10:39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 10:40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 10:41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 10:42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 10:43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 10:44 All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them also had children by these women.

 

Ezra listed the names of 113 individuals who had intermarried with pagan wives. Included in this list were 17 priests, 10 Levites, and 86 others. Meshullam was one of the four who opposed this law, but he gave up his wife anyway. It is assumed that the other three families were excommunicated from the assembly and possibly from the land of Israel. Ezra and the committee most likely made some provision for the divorced wives, just as Abraham had done when he excommunicated Hagar and Ishmael.

 

At this time, the nation was purified. However, the same sin returned 12 years later and again 30 years later.

 

It seems cruel in the modern American satanic world culture to separate a father from his wife and children. However, most Americans are too biblically ignorant to understand or even judge these matters. 

 

At this time, Israel was living under a conditional Mosaic Law. They had a contract with God. In this contract, they were not to intermarry with wives who followed demonic religions. If they did so, then God would vomit then out of the land and give the land to another nation. 

 

God was merciful to return the Israelites to their land after the Babylonian Captivity. However, the first thing that this new generation did was to bring demonism into the land. This was a threat to the Israelite community. Ezra dealt with it by knowledge of bible doctrine, prayer, fasting, and then action. 

Most modern churches do not have enough biblical doctrine to understand this issue. If they did possess this biblical doctrine, then they would most likely not have the courage to take similar action. The action of Mosaic Israel was divorce. The action of the modern church is excommunication. Ezra took action based upon the Mosaic Law.