Well let me tell you about Ezra. There were prophets who warned the Jewish people to smarten up or else their temple would be destroyed and they would be run outta town, and that is exactly what happened. God takes these prophets and through them, he tries to warn the people, and people hate to be told what to do and just don’t listen. Just like today actually. So just as predicted, Solomon’s temple is destroyed. like it took him 7 years to build it, and all these people that are threatened by God say. Git rid of the temple and the people who believe, and maybe we will be rid of it for life. Of course it is Satan at work again. dirty rat! So when the temple is destroyed all the Jewish people are then taken as slaves and taken to Babylon. Prisoners in their own world, banished from Isreal (as was predicted by a prophet called Jeremiah years before it all happened).
So this goes on for 70 years until they get themselves a new King and he actually sympathizes with them. There were two people Zerbubbel (who I will call Mr Z) living there at the time, and he prays to God to help them get outta there and go back to their hometown and rebuild the temple. So by the power of God, this works. The King puts out a letter saying, hey….. anyone that was kicked out of Isreal before, can now return if they want to rebuild the Temple that was destroyed. Sends his blessings to all, along with the gold items that were in the original temple when it was destroyed. And here is some gold, and silver and whatever you need to take your people and go back and rebuild your temple, with his blessing. 40,000 people from all around take up the offer, like how generous is that of the king! NOT! that is the work of God. So all this is written down in the Kings book, it is like a promissory note to file away. His word is given to them to return and rebuild. So of course the people that are already living in Israel, are jealous and mean and want to live their lives the way they have always lived there lives, they feel threatened by all these people getting permission from the King to do what is needed to get good with God. They are not happy with everything that is going on, so the nit nattering goes on behind everyones back. Lying and back stabbing so much that they write to the King saying all this crap is going on and he has to put all this to a stop right away or else. But the King checks out all the BS that is being thrown at the Jewish people and says, Nope, they are doing nothing wrong. He tells them to continue with their work of rebuilding the Temple. The people are not happy. So there is a renewal in the people, they feel like they have been spiritually reborn and of course they have. Until the nit natters and back stabbers start again, this was constant with the people who were trying to rebuild and the people that already lived there. So now in comes a new king and they get through to him, saying that hey these people that came back are no good, they will be no good to you, they wont pay taxes, etc. so the new King shuts them down, until further notice.
So no rebuilding of the temple is allowed. Satan at work again, and he succeeds. Until two guys come marching in and say. Frig that, they are prophets of course. One called Haggai, and one called Zechariah. So Mr Z stands up with them and they start to rebuild the temple again. So this hot shot in the city comes by and says, who gives you the right to start building this temple again, after it was said not to. And they answer. We are the servants of God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, by a great king (Solomon) and if you look real hard you will find a letter from the prior King stating that we are free to do this with his permission.
So off they go again to the new King. Nit nattering and complaining about these Christians trying to get back what they had, etc.. so they check it out, and low and behold. There is a letter there, stating all that they had said and more. So this New King says let them do what they want, and further more, let us pay for it, and anyone standing in their way. Well they will die for it. He meant business this time around. So the nit natters backed off. And the Temple was being restored again.
Took them 23 years to get to this point!!! Now. 60 years go by and the people are now reverting back to no good. Not following God’s laws, etc. This is where Ezra comes into the picture. He is a great man, a big believer and knows the laws and God well. He is admired by the King. So this King says, go with my blessings, and everything you need to turn these people around. They are forgetting who God is and getting further and further away from Him. So off Ezra goes to build the spirit up within the people again. All people are warned. Listen to Ezra, he is a man of God, do as he says or pay the consequences. So the people listen. And the spirit is reborn in the people again.
Now, during this time. One of the laws is to not marry anyone without the same beliefs as yourselves. Like God, and not other worthless gods. There were some men during this time that had married out of their league, and now it was time to pay the price. This problem of mixed marriages, threatened to plunge the Jews into the same course of idolatry, which had brought about their original downfall. Ezra was praying to God, saying how sorry he was that the people had failed Him. And with this prayer of remorse, God heard him. The men that married, were to leave their wives. This was not what they wanted to do, but that is the only way back into God’s good graces. So these men realized that they had done wrong and their wives had to go. They placed their faith in God, and continued life.
Lets think about that.. cause Im sure you are saying Huh.. that doesn't seem right. Just like I thought, but when you think about it... Under Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel divided and eventually split, because Solomon’s idol-worshipping wives led him away from God. 1 Kings 11:2 states, “They [the unbelieving wives] will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon’s decision to take foreign wives led to a 500 year spiritual and moral decay in Israel, ending in child sacrifice, prostitution, and eventual judgment in the Babylonian Exile. Ezra 9-10 takes place on the eve of the Exile… and the men were instantaneously falling back into the same exact sin of King Solomon!
While divorce is immoral, having all of the men of Israel being married to idol worshippers would be even worse. Saving the nation of Israel from willfully falling away from or rebellion against God again! So think about it, this judgment is morally greater than preserving several dozen marriages. Moral dilemmas like these end in poor results no matter how you pick. Either circumstance is ugly, but one is worse than the other.
So About 40,000 people came to Israel with Mr Z, around 6000 came with Ezra. So out of all the people that came, that is not many that fell back into their own ways. This is the time that was the breaking down of the Holy seed.. something had to be done.. and God did it.
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