EZRA LESSON 9


     We will begin this lesson in Ezra 9:1 "Now when these things were
done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the
priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the
people of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, [even]
of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the
Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites."

     It appears, that the time between when Zerubbabel had brought the
people to Jerusalem in the first return to their homeland, and until
this return led by Ezra, there had been very little government. It was
bad enough for the people of Israel to break God's law and marry the
heathens around them, but it was even worse that the priests and
leaders were involved in this, as well. All of those listed, above,
were people forbidden for the Hebrews to marry. These were the very
people that God had removed out of the land when He gave it to Israel.

     Ezra 9:2 "For they have taken of their daughters for themselves,
and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with
the people of [those] lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers
hath been chief in this trespass."

     They were doing what was right in their own sight, and forgetting
the teachings of the law of God. The sad thing was they were about to
commit the very same sins, that caused them to be driven out by God
before. These strange wives, or husbands, would bring in their
abominations to worship in Judah.

     Ezra 9:3 "And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my
mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat
down astonied."

     Ezra was overwhelmed with grief, when he saw the extent of the
sins they had committed. The renting of the clothes, show a deep
mourning. Plucking out the hairs on his head and beard was an extreme
show of shame and mourning for what the people had done. Sometimes,
the head was shaved in grief, but this was so evil an act upon their
part, that he actually tore out his hair by the roots.

     Ezra 9:4 "Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at
the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those
that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening
sacrifice."

     It appears, that they did not know of this being a sin, or else
thought the law did not apply to them. Now that Ezra had shown such
terrible grief in this matter, it had frightened those who understand
the magnitude of what they had done. Ezra was in a state of shock all
day long.

     Ezra 9:5  "And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my
heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my
knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,"

     When Ezra stopped to pray at the evening sacrifice, he fell to
his knees before the LORD with both hands extended to Him.

     Ezra 9:6 "And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up
my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over [our]
head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens."

     Ezra was being ashamed for all of the people. They were so deep
in sin themselves, they were not even ashamed. Ezra remembered why
Israel and Judah went into captivity. He knew these people had done
enough to deserve to die. This was the beginning of a prayer for them.

     Ezra 9:7 "Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a
great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our
kings, [and] our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of
the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to
confusion of face, as [it is] this day."

     Ezra knew that the captivity of Israel and Judah had been a
punishment from God for their sinful ways. God had turned them over to
the various kings. The sins of their fathers and grandfathers were the
same sins they were involved in now. They did not learn a thing from
the captivity in Babylon. He was explaining that they deserved all of
their difficulties for their sins.

     Ezra 9:8 "And now for a little space grace hath been [shewed]
from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us
a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give
us a little reviving in our bondage."

     God always left a remnant, because they were His people, and He
loved them. They had come back into the land, just a small portion of
the great company of people who had originally come from Egypt. God
had, once again, granted them grace to begin again, and now, they were
sinning again, as they had before.

     Ezra 9:9 "For we [were] bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us
in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the
kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our
God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in
Judah and in Jerusalem."

     This was an amazing thing how God had extended mercy to them
again. It was almost unexplainable why the Persian kings had suddenly
decided to let them return to their homeland. It was even more
unexplainable, why they would give all the gold and silver to rebuild
the temple. The only answer was that God put this in their hearts to
do. Ezra is in essence saying, God has done all of this for us to give
us a new start, how can we fail him by sinning again?

     Ezra 9:10 "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for
we have forsaken thy commandments,"
     There was nothing left for Ezra to say, except to repent for all
of the people. He admitted guilt for all the people.

     Ezra 9:11 "Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the
prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an
unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with
their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with
their uncleanness."

     God had warned them of the sinfulness of the people. He had run
out to give the land to the Hebrews. The corruption of the nations
around them and of Canaan, which they had overthrown, had been common
knowledge to them from the beginning. They seemed to never learn. The
abominations of the heathens were their downfall.

     Ezra 9:12 "Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons,
neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or
their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the
land, and leave [it] for an inheritance to your children for ever."

     God had forbidden intermarriage with these people. God's law had
not changed. They were still obligated to keep God's commandments not
to intermarry. They had done exactly what God had forbidden them to
do.

     Ezra 9:13 "And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds,
and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us
less than our iniquities [deserve], and hast given us [such]
deliverance as this;"

     Ezra realized as bad as the punishment had been, when they had
lost their homeland and gone into captivity, it was not as bad as what
they deserved. They all deserved to die.

     Ezra 9:14 "Should we again break thy commandments, and join in
affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be
angry with us till thou hadst consumed [us], so that [there should be]
no remnant nor escaping?"

     Ezra was aware that God is a loving God. He was, also, aware that
He was just in His judgements. He feared that the punishment this time
would be death for everyone. Ezra felt they should expect death for
these terrible sins they had committed.

     Ezra 9:15 "O LORD God of Israel, thou [art] righteous: for we
remain yet escaped, as [it is] this day: behold, we [are] before thee
in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this."

     God is full of mercy. His righteousness was from generation to
generation, but so was His mercy. There was no way they could stand
and face God with these sins not atoned for.

This will continue in the next chapter.

                             Ezra 9 Questions


1.  What terrible report came to Ezra in verse 1?
2.  When had they begun committing this sin?
3.  What was worse than the people committing this sin?
4.  What were the Hebrews called in verse 2?
5.  They were doing what was right in ________ _______ _____.
6.  What was so bad about the heathen marriages?
7.  What did Ezra do, when he heard the news?
8.  What did Ezra do, that showed the extreme sin they had committed?
9.  Who assembled to Ezra?
10. When did Ezra begin to pray?
11. Did he stand and pray? Explain.
12. Who was Ezra ashamed for?
13. They had done enough to deserve to ______.
14. The captivity of Judah and Israel had been what?
15. God always left a __________.
16. Who had released them to return to their homes?
17. What was even more unexplainable than their release?
18. Why had this happened?
19. What was Ezra doing in verse 10?
20. What had the land been called, before they received it from God?
21. In verse 12, what had been forbidden?
22. God had punished them ________ than their iniquities deserved.
23. What question does Ezra ask the people in verse 14?
24. Quote Ezra chapter 9 verse 15.
25. God is full of _________.