October 7

Problem of Intermarriage - Ezra 9:1-15, 10:1-44

"Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God." [Shecaniah to Ezra in response to the captive Israel's marrying of foreign women.] Ezra 10:3

What an awful situation. To love someone and to have children with them and then to walk away because you had violated God's will in beginning the relationship. How awful. But, less awful, than disobeying the Creator of the Universe to begin with. The command, of course, was for our own good. God knew the power of relationship and family and that marrying into a family that worshiped foreign gods might/would draw the people away.

But what did God want in this situation? Did He really want the men to put away their wives and children and in effect create widows and orphans when He continually asks us to honor Him by taking care of the widows, orphans and foreign in the land. Of course, He didn't want us to get into this situation to begin with. And, of course, we always tend to do what we want and then look to God to fix it. But since we find ourselves in a situation where there doesn't seem to be an answer, what now?

I wonder. Could they not have mourned and prayed for the Lord's forgiveness, throw themselves on his grace and mercy and remained free from foreign gods and honored God but still remained true to their commitment to the women and children? There were those who opposed this move: "Ony Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supportec by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this." Ezra 10:15 And what happened to those who opposed? Am I just to soft to be a good follower of God?

And if they'd prayed to God for mercy and forgiveness and honored Him in their wives and children. What would have God's answer have been to their prayer?

Lord knows.