- When these things were done, the
leaders came to me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and
the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the
lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites,
the Egyptians, and the Amorites. (Deut. 12:30&31;
Neh. 9:2)
- "For they have taken some of their
daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed
is intermingled with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand
of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass."
(Ex. 22:31)
- So when I heard this thing, I tore
my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and
beard, and sat down astonished. (Job
1:20; Ps.
143:4; Ps. 119:53)
- Then everyone who trembled at the
words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the
transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat
astonished until the evening sacrifice. (Ezra 10:3; Ex.
29:39)
- At the evening sacrifice I arose
from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my
knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, (Ex. 9:29)
- and said, "O my God: I am to
ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our
iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up
to the heavens. (Job 40:4;
Job 42:6; Ps. 38:4; Dan.
9:7-8; Rev. 18:5)
- "Since the days of our fathers to
this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our
kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings
of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to
humiliation, as it is this day. (Deut. 28:36; Dan.
9:5-6)
- "And now for a little while grace
has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape,
and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our
eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. (Ps. 13:3; Ps. 34:5)
- "For we were slaves. Yet our
God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in
the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of
our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and
Jerusalem.
- "And now, O our God, what shall we
say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments,
- "which You have commanded by Your
servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to
possess is an unclean land, with the uncleanness of the peoples of the
lands, with their abominations which have filled it from one end ot
another with their impurity. (Ezra 6:21)
- 'Now therefore, do not give your
daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your
sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong
and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your
children forever.' (Deut. 23:6; Prov. 13:22; Prov. 20:17)
- "And after all that has come upon
us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have
punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such
deliverance as this, (Job 11:6;
Ps. 103:10)
- should we again break Your
commandments, and join in marriage with the people of these
abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had
consumed us, so that there would be no remnant of survivor?
(Deut. 9:8; Neh. 13:23)
- "O Lord God of Israel, You are
righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here
we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You
because of this!" (Ps. 116:5;
1 Cor. 15:17)
|
Chapter
_1 _2 _3
_4 _5
_6
_7 _8
_9
10
|
