And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands! Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.’
Ezra 9:10-12 NLT
Remember, we are in the middle of Ezra’s prayer soon after he learned of the the people’s rebellion of intermarriage with those who do not follow God’s ways. Ezra has recounted to God the brief moment of grace He’s given them, allowing them to return to Jerusalem after exile. Now he continues on.
The first thing that is striking is how Ezra uses the word azab – to loose from oneself and widow. And he uses it in context to God’s commands. This is a very important word picture to keep in mind as we settle into these final two chapters of Ezra. The toebah – loathsome, detestable acts of the peoples around – are the primary issue Ezra has with these intermarriages. And as the priest for God’s people, he will do something about it.
So it seems important to think through this word azab again. We have studied it in context of our duty to fan aflame our First Love relationship with God. We thought through God’s part of the equation. How He will never forsake or loose us from Himself. Now we get to focus on that same kind of commitment to Him – but through His commands. If we don’t, things like “don’t ever promote peace (shalom) or prosperity (towb – beauty) of those nations” will seem harsh and inconsistent with Yahweh’s character.
Ezra makes sure to bring up two parts of God’s commands regarding intermarriage with foreigners: warnings from the prophets and the meaning of marriage.
First the prophets. Ezra is hearkening back to when God originally gave the Promised Land to His people. Through Moses, the first in a long line of God’s spokesmen, God told the people how to show off His character. The Hebrew word Ezra uses for how the prophets warned the people is tsavah. It means to appoint, lay a charge upon.
This is an honor. In my life so often I want to whine about how He seems to want something different from me than the world around. How bratty. It is an honor to be one of God’s many children. And we have the privilege of being appointed as an ambassador for His heart to the world. To make Him look good.
The second part seems to emerge more fully in the Hebrew. When talking about not giving their daughters to marriage with foreigners, Ezra uses the word nathan. We’ve seen it before; it means to commit, to entrust, bestow into the power of. That is what it is like to give your daughter away in marriage. You are entrusting her welfare to another.
In this case, God’s daughters were being committed to people whose ways are described as niddah – totally defiled, abhorrent. This is not what a Good, Good Father would want for the children He loves and is appointing as His ambassadors.
The reverse in the intermarriage is true as well: do not take their daughters as wives for your sons. Know what take there is? Nasa – to lift high. The way God designed marriage is for each spouse to love and serve the other. If God’s sons were to take a wife whose practices are toebah – detestable in His eyes – any time the husband sought to serve and lift up his bride, he would also be lifting high these practices.
Keeping their eyes on these commands is so God’s people could remain strong – chazaq – in the land He gave them. Chazaq means to be fortified and courageous. This seems like an important thing for people who represent God to a watching world.
None of this is less true of us as Believers under the New Covenant. We are His ambassadors, spreading the fragrance of Christ as we go. He desires all to come to Him. As we cling to Him and His commands, His Spirit in us is lifted high.
And He makes us fortified.