Ezra 10 (Part 3) Bible Study (Those Guilty of Intermarriage) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (4/10/26)

Final installment of our book of the study or the study of the book of Ezra more accurately set. This book is fascinating. I'm speaking about the bible. I found myself just inclined to open up the book of second Corinthians. Listen to these words when Paul commends the Macedonians in second Corinthians chapter eight verse one and two.

You don't have to turn there unless you'd like to, but I hope this stirs you to worship as it did to me. Paul writes, we want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. Now he's about to describe that grace. What was the grace of God that he showered on these churches in this region? Verse two.

For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty, not just poverty, extreme poverty, have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. This is a paradox. He mentions a severe test of affliction. He goes on to talk about extreme poverty, and yet in the middle, he describes them as having abundance of joy. That's a grace from God.

Only God can enable a person or a community of people who are being severely afflicted and are enduring extreme poverty and yet overflow with joy. None of us can achieve that. None of us can experience that. None of us can live in that reality unless God gives us the grace to do it. Only God can do that.

And if you find yourself frustrated because you hear verses like this or you hear sermons about it and you go, this sounds imaginary. This sounds like it's pretend. It's not. It's something that's supernaturally empowered, something that is given by God himself. And so if only God can give it, then the only way we can have it is if he graciously pours it out, and we have to ask him for that.

So we ask you for that, Lord, today. We bend our hearts in your presence tonight. You alone know the afflictions that we have to face and maybe even the poverty that nobody else knows about. But, Lord, we know what your word says. You can supply a grace that gives us joy in any circumstance, and we pray that you would use the means of this bible study for us to know it.

We pray that we would know it. Fill our hearts afresh, not just to the brim. We pray that it would overflow with joy. We trust that you're able to grant us this, and we want to receive it so that we can glorify you for it. As we sing, give us strength.

As we sing, give us joy. As we sing, give us what only you can give us. In Jesus' name, we pray these things. Amen. Amen.

Let's stand together, and let's believe that God will give us grace tonight. To to you Father, thank you that though you primarily do all things for your glory, by extension, it is for our good. Lord, as we behold your glory today, so many of these songs are about being satisfied in you, you as our treasure, you as the real joy giver. May that be our experience tonight. May that be our testimony this evening.

We've been there, Lord, and we long for greater and deeper awareness of the absolute beauty that you possess. Open our eyes to see it. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Before you're seated, greet somebody on this Friday night. Welcome to Friday night bible study. At least the closing will happen by the end of this month. So we are just a few short weeks away before our address changes for a very long time. And if, you didn't also know, we are hoping and believing to enter into this new chapter debt free without the need for a loan.

And so we're being very intentional with our giving, giving the Lord our loaves and fishes and believing that he will multiply them. And so at this time, we will pursue that inner giving with the ushers assisting us in that way. So if it's on your heart to give, you can always make a memo note or put it somewhere letting us know that whatever you are contributing will go to the building fund. That way, we know how to set it apart for that specific cause. Apart from that, there there isn't much to say.

I think everybody's really preoccupied with planning and preparing and getting things organized for this transition. But the men, tomorrow, you know that we have, basketball. And so you should be well aware of that. If this is a last second thing for you, you can still, I'm sure, sign up. Just put your name back there, and you can, put your number as well.

And, you can get some notifications and updates. It's gonna be tomorrow at 02:00. And, that'll be a great time of fellowship for our brothers. So we're grateful for that. I don't think there's anything else there might be signaling to me something, but perhaps not.

No. I think I'm in the clear, for announcements as much as they are important for us. Brothers and sisters, we're here. The final section, final moments, final installment of the book of Ezra. And with the great anticipation, now I invite you to turn with me to Ezra chapter 10, as we meet together in God's holy and precious word.

Allow me to remind us tonight that in the short book of Ezra, Ezra, the author, the historian, the theologian behind this account, places three large lists of names in it. We've already examined the first two. There is one in chapter two and there's another one in chapter eight, and both of them have the same purpose. They describe to us the people and the families and those who represent certain towns who made the courageous decision to leave behind the comforts and the conveniences of Babylonia to go back and honor God in Jerusalem. But there is a third list, as I mentioned, and this is what we are going to explore tonight, and unfortunately, this registry is not as honorable as the former two.

If you look here at verse 18 of chapter 10, there will be name after name after name until the very last verse of this entire book. It's how this book closes and its purpose differs significantly from Ezra's first two directories. What you and I have before us in this list are the identities of those who have committed the great sin of interfaith marriage. That is plainly stated in the beginning of this sentence and and we're gonna see that in a moment but what may not be as clear is the purpose of this list. We understand why it's here, what it's defining for us, but my question in looking at this over and over again is why did the Holy Spirit feel and sense and deem it necessary to publicly and permanently record the names who are guilty of this grievous offense?

I understand the former list. I understand inscribing the names in a book that would last forever in order to honor those who made the step of faith, of selfless sacrifice, to worship God and to build his house to the glory of his name. But why also make known those who are involved in a national scandal? And I believe there are at least two reasons. The first one reminds us that this is one of many examples in Holy Scripture that testify to the transparency of Scripture, which lends weight to its authenticity and its accuracy.

You know, there are there are people who claim that this book is a man made production. You probably heard it. You probably believed that at one point. There are all these argumentations and thoughts behind that but that argument is weakened by the fact that over and over again, the authors of these books reveal the failures and the shortcomings of those who belong to the community of faith in the one true God. Now if if these authors of these religious texts had a personal agenda, then you would think that there would be much more embellishment and a lot less embarrassing accounts.

But that's not what we find. Instead, we're reminded even in this study in the word of God that this book called the Bible is a remarkably objective and honest account of real people throughout redemptive history. But there's a second reason for this list at the end of Ezra and it's much more practical. This list of names is a sobering reminder to us that sin, even when repented of, often carries unwanted consequences. And the consequence that is before us tonight is how willful disobedience can sometimes stain our names in the sight of men.

The book of Proverbs speaks to this reality among other passages. The reality of the importance of protecting our reputation. One verse that comes to mind is Proverbs 22 verse one, where the author states, a good name a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches And favor is better than silver or gold. What a thought provoking statement. Here's the Holy Spirit is saying in that verse.

If you have the choice between godly integrity and millions of dollars, choose the former. And while it is possible to have both, it is possible to have a good name with great riches, the reason why this contrast is presented to us is because all too often, the pursuit of wealth comes at the expense of a good name. Because of things and temptations like greed and manipulation and pride and the abandonment of godly ambition often accompanies that pursuit. And we can say much more about this but the main reason why I bring it up is to emphasize how the Lord highly values our reputation of noble character and for exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.

And when you and I are intentional about that, when we're not careless with our testimonies, when we don't just think that we can do whatever we want, say whatever we want, act however we want, and instead are protective over our names, then we secure for ourselves greater joy, deeper peace, more glory for God, and even greater opportunities for our lives than even for example, those who may have great riches but lack a good name. Here's one example that comes to comes to mind. When you look at the list of qualifications for a pastor in the New Testament, you will never find anything close to the requirement for somebody to be wealthy. If that is in your bible, you have the wrong translation. But you know what you do find in the qualifications for an elder?

Being well thought of by outsiders. Unfortunately, with this list of names in Ezra chapter 10, they did not choose a good name. They chose their personal preference in a wife. They chose, perhaps, security. They chose, perhaps, to fulfill lusts.

And it polluted their names. These are valuable lessons but this record contains even more for us to consider. And a helpful place to begin is by trying to establish the framework, the way Ezra organizes these names in this census. And so let's just get a bird's eye view of these verses. Look with me here in verse 18.

He begins with who? Now there were found some of the sons of the priest who had married foreign women. So he begins with the priest, but then he follows it with what we find in verse 23. So between eighteen and twenty two, he names the priests. In verse 23, who do we have?

Of the Levites. Who are the Levites? They are the assistants to the priests. And then in verse 24, very brief, but we have two other categories of people. We have what?

Of the singers and right after, of the gatekeepers. And lastly, verse 25 all the way to the end of the book, we have and of Israel. These are the common folk who do not hold any position, any ministerial position at least in Israel. And so how we're going to go about this final study is to see what we can learn from each of these groups. We've done this with previous lists And we'll start by reading Ezra ten eighteen to 22, shall we?

Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women, Maaseiah, Eleazar, Jerub, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and his brothers. They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. Of the sons of Immer, Hanani and Zebediah. Of the sons of Harim, Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jael, and Uzziah. Of the sons of Pashhur, Eleoni, Maasiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Let's pray. Father, help us, please, Lord, with these verses. Make them come alive. Touch our hearts. Move us.

Help us, Lord, to ultimately choose a good name because our names and our testimonies are attached to Christ's name. This is why, Lord, we wanna take these truths seriously because we are more concerned than anything else about reflecting and representing our master well. May every truth convicting, pressing, humbling, be accompanied with encouragement and hope. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. We're considering the first group tonight and it may be quite shocking to us to realize that among those who were supposed to be the leading examples and the source of guidance for the people in their holiness and their godliness and their worship were guilty themselves of the same crime.

The priests the priests married idolaters. The priests married pagan woman. But it's even more staggering than that when you read carefully because the first four names mentioned in verse 18 are no ordinary priests. They are who? Some of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak.

Does anybody remember who Jeshua, the son of Jozadak is? If you know, please answer yes. Very good. He's mentioned earlier in the book of Ezra. We have studied him before.

If If you need a reference for Jeshua that is very important, it's Haggai one one. Haggai was a prophet alive and ministering the time of Jeshua, who worked alongside Zerubbabel, who led the first wave of exiles eighty years before Ezra's time. And Haggai one one tells us that Jeshua, also known as Joshua, was the high priest at the time. Which tells us what when we come to this section of scripture. That it wasn't just the sons of priests who married foreign woman, but the descendants of the high priest himself.

This is staggering. This is sobering in many ways, but it's also very instructive. Is it possible for the the children and the grandchildren of a godly minister to walk in the opposite direction of their spiritual heritage? A lot of heads are nodding yes. But we also have to remember that just because some may do so, does not indicate always that it's because of the poor example of their guardians, of those who went before them.

Joshua, also known as Joshua, was not a compromiser. Was he perfect? No. But he wasn't scandalous either. In fact, Joshua was one of the leaders who stood against the temptation and the invitation of those who approached the first wave of exiles who returned to Jerusalem that wanted to join them in building the house of God.

He was one of the voices that said absolutely not. Do you remember this? Go to Ezra four. Let's look at these few verses together to refresh our memories. Ezra four, remember, we're looking now, we're rewinding eighty years.

When Jeshur the high priest along with Zerubbabel and other leaders were ready to build the house of God. But in that pursuit, there was a great temptation in Ezra four verse one. Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the father's houses and said to them, let us build with you for we worship your God as you do. And we've been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here. But Zerubbabel, Jeshua.

And the rest of the heads of father's houses in Israel said to them, you have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God, but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us. Who would have imagined that the direct descendants of this man would walk in the exact opposite direction that he paid a great high price to make? Remember, this would unleash great persecution. So this man who stood on the integrity of God's word, who fought for his consecration and who was persecuted because of it, after a few short decades had some of his own descendants squander them and partner with these idolaters in in one of the worst ways possible, by marrying their woman. It's shocking but it's realistic.

You know, I'm aware that there may be fathers here. There may be mothers here. Maybe even older siblings, perhaps. And you may you may be wondering and trying to come to terms with why it is that those closest to you, maybe even your own children or grandchildren, are rejecting and chasing after everything that you stood against according to God's word, that you taught them about, that you warned them about. And I know that some parents even wrestle with guilt.

Did I have a part to play in the foolishness of my son? In the brazen rebellion of my younger sibling? And if you do have that haunting thought, remember Joshua and let your conscience be free. Especially if you are a man like him who has clearly walked with Christ, not perfectly. Yes, none of us are perfect but clearly and consistently to the best of your ability by the grace of God.

This is one example among many that even the most exceptional examples of righteousness are not always imitated by those the closest to them. And they're not at fault for that. Because in the end, devotion to God is a personal choice. You can only do so much to influence. You can do only so much to point them in the right direction.

But in the end, every single one of us will stand before God for our own lives. Now thankfully, these same sons of the high priest along with the other priests repented. How do we know that? Because verse 19, it says that they pledged to put away these wives and more than just promising, they made a humbling sacrifice. They offered a guilt offering to admit their sin and to seek atonement for it.

Now here's what here's what intrigued me. This is the only time an offering, according to the biblical code, is mentioned in this list of names of those who have repented. That is not to say that others did not make an offering at the temple, But it's Ezra's way of highlighting the severity of the sin of the priest because of their leadership. Spiritual leadership are held to a higher standard because their decisions have a greater impact for good or for worse. And so Ezra strategically emphasizes and highlights how they made a sacrifice because of the necessity for it by virtue of their position and their influence.

Now here's what's very moving to us. There are total names, total number of names here mentioned if we count them, that lead to 17. 17 priests. And out of the 17 names, three of them share the same one. It's the first one mentioned in verse 18, Maaseiah.

It shows up again in verse 21, shows up again in verse 22. Why do I underscore this? Because you find this name repeated more than once in the book of Nehemiah among another list of priests. Now Nehemiah comes onto the scene thirteen years after Ezra. And where when you see how this this name Messiah shows up in Nehemiah, it it should flood your heart with encouragement because of what they're doing.

So turn with me to Nehemiah chapter 12. Notice what happens here. Nehemiah in this chapter is organizing the dedication of the wall. Remember, his purpose was to rebuild the security of the city of Jerusalem through the erection of these physical walls. And here's the dedication service.

And like any good dedication service, you're gonna have some singing and you're gonna have some choirs. So there was choirs even back then. Look at verse 40 of Nehemiah 12. So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me and the priest Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioniah, Zechariah, and Hananiah with trumpets and Maaseiah. There's another one of them.

And Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehoanan, Melkiah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezreiah as their leader and they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced. They offered great sacrifices on that day and rejoiced. Now we can't say conclusively that the Maasai's of Nehemiah 12 are the same ones who sinned and repented back in Ezra 10. But if they are, and it's very possible that they are, then what we have before us is yet another reminder of something that we have seen over and over in our studies in the Old Testament.

That God is a God of restoration. Here's these men who sinned so grossly, who have stained their names and have brought disgrace to their community, and yet as severe as this sin was, it did not cut off hope. It did not delete forever God's future plans and desires for them. These same priests, these are just three of them that show up clearly in the next book, are actually now not offering a guilt offering for their sin, but are offering sacrifices to serve the nation and to glorify God. God is rich in mercy.

God is incredibly kind. Yes. So this list is not an honorable one but it it didn't mean that God did not restore them. So let your heart be at rest that even though we may have tarnished our testimony, that does not mean that God cannot do something with our lives. In fact, all he asked of you is what these men did, genuinely repent.

Because genuine repentance is the key to a mercy so strong that it can restore you in ways that you never knew would be possible and surely in ways that we don't deserve. So this is what we see with the priests, but let's move on now to the Levites. Ezra 10 in verse 23. Of the Levites, Jozabad, Shemai, Kalaiah, that is Kalita, Pithiah, Judah, Eleazar, and that's it. Now the brief mention of the Levites here brings to mind their peculiar history in the book of Ezra.

Again, they show up in Ezra chapter two when the first returnees came back from Babylonia into the holy city. The number of them, around 74 Levites. And then with the second census in Ezra chapter eight, no Levites come initially at least until Ezra organizes a focus effort to recruit the Levites and then about 38 of them join. And when you look at this from a bird's eye view, when you consider these lists in totality, you get the sense that the testimony of the Levites is that there's very little interest in them to actually walk in the fullness of their calling by going back to the house of God and serving God the way they were called to. And and and the reasons for that is because of, I'm sure, the enticing environment that they became accustomed to in Babylonia.

We've discussed this many times before. So we should applaud those who did go while many of them stayed back. We can safely say thousands of them remained in a foreign land. So we celebrate them. Yes.

At the same time, we come to this final list and we get a very telling insight of a handful of them who did come back and it is this. Some of the Levites who made the right steps to return to Jerusalem still struggled with an attraction to the world. So yes, they left a foreign land, they left a foreign people, they abandoned the attractions and the conveniences of a foreign place but their hearts, at least those who are listed here, were not completely consecrated. How do we know that? Because they turned their backs on Babylon but they still ended up marrying foreign women.

This is very very important for us to consider because what it shows us is that as important as physical relocation is, right? Walking away from bad places and bad environments and bad atmosphere, as important as that is, as important as partnering and participating in a faithful fellowship and even serving in a certain ministry, as important as all of that is, it is not enough to transform us. None of that can provide the inner renewal that can only come by way of God's miraculous power in the human heart. Practically speaking, these Levites made all the right choices but evidently, their hearts needed work. And there are so many examples of this throughout the Bible and I want to bring to mind one from the New Testament.

Have you heard the name Demas? Demas is notorious for abandoning the Apostle Paul in his greatest time of need. He deserted Paul when he was imprisoned for the last time before he would be ultimately executed. But Demas doesn't only appear in Paul's final letter. He appears a total of three times in the New Testament.

Did you know that? And when you look at the two other instances of Demas being mentioned in Scripture, it only makes his abandonment that much more frightening. It's only three. Can we look at it? Let's go to Philemon.

This is a prison epistle. It's a personal one. Paul writes to his friend and when he gives them his final greetings, he mentions somebody. In Philemon in verse 23, no chapters, verse 23. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus sends greetings to you and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

There's Demas and he's mentioned as who? A fellow worker. He's he's listed with Luke, Mark. You study Paul's life, he didn't recruit just anybody into his ministry team. He was very, very, very selective.

Demas must have shown some kind of resolve, some kind of faithfulness, some kind of seriousness. And he stuck around for a bit, I'm sure. Because look at Colossians now. Another prison epistle. And look what happens in chapter four verse 14 of Colossians.

Colossians four verse 14. Luke, the beloved physician, greets you as does Demas. He's there again. And the final time as you know is in second Timothy four ten. Now as you turn there, many people make the mistake of claiming that the reason why Demas turned his back on Paul and ultimately on Christ and the cause of Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ is because of the intense persecution.

Paul was willing to pay for it, Demas wasn't. But that's not what Paul brings to the forefront. Why did Demas walk away? He tells us clearly in verse 10 of chapter four. Look at second Timothy four ten.

For Demas in love with this present world. Not for fear, but because he had a different love. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Demas had a heart problem. Now think about this.

What a privilege to serve alongside the great Apostle Paul. What kind of miracles did you witness? What kind of example did you have with you virtually twenty four seven? More than Paul, who are your comrades? Who are your associates?

Luke the physician? Mark? Other sold out believers? And yet with with all of this fellowship, all of this opportunity, even this accountability, because Demas's heart, namely his affections were not fixed and nurtured regularly for the Lord, when the right opportunity arose, he took it because he was in love with this world. This is a heart problem.

It's more than circumstance. It's more than environment. It's gonna it's gonna require much more than all of that to transform us and to keep us where God wants us to be. In fact, there's a contrast with Demas' love. Paul mentions another love two verses early.

Look at second Timothy four eight. Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. So in this verse, Paul highlights a love that keeps you faithful until the end. But the object of his love is Christ. His appearing.

Not just his commands, not just his instructions, not just his promises, himself. Paul mentions a love that keeps you going until the end and then he mentions another love in verse 10 that will weaken your faithfulness and draw you away from the one that you claim to love. How do we respond to this truth? You know how I respond to it? Lord, help my heart.

Help my heart. And the question you may have is, can God do anything with my heart? Is the responsibility solely on me? Do I gotta maneuver and make things happen? Do I gotta hype myself up every How does this whole thing work for my heart's love to be on Christ with no rival?

So I I opened the service in second Corinthians eight because that's where I found myself this morning and there were so many verses I didn't know which to choose and I thought, you know what? Let me tuck this one into the study. Paul speaks about his friend Titus who also served in the ministry and he says something about what happened to his heart that that so energized me this morning, it became my prayer all day. In second Corinthians eight sixteen, listen to what Paul says. But thanks be to God who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.

Doesn't that blow your mind? Saying what about it? God put it in the heart of Titus. To have the same concern and care and compassion for the Corinthians as Paul did. God can put it in your heart.

God can put in your heart a love for him, a love for God's people. I mean, if there is anybody who is really, really difficult to love, it was the Corinthians. You really need God to put a love in your heart for the Corinthians But he did it. He can do it in your heart and mind too. Amazingly, like the priest in Ezra 10, some of the names of the Levites reappear in Nehemiah, but in a more redemptive light.

Nehemiah nine five, Nehemiah ten ten, Nehemiah eleven sixteen. They are found serving alongside Nehemiah by doing their part to advance God's purposes in a meaningful way, the Levites. So again, it amplifies the truth of God's mercy. God's restorative grace was not reserved for the priest. It was also made available to the assistance of the priests.

So they repented in Ezra 10, these Levites. And God did a work in their hearts. So much so that they were reinstated in service to the Lord. And that's good news for each of us tonight. Because you may come to this church regularly, but recently your heart is not here.

In fact, you're actually scared about it. You may even serve here. But because of an honesty on your part, you can admit perhaps that you are growing more and more infatuated with the world and you don't know what to do. Because the tide is pulling you and you find yourself emptier and emptier and emptier as you go through the motions, I want to give you a message of hope today. God can change that.

He can change that radically. It comes back to what these Levites did, who did all the right things. They left Babylonia. They sacrificed so much to help restore the activity and the service and the worship in the house of God. But some of them their hearts evidently were not totally to the Lord.

All we have to do is admit the coldness of our heart and ask God to change it. And he's willing to do that. This is what we learn from the Levites. Let's come to verse 24 now of Ezra 10. Two groups of people in one verse, of the singers, Eliashib, of the gatekeepers, Shalom, Tlem and Uri.

Instead of focusing directly on the singers and the gatekeepers, I want to note that up to this point, Ezra is drawing attention to the same categories of people that he recorded in Ezra chapter two. So in Ezra chapter two, that's the first list of names that we encounter in this book and we know what happens in Ezra two. Right? He begins by mentioning the leaders who oversaw this expedition and then he goes on to mention the men of Israel from different households and hometowns. And then after mentioning that long list of refugees, he goes on to describe the the priests, the Levites, the singers and the sons of the gatekeepers.

But Ezra doesn't mention one group that is in Ezra two in Ezra 10. Does anybody know who I'm referring to? We spent quite a bit of time diving into who this particular group were. The temple servants. Remember we spent time looking into the potential history of the temple servants.

Why were they so intriguing? Because evidence seems to indicate that the temple servants were not of Jewish descent. They were more likely Gibeonites, a group of people that Joshua failed to destroy upon entering to the promised land and instead made a covenant with. And because of that covenant, they were forever vowed and bound to serving in the house of God with the most menial of tasks. And they became the official group known as the temple servants who operated this way generationally.

Ezra actually hints to this. Look at chapter eight verse 20. In Ezra eight twenty, he mentions the temple servants in his second senses. And notice what he says about them. Besides 220 of the temple servants whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites, these were all mentioned by name.

So you notice the hierarchy here in the ministry positions within the temple? You have the priests, Then you had the Levites who were assigned to assist the priests. But with the Levites, you had the temple servants who served them. Here's my question. The temple servants, they appear in Ezra chapter two.

They show up in Ezra chapter eight, the second list. Why are they not found in Ezra chapter 10? Because after the gatekeepers, we're gonna go to the men of Israel. So you skip over a category that we have become familiar with. Some will say perhaps, well, it wasn't necessary for Ezra to include them in this list because of their origins.

They were Gentiles. And what's concerning to Ezra is those who are descendants of the holy race. They're excluded from that. Sure, they have an oath with the people of God to God himself but would it really matter as much for them to marry outsiders? That's the case then their omission from this list would mean that Ezra did not hold them responsible to the same covenantal framework that the Levites and the priests and other Israelites were held accountable to.

Right? The the Gibeonites, the temple servants, they didn't have any tribal inheritance. They were not representing Israel in the same genealogical way. So it's not important really what they do in this regard. So I'm wrestling with this.

Because the easy thing to do is say that. Just move on. But I realized something about the temple servants. They show up again in Nehemiah and they show up at a very critical point in Israel's history that says something about them and how they relate to the people of Israel and ultimately to the law of God, which helps us understand perhaps why they are not mentioned in Ezra chapter 10. We're getting a workout here.

Yes? Nehemiah in chapter 10. This is when they make a renewed covenant with God. Nehemiah with the other spiritual leaders want to solidify their commitment to the God of Israel. So there's this whole ceremony.

Notice who shows up to the ceremony and not just show up. I'll just read it. Nehemiah 10 verse 28. The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers. We've seen all these people before.

Who else? The temple servants. The temple servants and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God's law that was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes, we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. I understand the priests doing this. I understand the Levites.

I understand the singers and the gatekeepers, the temple servants submitting themselves to the law of God including the prohibition of having their descendants marry foreign women or men, and they are welcome to do so. See, that's that's a good observation, but why does it matter? Because they're not of Jewish lineage. They don't share the same blood necessarily. And yet, when you rewind and come back to Ezra chapter 10 with what we just read in Nehemiah chapter 10, then the most logical conclusion of why they are not included in this indictment is because they were not guilty.

They took God's law seriously for themselves. And why this is so amazing to me is because they have proven to be more steadfast and committed to God's demands than the Jews who are the direct inheritors of the law and God's commands. Moreover, think about their position and their function. The deal was between Joshua and them, you make a covenant with us, we can't kill you anymore but that doesn't mean that you just get to do whatever you want. You will forever and ever and ever become servants in the house of God.

And Joshua nine twenty seven tells us exactly what their day to day look like. They were cutters of wood and drawers of water. It's not very glamorous. The priest, very elaborate, very attractive. The Levites, same thing.

Temple servants, but who in Ezra 10 has shown to break God's heart? It wasn't the temple servants. It was the priests. It was the Levites. And humanly speaking, the lowest of the low in terms of work, those who had no public platform, those who did not have prominence, those who did the dirty work were not guilty.

You know, pleasing God is not dependent upon your position. Bringing glory to God is not dependent on who knows you or the accolades that you accumulate for yourself. It's very simple to please God. Just do what he says. Live for him.

No matter what providence has put before you, no matter what limitations you feel are on you. The temple servants outshined the priests and the Levites. Because God is not impressed by all these things. He simply wants faithfulness. And it came from the most unlikely group of people.

I was already impressed with the temple servants because when they were removed from Jerusalem to go to Babylonia, that's a clean slate. You can say, we're free. We never have to cut wood again. We don't have to wash anything. Let's just start fresh here in Babylonia.

But when Cyrus made the call, so many of them said, let's go back. We made a promise to the God of Israel. And that covenant goes deeper than this. We come now to Ezra 10, we realize that they were not found guilty though the others were. It's amazing how you can be moved by such details in the word of God.

Let's come to the final group of people. We are going to attempt to read these names together because every part of God's word matters. Verse 25, and of Israel, the sons of Perosh, Ramiah, Ezea, Melchijah, Mizzaman, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah of the sons of Elam, Mataniah, Zechariah, Jael, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah of the sons of Zato, Eleoni, Eliashib, Mataniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. Of the sons of Bubai were Johanan, Hananiah, Zebiah, Athliai. Of the sons of Benny were Musalem, Maluch, Adiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jerama.

Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Adnah, Hilal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Metaniah, Bezalel, Benuiah, and Manasseh. Of the sons of Harim, Eleazar, Ishia, Melkiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Maluch, and Sheremiah. Of the sons of Hashum, Mataniah, Matata, Zebed, Eliphaleth, Jeremiah, Manasseh, and Shamaiah. Of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, Uiel, Benaiah, Bedaiah, Heluai, Benaiah, Merimath, Eliashab, Mataniah, Mataniah, Jasu. Of the sons of Benaiah, Shemaiah, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiyah, Machnadabai, Shishai, Shari, Azarel, Shelemiah, Sheremiah, Shalom, Amariah, and Joseph.

Of the sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Matathiah, Zabad, Zibini, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. All these had married foreign women and some of the women had even born children. So how do we approach this final section of names listed without attempting to examine every family brought to our attention. I think one way we can do so effectively in a way that edifies us is to consider the first family that is at the top of the list which seems to indicate that they are of great prominence. And we can infer this because the same family shows up in Ezra chapter two at the top of the list.

So clearly, they are important. Who am I speaking of? Verse 25, and of Israel, of the sons, Perosh. Ezra two verse three reads, the sons of Perosh, 2172. They are highlighted among the largest clans who chose to leave Babylon, nearly 2,200 members of their own clan.

That speaks to the faith of this family. That speaks to the convictions that they shared as one unit. For for all of them to make this choice, we are going to turn our backs on Babylon and go back and rebuild the ruins. This is impressive. You can imagine then how shocking it would be especially for the original readers to discover this about the family parash.

I'm sure they knew of their history to some degree, only to realize that they are mentioned first among those who were guilty of this great sin. The same family that inspired and showed how God's spirit can stir the hearts of members of one household, one clan, also show up in a place of being among those who put the nation at an existential risk. What what are we supposed to do with this connection? Here's a lesson, none of us are spiritually untouchable. None of us.

We must never become overconfident because of our moral history, past testimonies, or present stability even. Instead, you and I have to remain vigilant always and depend on God day by day by day. I've had people ask me, brother, I'm scared. I don't know who I'm gonna be a year from now. I don't know if I'm gonna be faithful to Christ five years from now.

And my answer remains the same, just take a day by day. Stop worrying about who you'll be decades from now and just worry who you are tomorrow morning. His burden is light. His yoke is easy. Don't add weight to it.

So the sons of Parash remind us that though we may think we stand, take heed lest we fall. That's not to promote hysteria or paranoia, but just this awesome awareness that I need thee. Oh, I need thee. Not just day by day, not just hour by hour, but moment by moment. I need thee.

Did you notice how the book ends? Look at the last verse. All these had married foreign women and some of the women had even born children, full stop. Book is done. So it's a summary, but more than a summary, it's a strategic way Ezra chooses to end his account.

And if we're honest, it seems a little abrupt, doesn't it? It's not as polished as we would expect. It's not accidental. He didn't run out of parchment. He's led by the Holy Spirit.

And he deliberately mentions briefly but deliberately the consequence, at least a significant one of these men's choices by bringing to surface the fact that some of these women had children. And then he puts a veil over this reality so quickly. He doesn't give us too many details because the ambiguity itself is intentional. It's meant to cause the reader to ask and wonder, oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, what? What now?

Hold on, there's children involved in this? Where are they gonna go? What what's gonna happen to these families? How are they gonna be provided for? What's the emotional toll of this reform?

And so what Ezra does by the spirit, ending the way he ends, is he invites us into the tension of this whole scenario and he lets us sit there. He doesn't want us to gloss over it. He doesn't put makeup on the whole situation to try to clean it up. He provides silence for us to have to deal with something that we often don't think about when it comes to our sinful choices. The ramifications of it being much more painful than we had planned, impacting factors that we never hoped or thought or desired.

And some of the women even born children. Period. So, yes, there there is repentance in this final section of this book and that provides a note of hope. But Ezra, the great teacher that he is, is honest. And he wants to let the reader know, repentance does not always erase the painful and lasting consequences of sin.

And this abrupt ending also, though Ezra and Nehemiah are two separate books, prepares us for the next major account that is connected to Ezra's story. You know, sometimes when it comes to text like what we have before us, preachers feel the need to try to change the tone of it so that we can end on a more happy thought. We have to honor the way the Holy Spirit penned his word. And what we find here is that Ezra wants us to wrestle and not just look at these names and these people, but then to look at our own lives and ask, Lord, to to help us prevent walking or making decisions that might create tension that we can avoid if we just trust him and take him at his word. So I invite you to do that with me as we end our study in the book of Ezra.

Let's take a few moments to sit here, reflect, and ask the lord to help us before we sing another song. Bow your hearts with me. Though we think about all the the studies in this book, the amount of times we have witnessed your providence and your power over kings and governments and officials And we also encounter how despite your goodness and your steadfastness, we blow it. And we're reminded of that again at the end of this book. Thank you, Lord, that with the priests, the Levites, and even some of the men of Israel, they show up again in Nehemiah, and they are serving, and they are standing with leaders, and they are helping the people of God.

Thank you that you can rewrite our stories even though we have tarnished our own names. But, Lord, we also thank you for the honesty of your word when it comes to our choices. And we think about these families that were torn apart even though these marriages were illegitimate to begin with, the children involved. And what those conversations must have been like and what those tears and the cries look like and sounded like and reminds us of the brokenness that we often bring into our own lives. Help us, Lord, be agents of good and holiness and love and faith.

Thank you that you're willing to forgive us, but Lord, we're praying for more than forgiveness. We want strength. We need power. You have not given us these studies in your word just to learn but to be prepared. And so prepare us.

Prepare us to face temptation. Lead us not into it, but should it come, Lord, give us the wisdom that we've accumulated over these past few weeks in this book to fight it well. Help us choose a good name more than great riches. Help us choose that. That we will maintain and hold on to our integrity and our holiness and our trustworthiness because ultimately we bear your name.

And that is more important to us than anything else. More important to us than money, more important to us than women, more important to us than men, more important to us than having children. Living according to your word is more important to us than any of that. Remind us of that when it becomes hard to believe it. Thank you father for guiding us so patiently, so insightfully in Ezra.

Bring us again to your word wherever you take us next with great illumination and inspiration. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Another book down. A long way to go.

But for now, let's celebrate progress and thank God for this chapter, for this church. Let's stand and worship the Lord. Well, where are we going from here? I think naturally, it is most appropriate to enter into the book of Nehemiah and complete it. I don't know if we'll do that right away, but that will be our next big move for Friday nights.

And seeing that we will be in a new building, we may also be starting a a study in the book of Genesis very soon, which has been, I think, the number one email, request that we get on a regular basis. Where is Genesis? Where when are you starting Genesis? Can I find Genesis? How much to get Genesis?

Nothing's for sale. You if it's we can give it to you when it's available. So, I'm praying. I I wanna prepare my heart for any book, but especially Genesis because if you get Genesis wrong, you get everything else wrong. If you get Genesis one one wrong, you get everything else wrong.

I love God's word, and I love God for bringing a community of people together who love his word. May our love for his word not just be for the insights and the connections, but for the God of the word, the God of the word, who's the living God. So let's pray and ask God for that, to to continue to keep our eyes on him through the window of his word. Lord, we thank you for this book, the best selling book of all time, the most read book, and you have providentially established that as a witness to every generation. But, Lord, we don't just want to know how we can get saved through this.

We wanna know you through it, and you have done that week after week. We pray, father. Oh, how we pray that you open our eyes that we may behold the wondrous things out of your law. And whatever makes us wonder, we trust will cause us to worship. May it lead to worship.

But we thank you for Ezra. We're looking forward to Nehemiah. Empower us to understand it and to ultimately obey it. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.

God is good. We'll see you on Sunday. We're looking at a very fascinating chapter in in the book of Revelation. Join us. If you wanna read in advance, it's only eight verses, Revelation 15, and we will update you in the weeks to come of what we're doing next for We'll do that Sunday.

We'll do that Sunday. We'll update you next of how we're gonna move forward for our studies. God bless you guys. See you.