Ezra 10:9-17 – A uncompromising love for God

Ezra 10:9 tells us that within three days all the men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. They all sat in the open square before the temple. The rainy season plus the serious matter at hand made them shiver to hear the judgment of Ezra. Speaking candidly, Ezra told them in verses 10-11 saying, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. Now, therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” 

By and large, the people assembled agreed with him. Loudly in unison, they replied, “that’s right.” And they concurred that it was their responsibility to set the matter right by getting rid of their foreign wives. However, in verse 15 we are told that a few, four to be precise, objected. Since the serious matter was widespread, plus the rainy season, it was impossible to settle the matter within one or two days. So a suggestion was made that leaders and the people who had committed the offense come with their appointed officials according to appointment to see to the settlement of the issue. Ezra took up the suggestion and in verse 16 he appointed “men who were heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name.” They convened the meeting to investigate and settle the matter, which took them three months to complete.

The issue at hand was their marriage to foreign women. Humanly speaking, to put away their wives would seem brutal and unsympathetic. But more than the seemingly unkind act this passage is giving us a critical principle concerning our devotion to God. We must not allow anything to come in the way of our total commitment and devotion to God. Any disobedience must be dealt with ruthlessly so that we will not be hindered in our relationship with Him.  Think of what Jesus said in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is not asking us to hate the list of people mentioned in this verse. He is asking us to put him first in our love and must not even allow the people listed to become the hindrance to our devotion to Him.  We must offer to Jesus a radical and uncompromising love.