旧约 - 以斯拉记(Ezra)第10章

While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites--men, women and children--gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.
Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.
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. Let it be done according to the Law.
Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it."
So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath.
Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.
A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem.
Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.
Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain.
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt.
Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives."
The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: "You are right! We must do as you say.
But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing.
Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us."
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.
So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases,
and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah.
(They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)
From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
And among the other Israelites: From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Benjamin, Malluch and Shemariah.
From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei,
Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.
All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
以斯拉记第十章   第 10 章 

  拉 10:3> 休这一切的妻!啊,竟要──休妻? 

  10:3 以色列人被命令离弃他们的妻儿。这法令虽然严苛,但必须执行,因与异族通婚是被严格禁止的(参申 7:3-4 )。当时甚至连祭司和利未人也犯下这罪,这就好比今天的基督徒与一个拜撒但的人结婚一样。命令虽然严厉,但在二万九千个家庭里,真正受影响的只有 113 户。 

  以斯拉坚决的行动,对某些人来说是难以接受的,但为整个民族能遵守向神所立的约却是必须的。有些在北方被掳的以色列人,早已因与外族人通婚的缘故,失去了灵性上和身体上的特征,他们跟随异族配偶膜拜偶像。以斯拉不希望这种事情在南国犹大的人身上重演。 

  拉 10:3-4,11> 心口认罪,行动悔改,生命更新!但我怕我做不到…… 

  10:3-4,11 经过以斯拉恳切祷告后,众百姓也向神认了罪,并且祈求神指引如何能恢复与祂的关系。真正的悔改不是口头上的认罪──这不过是门面工夫罢了,乃要在行为上有所改过、在态度上有所改变。当你犯了罪,就要真心悔过,向神坦白承认,求祂赦免,并接受祂的怜悯和恩慈。为了表示你感谢神的赦免,务必要改过自新。 

  拉 10:8> 抄家,在武侠片中见得多;在这里是否如我所理解的意思呢? 

  10:8 抄家的意思是使之失去土地的合法拥有权和继承权,以确保异族人的子女无法继承以色列人的土地。此外,凡拒绝到耶路撒冷的人,也不准参加回归以色列人的聚会,不准在圣殿里敬拜。对犹太人来说,这是非常严重的惩罚。 

  拉 10:11> 认罪、悔改、又认罪──既已认识神且相信神,为何仍要多次认罪? 

  10:11 我们既已成为基督徒,罪就已得赦免了。既然基督的死已洗净我们的罪,为什么我们仍要向神认罪?认罪不仅为着得到基督的赦免(我们曾经认过的罪不需要再重复认了),认罪还代表我们承认自己的思想、言语、行为,都会违背神的旨意,我们愿意重新立志,遵循祂的旨意而行,并弃绝一切悖逆神的行为。所以认罪就是要远离罪恶,并求神赐我们新的力量,继续为祂而活。 

  拉 10:44> 虽曾远离,只要回转,神必复兴;但有时我就是怕…… 

  10:44 以斯拉记以神的殿被毁和南国犹大人被掳到巴比伦为背景。以斯拉讲述了神的子民如何回归、重建圣殿并恢复献祭敬拜。今天神同样可以复兴人、重建人的生命,只要肯悔改,没有人会离开神太远而不能复兴。不论我们在外面漂流有多远、停止敬拜神有多久,祂总能重建与我们的关系,复兴我们的生命。──《灵修版圣经注释》