Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Saturday, March 1, 2014

1 Mar 459 BC: Ezra & Bad Marriages


1 March 459 B.C. Ezra 10.17.  An examination by Ezra and leaders regarding foreign wives.

Ezra 10


1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

(10 1 The people repent and turn, and put away their strange wives.)

While Ezra prayed thus, and [a]confessed himself weeping, and falling down before the house of God, there assembled unto him of Israel a very great Congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept with a great lamentation.

Then Shechaniah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Elam answered, and said to Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land, yet now there is [b]hope in Israel concerning this.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put away [c]all the wives (and such as are born of them) according to the counsel of the Lord, and of those that fear the commandments of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.

Arise: for the matter [d]belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of comfort and do it.

¶ Then arose Ezra, and caused the chief Priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they would do according to this word. So they sware.

And Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: he went even thither, but he did eat neither bread nor drunk water: for he mourned, because of the transgression of them of the captivity.

And they caused a proclamation to go throughout Judah and Jerusalem, unto [e]all them of the captivity, that they should assemble themselves unto Jerusalem.

And whosoever would not come within three days according to the counsel of the Princes and Elders, all his substance should be [f]forfeit, and he should be separate from the Congregation of them of the captivity.

¶ Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled themselves unto Jerusalem within three days, which was the twentieth day of the [g]ninth month, and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling for this matter, and for the [h]rain.

10 And Ezra the Priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to [i]increase the trespass of Israel.

11 Now therefore [j]give praise unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will, and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12 And all the Congregation answered, and said with a loud voice, So will we do according to thy words unto us.

13 But the people are many, and it is a rainy weather, and we are not able to stand without, neither is it the work of one day or two: for we are many that have offended in this thing.

14 Let our rulers stand therefore [k]before all the Congregation, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities, come at the time appointed, and with [them] the Elders of every city and the judges thereof, till the fierce wrath of our God for this matter turn away from us.

15 Then were appointed Jonathan the son of Asahel, and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah over this matter, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites helped them.

16 And they of the captivity did so, and [l]departed, even Ezra the Priest, and the men that were chief fathers to the family of their fathers by name, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17 And until the first day of the first month they were finishing the business with all the men that had taken strange wives.

18 And of the sons of the Priests there were men found, that had taken strange wives, to wit, of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and of his brethren, Maaseiah, Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave [m]their hands, that they would put away their wives, and they that had trespassed gave a ram for their trespass.

20 And of the sons of Immer, Honani, and Zebadiah.

21 And of the sons of Harim, Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22 And of the sons of Pashur, Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 And of the Levites, Jozabad and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (which is Kelita) Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

24 And of the singers, Eliashib. And of the porters, Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25 And of [n]Israel: of the sons of Parosh, Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Mijamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

26 And of the sons of Elam, Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.

27 And of the sons of Zattu, Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jerimoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

28 And of the sons of Bebai, Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, Athlai.

29 And of the sons of Bani, Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, Jeremoth.

30 And of the sons of [o]Pahath-Moab, Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31 And of the sons of Harim, Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32 Benjamin, Malluch, Shamariah.

33 Of the sons of Hashum, Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, Shimei.

34 Of the sons of Bani, Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35 Banaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasai,

38 And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

39 And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,

41 Azarel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42 Shallum, Amariah, Joseph.

43 Of the sons of Nebo, Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadai, and Joel, Benaiah.

44 All these had taken strange wives: and among them were women that had [p]children.

Footnotes:


  1. Ezra 10:1 He confessed his sins, and the sins of the people.
  2. Ezra 10:2 Meaning, that God would receive them to mercy.
  3. Ezra 10:3 Which are strangers and married contrary to the Law of God.
  4. Ezra 10:4 Because God hath given thee authority and learning to persuade the people herein, and to command them.
  5. Ezra 10:7 Hebrew, the sons of the captivity.
  6. Ezra 10:8 Or, condemned.
  7. Ezra 10:9 Which contained part of November and part of December.
  8. Ezra 10:9 For the season was given to rain and so the weather was more sharp and cold, and also their conscience touched them.
  9. Ezra 10:10 Ye have laid one sin upon another.
  10. Ezra 10:14 Let them be appointed to examine this matter.
  11. Ezra 10:16 They went to the chief cities to sit on this matter which was three months in finishing.
  12. Ezra 10:19 As a token that they would keep promise and do it.
  13. Ezra 10:25 Meaning, of the common people: for before he spake of the Priests and Levites.
  14. Ezra 10:30 Or, the captain of Moab.
  15. Ezra 10:44 Which also were made illegitimate because the marriage was unlawful.

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