Reading for April 22nd

 Read Ezra 9.1-4. In 9.1-15: Acknowledgment of intermarriage and Ezra's response.  The narrative dealing with Ezra comes to a dramatic point in this chapter. Portions of the community reveal that intermarriage has taken place, and Ezra offers a long prayer of confession trusting God will not destroy the community because of this sin. The entire framework is expressed in graphic terms, in which intermarriage is colored by terms associated with the most severe violations of God's sanctity. The aura of holiness and purity which is now transferred to the community as a whole. The community becomes the house of God. In verse 1: After these things: Ezra has disposed of some of the formalities of his mission, and then is confronted by the issue of intermarriage. the list of peoples contains the seven stock enemies of Israel that appear in as number of places in the Hebrew BiBle. While marriage with foreigners was not prohibited, marriage with any of these enemies was considered unacceptable because of the danger of idolatry (for example, Deut 7.1-4). There is no evidence that such people would still have been identifiable in the time of Ezra. In verse 2: The holy seed has mixed itself extends language from the "holiness code" of Lev 9 to the populations. In Lev 19.19, mixing different seeds is prohibited as an a frront to God' s holiness. Such action is characterized as faithlessness in the this narrative, or acting without for God's holiness. The entire condemnation of intermarriage here is a process of creatively combing ideas and themselves into a new teachings. In verse 3: I tore my garment and my mantle, and pulled hair from my head and beard: These are traditional signs of deep felt grief. In verse 4: All who trembled at the words of the God of Israel is a reference to those who took seriously the commandments of God, reflecting the original awe of the people: When God first revealed his law upon the mountain (Ex 19.16-20). Comments or Questions..