旧约 - 以斯拉记(Ezra)第10章

Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
And of the sons of Pahathmoab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
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》