FC elementary teacher Matthew Weimer writes a weekly blog entitled ‘Behind the Desk.’ Weimer writes from the perspective of a teacher, looking out on students life, hoping to give advice to his readers.
Forgive me
Forgive me. I work with kids everyday of every week. I see them growing, teasing, exulting, playing, sinning, worshiping, learning, reading, eating, laughing, crying, tattling, and shattering. The last is the hardest. And even though they are resilient, when they shatter, they?re never quite the same. But then how could they be?
Reading in Ezra a week ago struck my heart. GOD?S people, who had recently returned from captivity to Jerusalem, had, with His help and much encouragement, rebuilt the city?s walls and its temple. Worship was taking place, but it had already been corrupted by faithlessness. Some Jews had intermarried with the peoples who did not love the LORD, the GOD of Israel, instead they chose the daughters of the people who lived in the surrounding lands.
When Ezra heard about what had taken place, he grieved bitterly and openly. He confessed this sin that he had not even committed. The people who saw and heard his confession began to consider and to confess their sin.
But what do you do when the sin you chose affects the people around you?
Marrying someone is a big deal. There are promises, or, let?s be honest, vows that accompany what is supposed to be a lifelong union. Children spring from this type of relationship. How do you go backward and undo the wrong? How do you build a home and then remove its foundation?
The suggestion came to put away these foreign wives, and children, many of whom did not even speak Hebrew.
Good. GOD is in His rightful place once again.
But what about His reputation in the eyes of these shelved women, and their abandoned offspring? How would they view the GOD of the Hebrews? How about the parents and families of these women? What would their impression of Father GOD be?
Of course I don?t have, nor can I have, the answers to these questions. I am thankful for the questions though, as they make me consider my own life and the promises I make.
GOD?S design for Israel included His desire that the surrounding nations would see what it was like for a people to be ruled by the good, jealous, all powerful, zealous, and caring King. He?d even created provisions for foreigners to become part of GOD?S people. It happened with Rahab, and Ruth, and happened with a flourish in Esther?s day.
A two month long investigation followed Israel?s confession. Many of GOD?S people, and even some of His priests were found guilty, their names are listed in the last chapter of Ezra.
Did GOD approve?
Of course He wanted Israel to return His faithful love. He wanted them to obey in the first place. We read in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, which bears the name of the last prophet GOD spoke through before He chose to respond to Israel with 40 years of silence, that GOD hates divorce. We know He told His people that they had to turn their hearts to their children and the hearts of their children back to them, or be cursed.
For more features, read the Feb. 19 article, Academic advisor experiences pregnancy in the workplace.
