◄ Ezra 10:3 ►
So now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Ezra 10:3? 2. How does Ezra 10:3 demonstrate the importance of covenant renewal with God? 3. What role does repentance play in restoring faithfulness according to Ezra 10:3? 4. How can Ezra 10:3 guide us in addressing sin within our community? 5. What scriptural connections exist between Ezra 10:3 and 2 Chronicles 7:14? 6. How can we apply "put away all these wives" in modern spiritual contexts? 7. What does Ezra 10:3 reveal about the importance of covenant in biblical times? 8. How does Ezra 10:3 address the issue of intermarriage in ancient Israel? 9. What theological implications arise from the command in Ezra 10:3? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Ezra 10? 11. Should Ezra have ordered abandoning foreign wives and children? 12. Who was Shechaniah in the Bible? 13. Ezra 10:3 – Why does God seemingly endorse the breaking up of families by demanding the men send away their foreign wives and children? 14. Ezra 10:44 - How can a just God require separating from wives and children if some may have converted to the faith? Discussion Questions 1. What does Ezra 10:3 teach us about the importance of making covenants with God, and how can we apply this principle in our own lives today? 2. How does the issue of intermarriage in Ezra 10:3 relate to the broader biblical theme of maintaining spiritual purity, and what modern-day applications can we draw from this? 3. In what ways can we, like Ezra, take a stand for God's truth in our communities, and what challenges might we face in doing so? 4. How can the concept of community accountability, as seen in Ezra 10:3, be applied in our church or small group settings to encourage spiritual growth and obedience? 5. Reflect on a time when you had to make a difficult decision to align your life with God's commands. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it impact your faith journey? Ezra 10 Bible Study Questions 1. How does Ezra’s prayer and confession in the first few verses set the stage for the actions taken in this chapter? How does this relate to the concept of leadership and influence? 2. What role does communal guilt play in the decisions made by the Israelites? 3. How does Ezra 10 challenge our modern understanding of marriage and family? 4. What can we learn from the Israelites' response to sin in this chapter? 5. Reflect on the implications of the Israelites' drastic action to correct their disobedience. What can this teach us about the seriousness of following God's laws? 6. Shecaniah played a pivotal role in suggesting the action taken by the Israelites. What does this tell us about the role of individual voices within a community? 7. How might this story have been different if the four men who opposed the plan had been in the majority? 8. Discuss the ethical dilemma in the Israelites' decision to separate from their foreign wives and children. How does this conflict with our modern understanding of ethics? 9. How does the inclusion of priests and Levites among those with foreign wives affect our understanding of spiritual leadership and personal fallibility? 10. What does the Israelites' willingness to give up their families in obedience to God's law say about their faith and commitment? 11. Explore the concept of sacrifice in this chapter. How does it relate to the sacrifices we might be called to make in our lives today? 12. How might this story be applied to contemporary issues of cultural assimilation and interfaith marriages? 13. What lessons can we learn from the Israelites' collective decision-making process? 14. How does the concept of individual and societal redemption manifest in this chapter? 15. What are the implications of the guilt offering made by each man who had taken a foreign wife? 16. How might the Israelites' decision to separate from their foreign wives impact their relationship with surrounding nations? 17. Can we find any parallels in today's society where strict adherence to rules results in difficult personal decisions? How should these situations be handled? 18. How does Ezra 10 address the conflict between cultural practices and religious laws? 19. How does the theme of repentance in Ezra 10 apply to our lives today? 20. Explore the connection between obedience to God's laws and societal harmony as presented in Ezra 10. Links Ezra 10:3 NIV Ezra 10:3 NLT Ezra 10:3 ESV Ezra 10:3 NASB Ezra 10:3 KJV Ezra 10:3 Commentaries Bible Hub