Ezra 9:2 Commentary and Bible Study

But here principally, they have intermarried with the nations around. The wrath of God was against those nations and yet Israel had adopted practices of all of them and not just one of them. Even the Egyptians are included in the list, out of whom they had been delivered at the beginning of their national identity. This was the chief sin. We often tend to think of the chief sin in terms of personal moral sin, but the greatest is spiritual unfaithfulness. They lost power and ended up a poor pathetic defeated people. They took on the habits and lifestyle of nations around. Now a new opportunity had been given them and immediately they go back to their old sins that brought judgement on them before.What is meant by holy seed? Well, obviously it's a reference to Israel, a people who are to be separate and sacred for the Lord. But the very term hints at the coming Messiah. Through this nation, descended from this nation will be that descendant promised to Abraham, and then promised to Moses, promised all the patriarchs before Moses, of course, and repeatedly promised – the great descendant who would come, through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed, and through whom the devil would be dealt with, and atonement made for the sins of God’s people. The holy seed – they have forgotten their purpose. This nation has been set aside and trained to prepare for and to expect, and in due course to recognise and to proclaim, the Saviour of the world. Yet they've mingled with the Canaanites around them, and the princes and rulers have been chief in this trespass. It is a terrible thing which has happened. The people are back in the same position as when taken into captivity. They are back in the same position as when taken into captivity.