Ezra 9: 10 “And now, O our God, what can we say after all of this? For once again we have abandoned your commands! 11 Your servants the prophets warned us when they said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. 12 Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations. If you follow these instructions, you will be strong and will enjoy the good things the land produces, and you will leave this prosperity to your children forever.’
13 “Now we are being punished because of our wickedness and our great guilt. But we have actually been punished far less than we deserve, for you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive as a remnant. 14 But even so, we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. Won’t your anger be enough to destroy us, so that even this little remnant no longer survives? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.”

Ezra 10: 9 Within three days, all the people of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. This took place on December 19, and all the people were sitting in the square before the Temple of God. They were trembling both because of the seriousness of the matter and because it was raining. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood and said to them: “You have committed a terrible sin. By marrying pagan women, you have increased Israel’s guilt. 11 So now confess your sin to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these pagan women.”

this is a scripture that is very hard for me to understand.. God does not believe in divorce.. yet in this book of the bible.. to turn from their sin.. these people who have chosen wives and had children with them.. that are considered defiled or unclean.. then they divorce them and leave even the kids... I don't really get this... what is it that would have made God do this? I know that the real issue is that they worshipped other gods.. that is one thing that God will not put up with.. idolatry and rebellion.. I think many times those two are actually the same thing in two different jackets.. but to have them divorce the wives and leave the children.. I don't really get that.. like moses.. zipporah was a priest's daughter.. but it was likely that he was a priest to a foreign god.. so she was not of the Living God.. and he put her away too.. and the children he had with her...

what is it that constitutes putting someone away... what makes that the right thing to do or the wrong thing? how do we decide that is what we are to do to rid our lives of this sin?

but wait.. not everyone agreed with this action...

Ezra 10: 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this course of action, and they were supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite.

so what if.. the majority was wrong.. and the minority was right... wasn't deserting the women and children even a greater sin than marrying them in the first place?

I don't know.. I don't know what is right or what was wrong in this situation... I had a husband who I had to put away.. and funny.. the day they did it was December 19 according to the scripture.. and that was the day that my own marriage ended to a man that I was never supposed to be with... so is it.. if we were rebellious.. and married the wrong person.. then we must put them away.. but if we are in a hard marriage that was caused by God.. then we are bound...

I think God has to speak to each of us individually on such a matter.. I don't think it could be a general consensus like what happened in Ezra... of course I am not saying the man of the bible is wrong.. I am just saying I can't wrap my finite mind around it..