Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Ezra 9 and Psam 11

No sooner had Ezra and his caravan of returning exiles arrived than a matter of grave concern was reported to him by the leaders of God’s people. Like Solomon, Ahab, and many others before them, some of God’s people had been so tempted by the wealth to be gained from trade with their pagan neighbours and by the beauty of the pagan women, that they had neglected God’s clear commands in Exodus 34:11-16 and Deuteronomy 7:1-4. God had warned them that entering covenants of business and marriage with their pagan neighbours would eventually lead them to spiritual adultery through the worship of other gods. The worst part was that the leaders of God’s people were leading the way in this compromise and rebellion against God’s clear word on the matter.

Ezra was shocked, horrified, distraught and devastated. He and the others with him had given up their security and comfort in Babylon and had risked life and limb to make the journey to Jerusalem. There was nothing more important to them than being part of a community that worshipped God by honouring Him in every part of their lives, and by praying to Him, praising Him, and sacrificing to Him in His holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Ezra’s reaction shows the sort of person, priest and leader he was. On the one hand he did not give up and join God’s people in their compromise and sin with the “if you can’t beat them join them” attitude so prevalent in our day. But on the other hand he also did not set himself apart and condemn them to suffering God’s wrath either. Instead, his passionate desire for his people to be holy before the Holy God led him to clearly identify the sin, to identify himself as one of the people, and to desperately repent and mourn on behalf of the nation. He had not sinned through marrying a pagan himself, but as their priest he repented with torn clothes and prayed: “‘I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens (v.6).” He prayed, “We have forsaken the commands you gave (v.10-11)”, and “Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.’

Ezra’s sincere love for God and for the people of God moved him to this place. He was willing to place himself among sinners and identify as one of them, in order to confess their sin honestly and without excuse, grieve over their sin, repent on their behalf, and plead with God for their forgiveness as if he was one of them. In this, he is a “type” or a foreshadowing of Jesus, who came from heaven, took on our frail flesh, identified with our sinfulness through His baptism, took the guilt and shame of our sin upon Himself as if it was His own, and gave His life to make atonement for our sin. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Lord Jesus, thank You for taking my sin upon Yourself, for Your saving work on the Cross, and for the salvation You have won for me. I am deeply humbled and profoundly moved by Your amazing grace. Today I choose to live for You in this world. Open my eyes to identify the blind spots in my own life where I have inadvertently compromised with sin, and empower me to honestly and sincerely repent and turn back from my sinful ways. Amen!