Hope from God’s Faithfulness
Contributed by Alice Rydberg

While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel.” —Ezra 10:1-3

Just when the reader thinks the Book of Ezra is about to close with a happy ending, there is a return to sin. The people of God, including their leaders and priests, start intermarrying with people practicing the pagan religions around them. This is not just any sin – the returned exiles repeat the sin that led to their exile in the first place. Isn’t this just how we are as people? We are not going to do better because we know better; we will not simply learn our lesson and be better in the future – we need Jesus! (Rom 7:14-25)

Unlike the leaders who participated in this rebellion against God, Ezra leads his people in remorse and repentance. His public mourning wasn’t just drama or spectacle — when he humiliates himself before all the people, it causes even those who had flaunted God’s commands, and others who had turned a blind eye, to “get it” and start mourning as well. To those who wonder what one person could do that would have any effect on society, Ezra shows that a leader who is sold out for God can make a profound difference even in the face of widely accepted rebellion against God.

In his anguished prayer of repentance, Ezra says to God, “…You have punished us less than our sins deserved.” (Ezra 9:13) Here, this faithful teacher of the Law makes the understatement of the ages – today, we know that not only was God graciously planning to shield His people from the full consequences of their sins, but He would also send His own Son to bear judgment in their stead. If then, God’s grace takes care of our sin, why should sin still be such a big deal for modern-day believers? Doesn’t God’s grace mean that we’re fine to just keep sinning? Paul tells us in Romans, absolutely not! (Rom 6:1-2) As followers of Christ, we don’t have the dread of condemnation that filled Ezra’s heart, but we can learn from him to take sin seriously and focus on repentance and return to a pure fellowship with God. And we can place our hope not in our own righteousness, but in God’s faithfulness – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9)

When we are in disobedience, it is tempting to try to “fix” what is wrong or to just try to “be good” in our own strength. Maybe that’s our version of offering a bunch of sacrifices. But the Psalmist tells us what pleases God: “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (Ps 51:17) Taking sin seriously, mourning our sinfulness, will enable us to walk closely with God with a broken and contrite heart, one that is fully willing and ready to receive His grace.

Consider—

╬ Mourning is something that generally makes us uncomfortable. And we’d like to have our sins forgiven and move on without having to dwell on any of it. Consider how sin distorts and even damages our relationships with God, with others, and even with our selves; ask the Holy Spirit to show you how that is cause for mourning.

╬ When we realize that we have done something wrong, we usually jump to fixing our behavior. What would it look like to have Jesus fix our hearts instead?

╬ Father, may Your Spirit reveal to us the ways we distrust or disobey You, and convict us of our sin. We are so grateful for Your grace, Your love, and Your faithfulness. May our hope always be in You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.