“The officials approached me, ‘The people of Israel and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. In this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.’ As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. At the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting,.. and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, saying:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today…
“’And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments… After you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor escape? O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just… Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.'” Ezra 9:1-7,10,13b-15
Sensitive to the Lord through deep devotion and ongoing communion, the leader for the returning exiles of Israel is appalled at their aberration from God’s commands. Ezra sees their intermarriage with people from the land for what it is: an intermingling with heathen nations that would corrupt God’s people and cause them to lose their distinctiveness in the world. Stricken with horror and grief over what is happening, he confesses their guilt, knowing his only repair was in God’s mercy.
Our world and culture offer an array of people, movements, and situations at which to be appalled. Their crude actions and greed, his vitriolic temper, her poisoned tongue. Gross immorality, vile abuse, heinous violence. Point point, they and those, tsk tsk, there is plenty of appalling out there. But what happens when we turn the mirror on us?
What is polluting our relationship with our Lord? Where do we flirt with temptation? Do our choices of entertainment and relationships build up our faith, or pull us away from Christ? Exposing ourselves to the Word brings conviction and mercy to light. Truth cuts deep, piercing between soul and spirit to expose and extricate sin. The Lord God is ready to save, receiving the humble and cleansing our sin. (Matthew 8:2-3; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 1:9)
Lord, please expose and forgive my sin, that Your name be held high and honored.
As the rain and snow 