No. 27 of Returning Home (Renewed)
Ezra grieves because of Judah’s sin of intermarrying with the Gentile nations. His first response to the news is astonishment; he is pained and refuses food. From this inward turmoil he emerges to go directly to God in the full force of the shame he feels over what Israel has done against the Most High. His prayer shows how he identifies himself not only as a child of God but as one of his people because he is burdened and penitent for the sin he hasn’t personally committed. Next, he speaks of his identity as part of Israel in the past.
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. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. -Ezra 9:7-9
Ezra understands his heritage. From birth he inherited the consequences of Israel’s sins. His captive home is still fresh in his memory. In recording the last historical accounts of Israel, Ezra has had access to Israel’s previous records, which show the disasters that came upon Israel for the exact same sin. Israel’s past reveals how they rejected God by turning to unholy marriages, unholy worship, and unholy living. Because they rejected Him, God reject them. Yet, in His love He gave them a reprieve from their deserved separation from Him and welcomed them to be his holy people again. Ezra, showing both gratitude and meekness for the undeserved gift of returning to Jerusalem, expresses to God his frustration with his brothers. Jehovah granted Israel a favor by letting them leave the slavery of captivity. “You ‘brighten[ed] our eyes and grant[ed] us a little reviving’,” says Ezra. What were his brethren doing to show gratitude for this gift? They were sinning against God in the same way they had before!
The description back in Ezra 9:4 of the faithful servants of God provides a window for us to see their hearts–that they trembled. Unlike those faithful servants who trembled, these disobedient people did not tremble at God’s words. Trembling comes from a fear of God’s power and authority, an acknowledgement of the consequences. Though they were in direct disobedience to God’s commands, those who had intermarried didn’t fear His consequences. Though they had generations of proof, having come out of the captivity brought on by this same rebellion against God’s good law, they didn’t properly fear Him. They chose to disbelieve and break their covenant with the Most High.
“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, – Ezra 9:10
Ezra is watching history repeat itself. His brothers have followed the same destructive path. It seems an endless cycle for the Israelites–to come to God, reject him, and be rejected by Him.
The cyclical nature of succumbing to sin is on display for us throughout the Old Testament, and it teaches us to perceive the same ongoing cycle throughout the history of the world. It is a cycle that affects God’s Church. We begin as captives of sin whom He grants a reprieve from captivity through the death of His Son. We turn to God in gratitude. We delight in the knowledge of Him until a generation grows up who isn’t taught to value the knowledge of God. That generation loses that delight. Rather, it expects the blessings of God without having any of the gratitude. The next generation loses not only the value of knowing Him, but they do not tremble at the word of God. They reject Him without fearing for the consequences. When the generations fall away, the Church is weakened. The consequences come in all manner of havoc wreaked on the hearts, the homes, and the nation itself until our hearts cry out to God in our captivity. He listens and grants His Son, our reprieve, but we must obey His commands. Our tender hearts must tremble at the consequences of sin, else we won’t obey. God’s commands are not burdensome. They rejuvenate. They renew. They do not enslave and crush the heart; they brighten the eyes and revive a trembling heart.
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