People Confessed Their Sin to God
July 8, 2022
Commentary
While Ezra was down on his knees in front of God’s temple, praying with tears in his eyes, and confessing the sins of the people of Israel, a large number of men, women, and children gathered around him and cried bitterly (v. 1). Shecaniah son of Jehiel from the family of Elam said: “Ezra, we have disobeyed God by marrying these foreign women (v. 2). But there is still hope for the people of Israel, if we follow your advice and the advice of others who truly respect the laws of God (v. 3). We must promise God that we will divorce our foreign wives and send them away, with their children. Ezra, it’s up to you to do something (v.4)! We will support whatever you do. So be brave!
Ezra stood up and made the chief priests, the Levites, and everyone else in Israel swear that they would follow the advice of Shecaniah (v. 5). Then Ezra left God’s temple and went to spend the night in the living quarters of Jehohanan son of Eliashib (v.6). He felt sorry for what the people had done, and he did not eat or drink a thing. The officials and leaders sent a message to all who had returned from Babylonia and were now living in Jerusalem and Judah (vv. 7-8). It told them to meet in Jerusalem within three days, or else they would lose everything they owned and would no longer be considered part of the people that had returned from Babylonia. Three days later, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, everyone from Judah and Benjamin came to Jerusalem and sat in the temple courtyard (v.9). It was a serious meeting, and they sat there, trembling in the rain.
Application
I want to always be careful to seek the advice of God and not come to my own conclusions.
Ezra 10:1– 9 (NET)
1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelitesāmen, women, and children alikeāgathered around him. The people wept loudly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra:
3 Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law. 4 Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!ā
5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn oath. 6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles.
7 A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. 8 Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.
9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the rains.