Burden
“.. .Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.”
Ezra “came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:6-10).
Eighty years had passed since Zerubbabel had led the first group of Jews back home from Babylon. The foundation was finished, temple rebuilt, dedication made to God and worship established. Sounds spiritual to me…right?
Ezra led the second group back with more finances and the Jews back to the Law of God. He was to be their spiritual leader, and he soon found out how bad he was needed when he arrived in Jerusalem.
Ezra had called for a fast and prayer meeting for protection on the trip at the river of Ahava three days from Babylon. “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer” (8:15-20).
Upon his arrival in Jerusalem, he was informed that “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the “Ites” and Egyptains… “so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands.”
Heart Broken
“So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished.” Here we see and hear the heart of Ezra, a true man of God who loved His God and His Law, and wanted all to do the same. He had a burden for the people.
Ezra’s Prayer
“O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.
He prayed “that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. “You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!”
He recognized God’s mercy upon them. We need a burden today, for we too have forsaken God’s Commandments. We need an Ezra in homes, schools, churches, and denominational leadership and Washington!
I believe if there is a sin that is “higher than our heads” among professing Christians today it is the neglect of pray, study of His Word and witnessing. This is the very reason many Christians fall prey to the invitation to sin. Yes, many are committing sin against God’s Word today.
Sexual immorality rises as we speak. It is “higher that our heads.” It’s not only about homosexuality, but about fornication “flee fornication” and adultery… ’’Thou shall not commit adultery.”
God has said!!!
Sin is sin, no matter which one is committed! Have you read His Book.. .if not, it is a sin!
The Jews were slaves in Babylon, but you and I were slaves to sin before God rescued us. How soon we forget the price for that release. We live in an “unclean land” with the uncleanness of peoples “all around us, “with their abominations which “have filled it from one end to the other with their impurity” (v. 11).
Are we burdened today? Are we ashamed of the sin? Do we want a revival?
In spite of all that is happening today, our God is in control of all things.
Teach this generation and the next about His Word and live it before them.
Pray, confess, weep and bow down before our Living and Just God
( 10: 1 ) .
Is your sin “higher that our head”…repent! (Ezra 10:10-12). If so, it should break your heart!
