Ezra 9 – Dealing With Sin (Pt 4)

There is corporate sin and there is personal sin. By corporate sin I mean sin that permeates a nation, a group, or a church. Sometimes patterns of corporate sin develop. A church begins to function on the basis of fear rather than faith. A church abandons foundational doctrines of the scriptures. A nation allows and even celebrates an immoral practice. Patterns of corporate sin develop.

That is what had happened in Ezra’s day. Intermarriage with women of different faiths threatened to undo the very deliverance God’s people had just experienced. How are we to address corporate sin? There first must be corporate conviction. Ezra 9:4 says, “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.” They gathered corporately because they were convicted over their sin. Not everyone gathered, but “all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel” gathered together.

They gathered because of the faithlessness of those who had returned from exile. They recognized the real potential of serious discipline from the God who had just blessed them with the ability to come home and begin temple worship as the Law required. They didn’t just gather together. They gathered around Ezra. They gathered around their leader who had recognized their sin, was broken over it, and confessed it with deep humility and shame.

What is the posture of confession? Ezra 9:5 says that Ezra rose from where he had been sitting in fasting and grief. He fell on his knees before God and spread his hands out the LORD. The word hands properly means his palms. The posture of confession was one that demonstrated both humility and shame, and faith. Humility and shame were demonstrated by the fasting, torn hair, and torn clothing. Further it was expressed in falling on his knees before God. He wasn’t looking up in reverence. He was looking down in shame and regret.

But he also had faith. His palms spread out toward God indicated that he recognized God’s mercy. They were stretched out asking for mercy and prepared to receive it. He believed that God would forgive. His posture spoke of both shame and faith. When we come to God in confession we come with hearts filled with shame over our sin, but with the faith that God, in his mercy and grace, will forgive. We don’t come presumptuously and flippantly, but neither do we come without hope. We look down, recognizing our faithlessness, and we reach out recognizing God’s faithfulness.

1 John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The word “confess” means to speak the same thing, or to agree with God. In Ezra’s prayer of confession (Ezr 9:6) he agrees with God. He communicates three things. First, he acknowledges shame over their sin. “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God” (Ezr 9:6a). Second, he admits to their sin by saying, “for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads” (Ezr 9:6b). Finally, he expressed their guilt. “our guilt has mounted up to the heavens” (Ezr 9:6c). It is one thing to say that we did something wrong. It is another thing completely to own our guilt. Ezra doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t say, “We were wrong, but . . .” He doesn’t try to explain how difficult things have been. He doesn’t blame the foreign women for enticing the men. There are no excuses. He simply admits to their great guilt.

Brokenness is painful. As a result we are often too quick to move from confession to forgiveness. We rattle off a quick, “I’m sorry God. I shouldn’t have done that, please forgive me,” without considering the stench of our sin in the nostrils of God. Remembering former sin and its consequences goes a long way toward guarding us against further sin. Brokenness over sin takes us a step closer to victory.

We too often treat God like spoiled children treat their parents, complaining because we didn’t get the gift we wanted for Christmas or our birthday rather than rejoicing that we got anything at all. The truth is that as spoiled children we deserve nothing but a bit of coal in our stockings. Anything more is grace. Ezra understood that. He didn’t complain. He didn’t blame. He didn’t pass the buck. He didn’t say, “They have sinned, or their guilt is great.” As the people gathered around him, he simply and honestly took a posture of both shame and faith. He acknowledged shame over their sin, admitted their sinful behavior, and expressed their guilt.

How does one deal with corporate sin? We pray, and call people to recognize and confess their sin as the People of God did in Ezra. Then we follow Ezra’s example of confession with faith. Daniel confessed privately on behalf of God’s people in Daniel 9 and God answered. Ezra confessed publicly because the public were experiencing conviction, and God answered. As believers we start with private confession, but as leaders we call those we lead to public confession. Sin must be honestly acknowledged in order to gain freedom from it.