Wednesday 23 September 2009

Background

Just before this passage begins we read that Ezra, one of theleaders of the Jewish nation, had been told that many of hispeople, including Levites and priests, had married women fromnon-Jewish, non-believing tribes (see Ezra 9:1-4).

Ezra was distressed that the religious purity of his people hadbeen compromised by the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites,Hittites and other tribes, who the Israelite men had married. Hisreaction seems extreme to us, tearing hair from his head and beardand renting his clothes, but this combining of Jewish along withother religious practices represented to Ezra a deep separationfrom the will of God.

It was because of this kind of sin that God punished the Israelitesby handing them over to the kings of other countries (eg to KingCyrus in yesterday's reading). And as we read yesterday, in spite oftheir lack of faithfulness, God still provided a way for theIsraelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

And so Ezra sat, garment and mantle torn, until the eveningsacrifice. Others who felt the same as him about the lack ofcommitment to God gathered around him to show their support andsympathy. And as the evening sacrifice got going, Ezra got onto hisknees and started to pray, proclaiming that he was too ashamed toeven lift his face to God because of his community's evident sinand guilt which contrasted so starkly with the mercy and favour Godshowed them.

It's hard to draw direct parallels with the context of this passagetoday: Jesus' inclusive message of good news means that, forexample, marriages between people of different cultures are to becelebrated in just the same way that any marriage is to becelebrated. But perhaps we can draw something from Ezra'sself-evident thirst for holiness and wholeness throughout hiscommunity.

To Ponder

Ezra was well aware that it was God's love andmercy shown through the Persian kings that gave the Israelites away back to relationship with God. Has God ever used an unlikelyperson to bring you back into a spiritual relationship with God?What happened?

What circumstances would make you feel asstricken as Ezra was in this passage?

When you see where your community (and that couldmean your family, neighbourhood or church) lacks wholeness, what isyour reaction?