The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 145

A E1ense of sin should lead to God. 4. The personal daim of the prayer. "My God," "0 my God." II. THAT THE SIGHT OF SIN AWAKENS WITHIN THE GOOD MAN A SEN~E OF SIIAME, "I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God : for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is g-rown up unto the heavens (ver. 6). He is ashamed-I. Because he is morally sensitive to sin. Purity is sensitive to evil. 2. Because he understands the true nature of sin. "Our iniquities," "our trespass." 3. Because he realises the magnitude of sin. "Our iniquities are increased over our head, e.nd our trespass is grown up to heaven." Sin brings shame ; this the good man feels. Ill. THAT THE SIGHT OF SIN AWAKENS WITHIN THE GOOD MAN MEMORIES OF SORROW. "And for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil" (ver. 7). 1. A memory of degradation. Sin will send kings and priests into degrading cap- tivity. 2. A memory of cruelty. Sin delivers men as to the sword. 3. A memory of bondage. Sin is slavery. 4. A memory of loss. Sin spoils men of their best treasures. The history of sin is a history of sorrow, and the sight of sin calls up to the mind of the good man sad memories. IV. THAT THE SIGHT OF SIN AWAKENS WITHIN THE GOOD MAN THE THOUGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF Goo. 1. Its mercy. "And now for a little space grace hath been showed from the Lord our God" (vers. 8, 9). 2. Its fidelity. "Yet our God bath not forsaken us in our bondage" (ver. 9). 3. Its forbearance. "Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve "(ver. 13). This life is not the scene of complete punishment. 4. Its delay. "For we remain." Sin is not Jtnmediately punished in this life. 5. Its rectitude. "0 Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous" (ver. 15). 6. Its retribution. " For we cannot stand before thee because of this" (ver. 15). Thus Ezra viewed the sin of Israel in its relation to the moral government of God.-E. Vers. t:-15.-Ezra's prayer. While the smoke of the altar rises to heaven from the evening sacrifice, lo l there is Ezra before the temple of the Lord with rent g·ar- ments and disordered hair, bowed upon his knees, and with lifted hands, pouring out confession of sin in tones of plaintive grief and shame and terror. " 0 my God,- I am ashamed," &c. In this prayer we mark- I. THE CRIME CONFESSED (vers. 11, 12). 1. Here were open vwlations of tlie law of God. (1) The patriarchal law was pronounced against the intermarriages of the holy race of Seth, with whom was the promise of the Holy Seed, with the profane race of Cain the excommunicate. The infraction of this law provoked the Deluge (lien. vi. 2, 3). Abraham, who, like Seth, was the depositary of the Promise, was averse to the intermarriage of his issue with the daughters of the accursed Cainan (Gen. xxiv. 3, 4; see also :xxviii. 1, 2). (2) This patriarchal law became incorporated in the Mosaic system (Deut. vii. 3). (3) The prophets also declared against these mixed alliances. In particular, it would seem, Haggai and Zechariah (ver. 11 with vi. 21). (4) This law, in the spirit of it, is still binding upon Christians (1 Cor. vii. 39; 2 Cor. vi. 14). 2. The reasons given for this law are most wei,ghty. (1) The holiness of God's people. This reason holds in all ages. (2) The tendency to bo swayed from true worship to idolatry (Exod. :xxiii. 32 ; :x:xxiv. 16). (3) These reasons were vividly before the mind of Ezra. So should they be ever present with Christiane. 3. Nothing should induce men to commit this sin. (1) The wealth of idolaters is dearly purchased by the imperilling of the inheritance of the saints. (2) Peace with idolaters is costly at the sacrificing of the peace of God. II. THE AGGRAVATIONS ACKNOWLEDGED. Ezra confessed for his people-1. That theitr uperi,mce8 in the captivity should have taught tliem dijferen!lY (ver. 7). (1) Their humiliation was deep. They suffered from the "sword," viz., of the Baby- lonians who in the days of Nebuchadnezzar invaded their land. From" captivity," for their Babylonish victor carried them away. Who can estimate the sufferings entailed by that deportation ? From the " spoil " which they suffered from the invaders, and from those who removed them. And from" confusion of face," viz., in the remembrance that all their sufferings were on account of their sins. This CH. IX. 1-15.] THE BOOK OF EZRA. 151