Did I tell you I enjoy Ezra? I do. Restoration described. Explicitly. And it is good. You remember the work on the temple got a bit of a hiccup when jealously got in on the act? Well, in chapter 6 jealously gets the royal order, please do pardon the pun. I know I shouldn't gloat, but when justice is done, I gloat. Look at verse 6 of chapter 6. God tells the crooks to nick off and mind their own business. This is God's work so go back and play with your own toys in your sand pit and leave mine alone. Oh, and coz you stuck your nose in where it isn't wanted cop this, and look at verse 8.
There is an interesting tit bit in chapter 7. Go have a look at verse 9. It took 5 months to go from Babylon to Jerusalem? That is a long time for such a short distance?
From chapter 8 on things happen quite rapidly. Chapter 8 marks a change from reporting to testimony. Chapter 8 is Ezra's personal testimony of what happened, rather some one else's report of what happened. A similar thing happens in Act where Luke goes from reporting on what others tell him to actually giving an eye witness report to events as they unfold. Ezra 8 is the same. When Ezra gets to Jerusalem the temple is complete and he does the dedication? Sounds right.
Ezra chapter 9 is all about repentance. Genuine repentance and recompense. The type that costs, lots. This isn't hip pocket repentance. This is heart repentance. There is a declaration of sin. And acknowledgement of sin. A sorrow of sin. Not being sorry for one self sorrow. But an acknowledgement that this is against God order of events. Ezra's prayer of confession is recorded for us starting verse six. It is gut wrenching in its honesty.
Chapter 10 changes from Ezra's testimony to be a report of what is happening. That is an aside. The real deal is to be found in verse 3. The people put the wrong right. They restore. They turn around and put the wrong right: They put their foreign wives complete with their offspring away. Could you imagine that being done today? Not I. Besides, do I hear the arguement that we are not under judgement today? That's true. We aren't. But does that mean we can/should continue in sin? Ought we not put right what we know is wrong? Should we continue in sin because it is inconvenient to change it and it is going to cost - lots? But it would never happen today. It couldn't. I think verse 44 is staggering.
Or could it?
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