Peace. Alliance, (Menochius) or advantage. See Psalm cxxi. 8. Moses had thus proscribed the Moabites, &c., as he had done the people of Chanaan still more severely. The Israelites were to execute God's decrees, Deuteronomy xxiii. 6. (Calmet) --- The obstinate idolaters were to be exterminated. read more
5-15 The sacrifice, especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the blessed Lamb of God, who in the evening of the world, was to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Ezra's address is a penitent confession of sin, the sin of his people. But let this be the comfort of true penitents, that though their sins reach to the heavens, God's mercy is in the heavens. Ezra, speaking of sin, speaks as one much ashamed. Holy shame is as necessary in true repentance as holy sorrow. Ezra speaks as... read more
Ezra 9 THE HISTORY OF all the revivals, that God grants in His mercy, seems to be the same: a bright beginning, followed by declension more or less rapid. There is this constant tendency to forsake the fountain of living waters, and hew ourselves out broken cisterns that can hold no water (see Jer_2:13 ). Thus it has been from ancient times to our own day. Many of us may have inherited good things from more recent revivals, granted in the mercy of God; but how are we holding and profiting by... read more
Ezra's Confession of the People's Sin v. 5. And at the evening sacrifice, about the middle of the afternoon, I arose up from my heaviness, from the stupor which had benumbed him; and having rent my garment and my mantle, once more indicating his anger, sorrow, and grief, I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord, my God, in a gesture of humble supplication, v. 6. and said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush, a very emphatic expression of his repentant sorrow for his people, ... read more
SECOND SECTIONThe Chief Fault of the Time and its RemovalEzra 9-10A.—THE CHEIF FAULT OF THE TIME EZRA’S PENTITENTIAL PRAYEREzra 9:1-15I. The Chief Fault of the Time, and Ezra’s Sorrow for It. Ezra 9:1-41Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the... read more
a Leader’s Sorrows for His People’s Sins Ezra 9:1-15 The mingling of the holy seed with heathen peoples was always the curse of Israel, and it has been the temptation of God’s children in every age. Do we sufficiently tremble at the words of the God of Israel because of our sins or those of others? The humiliation and anguish of soul experienced by Ezra and his associates are a great rebuke to us. We are indignant, but we do not view sin from God’s standpoint. Notice the humility of his... read more
On Ezra's arrival at Jerusalem complaint was made to him of the failure and sin of the people. What an appalling story it was, that during these sixty years, even though there had been no return to heathen idolatry, God's law against intermingling with the people of the land had been willfully broken, the chief offenders being the princes and rulers. The picture of Ezra in the presence of this confession is very fine. It is that of a man so stirred with righteous indignation that he had rent... read more
Ezra Deals With The Problem Of Returnees Who Have Been Led Astray Into Idolatry Having Taken Foreign Wives (Ezra 9:1 to Ezra 10:44 ). It is important here to recognise that what was in question was not the taking of foreign wives who willingly turned away from all false gods and became worshippers of YHWH, but the problem of taking foreign wives who introduced their false gods and ideas into the worship of Israel. This is specifically brought out in Ezra 9:1-2; Ezra 9:11-12. It was as a... read more
Ezra’s Admission Of Israel’s Guilt Before YHWH On Behalf Of The People (Ezra 9:5-15 ). When the time of the evening sacrifice came, no doubt feeling that this act of atonement and dedication on the behalf of the whole of Israel was a suitable time , Ezra then rose from his sitting position and fell on his knees with his arms spread out towards YHWH. This presumably indicated spreading out his hands towards the sanctuary. And then he confessed before YHWH the sin of the people in the face of... read more
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Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Ezra 9:6-15
Reader! what sweet and gracious signs of sorrow, and of real communion with God. The blushing, and dropping countenance, under the conscious sense of the divine presence, are among the truest tokens of this state of the soul. Reader! do not fail to remark the precious lesson held forth to all true believers in Christ in this example. We as fully enjoy the manifestations of Jesus, and the love of Jehovah in him, when we lie low in the dust before him, as when in those rapturous moments we are... read more