This part of Ezra is fascinating in how it shows the actions of a deeply committed and godly man, in the midst of many people who are not like him. They have in common a heritage in Judah, and are part of the people to whom God promised He would bring them back, though many were willfully forgetting what they were displaced the last time.

Ezra does everything a man can do to walk honorably before God and be part of what he knew was the promised return to their land. What he found upon his return was the same corruption that had raised the anger of God which led to their captivity beginning in Babylon. It is his reaction that is of such profound interest. He cries out as one of the offenders, though his hands were clean and he was blameless. To be a man as he was, in the midst of corrupt religious men, was heartbreaking. This is clear from his words and they should grip all who hear them. This is a man who is worthy of recognition and he is a fine model of humility, zeal and a love for his God.

One thing he says that is so important and meaningful is his admission that that God has been gracious to people who did not deserve it. For a man as dedicated as Ezra was, he knows that even he was not worthy of God's favor.

That would be a good reminder for everyone who knows the truth of salvation. We are not saved because of who we are, or what we have done, but because He saves those who come to Him. Why? Because He loves His creation more than words can describe.