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Prophets and Kings
the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and
they furthered the people, and the house of God.”
Verses 35, 36
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Very soon thereafter a few of the chief men of Israel approached
Ezra with a serious complaint. Some of “the people of Israel, and the
priests, and the Levites” had so far disregarded the holy commands of
Jehovah as to intermarry with the surrounding peoples. “They have
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taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons,” Ezra was
told, “so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people”
of heathen lands; “yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been
chief in this trespass.”
Ezra 9:1, 2
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In his study of the causes leading to the Babylonish captivity,
Ezra had learned that Israel’s apostasy was largely traceable to their
mingling with heathen nations. He had seen that if they had obeyed
God’s command to keep separate from the nations surrounding them,
they would have been spared many sad and humiliating experiences.
Now when he learned that notwithstanding the lessons of the past,
men of prominence had dared transgress the laws given as a safeguard
against apostasy, his heart was stirred within him. He thought of God’s
goodness in again giving His people a foothold in their native land,
and he was overwhelmed with righteous indignation and with grief
at their ingratitude. “When I heard this thing,” he says, “I rent my
garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of
my beard, and sat down astonied.
“Then were assembled unto me everyone that trembled at the words
of God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been
carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.”
Verses 3,
4
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At the time of the evening sacrifice Ezra rose, and, once more rend-
ing his garment and his mantle, he fell upon his knees and unburdened
his soul in supplication to Heaven. Spreading out his hands unto the
Lord, he exclaimed, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my
face to Thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head,
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and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
“Since the days of our fathers,” the suppliant continued, “have we
been in a great trespass unto this day; 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, and to confusion
of face, as it is this day. And now for a little space grace hath been