Sin is bitterly mourned

"Sin is bitterly mourned" - Ezra 10:1-15 In chapter nine it was a lamentation. After the lament must come the drastic action that can be seen in chapter ten. The hearts of the people are set to right the wrong, the offense of the people against God, the commandments that God gave them through Moses, so that they would be His people forever. The sad response we give to God is to be our sadness, lament, pain, loss, failure, shame that will always be on our faces and our funeral song, forever.

I. Ezra's prayer of confession caused the people to weep "bitterly."

1. When we do not bring out what is in the depths of the heart, this is what there is: sadness, disgust, bitterness, sorrow, regret, tribulation, pain.

2. Let's try to deal with bitterness and sin; we can't do our best.

3. Confession will lead us to weep bitterly and confess.

4. As soon as the news came out in the city that "the new governor," "with whom" "they were so glad," was sad, grieved for them and for the sins of the people.

5. He gathered with a very large crowd of Israel to weep bitterly with him.

6. The soul had to know that it sinned against its Creator.

7. The purity, love of Ezra, his tears, pain and the feeling that dying for failing his Creator, overwhelmed his soul and his life.

8. Then the people reacted to this diligent scribe, a man of great authority, who complained so deeply about the "corruption of the people”, that they concluded that the thing was "really" "very serious".

9. Shecaniah said very courageously, "Ezra we have sinned against our God; confession of sin; we took foreign women from the peoples of the earth; but despite this, there is still hope for Israel.

10. After confession the people will cast off the unequal yoke.

11. He suggests that they be led to make "a pact" (commitment between two or more parties to comply with the agreement) to dismiss foreign women and the children born to them.

12. The priests, the Levites, and all Israel responded to this request with deep repentance and solemnly swore (formal, firm) that they would do according to it.

13. (Ezra 10:6-9) All those in captivity were summoned to "gather together in Jerusalem" for a time of solemn public confession, with all reverence (respect, submission).

14. And that whoever did not come within three days should lose all his property.

15. Exclusion from the congregation.

16. Ezra, he ordered them, to all those who had been captives in Babylon and were returning to meet him in Jerusalem within three days.

17. The people went to the square of the house of God within the appointed time.

18. (9) Trembling because of that matter that they sinned against the commandments that God had established.

19. And because of the rain.

20. Not even the heavy rain stopped them from being present, for the matter to be dealt with was very serious and caused much tribulation, sorrow, and affliction.

21. Ezra addressed the assembly pointing out their transgressions.

22. (10) One's sin is the pain of the people, it is a body, we are not individuals as many of you live.

23. The whole assembly was ready to acknowledge that they had disobeyed God's law.

24. But because of the heavy "rain" and the huge number of cases involved, it was suggested that individual cases would be examined on a city-by-city basis.

25. Four men tried (15) to oppose the plan but were unsuccessful.

26. Jonathan, son of Asahel and Jahaziah, son of Ticva opposed this, and the Levites Meshulam and Shabetai helped them.

27. There are always the most religious who seek their own: impurity; implanting division and the worst of all, envy, malice, jealousy; they want the holy to be contaminated with depravity (perversion, adulteration, corruption).

28. God help us to be faithful! Amen.