A Broken Heart

The first experience Ezra, the scribe, had as soon as he arrived in Jerusalem tested his heart. How prepared was he to do God's work? Was he a mere envoy of Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, or was he sent by God? Would he use the resources of the flesh or those of the Spirit?

When Ezra went up to Jerusalem, more than 20 years had passed since the first restorers had arrived. At that time, the temple had already been rebuilt. The ruler (Zerubbabel), and the prophets (Haggai and Zechariah) had already done their work. Now it was the turn of the scribe learned in the word of God. His mission was to beautify the temple, and bring the counsel of the Word into the life of the reborn nation.

However, as soon as he arrived, he found a serious problem to solve: the people had mixed with the pagan peoples (Ezra 9). They had taken from them wives for their children, and worse, they were taking part in their idolatrous worship. Even the rulers were involved. What to do?

Ezra, the king's plenipotentiary delegate, could have reacted with anger and solved the problem by decree, ordering the punishment of the culprits and the dissolution of the bonds. However, the ruling Ezra, who could rely on the arm of flesh, did not act. Instead, the man of God, broken and humble, acted.

The account says that Ezra mourned, grieved his soul before God and men. He began to pray with contrition, confessing the sins of the people, using "we" in his prayer, that is, taking upon himself the guilt and presenting himself as a priest before God on behalf of the people.

In this, Ezra shows a marvelous trait, the same that the Lord Jesus Christ develops today before the Father as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, always interceding for the believers. When Ezra resolved to take this path, he ensured a spiritual solution to the problem, for he secured God's intervention. The problem of the matrimonial mixtures was solved in his time.

When the people saw Ezra's reaction, and heard his dramatic prayer, they were deeply touched. Then the people themselves joined in the plea of the pious scribe, and God used Shechaniah to suggest to Ezra the way forward. Thus the grave evil was resolved. But the crucial point in all this was Ezra's reaction. That would determine the way and the resources with which the problem would be solved. Ezra did not stand up as a judge of his brothers, but as an intercessor on their behalf. Treated by the hand of God, he showed the beauty of a heart transformed into the likeness of Christ. And that could not leave even the most hardened indifferent.

Here is an example to be followed by those who have the responsibility of teaching the word of God. The first message they give is that of a broken heart.

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