10th.: Please Forgive Us
After Ezra expressed shame for his people in Ezra 9:6-15,
He:
1) Admitted that Israel had been offending God for a long time (v6a-7).
2) Thanked God, “and now, for a little space, … mercy has been extended to us … .” (v8-9).
3) Confessed, ’What else, besides thanks, can we say for your being nice to us, even with our flagrant violations of your law’ (v12).
4) Agreed with God that the nation of Israel deserved more punishment for our sins, than you have given us (v13).
5) Rhetorically questioned, ‘Should we go back to the sins which we committed earlier?’ (v14).
6) Intreated, “[Forgive us], ‘for we cannot stand before thee, because of this.’” (v15).
Hearing this praying, God moved the people to repent;
“There assembled unto him [Ezra] out of Israel, a very great congregation of men and women and children,
for the people very wept sore. … We have transgressed against our God” (Ezra 10:1-2).
The rest of chapter 10, tells how the Jews proceeded to put away the wives taken by intermarrying.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1st John1:9)