From time to time my wife and I leave our three young sons with a babysitter. On the way home I always feel the same anxiety—did our children torment this sweet girl who watched them for a few hours? I’ve never gotten a bad report, but I still worry. Ezra, unfortunately, received a bad report about the behavior of the people living in Israel.

Chapter 9 begins, “After these things had been done.” This was after the delivery of valuables and the sacrifices mentioned in yesterday’s passage—the leaders delivered their report to Ezra. “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices” (v. 1). In fact, they’ve gone so far as to take “some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons” (v. 2). What’s even worse, “the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness” (v. 2).

Remember—God had long ago commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with the surrounding peoples. Why? Because “they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you” (Deut. 7:4). This is how God’s people ended up in exile in the first place! Now they had disobeyed again, returning to the practices that had caused God to judge them nearly a century ago.

When he heard this report, Ezra was “appalled.” He says, “I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard” (v. 3). Then Ezra did what we’ve come to expect: “I...fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God” (v. 5). God’s people had sinned, but Ezra remained faithful and turned to the Lord in his devastation.

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