Ezera’s Prayer                                                                      March 9, 2010

Ezra 9:5-15  5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God 6 and prayed:   "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.   8 "But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.  10 "But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded the commands 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: 'The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.'   13 "What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence."

Just as it is now, in the days of Ezra, God's people felt the lure of the secular world. God doesn't give up on His people. He is the Hound of Heaven, not wanting for any to perish but all to come to the end of themselves and be fully devoted to Him. Throughout the ages he has preserved a remnant-a small remaining number who are fully devoted to Him. God asks for us to be set apart, not to blend in. His chosen people had been in captivity in Babylon and now God moved in the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia to make a proclamation for the temple of the Lord to be rebuilt and he calls for the Isralites to come, and for God's prophecy to be fulfilled. They were taken into
captivity because of their disobedience and now once again we read in Ezra chapter 9 of their disobedience again and God is angry with their intermarrying and not being set apart, but Ezra stands in the gap for his people, he is their priest and he loves them and does not want God's wrath upon them. He's just an ordinary guy who loves the people he serves. He cares and he cries out to God on their behalf and God hears his prayer. Out of God's great love he spares them.
Intercessory prayer is vital. God wants us to be praying for each other. Many people will be lured by the strong pull of the  world but God will preserve a remnant, a few faithful, fully devoted to Him who are set apart and do not blend in. Dear Lord Thank you for being the
Hound of Heaven and not wanting for any to perish, may we all heed the warnings you are showing us and turn to you. In Jesus' name Amen.
Peggy Nordin