"But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant, and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. For
we are bondmen; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has
extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant
us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins,
and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem." Ezra 9: 8-9 RSV (emphasis mine)
This passage in Ezra is part of a prayer of repentance that recognizes the sin of the people, and the great grace of God. The king of Persia has granted permission for the exiled Jews to return to Israel and
rebuild the temple. Although the Jews had been in exile in a foreign
country for 70 years, and under the influence of other religions, there
were still Jews who remained faithful to the LORD, and they had returned
to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. However,
Ezra received word that the faithful officials in Jerusalem were not
following God's law, and they had intermarried with women from other
faiths. These officials had allowed other forms of worship to creep into
their lives.
It
was an amazing miracle from God that the Jews were allowed to return to
Jerusalem, set up a government according to their own laws, and worship
according to their own faith. In verse 8 of Ezra's prayer, he recognizes the importance of what has happened. God's
grace has granted the Jews an opportunity to grab a secure hold upon
their faith, in spite of their exile, in spite of their bondage, and in
spite of their sin. Ezra's prayer was a weighty prayer on the behalf of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem. He recognized the great sin of the people who were supposed to be strengthening the faith, and the greater grace of God, who was able to strengthen the people in spite of their sin.
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