Ezra 9:10-15: a reflection

10“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land to which you go to possess is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness. 12Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13“After all that has come on us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant, 14shall we again break your commandments, and join ourselves with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15LORD, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can stand before you because of this.”

In his prayer of confession, Ezra says something striking about God's dealings with his people. You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant. And he draws a conclusion from this mercy: shall we then break your commandments again, and join ourselves to these abominations? God's mercy, in dealing with them more gently than they deserved, is not a reason to sin freely, but a reason not to return to sin. The undeserved mercy should deter sin, not embolden it.

Notice how Ezra reasons from God's mercy. God had punished them less than they deserved, spared a remnant, shown mercy where he could have shown only judgment. And Ezra's response to this mercy is not, then we may sin freely, but, shall we sin again after such mercy? The undeserved mercy of God, rightly understood, does not embolden us to sin, but deters us; it makes returning to sin unthinkable, a grievous ingratitude toward the God who has been so merciful.

That reasoning is worth taking to heart, for we can be tempted to the opposite: to treat God's mercy as license to sin freely, presuming on his grace. But Ezra reasoned rightly: God's mercy, dealing with us more gently than we deserve, should deter us from sin, not embolden us to it. To sin freely because God is merciful is to abuse his mercy, a grievous ingratitude. When you are tempted to presume on God's mercy, to sin freely because he is gracious, remember Ezra's reasoning: after such mercy, shall we sin again? God's undeserved mercy should make sin unthinkable to a grateful heart, not license it. Let the mercy God has shown you, dealing with you far better than you deserve, deter you from sin rather than embolden you to it; do not abuse his grace by returning to sin, but let his mercy move you to grateful faithfulness, as Ezra was moved to say, shall we break your commandments again, after such mercy?

Lord, in his prayer of confession Ezra said something striking: you have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and given us such a remnant; and he reasoned, shall we then break your commandments again? Your mercy, dealing with them more gently than they deserved, was not a reason to sin freely, but a reason not to return to sin. Show me how Ezra reasoned from your mercy. You had punished them less than they deserved, shown mercy where you could have shown only judgment. And Ezra's response was not, then we may sin freely, but, shall we sin again after such mercy? Your undeserved mercy, rightly understood, does not embolden me to sin, but deters me. Take that to my heart, for I can be tempted to the opposite: to treat your mercy as license to sin freely, presuming on your grace. But Ezra reasoned rightly: your mercy should deter me from sin, not embolden me. To sin freely because you are merciful is to abuse your mercy, a grievous ingratitude. When I am tempted to presume on your mercy, to sin freely because you are gracious, help me remember Ezra's reasoning: after such mercy, shall I sin again? Let the mercy you have shown me, dealing with me far better than I deserve, deter me from sin rather than embolden me to it, Lord; help me not abuse your grace, but let your mercy move me to grateful faithfulness.