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The affairs of the church were in a very good posture, we may well suppose, now that Ezra presided in them. Look without; the government was kind to them. We hear no complaints of persecution and oppression; their enemies had either their hearts turned or at least their hands tied; their neighbours were civil, and we hear of no wars nor rumours of wars; there were none to make them afraid; all was as well as could be, considering that they were few, and poor, and subjects to a foreign prince. Look at home; we hear nothing of Baal, or Ashtaroth, nor Moloch, no images, nor groves, nor golden calves, no, nor so much as high places (not only no idolatrous altars, but no separate ones), but the temple was duly respected and the temple service carefully kept up. Yet all was not well either. The purest ages of the church have had some corruptions, and it will never be presented "without spot or wrinkle" till it is "a glorious church," a church "triumphant," Eph 5:27. We have here, I. A complaint brought to Ezra of the many marriages that had been made with strange wives, Ezr 9:1,2. II. The great trouble which he, and others influenced by his example, were in upon this information, Ezr 9:3,4. III. The solemn confession which he made of this sin to God, with godly sorrow, and shame, Ezr 9:5-15.
1-15
Ezra's Reformation (456 BC)
简体中文
以斯拉的改革（公元前456年）
¹ 这事做完了，众首领来见我说：以色列民和祭司、利未人没有离绝迦南人、赫人、比利洗人、耶布斯人、亚扪人、摩押人、埃及人、亚摩力人，仍效法这些国的民，行可憎的事。 ² 因他们为自己和儿子娶了这些民的女子为妻，以致圣洁的种类和这些列国的民混杂；并且首领和官长在这罪上为魁。 ³ 我一听见这事，就撕裂衣服和外袍，拔了头发和胡须，惊惧而坐。 ⁴ 凡为以色列神言语战惧的，都因被掳归回之人的罪，聚集到我这里来；我就惊惧而坐，直到献晚祭的时候。
以斯拉如同巴拿巴来到耶路撒冷、看见神赐给他弟兄的恩时，无疑欢喜，并劝勉他们众人，立定心志归依主（徒十一23）。他并未察觉有何不妥（许多败坏隐藏在最警惕的治理者视线之外）；然而他的喜乐在此受到打击：有人报告他，许多百姓，甚至一些官长，已从外邦家族娶了妻，与外人结亲。请留意：
I. 他们所犯的罪是甚么：就是与那地的民混杂（拉九2），在贸易和交游上与他们交往，与他们亲厚，并借着娶他们的女儿为儿媳来完全联姻。我们愿意盼望他们并未敬拜外邦的神，被掳已医治了他们的偶像崇拜；经上虽记他们行了可憎的事，但帕特里克主教说，此处仅指效法外邦人与任何民族随便通婚，此举渐渐必引他们陷入偶像崇拜。在这事上：1. 他们违背了神明确的命令，那命令禁止他们与外邦有任何亲密，尤其在婚姻的事上（申七3）。2. 他们玷污了自己分别为圣的尊荣，与那些神以独特恩待（无论近日还是从前）使之超乎其上的民平起平坐。3. 他们不信神能保护和高举他们，反被肉体的谋算所引，希望借此联姻在邻舍中巩固权势、扩大势力。我们对神的完全充足的不信，正是我们一切可悲自救之谋的根源。4. 他们使自己，更使他们的儿女，陷于偶像崇拜的危险——那正是曾一度毁灭他们教会与国家的罪，且是由这条路引入的。
II. 犯这罪的是哪些人——不仅是以色列百姓中无知之人，还有许多祭司和利未人；他们的职分本是教导律法，这条律法也在其内；且因他们高于寻常以色列人，所以罪就更重。利未支派的人与他支派联姻已是贬损，他们极少如此，除非是嫁入王室支派；但他们竟与外邦人——迦南人、赫人等等——联姻，这种羞辱，只要他们还有丝毫荣辱之感（即使不是本分之感），就当想见他们绝不应犯。然而这还不是最糟的：首领和官长——本应以其权柄防止或改革这重罪的人——在这罪上为魁。君王若犯罪，必被算为首，因其榜样对众人的影响。许多人必随从他们败坏的行为。但百姓若有领袖使其败坏、引人走迷，那民便是可悲的。
III. 此事向以斯拉的报告。这报告是由最适合控诉的人——首领——之中那些持守正直、并因此持守尊荣的人提出的；他们自己若无瑕疵，便不能控告他人。报告是给那有权处理此事的人——他是通达神律法的敏捷文士，可与他们辩论；又是王的委员，可使之敬畏。这些首领很可能多次努力纠正此弊而未成；如今他们来见以斯拉，盼望他的智慧、权柄和影响力能奏效。自己无力改革公开弊端的人，仍可借着向能改革者报告而效大用。
IV. 这事在以斯拉心中所留的印象（拉九3）：他撕裂衣服，拔了头发，惊惧而坐。 他如此表达他深切的感受：1. 因神所受的羞辱。一想到以他名得称为名之民，竟如此公然违背他的律法，竟如此少从他的惩治中得益，竟对他所施的恩惠如此恶报，他心中痛彻。2. 因百姓由此所加于自身的祸患，以及他们所处的神怒气发作的危险。请注意：（1）他人的罪当成为我们的忧愁；罪对神的尊荣、对人之灵魂的损害，是我们当铭刻于心的。（2）为罪而忧的，必须是极大的忧；以斯拉之忧如同丧独生子或长子。（3）自称信主之人所犯的可耻之罪，实在有理由令我们惊骇。我们看见人自相矛盾、自贬自损、自害自毁，怎能不惊奇。人行事竟如此不顾后果、如此与己不合，实在奇怪！正直人为之惊骇。
V. 以斯拉为此忧伤对别人的影响。我们可以设想他上耶和华的殿去，在那里自卑，因他在忧伤中眼目仰望于神，而那正是平息他怒气之所。这事很快被人注意，所有在近处的虔诚百姓都聚集到他那里来——看来是自愿的，因经上未提他们被差派（拉九4）。请注意：1. 敬畏神的话语，是好人的特征——他们敬畏其诫命的权威，敬畏其威吓的严厉和公义；我所看顾的，就是这种人（赛六十六2）。2. 凡敬畏神的话语的，不能不畏惧人的罪——罪破坏了神的律法，招致了神的怒气和咒诅。3. 一人对罪的敬虔热心，或许能激动许多人效法，正如使徒在另一事上所言（林后九2）。许多人愿意跟随，自己却没有足够的考虑、才干和勇气带头行善工。4. 一切良善之人当认那些为神的事、抵挡恶行与亵渎而挺身行事的人，当站在他们一边，尽力坚固他们的手。
⁵ 献晚祭的时候我就从忧闷中起来；我既撕裂了衣服和外袍，就双膝跪下，向耶和华我的神举手，说： ⁶ 我的神啊，我抱愧蒙羞，不敢向我神仰面；因为我们的罪孽灭顶，我们的罪恶滔天。 ⁷ 从我们列祖的日子直到今日，我们犯了大罪；我们的罪孽使我和我们的君王、并我们的祭司交在列王的手中，被刀杀、被掳掠、被抢夺，面貌蒙羞，正如今日一样。 ⁸ 现在耶和华我们的神暂且施恩，留下我们一些逃脱的人，使我们在他圣所中得一根柱子，使我们的神光照我们的眼睛，使我们在受辖制之中稍微复兴。 ⁹ 我们原是奴仆；然而我们在受辖制之中，我们的神并没有丢弃我们，在波斯王眼前向我们施恩，叫我们复兴，能重建我们神的殿，修其毁坏之处，使我们在犹大和耶路撒冷有墙垣。 ¹⁰ 我们的神啊，现在我们还能说甚么呢？因为我们已经离弃你的命令， ¹¹ 就是你借你仆人众先知所命令的，说：你们去得为业之地是污秽之地，因列国之民的污秽和可憎之事，充满了污秽，从这边直到那边。 ¹² 所以不可将你们的女儿嫁他们的儿子，也不可为你们的儿子娶他们的女儿，永不可求他们的平安和他们的好处，使你们可以强盛，吃这地的美物，并留给你们的子孙永远为业。 ¹³ 神啊，我们因自己的恶行和大罪，遭遇了这一切的事，你仍惩罚我们轻于我们罪所当得的，又赐给我们这样的拯救； ¹⁴ 我们若再违背你的命令，与这行可憎之事的民结亲，你岂不向我们发怒，将我们灭绝，以致没有剩下逃脱的人吗？ ¹⁵ 耶和华以色列的神啊，你是公义的；我们如今成了逃脱的人，正如今日一样。看哪，我们在你面前有罪愆；因这事的缘故，我们不能在你面前站立。
以斯拉数小时惊惧而坐时，心中默想些甚么，我们可从他终能开口用舌所说的话中略知一二；他在此向天所发的，是一篇极为动人的恳求。请留意：
I. 他发此恳求之时——献晚祭的时候（拉九5）。那时（大概）敬虔之人惯于进到圣殿的院中，以庄重之心参与献祭之礼，并同心献上自己的祷告。以斯拉就在他们所听见之处作此认罪，使他们对自己百姓的罪愆深加感受——他们先前或未留意，或未以为意。祷告也能成为讲道。献祭——尤其是晚祭——是那伟大挽回祭的预表，就是那神所赐福的羔羊，要在世界的末时借着自己献为祭，除去世人的罪；我们可以设想以斯拉在此次向神的认罪中，怀着信心之眼仰望于它；他作认罪，可谓将手按在那大祭牲的头上，借之我们得着了挽回。以斯拉当然不会对数年前天使加百列在献晚祭之时向但以理所传、并加以阐释关于受膏君的话陌生（但九21、24）；也许他正是顾念此事才选择了这个时辰。
II. 他为此恳求所作的预备。1. 他从忧闷中起来，抖去忧愁的重担到足以使他将心向上举到神前的地步。他从惊惧中恢复过来，使纷乱之灵稍得平息，心灵安定可与神相交。2. 他双膝跪下，自处自卑悔罪者和恳求怜悯之人的姿势，两样都代表他为之代求的百姓。3. 他向神举手，如同被他所要说的话所感，将它献上给神，等候并如伸手殷切期望着领受恩慈的回应。在此他眼目仰望耶和华，仰望他的神——既是能力的神，也是恩典的神。
III. 这恳求本身。严格地说，这不能称为祷告，因其中没有一个字的祈求；但若给祷告下其广义的定义，它就是将敬虔虔诚的情感献与神；以斯拉在此所表达的情感，实在虔诚可嘉。他的话是一篇悔罪的认罪——不是认他自己的罪（出于被己罪所压的良心、并恐惧己危的良心），而是认他百姓的罪——出于对神尊荣和以色列福祉的敬虔关切。此处是一幅真诚悔改的活画。请在此恳求中留意：
1. 他对罪及其加重情节的承认，他详加论述，为要激动自己的心、并那些与他同在者的心，以圣洁的忧愁、羞愧和恐惧来思想罪，使他们为此深深自卑。值得注意的是：他虽完全无分于此罪，却将自己列在罪人之中，因他是同一团体的一员——我们的罪孽、我们的罪愆。也许他此刻以此自责：他在弟兄们之后在巴比伦逗留如此之久，未能早日从那地的民中分别出来。当我们为恶人的恶而哀叹之时，若我们 duly 反躬自省，给自己的心忠实地作工，也许会发现自己虽程度较轻，却也有同类之过。然而他所说的，本应成为——或正是——众人的共同控诉。
（1）他承认他们的罪极大：我们的罪孽灭顶（拉九6）；我们如处深水之中，几乎要在其中灭顶；罪如此普遍盛行，如此猛烈有力，又如此预示着极其有害的后果。"罪孽在我们中间已涨到天上，胆敢向天挑衅，又如同所多玛的罪那样，向天呼求报应。" 但真悔改者的安慰是：他们的罪虽达到天上，神的怜悯却在诸天之上（诗三十六5）。罪在哪里显多，恩典就更显多了。
（2）他们的罪已长久固执（拉九7）：从我们列祖的日子直到今日，我们犯了罪。 他以为前人的榜样非但不能开脱他们的过犯，反而更显其重。"我们本该以此为戒，不在同一块石头上绊倒。这腐败越久越坏，已深深扎根，开始援引先例；但由此我们有理由担心，罪孽之杯将近盈满。"
（3）神为他们的罪所降下的重大严厉审判，更显出他们的罪的可憎：因我们的罪孽，我们被交于刀剑和被掳（拉九7），却仍未改革，仍未回头——在臼中捣碎，愚妄仍不离开（箴二十七22）——受惩治却未归正。
（4）神近来所赐的怜悯，同样更显出他们的罪的可憎。他在此详细论述（拉九8、9）。请留意：[1] 怜悯之时：现在暂且，即"我们得自由不久，且未必能长久"。这更显其罪之重：他们不久前才出火炉，又不知何时可能重入；竟还能安然无惧吗？[2] 怜悯之源：耶和华向我们施恩。 波斯列王是他们得释放的工具；但他将之归于神和他的恩——他白白的恩，并非因他们有何功劳。[3] 怜悯之流——他们在被辖制中未被丢弃，即便在巴比伦仍有神同在的凭据；仍有以色列人的余民存留——众多之中的少数，且是侥幸脱离仇敌之手的——是蒙波斯列王的恩；尤其是他们在他圣所中得了一根柱子，即（如拉九9所解）他们建立了神的殿。他们的宗教已经定居，圣殿的事奉已照常进行。我们当视有固定的机会敬拜神为大安慰、大益处。住在神殿中的便为有福，正如亚拿不离开圣殿。这是我永远安息之所——蒙恩之灵如此说。[4] 这一切的效果：它明亮了他们的眼睛，苏醒了他们的心；即对他们甚为安慰，且因是在被辖制之中，越发显明——这于他们如同死而复活。虽只是稍微复兴，却是极大的恩，因他们本不配得，并且这微小之事的日头，预示了更大的事。以斯拉说："我们竟如此忘恩，去得罪如此善待我们的神！竟如此不诚，与我们以奇妙怜悯所拯救脱离的外邦人一同陷于罪中！竟如此不智，在神以恩惠待我们、我们当为恩惠的延续而谨守之时，将自己暴露在他的不悦之下！"
（5）他们的罪违背明令，这使罪更显可憎：我们离弃了你的命令（拉九10）。雅各全家不与未受割礼的家族通婚，似乎是古来的家规（创三十四14）。但除此之外，神又严严禁止。他在此引述这命令（拉九9、11、12）。因为罪一经与所违背的律法对照，便显出是罪，显出是极其可憎。没有比这更明确的了：不可将你们的女儿嫁他们的儿子，也不可为你们的儿子娶他们的女儿。 所给的理由是：他们若与那些民族混杂，就必玷污自己。那是不洁之地，他们是圣洁的民；但他们若与之分别，便是他们的尊荣与安全，也是他们长久繁荣的保障。如今违背如此明确的命令——又有如此理由为后盾，又是他们国家的基本律法——实在是大大惹动天上之神的怒气。
（6）他们已经因罪受过的审判，显明神惩罚他们轻于他们罪所当得的，所以他看他们仍在旧账上有欠。"甚么！我们还要再欠新账吗？神在管教我们时如此温柔相待，我们竟这样滥用他的恩惠，将他的恩变为放纵吗？" 神在恩典怜悯中说：锡安的掳掠从耶和华手中加倍受罚（赛四十2）；但以斯拉怀着对他们罪之大恶的悔罪之感，承认那刑罚虽重，却仍轻于他们所应得的。
2. 他在作此认罪时心中所发的敬虔之情。论到罪：
（1）他如同极其羞愧之人。他以此为始（拉九6）：我的神啊，我抱愧蒙羞，我的神啊，不敢向你仰面。（原文如此）。请注意：[1] 罪是可耻的事；我们的始祖一吃禁果就自觉羞耻。[2] 圣洁的羞愧，正如圣洁的忧愁，是真诚悔改不可或缺的成分。[3] 他人的罪当成为我们的羞愧；那些不以自己之罪为耻的，我们当为之脸红。我们与那些如此忘恩于神、如此不智待己之人有任何关联，便当羞愧。这就是自己表明清白（林后七11）。[4] 悔罪者最看见自己当脸红羞愧之时，莫过于来到神前仰面之际。对自己所损的天然尊荣之感，使我们在行错事之后不敢正视人面；但对神尊荣的敬虔关切，使我们更不敢正视神面。税吏上殿祷告时，比从前更垂着头，如同羞愧之人（路十八13）。[5] 在悔改的操练中，仰望神为我们的神，对我们大有裨益。以斯拉以我的神开始，又在同一口气中再说我的神。想到我们与神在圣约中彼此相属的关系，能助我们自卑，为罪伤心——我们竟违背了他对我们的诫命和我们向他的应许；又能鼓励我们在悔改之后盼望赦免。"虽有此事，他仍是我的神"；约中的每一次过犯并不将我们逐出约外。
（2）他如同极其惊异之人（拉九10）：这事以后我们还能说甚么？ 至于我，我不知该说甚么；若神不帮助我们，我们便完了。罪的发现激发惊奇：我们越思想罪，它越发显得可怖。处境的艰难激发惊奇：我们怎能再站起来？怎能向神求和？[1] 真悔改者不知所云。难道我们要说我们没有犯罪，或神必不追究？若如此，便是自欺，真理不在我们里面。难道要说"宽容我罢，我必全数还清"，献上千万的公羊，或我们的长子来赎我们的罪过？神不能如此被欺；他知道我们是无力偿还的。难道要说没有指望了，任凭怎样就怎样？那不过是雪上加霜。[2] 真悔改者会思考当说甚么，并当像以斯拉那样，求神指教。当说甚么呢？当说："我犯了罪；我作了愚妄事；神啊，开恩可怜我这个罪人"；如此之类。参何十四2。
（3）他如同极其恐惧之人（拉九13、14）。"在使我们脱离罪的种种审判之后，又在我们与神和本分相系的一切拯救之后，我们若再违犯神的诫命，与悖逆之子结亲，学他们的道，我们还能指望甚么呢？除了神向我们发怒直到将我们尽行灭绝，连一个余民或一个逃脱的人都不剩，还能有别的吗？" 一民若在大的审判和大的拯救之后，仍重新回到罪——回到同样的罪——再没有比这更确凿、更可悲的败亡预兆了。无论是这还是那都不能感化的，便适合被弃绝，如被弃的废银，因炼匠炼而徒然。
（4）他如同极其确信神的公义，决意顺服其中，并将此事交托于那按真理判断的神（拉九15）：你是公义的——智慧、公正、良善；你既不会冤枉我们，也不会苛待我们；所以看哪，我们在你面前，我们伏在你脚前，等候判决；我们不能在你面前站立——不能坚持自己的义，没有任何抗辩可支持我们或使我们开脱；所以我们在自己的罪愆中俯伏在你面前，将自己投于你的怜悯。你看怎样好，就怎样待我们罢（士十15）。我们无话可说，无事可作，只能向审判我们的主恳求（伯九15）。这位善人就是如此将自己的忧愁陈明在神前，然后将其交托于他。
英文原文
Ezra's Reformation (456 BC)
¹ Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
² For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
³ And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.
⁴ Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
Ezra, like Barnabas when he came to Jerusalem and saw the grace of God to his brethren there, no doubt was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord, Ac 11:23. He saw nothing amiss (many corruptions lurk out of the view of the most vigilant rulers); but here is a damp upon his joys: information is brought him that many of the people, yea, and some of the rulers, had married wives out of heathen families, and joined themselves in affinity with strangers. Observe,
I. What the sin was that they were guilty of: it was mingling with the people of those lands (Ezr 9:2), associating with them both in trade and in conversation, making themselves familiar with them, and, to complete the affinity, taking their daughters in marriages to their sons. We are willing to hope that they did not worship their gods, but that their captivity had cured them of their idolatry: it is said indeed that they did according to their abominations; but that (says bishop Patrick) signifies here only the imitation of the heathen in promiscuous marriages with any nation whatsoever, which by degrees would lead them to idolatry. Herein, 1. They disobeyed the express command of God, which forbade all intimacy with the heathen, and particularly in matrimonial contracts, De 7:3. 2. They profaned the crown of their peculiarity, and set themselves upon a level with those above whom God had by singular marks of his favour, of late as well as formerly, dignified them. 3. They distrusted the power of God to protect and advance them, and were led by carnal policy, hoping to strengthen themselves and make an interest among their neighbours by these alliances. A practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all the sorry shifts we make to help ourselves. 4. They exposed themselves, and much more their children, to the peril of idolatry, the very sin, and introduced by this very way, that had once been the ruin of their church and nation.
II. Who were the persons that were guilty of this sin, not only some of the unthinking people of Israel, that knew no better, but many of the priests and Levites, whose office it was to teach the law, and this law among the rest, and in whom, by reason of their elevation above common Israelites, it was a greater crime. It was a diminution to the sons of that tribe to match into any other tribe, and they seldom did except into the royal tribe; but for them to match with heathen, with Canaanites, and Hittites, and I know not whom, was such a disparagement as, if they had had any sense, though not of duty, yet of honour, one would think, they would never have been guilty of. Yet this was not the worst: The hand of the princes and rulers, who by their power should have prevented or reformed this high misdemeanour, was chief in this trespass. If princes be in a trespass, they will be charged as chief in it, because of the influence their examples will have upon others. Many will follow their pernicious ways. But miserable is the case of that people whose leaders debauch them and cause them to err.
III. The information that was given of this to Ezra. It was given by the persons that were most proper to complain, the princes, those of them that had kept their integrity and with it their dignity; they could not have accused others if they themselves had not been free from blame. It was given to the person who had power to mend the matter, who, as a ready scribe in the law of God, could argue with them, and, as king's commissioner, could awe them. It is probable that these princes had often endeavoured to redress this grievance and could not; but now they applied to Ezra, hoping that his wisdom, authority, and interest, would prevail to do it. Those that cannot of themselves reform public abuses may yet do good service by giving information to those that can.
IV. The impression this made upon Ezra (Ezr 9:3): He rent his clothes, plucked off his hair, and sat down astonished. Thus he expressed the deep sense he had, 1. Of the dishonour hereby done to God. It grieved him to the heart to think that a people called by his name should so grossly violate his law, should be so little benefited by his correction, and make such bad returns for his favours. 2. Of the mischief the people had hereby done to themselves and the danger they were in of the wrath of God breaking out against them. Note, (1.) The sins of others should be our sorrow, and the injury done by them to God's honour and the souls of men is what we should lay to heart. (2.) Sorrow for sin must be great sorrow; such Ezra's was, as for an only son or a first-born. (3.) The scandalous sins of professors are what we have reason to be astonished at. We may stand amazed to see men contradict, disparage, prejudice, ruin, themselves. Strange that men should act so inconsiderately and so inconsistently with themselves! Upright men are astonished at it.
V. The influence which Ezra's grief for this had upon others. We may suppose that he went up to the house of the Lord, there to humble himself, because he had an eye to God in his grief and that was the proper place for deprecating his displeasure. Public notice was soon taken of it, and all the devout serious people that were at hand assembled themselves to him, it should seem of their own accord, for nothing is said of their being sent, to, Ezr 9:4. Note, 1. It is the character of good people that they tremble at God's word; they stand in awe of the authority of its precepts and the severity and justice of its threatenings, and to those that do so will God look, Isa 66:2. 2. Those that tremble at the word of God cannot but tremble at the sins of men, by which the law of God is broken and his wrath and curse are incurred. 3. The pious zeal of one against sin may perhaps provoke very many to the like, as the apostle speaks in another case, 2Co 9:2. Many will follow who have not consideration, talent, and courage, enough to lead in a good work. 4. All good people ought to own those that appear and act in the cause of God against vice and profaneness, to stand by them, and do what they can to strengthen their hands.
⁵ And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,
⁶ And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
⁷ Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
⁸ And now for a little space grace hath been showed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
⁹ For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
¹⁰ And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,
¹¹ Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
¹² Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.
¹³ And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;
¹⁴ Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?
¹⁵ O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.
What the meditations of Ezra's heart were, while for some hours he sat down astonished, we may guess by the words of his mouth when at length he spoke with his tongue; and a most pathetic address he here makes to Heaven upon this occasion. Observe,
I. The time when he made this address—at the evening sacrifice, Ezr 9:5. Then (it is likely) devout people used to come into the courts of the temple, to grace the solemnity of the sacrifice and to offer up their own prayers to God in concurrence with it. In their hearing Ezra chose to make this confession, that they might be made duly sensible of the sins of their people, which hitherto they had either not taken notice of or had made light of. Prayer may preach. The sacrifice, and especially the evening sacrifice, was a type of the great propitiation, that blessed Lamb of God which in the evening of the world was to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself, to which we may suppose Ezra had an eye of faith in this penitential address to God; he makes confession with his hand, as it were, upon the head of that great sacrifice, through which we receive the atonement. Certainly Ezra was no stranger to the message which the angel Gabriel had some years ago delivered to Daniel, at the time of the evening sacrifice, and as it were in explication of it, concerning Messiah the Prince (Da 9:21,24); and perhaps he had regard to that in choosing this time.
II. His preparation for this address. 1. He rose up from his heaviness, and so far shook off the burden of his grief as was necessary to the lifting up of his heart to God. He recovered from his astonishment, got the tumult of his troubled spirits somewhat stilled and his spirit composed for communion with God. 2. He fell upon his knees, put himself into the posture of a penitent humbling himself and a petitioner suing for mercy, in both representing the people for whom he was now an intercessor. 3. He spread out his hands, as one affected with what he was going to say, offering it up unto God, waiting, and reaching out, as it were, with an earnest expectation, to receive a gracious answer. In this he had an eye to God as the Lord, and as his God, a God of power, but a God of grace.
III. The address itself. It is not properly to be called a prayer, for there is not a word of petition in it; but, if we give prayer its full latitude, it is the offering up of pious and devout affections to God, and very devout, very pious, are the affections which Ezra here expresses. His address is a penitent confession of sin, not his own (from a conscience burdened with its own guilt and apprehensive of his own danger), but the sin of his people, from a gracious concern for the honour of God and the welfare of Israel. Here is a lively picture of ingenuous repentance. Observe in this address,
1. The confession he makes of the sin and the aggravations of it, which he insists upon, to affect his own heart and theirs that joined with him with holy sorrow and shame and fear, in the consideration of it, that they might be deeply humbled for it. And it is observable that, though he himself was wholly clear from this guilt, yet he puts himself into the number of the sinners, because he was a member of the same community—our sins and our trespass. Perhaps he now remembered it against himself, as his fault, that he had staid so long after his brethren in Babylon, and had not separated himself so soon as he might have done from the people of those lands. When we are lamenting the wickedness of the wicked, it may be, if we duly reflect upon ourselves and give our own hearts leave to deal faithfully with us, we may find something of the same nature, though in a lower degree, that we also have been guilty of. However, he speaks that which was, or should have been, the general complaint.
(1.) He owns their sins to have been very great: "Our iniquities are increased over our heads (Ezr 9:6); we are ready to perish in them as in deep waters;" so general was the prevalency of them, so violent the power of them, and so threatening were they of the most pernicious consequences. "Iniquity has grown up to such a height among us that it reaches to the heavens, so very impudent that it dares heaven, so very provoking that, like the sin of Sodom, it cries to heaven for vengeance." But let this be the comfort of true penitents that though their sins reach to the heavens God's mercy is in the heavens, Ps 36:5. Where sin abounds grace will much more abound.
(2.) Their sin had been long persisted in (Ezr 9:7): Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass. The example of those that had gone before them he thought so far from excusing their fault that it aggravated it. "We should have taken warning not to stumble at the same stone. The corruption is so much the worse that it has taken deep root and begins to plead prescription, but by this means we have reason to fear that the measure of the iniquity is nearly full."
(3.) The great and sore judgments which God had brought upon them for their sins did very much aggravate them: "For our iniquities we have been delivered to the sword and to captivity (Ezr 9:7), and yet not reformed, yet not reclaimed—brayed in the mortar, and yet the folly not gone (Pr 27:22)—corrected, but not reclaimed."
(4.) The late mercies God had bestowed upon them did likewise very much aggravate their sins. This he insists largely upon, Ezr 9:8,9. Observe, [1.] The time of mercy: Now for a little space, that is, "It is but a little while since we had our liberty, and it is not likely to continue long." This greatly aggravated their sin, that they were so lately in the furnace and that they knew not how soon they might return to it again; and could they yet be secure? [2.] The fountain of mercy: Grace has been shown us from the Lord. The kings of Persia were the instruments of their enlargement; but he ascribes it to God and to his grace, his free grace, without any merit of theirs. [3.] The streams of mercy,—that they were not forsaken in their bondage, but even in Babylon had the tokens of God's presence,—that they were a remnant of Israelites left, a few out of many, and those narrowly escaped out of the hands of their enemies, by the favour of the kings of Persia,—and especially that they had a nail in his holy place, that is (as it is explained, Ezr 9:9), that they had set up the house of God. They had their religion settled and the service of the temple in a constant method. We are to reckon it a great comfort and advantage to have stated opportunities of worshipping God. Blessed are those that dwell in God's house, like Anna that departed not from the temple. This is my rest for ever, says the gracious soul. [4.] The effects of all this. It enlightened their eyes, and it revived their hearts; that is, it was very comfortable to them, and the more sensibly so because it was in their bondage: it was life from the dead to them. Though but a little reviving, it was a great favour, considering that they deserved none and the day of small things was an earnest of greater. "Now," says Ezra, "how ungrateful are we to offend a God that has been so kind to us! how disingenuous to mingle in sin with those nations from whom we have been, in wonderful mercy, delivered! how unwise to expose ourselves to God's displeasure when we are tried with the returns of his favour and are upon our good behaviour for the continuance of it!"
(5.) It was a great aggravation of the sin that it was against an express command: We have forsaken thy commandments, Ezr 9:10. It seems to have been an ancient law of the house of Jacob not to match with the families of the uncircumcised, Ge 34:14. But, besides that, God had strictly forbidden it. He recites the command, Ezr 9:11,12. For sin appears sin, appears exceedingly sinful, when we compare it with the law which is broken by it. Nothing could be more express: Give not your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons. The reason given is because, if they mingled with those nations, they would pollute themselves. It was an unclean land, and they were a holy people; but if they kept themselves distinct from them it would be their honour and safety, and the perpetuating of their prosperity. Now to violate a command so express, backed with such reasons, and a fundamental law of their constitution, was very provoking to the God of heaven.
(6.) That in the judgments by which they had already smarted for their sins God had punished them less than their iniquities deserved, so that he looked upon them to be still in debt upon the old account. "What! and yet shall we run up a new score? Has God dealt so gently with us in correcting us, and shall we thus abuse his favour and turn his grace into wantonness?" God, in his grace and mercy, had said concerning Sion's captivity, She hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins (Isa 40:2); but Ezra, in a penitential sense of the great malignity that was in their sin, acknowledged that, though the punishment was very great, it was less than they deserved.
2. The devout affections that were working in him, in making this confession. Speaking of sin,
(1.) He speaks as one much ashamed. With this he begins (Ezr 9:6), O my God! I am ashamed and blush, O my God! (so the words are placed) to lift up my face unto thee. Note, [1.] Sin is a shameful thing; as soon as ever our first parents had eaten forbidden fruit they were ashamed of themselves. [2.] Holy shame is as necessary an ingredient in true and ingenuous repentance as holy sorrow. [3.] The sins of others should be our shame, and we should blush for those who do not blush for themselves. We may well be ashamed that we are any thing akin to those who are so ungrateful to God and unwise for themselves. This is clearing ourselves, 2Co 7:11. [4.] Penitent sinners never see so much reason to blush and be ashamed as when they come to lift up their faces before God. A natural sense of our own honour which we have injured will make us ashamed, when we have done a wrong thing, to look men in the face; but a gracious concern for God's honour will make us much more ashamed to look him in the face. The publican, when he went to the temple to pray, hung down his head more than ever, as one ashamed, Lu 18:13. [5.] An eye to God as our God will be of great use to us in the exercise of repentance. Ezra begins, O my God! and again in the same breath, My God. The consideration of our covenant-relation to God as ours will help to humble us, and break our hearts for sin, that we should violate both his precepts to us and our promises to him; it will also encourage us to hope for pardon upon repentance. "He is my God, notwithstanding this;" and every transgression in the covenant does not throw us out of covenant.
(2.) He speaks as one much amazed (Ezr 9:10) "What shall we say after this? For my part I know not what to say: if God do not help us, we are undone." The discoveries of guilt excite amazement: the more we think of sin the worse it looks. The difficulty of the case excites amazement. How shall we recover ourselves? Which way shall we make our peace with God? [1.] True penitents are at a loss what to say. Shall we say, We have not sinned, or, God will not require it? If we do, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Shall we say, Have patience with us and we will pay thee all, with thousands of rams, or our first-born for our transgression? God will not thus be mocked: he knows we are insolvent. Shall we say, There is no hope, and let come on us what will? That is but to make bad worse. [2.] True penitents will consider what to say, and should, as Ezra, beg of God to teach them. What shall we say? Say, "I have sinned; I have done foolishly; God be merciful to me a sinner;" and the like. See Ho 14:2.
(3.) He speaks as one much afraid, Ezr 9:13,14. "After all the judgments that have come upon us to reclaim us from sin, and all the deliverances that have been wrought for us to engage us to God and duty, if we should again break God's commandments, by joining in affinity with the children of disobedience and learning their ways, what else could we expect but that God should be angry with us till he had consumed us, and there should not be so much as a remnant left, nor any to escape the destruction?" There is not a surer nor sadder presage of ruin to any people than revolting to sin, to the same sins again, after great judgments and great deliverances. Those that will be wrought upon neither by the one nor by the other are fit to be rejected, as reprobate silver, for the founder melteth in vain.
(4.) He speaks as one much assured of the righteousness of God, and resolved to acquiesce in that and to leave the matter with him whose judgment is according to truth (Ezr 9:15): "Thou art righteous, wise, just, and good; thou wilt neither do us wrong nor be hard upon us; and therefore behold we are before thee, we lie at thy feet, waiting our doom; we cannot stand before thee, insisting upon any righteousness of our own, having no plea to support us or bring us off, and therefore we fall down before thee, in our trespass, and cast ourselves on thy mercy. Do unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee, Jdg 10:15. We have nothing to say, nothing to do, but to make supplication to our Judge," Job 9:15. Thus does this good man lay his grief before God and then leave it with him.
我们可以设想，自从以斯拉治理教会事务以来，教会的事态已处于相当良好的状态。向外观看：政权对他们宽厚仁慈。我们没有听到任何关于逼迫与压迫的控诉；他们的仇敌或是内心回转，或是至少双手被捆绑；邻舍以礼相待，也没有听闻战争或战争的风声；无人使他们惊怕；考虑到他们人数稀少、家境贫寒，且臣服于异邦君王，一切已是最好的光景。向内观看：我们再不闻巴力、亚斯他录，也不闻摩洛；没有偶像、木偶和金牛犊，甚至连邱坛也无所闻（不仅没有敬拜偶像的祭坛，也没有分立的祭坛），圣殿受到应有的敬重，圣殿的礼祭也被殷勤持守。然而一切也并非尽善。教会最纯净的时代也难免有若干腐败，它"毫无玷污皱纹"之日，要等到它成为"荣耀的教会"、成为"得胜的教会"之时（弗五27）。本章记载如下：I. 有人向以斯拉控告百姓与异族女子通婚的众多情形（拉九1、2）。II. 以斯拉闻此消息所陷入的极大忧痛，以及其他受其榜样感召的人也同样陷入的忧痛（拉九3、4）。III. 以斯拉带着敬虔的忧愁与羞愧，向神就这一罪过所作的严肃认罪（拉九5-15）。