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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Ezra 10:6–14, “Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem; And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain. And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives. Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.”
Ezra had prayed and confessed the sin of Israel then he went inside one of the rooms belonging to a Priest’s father. He prayed and then fasted and mourned the sin that had occurred in Jerusalem at that time. After that, he called all the people together and promised to punish any that wouldn’t come to the meeting. Everyone gathered together outside the Temple. They were cold and uncomfortable because there was heavy rain. Ezra castigated the returnees for the fact that they hadn’t remained separate from the surrounding people, as the Lord commanded. He told the people to confess. They promised Ezra that they would but they wanted to wait until the rain had finished.
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