Broken Over Sin

Ezra 9 is not an easy chapter. The people of Israel had just returned from exile. God had shown mercy. He had restored them to their land and their worship. Yet almost immediately, compromise surfaced again. Leaders and families entered relationships that directly violated God’s clear command.

The tragedy wasn’t that pagans acted like pagans. The tragedy was that God’s covenant people began blending in.

When Ezra hears the news, he does not excuse it or adjust the standard. He is appalled. He tears his garments and sits in stunned silence before the Lord. His response is not anger, but grief. He understands what is at stake. They had already experienced the consequences of compromise. To drift again was dangerous. That is what makes this chapter so searching for us.

We live in a time when what once troubled our conscience barely registers. It is easy to assume we can absorb culture without being shaped by it. But spiritual erosion is rarely dramatic. It is slow and subtle, wearing down convictions until obedience feels optional.

Ezra’s prayer reminds us that Scripture defines sin—not culture, not consensus, not comfort. And though he had not personally committed the sin, he prays, “We have sinned.” He takes ownership. He agrees with God.

Renewal does not begin with criticizing the darkness. It begins with honest confession before a holy God.

The same God who disciplined Israel also restored them. His mercy still meets repentant hearts.

So here is the question: does sin still grieve you—or have you quietly grown comfortable with it?

Press on!

Pastor Brian Richard