Ezra was so devastated that he pulled out his hair and beard (Ezra 9:3) and threw himself on the ground before the Lord. He couldn’t believe it. After suffering so much in captivity for so many years, getting the favor of the Lord to return to Israel and rebuild, and now the Israelites were right back to sinning. Not only that but the leaders had taken the lead in unfaithfulness.
While Ezra the great priest was on the ground, weeping and mourning and crying out to the Lord, others noticed. They joined him in his anguish and “an extremely large assembly…wept bitterly” about their sin. True repentance begins with grief over one’s sins.
After some time had passed Shecaniah stood up and acknowledged the guilt of the people. Then he presented a plan for repentance to Ezra to which the people agreed. Then he charged Ezra with leading this return to the LORD.
“Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we support you. Be strong and take action!” (Ezra 10:4).
So Ezra did just that. He got up and lead the people in making an oath before the Lord and a covenant before Him. Actions were outlined in steps of their repentance.
“Ezra then went from the house of God and walking to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night. He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles” (10:6).
Even though they set on a path of repentance, Ezra was still mourning. He fasted without food and also without water in deep grief. And he sought the Lord.
The leaders then sent an emergency letter to all Israel, saying that if the heads of the families didn’t come to Jerusalem, they would forfeit all their possessions and would be excluded from the exiles in Israel. They were given three days to get to Jerusalem for this emergency meeting.
Then Ezra confronted them in their sin and exhorted them to confess their crimes before the Lord, to take action accordingly, and to seek the Lord once again. All the assembly responded that they would do so and the leaders oversaw that it would be done.
Being a leader isn’t always about Braveheart inspiring kind of moments. Sometimes it’s about identifying with your people, grieving in repentance, and taking your rightful responsibility to lead the people back to the Lord.
“Get up, for this matter if your responsibility” (Ezra 10:4).
