Faithful Among the RuinsSampel

A Prayer of Confession

As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. (v. 3)

The book of Ezra suddenly gets very personal! This section is written in the first person as Ezra reacts to the news of the nation’s continued sin. We see what broke the heart of Ezra—a heart that was truly devoted to God.

After Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, the officials revealed what was happening in the community. Some of the very sins that had led God to judge the nation were now being repeated—sins that had led to Jerusalem's destruction and its people's captivity. Many of the Jews had intermarried with the idol-worshiping peoples of the region—a practice forbidden by God (see Deut. 7:3). Ezra immediately saw the implications and the danger of the situation. He mourned for the nation’s sin, tearing his clothes and even pulling out his own hair and beard! His prayer before God is a remarkable example of what it means to confess true guilt and grief because of sin.

Ezra’s heart was clearly broken by the disobedience of his people—even the very leaders of the Jews. What breaks your heart as a follower of God? We are rarely convicted of sin the way that Ezra was—whether it’s our sin as a nation or our own personal sin. But Ezra, who loved God’s Word, was willing to be broken by what breaks the heart of God.

As you pray, consider the sins that break the heart of God.