Sermon Tone Analysis

The People of Israel Confess Their Sin

Introduction

provide a huge response to the hearing of the Scriptures.

The returned Jewish exiles have found themselves moved to a place of joy, obedience, brokenness, repentance, and ultimately a commitment to a life of covenant obedience.

Scriptures.

The returned Jewish exiles are moved to worshipful joy, eager obedience,

brokenness, repentance, and ultimately a binding commitment to a life of covenant

Chapter nine serves as the bridge between the joy and the binding commitment of renewed covenant.

obedience.

Chapter nine serves as the bridge between the worshipful joy and the binding

It is here that the people were enduring the pain of healing – looking into the perfect mirror and seeing their shameful sin from their recent past to their earliest days as a nation.

commitment of renewed covenant.

It is here that the people were enduring the kind pain of

healing – peering into the perfect mirror and seeing their shameful pocks of sin from recent

There was a consistency to the blessing and punishment they experienced as a people, but this examination of history was ultimately rooted in a greater consistency demonstrated by God whose person, works, and character were magnificently displayed before them too.

past to their earliest days as a nation.

There was a consistency to the waves of blessing

and punishment they experienced as a people, but this examination of history was

The declared glory of God as recorded in when Moses was tucked into the rock and beheld but the passing glory of God was shown to have been true from the moment it was spoken to the day of this worshipful prayer.

ultimately rooted in a greater consistency demonstrated by God whose person, works, and

character were magnificently displayed before them too.

The declared glory of God as

recorded in when Moses was tucked into the rock and beheld but the passing

Though broken, the response of worship was inevitable, as well as the longing to be identified in obedience to this most magnificent God.

glory of God was shown to have been true from the moment it was spoken to the day of this

9:1 the twenty-fourth day of this month.

October 31, 445 B.C.

There is an interval of only one day before this further solemn assembly.

The acts of humiliation and fasting resume after a period of postponement (8:9–18) because there has been no opportunity to express such corporate repentance.

were assembled.

In 8:1 the people gathered to hear the law; here they gather to confess their sins in response to it (v.

3).

9:2 their sins … their fathers.

Covenant transgression can be confessed only by the covenant people.

See note on Ezra 9:7.

worshipful prayer.

Though broken, the response of worship was inevitable, as well as the

A Humbled Assembly; 9:1-2.

A Humbled Assembly; 9:1-2.

longing to be identified in obedience to this most magnificent God.

So, after a season of submitting themselves in joyful obedience they returned to the Scriptures and the weight of conviction that the Scriptures produced when examining their hearts and the hearts of their fathers.

activities of chapter eight either would have finished on the twenty-second day of the

Therefore, without interruption, the narrative of chapter eight carried over to chapter nine with only a day of inactivity between them as the text begins addressing the events of the twenty-fourth day.

seventh month.

Therefore, without interruption, the narrative of chapter eight carried over to

chapter nine with only a day of inactivity between them as the text begins addressing the

events of the twenty-fourth day.

This put the assembly of remorse, confession, and repentance only two days after the extended time of festal celebration, which has provoked some commentators to question the placement of this narrative.

extended time of festal celebration, which has provoked some commentators to question

However, this was the nature of the people’s engagement of the Scriptures and is wholly consistent with what would be expected as it was only in the beginning of the seventh month when the people had to be told to not mourn or weep.

the placement of this narrative.

However, this was the nature of the people’s engagement of

the Scriptures and is wholly consistent with what would be expected as it was only in the

So, after a season of submitting themselves in joyful obedience they returned to the Scriptures and the weight of conviction that the Scriptures produced when examining their hearts and the hearts of their fathers.

beginning of the seventh month when the people had to be told to not mourn or weep.

So,

after a season of submitting themselves in joyful obedience they returned to the Scriptures

and the weight of conviction that the Scriptures produced when examining their hearts and

the hearts of their fathers.

There was likely a conflicting tension present and building as the people were properly celebrating and joyful earlier in the month, but also continuing to hear the Scriptures and continuing to feel the conviction of their offense before The LORD.

Here we can recall that they heard the Scriptures read and exposited for one day the people were prepared to mourn and lament their sin, but now they have just completed a week of consistent exposure to the Scriptures.

celebrating and joyful earlier in the month, but also continuing to hear the Scriptures and

people were prepared to mourn and lament their sin, but now they have just completed a

Now... this was the time to not only weep and mourn, but repent, and centering on God, to worship.

week of consistent exposure to the Scriptures.

“And day by day, from the first day to the last

day, he read from the Book of the Law of God.”

Just as King Solomon eloquently articulated, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven....”

for every matter under heaven....” The time of the events of chapter eight

The time of the events of chapter eight were not a time to weep and mourn as the day was holy to the Lord God (8:9), therefore the people disciplined themselves for what was fitting and proper for that time.

were not a time to weep and mourn as the day was holy to the Lord God (8:9), therefore the

people disciplined themselves for what was fitting and proper for that time.

Now... this was

Now... this was the time to not only weep and mourn, but repent, and centering on God, to worship.

the time to not only weep and mourn, but repent, and centering on God, to worship.

Now, who constituted this assembly?

were referenced as “the people of Israel” and the aforementioned events had just

It appears it was still the whole of the people as they were referenced as “the people of Israel” and the aforementioned events had just concluded.

concluded.

Further, this would address the question of how conviction comes to a people

Further, this would address the question of how conviction comes to a people so comprehensively.

so comprehensively when by its nature conviction is an intensely personal experience.

The

The answer would appear to be that the people who gathered as “one man” in chapter eight remained in the fact that they were operating as a singularly focused unit on the things of The LORD.

answer would appear to be that the people who gathered as “one man” in chapter eight

remained in their communal disposition – singularly focused as a unit on the things of The

LORD.

As stated, this was a dramatically different context than the preceding events that began with a holy day in which the people were not to mourn and were sent out to festal rejoicing-enjoying abundance and making sure others could too.

The people utterly humbled themselves with fasting, sackcloth, and dirt.

with a holy day in which the people were not to mourn and were sent out to festal rejoicing -

Acts not of penance or self-reconciling, but of brokenness and dependence on God.

enjoying abundance and making sure others could too.

penance or self-reconciling, but of brokenness and dependence on God.

These were “...the

external marks of deep mourning and heaviness of heart.”3

These were “...the external marks of deep mourning and heaviness of heart.”

Sidebar: Inward Movement Demonstrated with Outward Action

Upon hearing of imminent judgment the king and people of Nineveh humbled themselves in a like manner: fasting and sackcloth ().

This external humbling was accompanied by inward repentance and the earnest petitioning of God for mercy.

However, even in this severe situation that The LORD affirmed as genuine and robust repentance, there was no reference to putting dirt on themselves, the closest element was that the king sat on ashes ().

themselves in a like manner: fasting and sackcloth ().