ReTurn, ReBuild, ReNew - Renewal Through Confession

Have you ever tried to justify something through a series of good sounding trains of thought or reasoning knowing deep down that you were wrong? Now I know there is a temptation to think of someone else here, but I want you to dig deep and be honest with yourself here...

Have you ever tried to justify something through a series of good sounding trains of thought or reasoning knowing deep down that you were wrong?

We are going to read about some decisions God’s people made and then how they reacted when they were confronted with the truth of God’s Word.

Before we read today in Ezra 9, I want to make a couple of points about what we are going to read.

It is going to be tempting to draw parallels to lifestyles and decisions we see others in the world making. This is not what is happening. This is God’s people people realizing how wrong they were and dealing with that.

This is also not about preferences or opinions. The conviction that comes is a result of the truth of God’s Word.

With that as the intro to our text, let’s read...

Ezra 9:1–4 NIV

1 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

In chapter 8, this new remnant of Jews is returning to Jerusalem, rebuilding the temple and renewing their faith practices. This included reading the scriptures and commandments. As a result of this reading, there was a sense of conviction that came when the scripture talked about keeping themselves separate.

When confronted with this truth, the leaders Ezra appointed came to him and confessed.

I get the sense here that Ezra didn’t realize what these people he was leading had done. It seems like this is a new revelation for Ezra about the exiles who returned with him.

I am intrigued by Ezra’s response. (Verse 3) - tore his clothes, pulled his hair and then sat down appalled.

Clearly everyone looked up to Ezra because they gathered around him, likely wanting to know what to do. He just sat there until the evening sacrifice.

This is a great example for us all. When there is something that is appalling to us, we should take a minute and just sit in it before we respond.

Before we continue, I want to read a passage from Psalm 119 that will give us a perspective of the kind of man that would react this way...

Psalm 119:129–136 NIV

129 Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. 132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. 133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. 134 Redeem me from human oppression, that I may obey your precepts. 135 Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees. 136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

Without a love of God’s Word and a deep desire and conviction of what God’s Word means, sorrow does not come when God’s law is ignored.

This was the kind of man Ezra was. Let’s read his response:

Ezra 9:5–7 NIV

5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God 6 and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

Erza acknowledges their sin resulted in the judgement that came at the hand of those kings that conquered them.

Ezra 9:8–9 NIV

8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

Even though there was judgement, now there is grace. Grace that showed them the way home. This is yet another time where God’s grace came before the purification. God’s grace brought them to the place where they could return and now be confronted by their sin.

Ezra 9:10–15 NIV

10 “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’ 13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

What a confession. There are no excuses, no good reasons, nothing but recognition of this sin. This is the sin of God’s people, not the sin of those who married God’s people. There is no pushing blame.

At the end of Ezra’s prayer, he recognizes where they are at. God has just done these amazing miracles to get them there and it would have been easy to think that God is pleased enough with them that they must be doing things right, so no need to dig up anything…instead, there is just this recognition of where they are at:

They are guilty.

This is the first step in getting right with the Lord. Romans 3:23 says this:

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

This is true now for all of us. So often though, we are not grieved by our sinfulness like Ezra was. When was the last time you tore your tunic and ripped hair from your head and beard when confronted with sin?

Ezra’s next conclusion:

They cannot stand in God’s presence

The guilt of this is overwhelming to Ezra. Again they literally saw God do miracles to bring them back and here they are sorrowful over their sin and they recognize that their sinfulness has put them in a bad situation. They are convicted.

I just want to read the first verse of the next chapter:

Ezra 10:1 NIV

1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.

Everyone wept. Everyone was appalled. Everyone was convicted.

How would they ever fulfill what God has for them if they don’t get their lives right.

God was renewing their love for Him and their relationship with Him. In essence, this was their revival.

He brought them home, he allowed them them to begin rebuilding the temple, but most of all He wanted their hearts to have a renewed love for Him.

What is God saying to you today? Are you convicted of sin in your life? Are there areas where you know God is saying that you have to deal with?

I know it’s easier to think of the sin of others and what they need to get right, but God wants you to start with you.

I want to take you through 3 areas of confession. We are all somewhere in the spectrum of needing confession.

Let’s start with what I’ll call first confession:

First Confession:

Declaration that we are sinners, guilty of sin and deserving death

(Romans 3:23, 6:23)

Have you come to the place where you’ve recognized that this is you? Was there a moment in your life where you came face to face with this and confessed your guilt? If not, today is a good day. Our guilt is deserving of weeping and wailing and tearing of clothing and pulling of hair, but I want to give you some good news with the next confession: Confessing Jesus as Lord

Confessing Jesus as Lord:

Repent of sin, trust in Jesus as Savior and Confess Jesus as Lord

(Romans 10:9-10)

To repent means to turn away from, no longer accept those actions as acceptable. Doesn’t mean we’ll be perfect, none of us is, but it does mean we begin to act based on a new standard, but our actions don’t save us, only Jesus can save us.

No matter how many good things we do, we can’t earn our way into heaven. Only but trusting Jesus as Savior is that possible, but He asks that we make Him the Lord of our life.

A lord has full control - where to go, what to do, what to say…Making Jesus Lord of our life gives Him permission to have full control.

Can you remember a time where you have done all three of these: Repent of sin, Trust Jesus as Savior and confess Jesus as Lord? If not, today is a good day for that.

The final confession is one that is never final until we’ve breathed our last. The reason is that we are still human and we still live in a broken world. We will constantly be tempted and at times fall to sin. Because of that, we need regular times of

Confessing ongoing sin:

Ask God to reveal sin, confess sin, repent of sin. (repeat)

(1 John 1:8-10)

This is where renewal and revival happens! When we come to Christ, we are a new creation in Him. When we come to Him asking Him to reveal our sin and then we are genuinely remorseful and repentant of that sin, there is a deeper love, a renewed love and trust. This has to be the basis of revival in our life.

When was the last time you cried over your sin? Where you were, in the words of Ezra, appalled by your sin? Where all you can do is just sit and weep? Then that turns to a time of prayer, confession and repentance, followed by an overwhelming realization that God has forgiven you because of what Jesus did.