While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel – men, women, and children – gathered and wept bitterly with him. Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, a descendant of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But in spite of this there is hope for Israel.”
Ezra 10:1-2 NLT
This scene is beautiful to me as Ezra’s solitary grief becomes communal – before the face – paneh – of God’s Temple. Men, women, and children all have an aha! moment and begin to weep bitterly. Sometimes in these scenes I’m cautious if the weeping was like the kind paid mourners would do at funerals. But no, bitterly in this verse means…bitterly.
Been thinking about love lately, particularly at this point in our nation. But not just any love; God’s agape love – the kind that both covers a multitude of sins and does not delight in evil. Only He can do that with perfect clarity and righteousness and compassion.
God did not suddenly develop this kind of love in the New Testament. His covenant faithfulness, His hesed, was Israel’s hope as surely as this kind of forgiving – yet not enabling – love is ours. Some synonyms for that word confession Ezra made are throw, cast out.
And thanksgiving.
Isn’t that what it’s like? When we confess to Him, He forgives. When we confess to each other, we get to forgive each other. For the sake of relationship and for our own hearts. Holding on will destroy. Enabling will destroy. Wise love and forgiveness will heal.
Shecaniah (who has a great name by the way) was right. In spite of Israel’s unfaithfulness, there was still hope. Hope is miqveh: abiding.
Because Jesus abides perfectly with His Father, and His Spirit abides perfectly in those of us who trust in Him alone, there is always hope.
Hope hovering over us.