Is Ezra lying? He has not committed this particular sin. No, he is not lying. He is identifying; he is like Moses. When God's wrath was kindled against the people of God in Israel, Moses interceded for the people. He identified with the people. Again, we are reminded that like Moses was an intercessor, [Ezra] is also an intercessor and he is called a priest. He is of the line of Aaron we were told in Ezra 7:1–28. And just like the priests who burned incense upon the altar as prayer symbolizing the prayers of the saints, so Ezra here lifts forth this intercession, this incense if you will, this prayer for the saints. What we see here ultimately is a prefiguring and a pointing to the One who intercedes for us today before the Father, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the greater than Aaron, who is our great High Priest, who intercedes for us.1
Michael Voytek
5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God,