We as the people of God were utterly unworthy of [the favour shown to us that is mentioned in Ezra 9:8–9], and so we have come back to this land utterly unworthy of all this. God has shown us all this grace and yet we have dared to do this. That is really the point that Ezra is making here: all this grace, all this mercy. God has done all this. He brought us back into the land; provided for us; protected us. We did not deserve any of that. We were not worthy of even a little bit of that. I am reminded of Nathan's words to David in 2 Samuel 12:7–8; words that have haunted me. You know, the famous point where he says to David,
thou are the man,and then he begins to recount the blessings that David had received by the hand of God. Nathan said to him,You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel. It is I who anointed you king over Israel; and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. I, also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah.And here is the line:and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these.If that were not enough, I would have done more—that is what he says to David. I think those words must have cut deeply into his heart. Did I not do enough for you, David? If you would asked I would have done more. But no, you had to go and seize another man's wife, and then murder her husband. That is what you did. That is how you responded to my goodness. How I protected you, how I raised you up and gave you this throne, how I exalted you in the eyes of your countrymen. If that had been too little, David, I would have done still more.This is what Ezra is saying to the people of God. When the people of God sin, they sin against grace. God would be saying to us in Christ, something like this: you were a forsaken blind indifferent sinner, weren't you? You were just a rebel. You were like Saul on the Damascus road. You were just hauling off in the opposite direction and I turned you around. I opened your eyes. I opened your heart. I gave you faith. I forgave your sins. I reconciled you to the Father. I adopted you into the family—in Christ Jesus I seated you with him in the heavenly places. Because of what I have done for you in Christ, you have peace with God. You have peace in your hearts. You have a joy that is inexpressible and full of glory. You have contentment in whatever circumstances you are. You are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. You have a new heart. Is that so little? If it were, I would have done even more! Do not forget, you were born into a Christian family. You had all the privileges of a Christian home. You were born into a Christian church and you had all of the privileges of the life of the church. And you were born in a nation where Christians dominate by far, and so there are Christian influences at every turn. All that I have done for you, and then you would defy me and sin against me? That is the quality of the confession that Ezra is making here. Do you realize that when you sin, you sin against God but also you sin against grace? You sin against all of that goodness and mercy, patience and long-suffering that God has shown to you. You just despise it. You treat it with indifference.1
Terry L. Johnson
8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.