The book of Ezra is the story of a leader who was helping the people who returned to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. A decree from Cyrus, king of Persia, authorized Jews to return home to rebuild the temple. The temple was completed and some time later Ezra the priest arrived in Jerusalem. He is described as a “scribe skilled in the law of Moses.” The king had commissioned him to “make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of their God.” He was also to appoint magistrates and judges to govern all who knew that law and to teach those who did not.

Upon his arrival he appointed priests and made sure that all the sacrifices were in order for the temple. However as we enter into chapter 9 we hear that things have not gone well. He is told by the leaders that the people have not kept themselves separate from the practices of the other nations that lived in the land, and that included the priests and the Levites. We are told that Ezra is distressed and tears his tunic as well as pulling out his hair – he is appalled.

When the time came from the evening sacrifice we read a prayer that he prays to God. Here are is the start of that prayer;

…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. 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. Ezra 9:6-7

I was shocked when I read this. From what we can tell from the book so far Ezra hasn’t done a lot wrong. He wasn’t the one who began taking on the practises of the people. He didn’t intermarry or sin in the ways they had. However regardless of his personal innocence he feels a collective responsibility for the people and even includes himself in the confession of guilt. He continues;

“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” Ezra 9:13-14

We live in a day where we tend to shun collective responsibility and instead fight for our individual rights. We blame others for the times where they miss the mark and seek to protect our own righteousness and even defend the times when we have missed it. Ezra is doing exactly the opposite. He is taking responsibility for the people he leads and including himself with what they are doing. I wonder what we could learn from this?

What happens next is beautiful.

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. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” Ezra 10:1-4

Ezra’s posture and desire to place himself with the people results in them turning their hearts back to the Lord. He led them into repentance before the Lord. We hear that all those from the people who had intermarried came before Ezra and admitted their guilt.

As a leader I wonder whether I would have taken the same approach as Ezra or if I would have pointed the finger and blamed them. As leaders are we willing to take responsibility for those we lead? I hope I can learn something from Ezra’s posture in this.