An Appeal to Repentance
6-7! Yes, you heard right! I said “6-7”. You may have seen it written out on social media or overheard it among the youth. Dictionary.com crowned “6-7” as the Word of the Year 2025! It is a viral internet slang term, intentionally nonsensical and used by Generation Alpha and younger teens as an inside joke. It is everywhere! Some schools are banning it because the teachers are getting irritated when all their questions are answered with the phrase “6-7”. Many parents are experiencing a similar frustration.
Youngsters use it, even if it doesn’t make any sense, so we may just join the crowd and use it as well, right? My daughter asked me how tall I am, and I answered “6-7”, as she started celebrating my coolness.
This is a relatively innocent and silly example of how sociological phenomena work. People tend to follow the crowd, without much critical thinking. Everybody else does it, so it must be ok. Well, that mindset may lead you down a very dangerous path!
In our passage today, we will learn that the Israelites were following the crowd, the nations around them. They were intermarrying with them and then joining them in their sinful practices, violating clear commands and prohibitions from God. Their following the crowd was definitely not as harmless as just joining the “6-7” club.
In fact, the message of today is pretty sobering in nature. It calls us to evaluate if we are sinfully living more in accordance with the crowd of this world rather than God, and it warns us about the dreadful dangers of doing so.
Would you please open your bibles in Ezra chapter 9, and let’s read the first two verses
1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.”
[Let’s pray]
This message has four sections that walk us through the biblical text. We will first learn about a report brought to Ezra which presented the current unholy state of Israel. Then we will read about Ezra’s reaction, followed by his recount of the historical sinfulness of Israel contrasted with the steadfast love of God. And the last section will speak of the potential tragic consequences of their behavior. Let’s start with section 1
1. Israel’s present unholiness (1-2, 10-12)
9:1 “After these things had been done …”
Is the way the passage starts. After what things?
You may recall from former messages that Ezra was part of the second wave of Israel exiles coming back from Babylon to the promised land. He was a priest and scribe, and had set his heart to study the Law, to do it and to teach it in Israel. The hand of the Lord was on him.
In previous chapters we read that Ezra led a group of people with their families through a potentially dangerous journey towards Jerusalem. And after a few months, they finally arrive and offer sacrifices to God.
It is “after these things” that the officials approach him and say: “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations” (that’s their evil practices)
That was the gloomy report from the officials, that the people of God had not separated themselves from the surrounding nations and their abominations. They had not set themselves apart, but were joining them in their evil ways.
Verse 2, “For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons”. They were marrying foreign women, and in doing so, “the holy race”, Israel, was mixing with unholy pagans. They were doing what they were not supposed to do. And it was not only the lay men that were doing it, but the officials and the chief men, the leaders who should be setting the example were the ones violating the law.
Now you may be wondering, what is the big deal about this. They were just marrying people from other nations. Isn’t this equivalent to Americans marrying Europeans, or Latinos marrying whites? Well, not quite. They were intermingling with pagans at an intimate level and were joining them in practicing their evil ways.
Later in verse 10, we find Ezra praying to God, saying: “We have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness”.
What God had repeatedly warned his holy nation about, as they were entering the promised land for the first time, was that the people who dwelt in the land were defiled, they practiced all sorts of abominations, atrocities and idolatry, and in doing so had defiled the land from end to end, extensively, making it unclean.
In contrast, the Israelites had been chosen by God and called to be holy, set apart from the surrounding nations and their practices, seeking to honor and worship the living God alone.
Verse 12, “Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.”
That was God’s commandment to Israel, to keep themselves holy, and not intermarry with the pagans who did not know God. They should not seek their peace or prosperity. Why? Because God knew that would compromise the holiness of his people, that eventually they would adopt the foreign, pagan practices and worship false gods. If they were going to keep strong, and prosper and leave the land as an inheritance to their children, they had to keep themselves separate from the abominations of other nations, they should keep the race pure and holy, set apart for God alone.
Now, before you tune out and think this message is totally irrelevant to you, let’s reason together about the situation here. At the core, the issue was that God had called his people to be holy, different, to separate themselves from the pagan practices and culture of the surrounding nations. But they did not. They flirted and mingled with the pagans around them, they married them and practiced abominations, evil acts, with them. The people of God were supposed to be radically different, but they instead just blended into the unholiness of the pagans.
In a similar way, we as Christians, are called to be holy, radically different from the pagan culture and society we live in. It is not that we have to become hermits, isolated from the world, but we should be a distinct, bright light in a dark world. Are we? Or could there be areas in our lives where we are no different than the pagans around us, where we just blend into their darkness?
If someone observes you for a week, registering the media you consume, your behavior at work, the way you spend your money, your language… would they notice any difference as they compare you with the average American who does not seek to worship God? Or would you blend into the crowd and just be like anyone else?
We will come back to these important and poignant questions, but for now, going back to our passage, the report reaches Ezra informing him that the returning exiles were not obeying God and they were blending and intermarrying with the surrounding nations and practicing their abominations. Let’s read now how he reacts in light of that bleak report.
2. Ezra’s appalled reaction (3-6)
3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 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, 6 saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens”.
When Ezra hears the report, he reacts dramatically, to say the least. He tears his clothes, he pulls hair from his head and his beard and falls appalled, disturbed, perplexed, speechless. The tearing of clothes is a sign of intense sorrow and distress in light of the flagrant disobedience of the returning exiles. The pulling of his hair further expresses vividly his despair, his anguish. He immediately starts fasting, sitting appalled until the evening, surrounded by all who tremble at the words of God, all those who share with him a deep sense of reverence and fear for the words and commandments of God.
As he rises from his fasting, he falls on his knees and spreads his hands towards God as an act of respect and worship. He is also so ashamed by the actions of his people, he cannot even look up to heaven for he is so embarrassed and remorseful.
Note that he himself had not participated in the sin of his people, but his identification with the people of God is so profound, that he acknowledges that as a nation, they had gravely dishonored God, and since he is part of this nation, he feels deeply ashamed for their sin, and he adopts it as if it were his own.
He says: “our iniquities have risen higher than our heads”, and even more, “our guilt” has grown so high that it even reaches the heavens. Note the imagery he uses. If they could measure the gravity of their sin by its figurative, metaphorical height, their sin is grave! Picture them piling up their corruption and sin until it surpasses their heads, but then keeps growing up, mounting up to the heavens!
To understand better the weight and the significance of this transgression, in this particular moment of their history, we have to continue listening carefully to Ezra’s prayer as he recounts the repeated and persistent sins of his people and the immeasurable steadfast love of God towards them.
3. Israel’s past sin and God’s steadfast love (7-9)
7 “From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 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. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.”
In these verses, Ezra goes back in time, and reflects on the reason why they were in exile in the first place. “From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt”. These sinful tendencies of the people of Israel are not new. From the beginning, from the time of their fathers they have been piling up sin and transgressions. And they stubbornly persist in them for centuries, disregarding the warnings from God, putting to test his patience and grace, until they get what they deserve, what their unceasing disobedience has earned.
All of them, including their kings and priests, that is their political and religious leaders, have been given into the hands of the cruel, pagan rulers, and to sword, captivity, plundering and utter shame. The holy nation, the chosen people of God, have continued sinning unrepented and therefore they have been disciplined, defeated in battle, expelled from their homeland. The temple of God has been defiled and destroyed and their cities have been burned and devastated. They have been taken away as prisoners to a distant land where they become slaves.
But God, whose love is steadfast and unwavering, remembers the promises made to their fathers, promises of blessings and prosperity, and after decades in exile, God visits his people and shows them favor yet again. Many have died, many have been killed, but he has chosen to preserve some, to have a remnant, to shine on them his mercies and brighten their eyes, to revive them and give a new chance, bringing them back to his holy place, so they can rebuild his temple and repair the ruins and abide secure under his protection.
So in light of that undeserved mercy, in light of such a deep, steadfast love of God, they would probably bend their knees in gratitude and obey him forever, right? After all he has done for them, after countless times they have been forgiven, after being rescued yet again from being slaves, for sure they would obey and worship God with all their heart, soul and mind, right? Let’s see…
4. The prospect of a terrifying outcome (13-15)
13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”
Ezra says, we have been utterly disciplined, but you have not punished us according to what our iniquities deserve, but you have granted us a remnant of people to return to the promised land, and if we now are breaking your commandments once again, by mixing with the pagan nations and practicing their abominations, would you not give up on us? Would your wrath be turned against us and consume us once and for all? We may not have an escape this time, we may not have another chance. You are just and we are utterly, stubbornly sinful, you are holy and pure, we are filthy and evil. In light of our grave sin, no one can stand before you!
And this is how the chapter ends. With a dreadful sense of uncertainty, with a lack of resolution, with unanswered questions, with the prospect of a terrifying outcome.
We will have to wait until next week to find out what happens next, but the thrust of today is a solemn, sobering appeal to repentance in light of their current state. In this passage Ezra laments, ashamed for the iniquity of his people. As he recounts the past and ponders the present he suggests a logical and dreadful conclusion: in light of their unrepented disobedience they may be doomed, there may be no escape this time, they might be incinerated by the just anger of God, for none can stand before God, he is consuming fire!
At the core, the problem was the Israelites did not consider seriously their call to be holy, separate from the surrounding nations and their ungodly mindset, their call to live for God and honor him by obeying his commandments. They were dismissing their high call and instead were flirting and mingling with the other nations, they were becoming family with them, intermarrying with them and adopting their sinful values, behavior and idolatry.
How does this Bible account apply to us? Is there any connection, any application that we can draw from this story recorded thousands of years ago? The intermarriage with pagan nations was just the tip of the iceberg, it was just the manifestation of a more profound problem in their hearts. They were over and over again tempted to mingle with the pagans and adopt their idolatrous, abominable ways. At the core they just didn’t value enough what God had done for them. They were not amazed enough, grateful enough for what God had done for them so they would live for him, holy and separate from the evil and idolatry around them.
What about you? Are there areas in your life where you have adopted a worldly, pagan mindset? Do your actions and behavior reflect the corrupted values of our culture?
I work in a very goal-oriented environment, where most people are seeking to demonstrate their abilities and worth, where individuals are admired for their accomplishments, intellectual abilities, persuasive powers, and capacity to generate ideas that can make the business exponentially profitable. People run after power, money and human success, and I am exposed to that environment every day of the week. Often, I find myself forgetting who my God is, and I am constantly tempted to live like the pagans around me, and run after their idols. I need to hear this message urgently, and be reminded of the deadly danger of flirting and mingling with the sinful values of this age. This message calls me to repent if I have forgotten that I am called to live in this world to be light for God’s glory and not be overcome by the darkness that surrounds me.
What about you? Where are you tempted to live practicing the abominations of this world? Have you forgotten that you are called to be holy as God is holy, pure in your thoughts, your behavior, and what your eyes see? Then why do you keep watching those images that denigrate and desecrate a person who is created in the image of God? Just because everybody else does it? Just because that gives you the cheap chance to fantasize and satisfy your passions without the hard and slow work of cultivating a relationship?
What about the anger and complaints in social media or your conversations? Are your words edifying and characterized by grace, or do you just join the crowd and fight anger with louder anger, or contribute with your share of complaints, criticizing, defaming, insulting, belittling others just like everybody else does?
This is not only confined to grown ups. If you are in school, there are countless ways you may be tempted by the values of this world, in the way you dress, in your call to complete and absolute sexual purity, which before the eyes of the world is seen as naive, even insane.
In light of the mercies of God, the sacrifice of his Son for our sins, his steadfast love in purchasing us at a high cost, we are called to live for him, in purity, holiness and gratitude, empowered by his Spirit. We are called to be light in the midst of darkness, not to gain God’s favor, but because of his undeserved favor already shown to us in saving us by his Son!
I don’t know the details of your circumstances, but God knows. I am just trying to be faithful to this passage, which reveals the dangerous and destructive predisposition that the people of God had to sinfully mix with the surrounding culture, adopting their ungodly mindset, and practicing their abominations. The passage is a call to repentance. To acknowledge the error, to accept the guilt, to humble ourselves before God, to ask his forgiveness, and cry out for help.
Grace is extended to you and available right now. If the Spirit of God is convicting you in any area where you have been dismissing or ignoring your call to be holy and have been rather repeatedly, carelessly adopting the evil practices of this era, now is the time to humble ourselves before God, to repent and turn around.
We are going to spend a few minutes in silence, individually coming before our God and asking him to illuminate and shed light on those areas of darkness and to produce conviction, repentance and power to change in order to honor him and to live for him.
Let’s pray