Ezra 9 opens with devastating news: after all God had done to restore His people, many of them — including leaders — had fallen back into the same sins that led their ancestors into exile. The very people God had rescued were already compromising their holiness. And when Ezra hears it, he doesn’t shrug, blame, or distance himself. He breaks.

His response is one of holy grief. He tears his garments, falls to his knees, and lifts a prayer that is as honest as it is humble. Ezra doesn’t defend the people or minimize their sin; he lays it bare before God, confessing not just their guilt, but our guilt. Ezra models the kind of heart God honors — a heart that feels the weight of sin because it treasures the holiness and mercy of God.

Let’s turn our attention to Pastor Brian for this week’s sermon, entitled “Unequally Yoked” from Ezra, chapter 9, verses 1 through 15.