Ezra’s Guilt & Shame

Synopsis     Ezra 9:3-11     6/30/2020 

After a while, the people reported to Ezra that some of the Israelites had taken foreign wives. Of course, he perceived this as a great sin, especially for the priests. So, Ezra was devastated by the news. He felt ashamed and unclean.  

And he worried that God would be so offended that He might cease being merciful. Specifically, he was concerned the God might force the Israelites once again to burdensome slavery. 

Ezra’s Guilt and Shame 

Ezra was so humiliated by the idea of Israelites taking foreign wives that he could not look toward the Temple. And he even tore his cloths because of his grief.  

Guilt and Shame 

When I sin, I feel guilty. When I fail to meet the standards that God has made clear, then I feel shame.  

Of course, this is how conscience works. My mind compares “what should be” against “what actually is”. And when I fail the legitimate standards established by God, I become instantly and viscerally aware of my moral shortcoming.  

I doubt there is anyone immune to occasional feelings of guilt and shame. So, maybe it’s safe to say that everyone naturally experiences this. But, it’s what I do with these kinds of moments that makes the difference.  

If I use them as a springboard for repentance, then my conscience has had a perfect work. It has served to restore my awareness of God. And it has functioned to motivate my return to right relationship.  

However, if I don’t yield to my conscience with repentance, then I will process guilt and shame differently. By disavowing honest guilt and shame, I mentally establish a different standard of behavior that legitimizes the things I do and delegitimizes God’s standard.  

Of course, this path is fraught with the perils of superego and the kind of constant, nagging sense of shame that never really goes away.  

So, learn to embrace shame when it is appropriate. Use it to motivate a repentance that causes restoration with God.  

“If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.” 1John 1:9