Ezra 9:13, 15; 10:1
Ezra acknowledges the absolute righteousness of God in verse 15. While "righteousness" is a religious word in our particular day and time, it is a beautiful word! Embodied in it is all that is right, and pure, and good. Our God is righteous. That fact alone makes me know that this God, THE God, is worthy of my worship. Where have you seen the righteousness of God demonstrated even this past week? When have your worshiped this past week? If you assemble with a group of believers, your assemblies together provide one way to worship - but, remember, it is only one way! There are a host of others - personal, private, in spirit as we see truth manisfested daily.
As we worship, notice again verse 13: "... our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant ... " How many times have you made a statement like: "Well, he/she is just getting what they deserve!" Usually, when we make that kind of statement we are doing it with a bit of self-satisfaction. An "uh - huh - about time" kind of mentality. It reminds me how far we are from the mind of God!
I have benefited from a little book titled: "Twelve Steps for the Recovering Pharisee" by John Fischer. In it, Fischer applies the concept of the twelve step format developed by the originators of Alchoholics Anonymous - a format that has helped countless numbers deal with their slavery to alchohol. That procedure has been adopted by so many in different areas of addiction. Fischer applies it to our tendency toward Phariseeism. As I read what Ezra prays in verse 13, I am reminded of Steps 3 and 4 in Fischer's book. I include them here for your reflection:
Step 3: We realize that we detest mercy being given to those who, unlike us, haven't worked for it and don't deserve it.
Step 4: We have decided that we don't want to get what we deserve after all, and we don't want anyone else to either.
I worship today ... I worship a God that loves so much, so deeply, He willingly took punishment that I deserved, so that I would not have to bear it. He paid a debt He did no owe ... so that you and I could belong to a "remnant" of people who believe that in Jesus Christ we can be saved from the destruction that we deserve. There is nothing to do or say ... all we can do is "Bend our knee" and worship - in gratitude and awe.
A righteous God ... loves us that much!
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