September 28, 2025 - Ezra 9:6 - "A Faithful Intercessor"

Ezra 9:6

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.”

Here we see Ezra, the scribe, standing as an intercessor. The people had not separated themselves from the abominations of the nations. They were joined with idolaters, and the elect promised seed was mingled. Ezra heard of this great sin and was astonished. He rent his garment and his mantle, plucked off the hair of his head and his beard, and sat down astonished. At the evening sacrifice, he arose from his heaviness, fell upon his knees, and spread out his hands unto the LORD his God.

He said, “O my God, I am ashamed.” He took the sin of the people upon himself. He blushed to lift his face to God, for the iniquities of Israel were over their head, their trespass grown up unto the heavens. Ezra was one man, standing in the place of the guilty, identifying himself with their transgressions. He was a picture of another Intercessor, the true and greater One, our LORD Jesus Christ.

Christ did more than rend His garment. His flesh was rent. “They plucked off the hair” (Isaiah 50:6). He was ashamed for His people, bearing their reproach. He carried our iniquities, which were increased over our head. He confessed them as His own, for “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Ezra stood with torn clothes, but Christ stood with His body broken. Ezra fell upon his knees, but Christ fell beneath the wrath of God. Ezra said, “I am ashamed,” but Christ was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). Ezra spread out his hands in prayer, but Christ stretched forth His hands on the cross, the evening sacrifice, crying, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The intercession of Ezra was heard, but only in shadow. The intercession of Christ is effectual, for “He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Ezra bore the sorrow of sin in type, but Christ bore the sin itself in truth. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

When Ezra says, “Our trespass is grown up unto the heavens,” he points us to Calvary, where Christ bore the sins of His people in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). When Ezra blushes to lift his face, he shows us the shame our Savior endured, when He hid not His face from shame and spitting (Isaiah 50:6).

Beloved, we see in Ezra a glimpse of Christ, but only a glimpse. Christ is the true Intercessor, the faithful High Priest, the Sacrifice, and the Altar. His flesh rent, His blood shed, His prayer uttered, His work accomplished. And now, risen and exalted, He is seated, His work completed before the Father, and His very presence there is the intercession (Hebrews 9:24).

Let us look not to Ezra, but to Him of whom Ezra testified. “O my God, I am ashamed,” becomes for us the cry of Christ, who bore our shame, that we might never be ashamed before God. Our iniquities increased over our head were laid upon Him, and He put them away forever. Our trespasses grown up unto the heavens were consumed in His finished work.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!