Ezra 10 and Nehemiah 1 bring together three essential parts of spiritual restoration:

Confession. Prayer. Action.

Ezra 10 continues the crisis discovered in Ezra 9.

The returned exiles had again entered relationships that threatened their covenant faithfulness to God.

Ezra had fallen before the Lord in grief.

He had confessed the nation’s sin.

Now chapter 10 asks the difficult question:

What does repentance require us to do after we confess?

The people acknowledge their sin.

They gather in Jerusalem.

The matter is investigated carefully.

Corrective action is taken.

The chapter teaches us that biblical repentance involves more than feeling sorry.

When possible, repentance changes direction.

Then we enter the book of Nehemiah.

Jerusalem has a rebuilt Temple, b ...