Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly. (Ezra 10:1)
There is a time for mourning and a time for making things right. There will always be someone less sensitive to feelings and more focused on righting the ship. If Paul had clung to a rail on that doomed ship and only prayed, offering no practical help, the impending collision would have been even worse than anticipated. (Acts 27:14-44)
You have leaders who are naturally empathetic like Ezra and those who role their sleeves up almost immediately. Shecaniah had enough of the wallowing and chided Ezra to stand up and solve the problem. “Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act.” (Ezra 10:4) We need both kinds of leaders, and God uses both simultaneously for “such a time as this.” And we should add that Shecaniah was not antagonistic but fully supportive, pointing out there was “hope for Israel” in acting “according to the law.”
So Ezra got up and met with the key leaders. He needed full buyin to what was decided. They agreed that everyone must congregate within three days or forfeit all their possessions. This decision had teeth. To implement this edict he made the leaders take an oath to ensure compliance down the line. Despite the action mode, Ezra was still in a state of mourning, likely intensified by the pain that was about to be experienced by both the people and the leaders. On top of that, children were involved.
So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. (Ezra 10:9)
The people complied within those three days, but to add insult to injury, it was cold and pouring rain. Despite the conditions, Ezra soldiered on, delivering his commands to the people.
“Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” (Ezra 10:11)
To this the people responded, “That’s right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do.” (Ezra 10:12) Then came the reality of the situation. Such a task could not be completed en masse standing in the rain (it was the rainy season). It would take time and required a methodical approach. So apparently out of the crowd (not from the leaders) came the solution. Divide and conquer. With only limited opposition, this wisdom was acted upon by the leaders.
The investigation by those designated commenced on the first day of the tenth month and concluded on the first day of the first month. Of 28,774 returnees, 111 were culpable, but there may have been more. The offenders were likely required to offer a guilt offering (Ezra 19:19), which in my mind was tantamount to a “slap on the wrist.” Their wives and children were “put away,” how we do not know. I would hope that since this was the Lord’s solution, he attended to those who were “innocent” victims of this disobedience.
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