Ezra is not ashamed to let his great emotional distress be seen and heard by the public. This is an example of how God can use the sincere emotional expression of a righteous person to bring conviction on the whole congregation. Ezra’s leadership is noteworthy; he does not force the people to submit to him. He trusts God to work among the people. Then, their representative, Shekaniah, comes to Ezra and urges him to lead the way in changing the situation.

The law required the people to put away their foreign wives. This seems like a very harsh remedy, but we must remember the urgency of maintaining the Jewish community. We also should understand that these foreign women would most surely be taken back into their own parents’ extended family. Also, in the light of Malachi (Mal. 2:14–16), w…