Ezra and his people set off on the way back to Jerusalem. There was a shortage of Levites. It is possible that during the exile many of the Levites had found alternative means of employment.
Ezra put his trust in the Lord. He also declared his reliance on the Lord to the king, and got the people to pray and fast. A consequence of this trust in the Lord was that they could not have soldiers to protect them. It appears that this caused some anxiety to Ezra, but he kept to his word and continued in faith.
They had received a vast sum form the nation and it was entrusted to the priests.
God proved faithful and they arrived safely in Jerusalem, where they rested after the long journey.
On arriving in Jerusalem Ezra discovered that many of the people had intermarried with other nations, something forbidden by the Law. Moreover, this unfaithfulness are led by the leaders and officials. All of us who are saved will have tainted ourselves in some way while we lived in the world, indeed this will increasingly become the case given the general moral decline of the nation.
Ezra was deeply hurt by the disobedience. He prays to God, confessing the sins of the people. Note that there is no attempt to excuse the sin. The best response to sin is to openly confess it, repent and believe.
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