Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Ezra 9
This chapter begins on a discouraging note. The princes of Jerusalem came to Ezra and told him of a sin that the people were involved in: they had married people of the surrounding countryside who were not Jews. God had specifically commanded them not to do this because it would corrupt them and lead them away from serving him. When all the people gathered together, Ezra came before God and poured out his heart. He confessed the sins of the people before God and thanked Him for His mercy.
There are two things we should learn: God commands us even today to be separate from the world around us and with good reason. The influence of constantly associating or marrying someone who does not believe as we do will corrupt our beliefs and damage our relationship. Also, we can learn from Ezra to always rely on God in times of trouble. He didn't know what to do. These people had incurred the wrath of God. So, he just poured out his heart to God in humble repentance. Today, we should do the same thing when we face insurmountable problems. Just give it all to God and He will provide, often in a way we couldn't even have imagined.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Ezra 8 The Return
In this chapter Ezra prepares and returns to Jerusalem. He began by numbering all the people at the meeting place. But, when he had accounted for all the people, he found that there were no Levites (people who did the work of the temple). So, he put out a call for some to come and quite a number responded. After they had been added to the company, he proclaimed a fast for the safety of the journey. He did not want to ask the king for soldiers to protect them because he had just told the king how God protects His people, and God faithfully protected them on their journey. Before they left, he entrusted the gold and silver by weight to some of the priests and Levites for safekeeping during the journey. It took them about four months to make the trip. When they arrived at Jerusalem, he again weighed everything as it was returned and found that nothing was wanting.
There are a number of lessons that we can learn from this passage:
- Trust God and He will take care of us
- God blesses those who answer His call
- God will bless those who are trustworthy
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Ezra 7 The Law and the money
With the House of God completed, it seems that the work at Jerusalem may have suffered from a lack of funds and a lack of the knowledge of God's Law, but God saw that the people were sincere and were doing their best to serve Him. So, He provided for these needs as well. God moved in the heart of Ezra, a scribe still in Babylon, to go back to Jerusalem and teach the people. Most of these people had lived in a heathen country all their lives and were not very familiar with the Law that God had given to Moses. So, while they were sincere, their lives didn't entirely line up with God's Will. God honored the people's desire to do right and sent them a teacher. He also sent plenty of money and the promise of more as needed from the king.
God is watching out for us. He knows what we need. He knows if we are sincerely serving Him even when we fail or unknowingly go against His will. But, He will not leave us in such a state. He requires us to obey all His commands. So, if we are seeking Him with our whole heart, He will continue to lead us to a fuller knowledge of His will. He will never leave us without excuse if we truly follow Him to the best of our knowledge. Lord, thank you for all of Your will that You have showed to me. This makes me very responsible to You. Help me to take this responsibility seriously and live for You with my whole heart all the time.