Ezra 8-10

What does it say?

The men who came to Jerusalem were numbered and named according to their patriarch. Ezra did not see any Levites camped with him so, he sent for them to come. Ezra had not asked for troops to protect them as they journeyed to Jerusalem but asked through fasting and prayer for the Lord might protect them along the way. Ezra gave the treasure to 12 priests and 10 Levites to hold on to until the treasure could be brought to the house of God. The Lord protected them from thieves along the way; three days after arriving in Jerusalem the treasure was weighed out in the house of God into the hands of the high priests. The exiles that arrived with Ezra offered burnt offerings to God and delivered the kings edicts to the governors. Ezra found that the exiles who returned ahead of him had intermarried with the people of the land and he lamented their action. Ezra makes a prayer of confession regarding the rebellion of Israel and the grace of the Lord. Ezra sees the intermarriages with the people of the land as breaking the commandment to not worship other god’s. (cf. Ex. 34:11-17) As Ezra prayed and prostrated himself, a large assembly gathered to him and Shecaniah suggested making a covenant to put away the wives from the people of the land and their children. Ezra made the priests and Levites take an oath to do what Shecaniah suggested, so they took an oath and called for all of Judah to assemble and warned that he who does not come will forfeit his property and be excluded. The assembly agreed to put away the wives and children from the land but asked for time to handle the matter. Ezra selected men to visit the exiles to investigate who had married foreign wives. They pledged to put away their wives and offered a ram of their flock for their offense. 

What does it mean?

The people of God are to be one in obedience before the Lord. The first commandment: You shall have no other gods before me means that the Lord is to be first in everything. When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem he found that the people were not putting the Lord first but were putting their own desires ahead of the Lord; therefore, they were also putting their own desires ahead of the assembly. Ezra and those who came with him had journeyed a long ways trusting the Lord to protect them. Ezra was appalled over this intermarrying because doing so would lead to Idolatry, the breaking of the second commandment. Idolatry and selfishness were the reasons that Israel and Judah were exiled. God had been gracious in allowing these exiles to return. Intermarrying would cause them to return to breaking the commandments. 

What shall I do?

When I realize that I have sinned; I shall repent, confessing my sin to the Father God and trust in the cross, the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ to save me from hell. For God is just to forgive us of all our sins in Jesus Christ. 

Ezra 4-7

What does it say?

The people who had been placed in the land by Esarhaddon king of Assyria requested to take part in the building of the temple but where rejected by the people of Judah. Therefore, the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah. They also wrote a letter to king Ahasuerus accusing the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem saying, if they are allowed to rebuild the walls of the city they will revolt. The king wrote a decree to stop the work because it was found in the records that the city had a history of rebellion. The work was stopped until the second year of Darius king of Persia. During the days of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah the building project resumed. The adversaries wrote to Darius requesting that he look into his records to see if Cyrus had in fact written a decree for the Jews to rebuild the temple. It was found in the records that a decree had been issued for rebuilding the temple as well as the cost. Darius, therefore, issued a decree for the Jews to be left alone in the rebuilding of the temple and that the priest be paid from the taxes of the people, so that the priests may make acceptable sacrifices to God and pray for him and his sons; he also warned of death to anyone who hindered the rebuilding of the temple. The temple was completed during the sixth year of the reign of Darius. Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles celebrated the dedication of the temple, they offered many sacrifices to the Lord and reinstitution of regular sacrificial service. The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, glorifying God for putting it into the hearts of the king to encourage them. During the seventh year of king Artaxerxes, Ezra came to Jerusalem with others, the journey from Babylon took four months; Ezra was a teacher of the law. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem with much silver, gold and a decree from Artaxerxes to use them in temple service as they see fit. The decree also gave an allotment from the governs of the land to give whatever Ezra needs and a statement that the those who serve in the temple are not to be taxed. Artaxerxes also gave Ezra the power to appoint judges in the land and teach the law of the Lord. Ezra wrote a note of thanksgiving to the Lord, the God of the fathers of Israel.

What does it mean?

The will of the Lord cannot be stopped. God can and will use evil for good. No matter how difficult it may seem or how many obstacles might be put in the way. If God wills it, it will be done. Gamaliel gave council regarding this fact to the leaders in Jerusalem regarding the Christians. He said, “stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39) Do not be found on the side fighting against God because you will loose.

What shall I do?

I shall read and study the word of the Lord. I shall pray for the Spirit of truth that he may give me understanding, so that I may know the truth. I know that Jesus has defeated sin and death. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He has commissioned the church to make disciples, baptize the new disciples and teach them to observe all that he commanded. (Mt. 28:18-20) This will continue to the end of the age and no force will stop it. Therefore, I shall go and make disciples; baptizing and teaching them as the Lord has commanded without fearing evil men. 

Ezra 1-3

What does it say?

Cyrus king of Persia made a proclamation during which he gave credit to the Lord God for his kingdom and encouraged the survivors to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of God. Every man that was stirred of heart returned to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem and Cyrus returned the articles of gold and silver numbering 5,400. The leaders returning were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah; also the people returning were numbered by their patriarchal name. Then the priests where numbered by their patriarchal name, as well as the Levites. There were also 652 who returned but were not able to give evidence of their patriarch, those priest who could not give evidence were excluded from priesthood. The entire congregation was 42,360, plus the servants were 7,337, and they had many animals that they brought with them. Those who returned gave willingly to rebuild the house of the Lord and they all lived in the cities of Israel. Before the first brick was laid for the foundation of the house, the leaders built the altar and offered burnt offerings from the first day of the seventh month continually. The leaders, the priest, and the Levites over saw the building project. When the foundation for temple was laid, the congregation came together as one, singing praises and giving thanks to the Lord; many of them were emotional when they saw that the foundation had been laid.

What does it mean?

Deuteronomy 30:1-6 promises restoration from captivity when the people return to the Lord God and obey him with all their heart and soul. God’s promises are always yes and amen. God will always act in accordance with his divine nature and his word is always truth. God is not like man who tells lies nor does he need to repent. Whatever God has promised he will do. If he has made a promise we can be assured that he will make all of his promises good. (Num 23:19) 

What shall I do?

I shall trust in the word of the Lord. Nearly two-thousand years have passed since Jesus bodily rose from the dead, commissioned the church and was taken up into heaven. (Acts 1:1-11) The apostle Paul preached at the Areopagus, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31, NASB) Jesus will return as he has promised but no man knows the day or the hour of his return; however, we can trust that he will return to raise us from the dead because God has promised in Jesus Christ that he will. Therefore, I shall trust the word of the Lord and not loose heart.