Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel:
Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 7:11-28
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
In the early verses of Chapter 7, we know that Ezra was permitted by King Artaxerxes to leave Babylon and travel to Jerusalem where he would teach God’s laws to the Israelites. We know the journey lasted four months.
The remainder of the chapter contains the guidance given by King Artaxerxes regarding his decision. What’s interesting about the letter is the king’s willingness to pronounce God as being the One who was really in authority. Note the following statements from the letter:
1. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
The law Ezra was directed to teach was not the law of Persia or the edicts of King Artaxerxes or any leader in the Trans-Euphrates. No, the law was the law of God, the King of kings. And Ezra was permitted to appoint his own magistrates and judges to uphold the laws of God. Today, His word still holds the same authority, higher than any man-made directives. And the church is permitted to appoint its own people to uphold standards and administer justice when required.
2. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.
You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
With authority comes the honor of tribute, spiritually and materially. The King of Persia recognized the majesty and magnitude of worship owed to God. Nothing should be spared to grant the Lord the honor He deserves. The king wanted to ensure THE King was honored appropriately with not only material from his people but from the people surrounding Jerusalem in the Trans-Euphrates. And no one had a right to demand anything from God’s people but God Himself. Additional levies by surrounding nations would take away from the full tribute God deserved. Thus such tributes were not permitted. In sum, we to not hold back anything needed to honor God today anymore that the people of Israel were to less than 500 years before the coming of Jesus. We are to give it all to the One who gave, and continues to give, us everything.
3. You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
When one is in authority, his or her will is to be followed. Note that the king didn’t mandate what Ezra or the Israelites did with the silver, gold or anything else needed for the temple. No, it was the will of God that mattered the most. And it still does today.
4. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?
No one had the right to overrule the commands God gave. Not then, not now. As long as the authority of God was respected and His orders followed, then there would be no need for His wrath to fall on anyone. If a Persian king could figure this out then, it makes you wonder why leaders today can’t figure it out.
5. Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
The very words of Ezra at the end of the chapter serve to give credit to the power and majesty of the God Most High. It was He and He alone that put it in King Artaxerxes’ heart to permit what he did and write what he wrote. Further, it was by God’s authority that Ezra was appointed to the duties he went to Jerusalem to perform. God ordains what happens in our lives because He’s in charge. We’re to be obedient and respond in loyalty to whatever He asks us to do. The strength needed to carry out His wishes will come from Him also because His hand is on you and I, just as it was on Ezra and countless others called into God’s service.
Yes, God is in charge and in control. There is no higher power…no greater authority. Only a foolish person fails to submit to Him. As we approach a new year, we would be well served to recommit to His sovereignty and obligate ourselves obediently to His leadership.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
WHAT THE LORD GIVES
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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Ezra 7:1-10
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It’s interesting that we get through six chapters of the Book of Ezra before we actually are introduced to the man who the book was named after. Scripture tells us Ezra was a “teacher well versed in the Law of Moses” who was sent from Babylon to Jerusalem where he would teach the “Law of the Lord” in Israel. We read where Ezra traveled in the “seventh year of the king” which is thought to be 457 BC. He departed “Babylon on the first day of the first month” (the Hebrew month of Abib) and “arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month” (the Hebrew month Ab).
Embedded in this introduction to Ezra are some important points for us to remember as we consider God and what He provides. Sometimes I think we go through our lives taking the most fundamental things about the Lord for granted because He always does them for us. Consider these three things from this passage as we consider what the Lord gives:
1. The Lord gives us guidance.
Indeed, the very scripture we are studying from is the inspired, infallible word of the Lord Most High, the same Lord who gave the Law of Moses to the people of Israel and, in turn, to Ezra to use in his teaching. The Lord, not only the God of Israel but the God of all peoples, provided guidance then and He still does so today through His words and the Holy Spirit.
2. The Lord gives us provision.
Ezra and his entourage needed supplied for the four month trek to Jerusalem. Note that our scriptures tell us the “king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.” Ezra wasn’t equipped because he had gained personal favor from the Persian royalty. No, he was equipped because the hand of God was on him. And the good news is that this same holy hand, the holy hand of God, is on us as well as He provides for us in accordance with His perfect will and way.
3. The Lord gives us protection.
As Ezra and his fellow travelers made their way to Jerusalem, they entered into a journey which had the potential for great danger. There was always the possibility of attack. But we read where Ezra and his group made it safely to Jerusalem, not because they had done a great job warding off any would-be enemies but rather because “the gracious hand of his God was on him.” What a comfort it is for us to know that the Lord still gives us protection today, ever watching over us while keeping His gracious hand upon us.
Yes, what an awesome Lord we serve! A Lord who guides, provides and protects now just as He did in the days of Ezra.
Thanks be to God for His goodness, grace and love!
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Ezra 7:1-10
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It’s interesting that we get through six chapters of the Book of Ezra before we actually are introduced to the man who the book was named after. Scripture tells us Ezra was a “teacher well versed in the Law of Moses” who was sent from Babylon to Jerusalem where he would teach the “Law of the Lord” in Israel. We read where Ezra traveled in the “seventh year of the king” which is thought to be 457 BC. He departed “Babylon on the first day of the first month” (the Hebrew month of Abib) and “arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month” (the Hebrew month Ab).
Embedded in this introduction to Ezra are some important points for us to remember as we consider God and what He provides. Sometimes I think we go through our lives taking the most fundamental things about the Lord for granted because He always does them for us. Consider these three things from this passage as we consider what the Lord gives:
1. The Lord gives us guidance.
Indeed, the very scripture we are studying from is the inspired, infallible word of the Lord Most High, the same Lord who gave the Law of Moses to the people of Israel and, in turn, to Ezra to use in his teaching. The Lord, not only the God of Israel but the God of all peoples, provided guidance then and He still does so today through His words and the Holy Spirit.
2. The Lord gives us provision.
Ezra and his entourage needed supplied for the four month trek to Jerusalem. Note that our scriptures tell us the “king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.” Ezra wasn’t equipped because he had gained personal favor from the Persian royalty. No, he was equipped because the hand of God was on him. And the good news is that this same holy hand, the holy hand of God, is on us as well as He provides for us in accordance with His perfect will and way.
3. The Lord gives us protection.
As Ezra and his fellow travelers made their way to Jerusalem, they entered into a journey which had the potential for great danger. There was always the possibility of attack. But we read where Ezra and his group made it safely to Jerusalem, not because they had done a great job warding off any would-be enemies but rather because “the gracious hand of his God was on him.” What a comfort it is for us to know that the Lord still gives us protection today, ever watching over us while keeping His gracious hand upon us.
Yes, what an awesome Lord we serve! A Lord who guides, provides and protects now just as He did in the days of Ezra.
Thanks be to God for His goodness, grace and love!
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Sunday, December 18, 2011
WAIT ON THE LORD
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.
Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra 5 and 6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 4 ended, the rebuilding of the temple had come to a dead stop. You’ll recall that the enemies of Israel that lived around Jerusalem had petitioned the King of Persia, King Artaxerxes, to order the Israelites to stop building. They based their request on a claim that Jerusalem had been a city which had been rebellious and problematic for past kings. To support their claim, they asked the king to look it up and see that they were telling the truth.
And so King Artaxerxes did just that and found that there had been problems in the past and he believed the assertion that allowing the people of Israel to rebuild would result in a loss of control for Persia and the Israelites withholding taxes and tributes. The king issued a decree for the construction to cease and his order was carried out.
I think we often times see this happen to us. In the midst of doing what we see as good works in the name of the Lord, we sometimes find ourselves under siege by others. I have always believed that I can assess how well I am doing in following the Lord’s will by seeing how many attacks come my way in the midst of carrying out His plan. The more attacks from the enemy signals to me that I am on the right track.
Face it, one of Satan’s main goals is to derail every good and perfect thing that God is trying to do. And he more often than not, will do so by going after those who are carrying out God’s wishes.
Fast forward to the next chapters of Ezra however and you will see reinforcement to the truth that God will always claim victory over the enemy. And so will those who faithfully serve Him.
What we find in looking at the scriptures is that the people of Israel didn’t force the issue. They didn’t build in defiance to King Artaxerxes. No, they waited. They waited on the Lord to show them the way to victory.
As we look at the passage, we see the temple construction restarted after the “Jews in Judah and Jerusalem” received a prophesy from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah “in the name of the God of Israel.” Upon receiving the prophesy, “Zerubbabel…and Joshua…set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem” with the “prophets of God…supporting them.”
Well, you know the enemies of Israel were not going to stand by and allow this to happen. We read where “Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates” went to the Israelites and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” and “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?”
Another confrontation but something was different this time around. Scripture tells us that “the eye of…God was watching over the elders of the Jews and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.” Darius was the new king of Persia.
And so Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates wrote a letter to King Darius. After telling the king that the temple was again being rebuilt, the enemies of Israel told him they had asked about who had authorized the construction to resume and who was leading the efforts. They then provided the following as the response from the Israelites:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
Note how the Israelites started by saying whose authority they were under. It wasn’t Persia or any ruler of a region surrounding Jerusalem. No, they identified themselves as “servants of the God of heaven and earth.”
As we deal with matters in life, we would be well served to remember this. We are under God’s authority first and foremost…the God of heaven and earth. Yes, we might work under worldly authorities but none supersede the authority of the God Almighty, the Lord Most High.
The Israelites then went onto tell of how Jerusalem was first destroyed and how they were taken into exile. Note that it happened because their “ancestors angered the God of heaven” who in turn “gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar…king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.”
But that wasn’t the end of the story. Note how what came next was conveniently left out by the enemies of Israel when they first petitioned King Artaxerxes. They hadn’t mentioned to the king that King Cyrus had “issued a decree to rebuild this house of God”, removing “from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon.” Cyrus had also “gave them…Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed governor” and ordered him to “Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.”
Israel was saying in essence, “If the truth be known, we were rebuilding under the direction and permission of Persian leadership.”
And so King Darius, the current Persian king, ordered a search of the archives to see if Cyrus had issued the decree as stated and the claim was validated. This led Darius to send the following guidance to Tattenai:
“…stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.”
But that wasn’t all…
For the enemies of Israel weren’t just to not get in the way of the temple construction. They were to provide the following to the “elders of the Jews”:
1. “Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.”
2. “Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.”
The enemy was now the provider of what God required. The enemy was now finding themselves where they didn’t want to admit they were…under the authority of the God of heaven and earth.
And they had better not violate the orders given. For if anyone did, the king decreed that they were to be impaled on a “beam…pulled from their house.” Further, their house would be “made a pile of rubble.”
Finally, and you have to love this, Darius acknowledged the God of all in his closing words saying, “May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.” In other words, God would pass judgment on anyone who violated the decree or sought to stop God’s house from being rebuilt.
The people of Israel, once stopped, waited patiently for God to act and bring victory over their enemies. And God delivered.
We read where the temple was “completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius” which led the “people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles” to celebrate the “dedication of the house of God with joy”, offering “a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel.” They also “installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses” and “on the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover” as well as the “Festival of Unleavened Bread.”
What a joyous time for the people of Israel…a time they had waited for. An exiled people had come back around full circle, restored by God victorious over their enemies and restored with a new temple to worship and rejoice in.
Do you feel today like your enemies are holding the upper hand on you?
I encourage you to wait on the Lord and remain faithful to the God of heaven and earth who has a plan. In His time, He will use His authority to bring you to victory as you carry out His good and perfect direction, ensuring His holy and righteous way is carried out.
Do this and you, like Israel, will be brought to the place of worship and rejoicing in victory as God shows your enemies who is really in control.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.
Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.
Ezra 5 and 6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 4 ended, the rebuilding of the temple had come to a dead stop. You’ll recall that the enemies of Israel that lived around Jerusalem had petitioned the King of Persia, King Artaxerxes, to order the Israelites to stop building. They based their request on a claim that Jerusalem had been a city which had been rebellious and problematic for past kings. To support their claim, they asked the king to look it up and see that they were telling the truth.
And so King Artaxerxes did just that and found that there had been problems in the past and he believed the assertion that allowing the people of Israel to rebuild would result in a loss of control for Persia and the Israelites withholding taxes and tributes. The king issued a decree for the construction to cease and his order was carried out.
I think we often times see this happen to us. In the midst of doing what we see as good works in the name of the Lord, we sometimes find ourselves under siege by others. I have always believed that I can assess how well I am doing in following the Lord’s will by seeing how many attacks come my way in the midst of carrying out His plan. The more attacks from the enemy signals to me that I am on the right track.
Face it, one of Satan’s main goals is to derail every good and perfect thing that God is trying to do. And he more often than not, will do so by going after those who are carrying out God’s wishes.
Fast forward to the next chapters of Ezra however and you will see reinforcement to the truth that God will always claim victory over the enemy. And so will those who faithfully serve Him.
What we find in looking at the scriptures is that the people of Israel didn’t force the issue. They didn’t build in defiance to King Artaxerxes. No, they waited. They waited on the Lord to show them the way to victory.
As we look at the passage, we see the temple construction restarted after the “Jews in Judah and Jerusalem” received a prophesy from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah “in the name of the God of Israel.” Upon receiving the prophesy, “Zerubbabel…and Joshua…set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem” with the “prophets of God…supporting them.”
Well, you know the enemies of Israel were not going to stand by and allow this to happen. We read where “Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates” went to the Israelites and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” and “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?”
Another confrontation but something was different this time around. Scripture tells us that “the eye of…God was watching over the elders of the Jews and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.” Darius was the new king of Persia.
And so Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates wrote a letter to King Darius. After telling the king that the temple was again being rebuilt, the enemies of Israel told him they had asked about who had authorized the construction to resume and who was leading the efforts. They then provided the following as the response from the Israelites:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
Note how the Israelites started by saying whose authority they were under. It wasn’t Persia or any ruler of a region surrounding Jerusalem. No, they identified themselves as “servants of the God of heaven and earth.”
As we deal with matters in life, we would be well served to remember this. We are under God’s authority first and foremost…the God of heaven and earth. Yes, we might work under worldly authorities but none supersede the authority of the God Almighty, the Lord Most High.
The Israelites then went onto tell of how Jerusalem was first destroyed and how they were taken into exile. Note that it happened because their “ancestors angered the God of heaven” who in turn “gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar…king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.”
But that wasn’t the end of the story. Note how what came next was conveniently left out by the enemies of Israel when they first petitioned King Artaxerxes. They hadn’t mentioned to the king that King Cyrus had “issued a decree to rebuild this house of God”, removing “from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon.” Cyrus had also “gave them…Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed governor” and ordered him to “Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.”
Israel was saying in essence, “If the truth be known, we were rebuilding under the direction and permission of Persian leadership.”
And so King Darius, the current Persian king, ordered a search of the archives to see if Cyrus had issued the decree as stated and the claim was validated. This led Darius to send the following guidance to Tattenai:
“…stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.”
But that wasn’t all…
For the enemies of Israel weren’t just to not get in the way of the temple construction. They were to provide the following to the “elders of the Jews”:
1. “Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.”
2. “Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.”
The enemy was now the provider of what God required. The enemy was now finding themselves where they didn’t want to admit they were…under the authority of the God of heaven and earth.
And they had better not violate the orders given. For if anyone did, the king decreed that they were to be impaled on a “beam…pulled from their house.” Further, their house would be “made a pile of rubble.”
Finally, and you have to love this, Darius acknowledged the God of all in his closing words saying, “May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.” In other words, God would pass judgment on anyone who violated the decree or sought to stop God’s house from being rebuilt.
The people of Israel, once stopped, waited patiently for God to act and bring victory over their enemies. And God delivered.
We read where the temple was “completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius” which led the “people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles” to celebrate the “dedication of the house of God with joy”, offering “a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel.” They also “installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses” and “on the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover” as well as the “Festival of Unleavened Bread.”
What a joyous time for the people of Israel…a time they had waited for. An exiled people had come back around full circle, restored by God victorious over their enemies and restored with a new temple to worship and rejoice in.
Do you feel today like your enemies are holding the upper hand on you?
I encourage you to wait on the Lord and remain faithful to the God of heaven and earth who has a plan. In His time, He will use His authority to bring you to victory as you carry out His good and perfect direction, ensuring His holy and righteous way is carried out.
Do this and you, like Israel, will be brought to the place of worship and rejoicing in victory as God shows your enemies who is really in control.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Saturday, December 17, 2011
NEVER FORGET YOU ARE VICTORIOUS
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”
Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.
(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:
The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer. Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors.
In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
The king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:
Greetings.
The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?
As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.
Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever experienced a time when you seemed to come under attack when you set out to do something in service to the Lord? I know I have and I have always used this as an indicator that I am on the right track in fulfilling God’s will. For as soon as we try and accomplish any good and perfect thing that the Lord ordains, you can bet that Satan will be right there trying to do his best to undo it.
For an example of how this has been happening since well before we were born into this world, we can look at Chapter 4 of Ezra.
As Chapter 4 begins, we find the delivered people of Israel at work rebuilding the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They had already rebuilt the altar and recommitted their hearts to worshipping God with praise and thanksgiving. Now they needed to reconstruct their house of worship.
Things seemed to be going well until “the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.” We read where they “came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families” asking if they could help build the temple, reinforcing their request by saying that they were seeking God and had been “sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” Part of the statement was right but the entire story was not being told. The enemies were worshipping God but they were also worshipping other gods as well. God was just another god to them and certainly not THE true God, the God who commanded that there would be no other gods before Him.
And so “Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel” denied the request saying that they alone would build the temple for “the Lord, the God of Israel”, doing it “as King Cyrus, the king of Persia” commanded. The Israelites remembered the errors of their ancestors who had allowed others who had different worship standards to assimilate into their community and soon found their community corrupted by the people they allowed in. This led to God punishing accordingly as his people chose to worship false gods in direct disrespect to Him. This new generation of Israelites was determined to not repeat the mistakes of the past.
But the enemy, Satan, doesn’t like rejection. He will not give up.
And so was the case as the Israelites attempted to rebuild the Lord’s holy home.
Scripture tells us that the rejected enemies who lived around Jerusalem “set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building”, bribing “officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.”
Indeed, the enemies were not giving up. They chose to go to the top, to the current king of Persia, King Artaxerxes. They “lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem” in the form of a “letter…written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.” The letter was penned by “Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary” on behalf of “the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.” Note in the letter the clever way the enemy used slander to convince the king that the temple construction should stop. Specifics slights included:
1. Referring to Jerusalem as a “rebellious and wicked city”.
2. Suggesting that “no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid” if Jerusalem was rebuilt, hurting the “royal revenues.”
3. To slyly reinforce their slander, the enemies of Israel suggested that the king look back at the history of Israel where he would find that Jerusalem was indeed a “rebellious city” in the past with a “long history of sedition” which was “troublesome to kings and provinces.” In fact, they went onto suggest that this was why Jerusalem was “destroyed” in the first place.
4. Allowing Jerusalem to be rebuilt would leave the king with “nothing in Trans-Euphrates.”
Has this ever happened to you in life? Have you ever been under attack by someone who only tried to slander you, maybe using things in your past as a way to reinforce their accusations?
Maybe Jerusalem had been rebellious in the past. Does this mean they will be again?
Maybe we have made mistakes in our past? Does this mean we will repeat those mistakes?
Too often, people allow our past to cloud their present judgment of us. And this is exactly what happened to King Artaxerxes.
For we read in his reply that he followed the suggestions of the enemies of Israel and had a search made of documents that may have either reinforced or invalidated their accusations. The results of the search were not surprising for they found that Jerusalem had a “long history of revolt against kings” and was “a place of rebellion and sedition” with their own “powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates” who collected the “taxes, tribute and duty” for themselves.
With this, King Artaxerxes ordered work on the temple to stop and the enemies of Israel wasted little time going to the “Jews in Jerusalem” and compelling them to stop by force. And so “the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill” but as we will see, the enemy might think it succeeded but God in the end will have the last say.
You see, we need to remember that we are victorious people. The enemy has already been defeated by Jesus and those in Christ Jesus gain the victory that He first won. Please keep that in mind the next time you come under attack. Through Jesus, you are ever victorious.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”
Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:
Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.
(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)
To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:
The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.
Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer. Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors.
In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
The king sent this reply:
To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:
Greetings.
The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?
As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.
Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Have you ever experienced a time when you seemed to come under attack when you set out to do something in service to the Lord? I know I have and I have always used this as an indicator that I am on the right track in fulfilling God’s will. For as soon as we try and accomplish any good and perfect thing that the Lord ordains, you can bet that Satan will be right there trying to do his best to undo it.
For an example of how this has been happening since well before we were born into this world, we can look at Chapter 4 of Ezra.
As Chapter 4 begins, we find the delivered people of Israel at work rebuilding the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They had already rebuilt the altar and recommitted their hearts to worshipping God with praise and thanksgiving. Now they needed to reconstruct their house of worship.
Things seemed to be going well until “the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.” We read where they “came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families” asking if they could help build the temple, reinforcing their request by saying that they were seeking God and had been “sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” Part of the statement was right but the entire story was not being told. The enemies were worshipping God but they were also worshipping other gods as well. God was just another god to them and certainly not THE true God, the God who commanded that there would be no other gods before Him.
And so “Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel” denied the request saying that they alone would build the temple for “the Lord, the God of Israel”, doing it “as King Cyrus, the king of Persia” commanded. The Israelites remembered the errors of their ancestors who had allowed others who had different worship standards to assimilate into their community and soon found their community corrupted by the people they allowed in. This led to God punishing accordingly as his people chose to worship false gods in direct disrespect to Him. This new generation of Israelites was determined to not repeat the mistakes of the past.
But the enemy, Satan, doesn’t like rejection. He will not give up.
And so was the case as the Israelites attempted to rebuild the Lord’s holy home.
Scripture tells us that the rejected enemies who lived around Jerusalem “set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building”, bribing “officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.”
Indeed, the enemies were not giving up. They chose to go to the top, to the current king of Persia, King Artaxerxes. They “lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem” in the form of a “letter…written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.” The letter was penned by “Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary” on behalf of “the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.” Note in the letter the clever way the enemy used slander to convince the king that the temple construction should stop. Specifics slights included:
1. Referring to Jerusalem as a “rebellious and wicked city”.
2. Suggesting that “no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid” if Jerusalem was rebuilt, hurting the “royal revenues.”
3. To slyly reinforce their slander, the enemies of Israel suggested that the king look back at the history of Israel where he would find that Jerusalem was indeed a “rebellious city” in the past with a “long history of sedition” which was “troublesome to kings and provinces.” In fact, they went onto suggest that this was why Jerusalem was “destroyed” in the first place.
4. Allowing Jerusalem to be rebuilt would leave the king with “nothing in Trans-Euphrates.”
Has this ever happened to you in life? Have you ever been under attack by someone who only tried to slander you, maybe using things in your past as a way to reinforce their accusations?
Maybe Jerusalem had been rebellious in the past. Does this mean they will be again?
Maybe we have made mistakes in our past? Does this mean we will repeat those mistakes?
Too often, people allow our past to cloud their present judgment of us. And this is exactly what happened to King Artaxerxes.
For we read in his reply that he followed the suggestions of the enemies of Israel and had a search made of documents that may have either reinforced or invalidated their accusations. The results of the search were not surprising for they found that Jerusalem had a “long history of revolt against kings” and was “a place of rebellion and sedition” with their own “powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates” who collected the “taxes, tribute and duty” for themselves.
With this, King Artaxerxes ordered work on the temple to stop and the enemies of Israel wasted little time going to the “Jews in Jerusalem” and compelling them to stop by force. And so “the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill” but as we will see, the enemy might think it succeeded but God in the end will have the last say.
You see, we need to remember that we are victorious people. The enemy has already been defeated by Jesus and those in Christ Jesus gain the victory that He first won. Please keep that in mind the next time you come under attack. Through Jesus, you are ever victorious.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Friday, December 16, 2011
COMING TO A PLACE OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.
Ezra 3:7-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The people of Israel had rebuilt the altar in Jerusalem and reestablished the foundation of worship in their hearts. Now they turned their attention to rebuilding the temple.
First, they had to get the materials and line up the labor to do the job. Scripture tells us they “gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia”.
Then the Israelites, “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work” in the “second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem.” The second month in the Hebrew calendar was called Ziv.
As the building started, the people of Israel “appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord” and “Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God”. We read where “the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord” while “the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.”
Notice where the people of Israel included rejoicing and worship as they build the house of the Lord. Scripture tells us that “with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord” singing, “He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.” All the people “gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” Many of the “older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.” Indeed, we read where “no one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”
The people of Israel had so much to be thankful for. God had delivered them from exile and returned them to Jerusalem. Now they could rebuild His temple and in doing so, reestablish their place of worship. It’s little wonder they lifted their hearts and sang with praise and thanksgiving, proclaiming the Lord’s goodness and love toward them.
We can certainly learn a great deal from the people of Israel when it comes to our life attitude. Just as God delivered His chosen people from hardship in the Old Testament days, He delivers His children, you and I, today. And we, just like the Israelites, should respond with nothing short of praise and thanksgiving to our Maker, Redeemer and Friend. We should ever take into account how richly blessed we are despite the trials we may be going through or have gone through in the past.
For when we live as people who remember God’s blessings, we live as people who can better endure the challenges of life when they come, knowing that our circumstances will only last for the moment but God’s love for us endures forever.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.
In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.
When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
“He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.”
And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.
Ezra 3:7-13
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The people of Israel had rebuilt the altar in Jerusalem and reestablished the foundation of worship in their hearts. Now they turned their attention to rebuilding the temple.
First, they had to get the materials and line up the labor to do the job. Scripture tells us they “gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia”.
Then the Israelites, “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work” in the “second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem.” The second month in the Hebrew calendar was called Ziv.
As the building started, the people of Israel “appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord” and “Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God”. We read where “the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord” while “the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.”
Notice where the people of Israel included rejoicing and worship as they build the house of the Lord. Scripture tells us that “with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord” singing, “He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.” All the people “gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” Many of the “older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.” Indeed, we read where “no one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”
The people of Israel had so much to be thankful for. God had delivered them from exile and returned them to Jerusalem. Now they could rebuild His temple and in doing so, reestablish their place of worship. It’s little wonder they lifted their hearts and sang with praise and thanksgiving, proclaiming the Lord’s goodness and love toward them.
We can certainly learn a great deal from the people of Israel when it comes to our life attitude. Just as God delivered His chosen people from hardship in the Old Testament days, He delivers His children, you and I, today. And we, just like the Israelites, should respond with nothing short of praise and thanksgiving to our Maker, Redeemer and Friend. We should ever take into account how richly blessed we are despite the trials we may be going through or have gone through in the past.
For when we live as people who remember God’s blessings, we live as people who can better endure the challenges of life when they come, knowing that our circumstances will only last for the moment but God’s love for us endures forever.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
REBUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF WORSHIP
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.
Ezra 3:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The people of Israel, after a lengthy exile in Babylon, had returned home. God had promised their time away would not be forever. He would restore His chosen Israel and He was doing just that.
We read in our scripture passage that the seventh month, Tishri, had come and “the Israelites had settled in their towns before going to Jerusalem where they “assembled as one”. The people of Israel were to rebuild the temple of the Lord in the holy city where they gathered but not before they rebuilt the altar.
Scripture tells us that “Joshua…his fellow priests…Zerubbabel…and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses”. We’re told “they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices” before celebrating “the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day”. The people of Israel went on to present “regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord” as well as “offer burnt offerings to the Lord” on the “first day of the seventh month”.
All this was performed although “the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid” and despite the fear the Israelites had “of the peoples around them”.
So what are we to draw from this? Why was the altar constructed and all the observances performed before the temple was rebuilt?
I’m convinced it was because the Israelites needed to rebuild the foundation of true worship to the Lord in their hearts before they could ever start to rebuild the physical structure where they would worship Him.
Maybe we are like the people of Israel sometimes. We go through a time of exile in life when we endure hardship and difficulty and find that our sense of worship has faded. Then, once we emerge from our exiles, we find ourselves having to rebuild…rebuild our faith and rebuild our trust in the only One who can carry us through life.
And as we seek to rebuild, we like Israel, find that we need to start within our hearts first, rebuilding a foundation of true worship and reverence unto the God of all creation…the God who can and does make all things new.
The Israelites started to reestablish their relationship with God by returning to worship…and returning to the altar to do so. We would be well served to do likewise if we are in the place of rebuilding our relationship with Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.
Ezra 3:1-6
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
The people of Israel, after a lengthy exile in Babylon, had returned home. God had promised their time away would not be forever. He would restore His chosen Israel and He was doing just that.
We read in our scripture passage that the seventh month, Tishri, had come and “the Israelites had settled in their towns before going to Jerusalem where they “assembled as one”. The people of Israel were to rebuild the temple of the Lord in the holy city where they gathered but not before they rebuilt the altar.
Scripture tells us that “Joshua…his fellow priests…Zerubbabel…and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses”. We’re told “they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices” before celebrating “the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day”. The people of Israel went on to present “regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord” as well as “offer burnt offerings to the Lord” on the “first day of the seventh month”.
All this was performed although “the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid” and despite the fear the Israelites had “of the peoples around them”.
So what are we to draw from this? Why was the altar constructed and all the observances performed before the temple was rebuilt?
I’m convinced it was because the Israelites needed to rebuild the foundation of true worship to the Lord in their hearts before they could ever start to rebuild the physical structure where they would worship Him.
Maybe we are like the people of Israel sometimes. We go through a time of exile in life when we endure hardship and difficulty and find that our sense of worship has faded. Then, once we emerge from our exiles, we find ourselves having to rebuild…rebuild our faith and rebuild our trust in the only One who can carry us through life.
And as we seek to rebuild, we like Israel, find that we need to start within our hearts first, rebuilding a foundation of true worship and reverence unto the God of all creation…the God who can and does make all things new.
The Israelites started to reestablish their relationship with God by returning to worship…and returning to the altar to do so. We would be well served to do likewise if we are in the place of rebuilding our relationship with Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com
Thursday, June 2, 2011
COMING HOME
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:”
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.
Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
This was the inventory:
gold dishes 30
silver dishes 1,000
silver pans 29
gold bowls 30
matching silver bowls 410
other articles 1,000
In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of the people of Israel:
the descendants of Parosh 2,172
of Shephatiah 372
of Arah 775
of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812
of Elam 1,254
of Zattu 945
of Zakkai 760
of Bani 642
of Bebai 623
of Azgad 1,222
of Adonikam 666
of Bigvai 2,056
of Adin 454
of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
of Bezai 323
of Jorah 112
of Hashum 223
of Gibbar 95
the men of Bethlehem 123
of Netophah 56
of Anathoth 128
of Azmaveth 42
of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
of Ramah and Geba 621
of Mikmash 122
of Bethel and Ai 223
of Nebo 52
of Magbish 156
of the other Elam 1,254
of Harim 320
of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725
of Jericho 345
of Senaah 3,630
The priests:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
of Immer 1,052
of Pashhur 1,247
of Harim 1,017
The Levites:
the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) 74
The musicians:
the descendants of Asaph 128
The gatekeepers of the temple:
the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139
The temple servants:
the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah and Hatipha
The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of
Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami
The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
The descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652
And from among the priests:
The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).
These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.
The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.
Ezra 1 and 2
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
I arrived in Djibouti, Africa, in March 2010 and began a tour of duty forward deployed from home. I had been on deployments before but never for the duration of that one. Things were busy but you couldn’t help but yearn for that day when you would return to the comfort of your home and the love of your family. It’s hard when you are taken away from the land and the people you love.
I can’t help but think my yearning for home was multiplied exponentially in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel as they say in exile in Babylon. You’ll recall that the people’s persistent sinful behavior had brought on the ire of God and so he sent the kingdom of Judah into the captivity of the Babylonians for seventy years…but He promised that they would be restored.
Now imagine if you were in their place. Imagine if you were taken captive and spent seventy years of your life in a foreign land. Maybe, depending on your age, you may not hold any hope in being able to return again. You would die exiled from your homeland. It had to be a difficult penalty to pay but it wasn’t as if Israel hadn’t been given every opportunity to repent and get right with God.
Life is about choices and Israel’s decision to disobey God in exchange for their own desires and the worship of false gods was their downfall.
What path are you walking today?
Well, the book of Ezra starts with good news for the people of Israel. For the seventy of years had passed and there had been some changes in Babylon. Out were the Babylonians. In were the Persians. New leadership and a new attitude, particularly in regard to the captive Israelites.
For we read where the Lord “moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm”. Cyrus wrote:
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:”
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”
Imagine what the people of Israel must have thought as they heard this proclamation. Maybe they couldn’t believe their ears. Maybe they remembered the promise of a God who keeps all his promises…and they were led to the place of worship and praise. Whatever the case, soon they would be free to return home.
And so scripture tells us that “the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem”. To that end, we read where “All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.” Additionally, King Cyrus “brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god”.
The people of Israel were returning with much of what was taken from the temple coming along with them. And when they arrived “at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem”, they didn’t just sit around and wonder what to do next or where to start to rebuild. No, we read where “some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site”. They didn’t waste time coming back into a spirit of worship unto the One who had delivered them…again.
Yes, the Israelites returned home because of God’s grace, mercy and love…ready to make good on their second chance.
Where are you in your life? Has Satan carried you away from the Lord into a sin-induced exile…into a life captivated by worldly entrapments? Are you in need of God’s deliverance…of His mercy and grace?
The good news is that it is only a prayer away…a prayer that sincerely repents of the sins you have committed…a prayer that seeks sincere forgiveness and pardon.
For know God is ready to present you with a wonderful homecoming…a love-filled reunion with Him, culminating the time He has spent waiting and watching for you as He has anxiously awaited your return.
Do you need to come home?
Why wait another day in exile?
The Lord is waiting.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:”
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.
Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
This was the inventory:
gold dishes 30
silver dishes 1,000
silver pans 29
gold bowls 30
matching silver bowls 410
other articles 1,000
In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):
The list of the men of the people of Israel:
the descendants of Parosh 2,172
of Shephatiah 372
of Arah 775
of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812
of Elam 1,254
of Zattu 945
of Zakkai 760
of Bani 642
of Bebai 623
of Azgad 1,222
of Adonikam 666
of Bigvai 2,056
of Adin 454
of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
of Bezai 323
of Jorah 112
of Hashum 223
of Gibbar 95
the men of Bethlehem 123
of Netophah 56
of Anathoth 128
of Azmaveth 42
of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
of Ramah and Geba 621
of Mikmash 122
of Bethel and Ai 223
of Nebo 52
of Magbish 156
of the other Elam 1,254
of Harim 320
of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725
of Jericho 345
of Senaah 3,630
The priests:
the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
of Immer 1,052
of Pashhur 1,247
of Harim 1,017
The Levites:
the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) 74
The musicians:
the descendants of Asaph 128
The gatekeepers of the temple:
the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139
The temple servants:
the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah and Hatipha
The descendants of the servants of Solomon:
the descendants of
Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami
The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
The descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652
And from among the priests:
The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).
These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.
The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.
The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.
Ezra 1 and 2
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
I arrived in Djibouti, Africa, in March 2010 and began a tour of duty forward deployed from home. I had been on deployments before but never for the duration of that one. Things were busy but you couldn’t help but yearn for that day when you would return to the comfort of your home and the love of your family. It’s hard when you are taken away from the land and the people you love.
I can’t help but think my yearning for home was multiplied exponentially in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel as they say in exile in Babylon. You’ll recall that the people’s persistent sinful behavior had brought on the ire of God and so he sent the kingdom of Judah into the captivity of the Babylonians for seventy years…but He promised that they would be restored.
Now imagine if you were in their place. Imagine if you were taken captive and spent seventy years of your life in a foreign land. Maybe, depending on your age, you may not hold any hope in being able to return again. You would die exiled from your homeland. It had to be a difficult penalty to pay but it wasn’t as if Israel hadn’t been given every opportunity to repent and get right with God.
Life is about choices and Israel’s decision to disobey God in exchange for their own desires and the worship of false gods was their downfall.
What path are you walking today?
Well, the book of Ezra starts with good news for the people of Israel. For the seventy of years had passed and there had been some changes in Babylon. Out were the Babylonians. In were the Persians. New leadership and a new attitude, particularly in regard to the captive Israelites.
For we read where the Lord “moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm”. Cyrus wrote:
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:”
“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”
Imagine what the people of Israel must have thought as they heard this proclamation. Maybe they couldn’t believe their ears. Maybe they remembered the promise of a God who keeps all his promises…and they were led to the place of worship and praise. Whatever the case, soon they would be free to return home.
And so scripture tells us that “the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem”. To that end, we read where “All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.” Additionally, King Cyrus “brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god”.
The people of Israel were returning with much of what was taken from the temple coming along with them. And when they arrived “at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem”, they didn’t just sit around and wonder what to do next or where to start to rebuild. No, we read where “some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site”. They didn’t waste time coming back into a spirit of worship unto the One who had delivered them…again.
Yes, the Israelites returned home because of God’s grace, mercy and love…ready to make good on their second chance.
Where are you in your life? Has Satan carried you away from the Lord into a sin-induced exile…into a life captivated by worldly entrapments? Are you in need of God’s deliverance…of His mercy and grace?
The good news is that it is only a prayer away…a prayer that sincerely repents of the sins you have committed…a prayer that seeks sincere forgiveness and pardon.
For know God is ready to present you with a wonderful homecoming…a love-filled reunion with Him, culminating the time He has spent waiting and watching for you as He has anxiously awaited your return.
Do you need to come home?
Why wait another day in exile?
The Lord is waiting.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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