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Ezra 10 - Authorities

In my life in the past few weeks God has been teaching me about the authorities in my life. Specifically what it means to retain a good conscience, yet still be in subjection. I am commanded by God to obey those over me.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

I find that same principle at work here in Ezra.

Ezra 10:15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this course of action, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

These men, Jonathan, Jahzeiah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai did not agree with what was being proposed. They made their voices heard to the authorities over them. Then they submitted and obeyed. They didn't get offended and start their own Second Nation of Israel with the other affected Jews. They didn't grumble, spread rumors, or attempt to start a rebellion. No, they did what was right.

Likewise, whenever I am presented with a situation that I feel is wrong, I am obligated by God to speak up. However, if I am to truly be a believer of my Lord, then ultimately I must submit to whatever those authorities over me decide.

Heavenly Father, when presented with such things, please give me the grace to accept Your will. Please give me the ability to crucify my desires and my ego so that I may be a true son of my Father. I am called to live peaceably with all men. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living inside of me that empowers me to live in this manner. In Jesus' name. Amen.

To believe means to obey. Jan
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Ezra 9 - Humility

For some reason, when I read today's chapter I got the mental picture of the monks from Monty Python's movie, The Holy Grail. If you are not familiar with the scene, picture this; a group of about six monks, dressed in brown friar robes are walking single file, chanting. They are holding a two by four in their hands, every few steps they pause and whack themselves in the head with their board.

Ezra 9:3 When I heard this, I tore my clothes in distress, pulled hair from my scalp and my beard, and sat down in shock.

However, this scene really hits home (pardon the pun). Ezra was truly appalled and in distress. And it wasn't even over his own personal sin, it was over that of others. He truly had a heart for his people Israel and could not fathom what he had just heard. His prayer shows that he has no idea how God could ever accept them in this condition. He has no excuses, no solutions, only his heartfelt cry of anguish to God.

To my shame I must say that I do not grieve over the sins of others - those under my charge - as I should. I tend to concentrate on my own failures and sins, and expect others to deal with their own sins. Yet I find a different principle at play in many places in God's word. He clearly is showing that I am to be praying for the sins of others.

Jesus himself gave us the authority to actually forgive people of their sins.

John 20:23 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. If you refuse to forgive them, they are unforgiven.

I'm not sure how this works. But I do know that I'm to be praying for them.

Lord, please forgive my callous heart. Thank You that You are plowing up the hardened soil within and creating fallow ground. May I seed it with Your word. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you. Jan
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Ezra 8 - Trustworthy Delivery

In my own life right now, I'm having to deal with the effects of an untrustworthy delivery. The company that holds the loan for our mini-van, Bay View Acceptance Corporation, shipped an unencrypted computer disk, via UPS overnight envelope. This disk contained the personal information for 68,128 accounts. Apparently the disk "fell out" of the envelope in the UPS sorting facility and has not been seen since. Now my wife and I get the joy of enrolling in "Continuous Credit Monitoring" and placing "Fraud Alerts" on all of our accounts.

Ezra was entrusted with an enormous fortune to deliver to the temple treasury in Jerusalem. Unlike Bay View, he found a trustworthy delivery system.

Ezra 8:24-30, I appointed twelve leaders of the priests..., and ten other priests – to be in charge of transporting the silver, the gold, the gold bowls... And I said to these priests, "You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the LORD. This silver and gold is a freewill offering to the LORD, the God of our ancestors. Guard these treasures well until you present them, without an ounce lost, to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel at the storerooms of the LORD's Temple in Jerusalem." So the priests and the Levites accepted the task of transporting these treasures to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem.

When they arrived, after having traveled for five months, they took a three day rest, and then delivered the treasure to God's temple.

Ezra 8:34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded.

They had transported about 26 tons of treasure for five months, via numerous hands, and not one ounce of it was lost! It is a shame that Bay View Acceptance Corporation and United Parcel Service can't manage to transport one envelope for 24 hours without losing it. I guess the key is to ask yourself, "Who am I working for?" If it is for God, then you are going to ensure that the job is the done to the absolute best of your ability. We are told that all of our work is to be regarded in this manner.

Ephesians 6:6-7 Don't just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ's servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you're really serving God.

Father, please forgive me when my lackluster performance dulls through at times. Please give me the desire to work as if I was doing it for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Ezra 7 - Better Than Ezra

The Message version of the bible has an interesting opening sentence to this chapter.

Ezra 7:1 After all this, Ezra.

It is simple and direct, albeit a bit lacking in descriptiveness. A different version is needed for more detail, and at least one more verse is needed to get a fuller picture.

Ezra 7:1,10 After these things, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra left Babylon. ...Ezra was determined to study the LORD's Teachings, live by them, and teach their rules and regulations in Israel.

The "these things" refers to the rebuilding of the temple. It was after this, that God inspired Ezra to go to Jerusalem. It was no small feat to make this trip, and it would require total dedication to his task. Yet he chose to undertake it, knowing that God was with him.

In the late 1980's an alternative rock-grunge band was participating in a local "battle of the bands" contest. When their turn to play came up, they found that they were going on after a band named Ezra. The announcer asked them what their band's name was. They replied, "Better than Ezra". Apparently they were indeed better since they have survived and have been releasing albums steadily. Their latest was in 2005.

So what does this have to do with today's reading?

Ezra the scribe and teacher was bound for Jerusalem. If he had gone in his own power, he would have been a dismal failure, just another Jew in Israel. However, God had ordained that he should go. And in doing so, He moved the heart of King Artaxerxes to virtually give Ezra anything he wanted.

Ezra 7:25-26 You, Ezra, using your God's wisdom-the Teachings you hold in your hands-will appoint judges and administrators for all the people who know your God's Teachings and live in the province west of the Euphrates River. In addition, you will teach anyone who doesn't know the Teachings. Whoever will not strictly follow your God's Teachings and the king's orders should be promptly exiled, have his goods confiscated, be imprisoned or be sentenced to die.

Ezra was a mere man. But when King Artaxerxes, the king of the known world, issued these orders, Ezra received all the power and authority he needed. Artaxerxes, one better than Ezra, was needed to ensure that God's plan was fulfilled.

Sometimes in our lives we need one better than ourselves to accomplish something. May we never be so arrogant or blind as to not recognize this fact.

Thank You Father, that I always have one better than Ezra at my side. In fact He lives inside of me. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Peace, Jan
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Ezra 6 - Comeuppance

The movie "Ever After", starring Drew Barrymore, is a really wonderful retelling of the Cinderella story. In a nutshell, she is an orphan that is raised by her wicked stepmother as if she were the household slave. She is treated quite cruelly by her stepmother and her two stepsisters, when in fact she should have been the heiress to a large estate. However, In the end of the story Cinderella marries the Prince and her wicked stepmother and stepsisters wind up working in the bowels of the castle doing manual labor. Justice is served.

I love a story where someone gets their comeuppance. It is just so cathartically satisfying. I see that happening here in today's reading.

The locals, who don't like the Jews, try to stir up trouble with the King. However, instead of the Jews getting in trouble, they are commended and the rabble are ordered to help them in any way possible. Further, they are threatened severely if they interfere. What an amazing turn of events! Let's take a look.

Ezra 6:6-12 So King Darius sent this message: "To Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, to Shethar-bozenai, and to your colleagues and other officials west of the Euphrates: "Stay away from there! Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its former site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the leaders of the Jews in their work. Moreover I hereby decree that you are to help these leaders of the Jews as they rebuild this Temple of God. You must pay the full construction costs without delay from my taxes collected in your province so that the work will not be discontinued. Give the priests in Jerusalem whatever is needed in the way of young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven. And without fail, provide them with the wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil that they need each day. Then they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for me and my sons. "Those who violate this decree in any way will have a beam pulled from their house. Then they will be tied to it and flogged, and their house will be reduced to a pile of rubble. May the God who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this Temple. I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed with all diligence."

After the lengthy pause in building, God inspired the Jews to restart. Due to the restart, the King was complained to. As a result of that complaint, an investigation was launched which resulted in the King ordering that anything and everything necessary to complete the temple of God be supplied. God knew what He was doing all along. He wanted to ensure that the temple would have adequate funding and provisions, this action guaranteed it. If I were God, I would not have engineered a 15 or more year pause in the construction. But then again, the scriptures say this.

Isaiah 55:8-9 "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Thank You Lord, that You always know best. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Blessings to you, Jan
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Ezra 5 - Oberndorf

Sometimes what seems like a failure or an intractable obstacle is in actuality the providence of God.

188 years ago the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar. On each of the six verses, the choir repeated the last two lines in four-part harmony.

On that Christmas Eve, a song was born that would wing its way into the hearts of people throughout the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is sung by untold millions every December worldwide. It is known in English as "Silent Night".

Yet how it came to be is a remarkable story. On December 24th Fr. Mohr visited his friend Franz Gruber, showed him a poem and asked him to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight Mass that evening. Legend says that the reason for the guitar music was due to the church's organ being broken. What an amazing thing! The birth of one of the most beloved songs of Christmastime came about because of a broken organ.

Rewind several thousand years. The restoration work on the temple of God had stopped. However as we will see tomorrow, God had a very good reason for the work to have been stopped. But now, in order to fulfill that reason, he inspired the workers to begin building again.

Ezra 5:1-2 At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by beginning the task of rebuilding the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them.

Even when confronted and asked about it, they didn't stop. In fact they were doing such good work that the quality of their efforts was included in the official report to the king.

Ezra 5:7-8 "Greetings to King Darius. We wish to inform you that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.

Just like in the small village of Oberndorf, Austria, those at the ruin of Jerusalem encountered an obstacle in the way of their activities for God. But God's work cannot be stopped so He inspired men to find a way around it.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

Trust Him. Jan
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Ezra 4 - FUD

Microsoft has perfected the art of FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Whenever a competitor, or potential loss of revenue is perceived by them, the FUD machine spins up. Just let an imaginary competitor named Micro-small announce plans to bring product X, Y, or Z to the market. Almost immediately  Microsoft will announce that their version of X, Y, or Z is about to be introduced and its has more features than any competitor's. The result is that very few people buy from Micro-small, since they are waiting for Microsoft's product with more features.

I see FUD occurring in Israel. The residents see the returned Jews as a big problem. However they cannot act directly against them because the Jews are there due to the king's command. So they bide their time and then hit with the FUD bomb.

Ezra 4:12-16 King Artaxerxes, you should know that the Jewish people who came to us from you have gone to Jerusalem to rebuild that evil city that refuses to obey. They are fixing the walls and repairing the foundations of the buildings. Now, King Artaxerxes, you should know that if Jerusalem is built and its walls are fixed, Jerusalem will not pay taxes of any kind. Then the amount of money your government collects will be less. Since we must be loyal to the government, we don't want to see the king dishonored. So we are writing to let the king know. We suggest you search the records of the kings who ruled before you. You will find out that the city of Jerusalem refuses to obey and makes trouble for kings and areas controlled by Persia. Since long ago it has been a place where disobedience has started. That is why it was destroyed. We want you to know, King Artaxerxes, that if this city is rebuilt and its walls fixed, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

The king responds as anyone without more facts should, he orders a stop to the affronting activity until the truth can be determined. The FUD Bomb has worked. There is a pause in rebuilding God's temple.

I wonder how often in my life I'm guilty of listening to FUD. How many opportunities have I missed because I've been waiting for some promised vaporware that never materializes? How many blessings have I not given to others because I've been paralyzed by the FUD surrounding someone's reputation or ministry? God calls us to live by faith and not by sight. I need to do those things that I know are right, no matter what FUD is present.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

Live in the Spirit, not in FUD. Jan
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Ezra 3 - Half Empty

It is amazing that no matter how much blessing some people receive in their lives, they always manage to find something negative. Just look at the reaction of some of the Israelites.

Ezra 3:12-13 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders who had seen the first Temple cried when they saw the foundation of this Temple. Most of the other people were shouting with joy. The people made so much noise it could be heard far away, and no one could tell the difference between the joyful shouting and the sad crying.

They have just been freed from sixty years of captivity. They have been given enormous treasures from Babylon. Any and all former treasure and utensils from the former temple that still remain, have been returned. The king's has given them his royal blessing to return to Jerusalem and do exactly what they are doing. Yet I see that many of them are still dwelling in the past. They cannot see beyond their pain. Their glass is half empty.

I can just hear them now. "Oy vey! Will you look at that! A brass lamp stand. Can you believe it? Brass! In my day we had solid gold lamp stands. How can you offer sacrifices to God using brass? And look at the size of this place. Why you can't even fit a whole Ox through the door. You'll need to cut it in half so you can bring it to the altar!""

I found a song on the internet that I think describes them well.

"Half-empty glass man"
(Carol Douglas)

Half-empty glass man,
You’re so closed in and dull
Half-empty glass man,
Why’s your glass not half-full,
Life treats you mean, but stop complaining to me,
Don’t want a scene,
But I guess that’s the way you like it to be.
You’re in a negative, hole in the ground,
Compliments are few,
When a glass is half-full,
It’s half-empty to you!
You’re in a negative, hole in the ground,
I’m not positive why,
And you don’t really need me around,
‘Cause I can’t put the sun in your sky.
Travel your own way,
Carryin’ baggage from the past,
Can’t see it payin’
‘Cause your anger will last,
You hold on to pain,
Good excuse not to grow,
It drives me insane,
That’s why I’ve got to go.
You’re in a negative, hole in the ground,
Compliments are few,
When a glass is half-full,
It’s half-empty to you!
You’re in a negative, hole in the ground,
I’m not positive why,
And you don’t really need me around,
‘Cause I can’t put the sun in your sky.
Instrumental
You’re in a negative, hole in the ground,
Compliments are few,
When a glass is half-full,
It’s half-empty to you!
You’re in a negative, hole in the ground,
I’m not positive why,
And you don’t really need me around,
‘Cause I can’t put the sun in your sky,
Yes I tried to put the sun in your sky.
I tried to put the sun in your sky.
I tried to put the sun in your sky.

Words/Music © Carol Douglas MCPS PRS

The older Israelis had sixty years to moan and bemoan their sad state and the reason behind it. Now however, their fate has dramatically changed. It is a time to rejoice that God has seen fit to restore them and the temple - not a time for mourning. No, this temple will not be as glorious a structure as the one Solomon built. However, it will be the pivotal temple of history, for this is the one that Jesus - God in Flesh - will visit.

They need to heed the words of the famous philosopher from the Lion King movie, Pumba, “You’ve gotta put your past in your behind.”

Father, please help us to see Your blessings despite any circumstances that life may throw our way. Help us to be those that shout for joy because of what You are doing, not those that weep because of something from the past that cannot be changed. In Jesus' name. Amen.

By the way, the glass is at 50% capacity. Jan
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Ezra 2 - How much?

I saw yesterday that as the Israelites were leaving Babylon, "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." In today's reading I read the following account of what they did with much of that treasure.

Ezra 2:68-69 When they arrived at the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of families gave offerings to rebuild the Temple of God on the same site as before. They gave as much as they could to the treasury to rebuild the Temple - about 1,100 pounds of gold, about 6,000 pounds of silver, and 100 pieces of clothing for the priests.

The quantity of gold and silver donated to the rebuilding of the temple made me wonder, "Just how much is that worth in today's dollar?" Note that the text says that some of the leaders of families gave all that they could afford to give. It does not say that all gave. Just like in our times, not everyone participates in providing for the needs of God's temple and His servants. Malachi was quite clear in how God views this behavior.

Malachi 3:8-10 "Should a person rob God? But you are robbing me. "You ask, 'How have we robbed you?' "You have robbed me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops. So a curse is on you, because the whole nation has robbed me. Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord All-Powerful. "I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.

Those that do not participate in offering a portion of what God has given them back to God will suffer as a result. Those that do, will be blessed for it.

So back to my original question, how much did they give? The numbers are staggering. There were about 42,000 Israelis that returned. Estimating that there were probably four people per household, that would make about 10,000 households. Judging from how many people give a true tithe in our churches today (not just throwing a few dollars into the plate as it passes), and figuring that the people would be more inclined to give due to the extraordinary circumstance, there were probably about 5,000 heads of households that gave gifts.

Currently gold is worth about $624 per ounce. Silver is worth about $12 per ounce. Using the numbers from verse 69, this puts the total value of the gold and silver that was donated at over $11 million dollars! If I then divide that by the number of heads of households, then I see that each gave about $2,200, not counting the clothing, animals, and other gifts. If you consider how much money or wealth the average person had back then, these numbers are truly staggering. Yet they gave - generously.

2 Corinthians 9:7 You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.

It should be our joy and our pleasure to give to the work of God's kingdom. Why? Because God loves the person that does. Stop robbing God, give as you are supposed to give and watch Him bless you.

Peace, Jan
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Ezra 1 - Prophecy

What an amazing fulfillment of a prophecy! The return of the Jews was foretold in numerous places, some over two-hundred years prior to its happening.

Jeremiah 29:10 This is what the Lord says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.

Imagine being King Cyrus. Daniel is your trusted advisor, he points out some Jewish scriptures to you that were written two-hundred years prior to your birth.

Isaiah 48:28 [The Lord] who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid.'"

Isaiah 45:1-4, 13 "This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me....

I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty."

This would be like an x-files moment. Your name, and what you have done, was written down before you were ever conceived. If that doesn't convince you to obey the words of the prophecy, nothing will.

Wisely, King Cyrus obeyed and the Israelite nation was reborn. However the Jews paid terrible price. The Northern ten tribes, which were conquered and carried away by Assyria, never returned. They are referred to as the Lost Tribes. That which we now call Israel is actually comprised of the tribes of Levi, Benjamin, and Judah. It was formerly known as The Kingdom of Judah. It was this nation that was carried into captivity by Babylon and ultimately freed by King Cyrus. Sin truly has a price, and God has His limits. In Jeremiah He said that He'd divorced and sent away sinning Israel. In reading these passages, I see that the Assyrians were the instruments that He used to accomplish it.

Jeremiah 3:8 ...She saw that I had divorced faithless Israel and sent her away...

However, God did not divorce The Kingdom of Judah, for through her the Messiah would come to save us all.

Thank You Father for Your mercy. The Southern tribes did not deserve mercy either, but for Your name's sake You redeemed them, and through them redeemed me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Rejoice! Jan
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