relationships (Ezra 10:1-44) Marriage

(Ezra 10:1-44) Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women, and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept greatly. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 So now let’s make a covenant with our God to send away all the wives and their children, following the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the Law. 4 Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act.”

5 Then Ezra stood and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel take an oath that they would do according to this proposal; so they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra rose from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib. Although he went there, he did not eat bread nor drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7 So they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they were to assemble at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever did not come within three days, in accordance with the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his property would be forfeited, and he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the public square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” 12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, “It is our duty to do exactly as you have said! 13 However, there are many people, it is the rainy season, and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, because we have done a great wrong in this matter. 14 Please let our leaders represent all the assembly and have all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.

16 But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were the heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 And they finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month.

18 Now among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 They pledged to send away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt. 20 Of the sons of Immer, there were Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Of the Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

25 Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah; 27 and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28 and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth; 30 and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh; 31 and of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of the sons of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. 44 All of these men had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In today's society, a very favorable stance is to have no regrets.  Not only do people proudly admit to their wrong doings, but they will justify it by saying it is somehow a good thing.  I've even heard Christians say that it was God's will that they, for example, married an unbeliever because...  Well, it is never God's will that we sin.  God knows that we will still sin, therefore He covers us with His grace and promises that we cannot lose our salvation, but He will allow consequences into our lives.

I've even seen an entire church become a mess, because the majority became legalistic and judgmental.  In that case, the pastor really needed to step up and preach a message of God's grace, and a message about not adding to the Bible.  We should not diminish the Bible, either.  These are God's words, which lovingly direct us to humbly acknowledge that we are sinners in need of a Savior.  And after we are Christians, we must humbly realize that we still need a Shepherd!

As soon as we sin or realize that we have sinned, we should feel remorse!  Now, a person doesn't have to beat themselves up or hate themselves.  And other believers should not shun them, or beat them up, or hate them.  If that person confesses, and apologizes to anyone wronged, and makes the necessary changes, then those around them should "forgive" the matter, move on, and continue encouraging and equipping one other.

If a fellow believer decides to really go off the deep end and willfully live a sinful life, then - there are steps that God tells us to take, which are nicely laid out in Matthew 18:15-22.  Everything is always to be done with God's love, with gentleness and compassion, treating them as you would want to be treated.  And if that person still decides to continue in their sin, we are to treat them as unbelievers.  And how are we to treat unbelievers?  We are to love them and pray for them.

The trickier sin is when a believer has married an unbeliever.  Even trickier, if there are children involved.  Notice that the men in this chapter were only separating from these wives, and not divorcing them.  I'm assuming that these pagan women and children were so steeped in their own cultures, it would have been difficult for the husbands to remain obedient to the Lord.  There are further directions for this situation in 1 Corinthians 712-16.  

Once you are married to an unbeliever, now you must somehow find a way to manage this relationship while still being obedient to God's word and nurturing your walk with the Lord.  This won't be easy.  Somewhere, somehow, there will be compromises made.  Of course, there will be, even if both are believers - but in that case - we are talking about things like where to eat, or where to live.  BUT, we should never compromise in our faith, and there could be a very huge push back.

Because marriage is a union until death, it is a huge commitment!  Therefore, believers should see the importance of marrying another believer.  Never rush into marriage.  Make sure that the other person is actually a believer, not just someone who says they are, or pretends to be, or is just going through the motions without understanding, because it is just some sort of religious ritual with a checkoff list.  Ask yourself, do they exhibit the fruit of the Spirit?  Are they growing in their walk with the Lord?  Do they love to talk about their relationship with Jesus?

For a marriage to work, it takes a lot of work!  So you really want to be on the exact same page as your spouse, both working to make it work.  And if both are looking to the Lord to fulfill and complete them, help them, and guide them... then both will be growing in the same direction.  Why is this important?  If we put our hope in our spouse - they WILL let us down.  No one is perfect.  Therefore, we should not be in any rush to divorce.  In fact, this word "divorce" should never be used as any sort of threat - or method to manipulate - ever!  Don't attempt or rush to fix a bad decision with another bad decision.

Listen, if there is abuse of any sort, one must safely get out of that situation, separate, and seek counseling.  As soon as possible!  And if there are any children, get them out of there with you!  Also seek legal advice to make sure you are doing things correctly within the legal system.

We cannot go back to change things, but we can confess and move forward, seeking out and living in God's will, in His strength, guidance and love.  It is never God's will that we make mistakes, but even when mistakes are made, by returning to the Lord's side, He can use our past experiences to teach us life-lessons and bring about good.

relationships (Ezra 9:1-15) Loving Communities

(Ezra 9:1-15) Now when these things had been completed, the officials approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the officials and the leaders have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled out some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who was frightened by the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.

5 But at the evening offering I stood up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I bowed down on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God; 6 and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God, for our wrongful deeds have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and because of our wrongful deeds we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to open shame, as it is this day. 8 But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, so that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. 9 For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not abandoned us, but has extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to erect the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 “And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have abandoned Your commandments, 11 which You have commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from end to end, and with their impurity. 12 So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’ 13 And after everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great guilt, since You our God have spared us by inflicting less than our wrongdoing deserves, and have given us such an escaped remnant as this, 14 shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there would be no remnant nor any who would escape? 15 Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we have been left an escaped remnant, as it is this day; behold, we are before You in our guilt, for no one can stand before You because of this.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It is disappointing, disheartening, and an embarrassment when people, who call themselves Christian, do not even try to behave as Christians, especially if and when it is a very public spiritual leader.  Of course, no one is perfect and won't be until we reach heaven, but as believers, we have God's words to direct us appropriately, and we all have access to the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and help us.  As for spiritual leaders, there is a higher standard that is expected, not only for how they live and practice what they preach, but that they preach God's truths humbly and accurately.

We are never told that we cannot marry someone from another race, but we are told that as believers, we are not to marry unbelievers.  The three women in Jesus' genealogy, who were all from enemy pagan countries, had become believers and made Israel their people... to follow after their God and their customs.  In the same way, we are not to live as the world lives, or adopt their attitudes and "alternative" beliefs and practices.  

Understand that the world can, on the surface, talk about love and distribute some feel-good-in-the-moment-kind-of-love, but it is all motivated by self-love.  Even if and when sincere, it will only disappoint.  Therefore, as believers, we should really desire to be part of a loving, steadfast community of believers, and desire to marry another believer, so that together, we can, not only encourage each other to grow closer to the Lord and to each other, but together, we can be a light to the world.  

God is the author of love.  He alone defines agape - unconditional - sacrificial love!  So, whether married or single, the most important thing in one's life is to keep putting our relationship with the Lord God (Jesus) first, and to keep seeking after Him and His will.

relationships (Ezra 8:1-36) Being United

(Ezra 8:1-36) Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; 4 of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and two hundred males with him; 5 of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and three hundred males with him; 6 and of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and fifty males with him; 7 and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and seventy males with him; 8 and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and eighty males with him; 9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; 10 and of the sons of Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; 11 and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and twenty-eight males with him; 12 and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; 13 and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them; 14 and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and seventy males with them.

15 Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I paid close attention to the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17 And I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the place called Casiphia; and I told them what to say to Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18 And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a man of insight from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, eighteen men; 19 and Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 and 220 of the temple servants, whom David and the officials had provided for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, to humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who abandon Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our pleading.

24 Then I selected twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king, his counselors, his officials, and all Israel who were present there had contributed. 26 So I weighed into their hands 650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth a hundred talents, and a hundred gold talents, 27 and twenty gold bowls worth a thousand darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the weight of silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the road. 32 So we came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days.

33 And on the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the utensils were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 A notation was made for everything by number and weight, and all the weight was recorded at that time.

35 The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the king’s satraps and the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and they supported the people and the house of God.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As Ezra and the believing Israelites boasted in the Lord, to do this does hold us accountable to our boasting.  When we say that the Lord is always there for us and is faithful to help us... we better be following through with asking Him for help, any time, all of the time.

The kingdom of Israel had long ago split into two, but during this time of duress, they now seemed to work together in unity.  At least, there seemed to be more and more Israelites who realized the purpose of working together as a nation in order to give honor to God and trust in His protection.  

Definitely I have seen this sort of thing happen within families and in churches! When there is a common enemy or hardship, people tend to band together.  And when we come together under the banner of the Lord, it is far more powerful.  

Here is a warning to heed though, because I have also seen this happen.  After the "battle" and the common "enemy" is gone, people can still be in "fighting mode".  This is when we can start to turn on each other.  For example, after a church has managed a very sinful situation which shakes up the people, another tendency is for people to think, "Well, we cannot allow that to ever happen again."  

In that well-intended desire, people can become hyper-vigilant and hyper-sensitive, reading into other people's actions and motives, leading to a suspicious, critical, and judgmental spirit.  Obviously, no one is perfect, and everyone will continue to mess up.  But we must remember to be examining our own hearts and dealing with our own sins.  As well, we must NEVER forget about God's love, grace and patience!!!  We are to be gently encouraging and building up one another, not tearing each other down!

We usually recognize and define our enemies as those who oppose us, and people or situations that cause us discomfort, but comfort can very clearly be our enemy.  As well, our own selfish desires to control the environments around us, which are based more on our preferences than God's will.  Pride does go before the fall!!!

Oh that we remember to humbly seek after God and His will - even when times are good!  Going through struggles can help remind us to go to God, but we shouldn't have to create our own struggles in order for us to do that.  God's peace can be present in us and around us all of the time, no matter what is happening.  And as we all turn to seek God more, the closer we all will grow together, and the more unified we will grow with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

relationships (Ezra 7:1-28) Be Resolved

(Ezra 7:1-28)  Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra went up to Jerusalem; Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. 6 So this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

11 Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now 13 I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 Since you are sent on the part of the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his advisers have voluntarily given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all the silver and gold which you find in the entire province of Babylon, along with the voluntary offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And the rest of the needs of the house of your God, for which it may be incumbent upon you to provide, provide for them from the royal treasury.

21 “I myself, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22 up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred kors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of anointing oil, and salt as needed. 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, it shall be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the Euphrates River, that is, all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant of them. 26 And whoever does not comply with the Law of your God and the law of the king, judgment is to be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment, or for confiscation of property or for imprisonment.”

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and has extended favor to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty officials. So I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God that was upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God is so amazing!!! Now, we don't know all that the Lord did in order to move in the heart of king Artaxerxes. We see some of this happening in the events found in the book of Esther. And we know from those events, fasting and praying was a huge contributing factor!

We also see Ezra here, firmly resolved to studying, practicing and teaching God's word and His will. With the guidance of the Lord, there is power and wisdom. Even in the decree written by king Artaxerxes himself, you can see God's hand. So just from verse 6, we can see that God's hand was on this entire situation.

Therefore, we can be confident in the Bible - that even though men, godly, but very human men, wrote down the words - we can know that these were all God led, God inspired, and God breathed. Because there are no inconsistencies, without a doubt these are God's own words. And how very precious they are - to lead us - to inspire us - and to breathe new life into us... because He loves and cares for us!  This should compel all of us to be like Ezra, resolved to study, practice and teach God's word and His will, all in God's strength and wisdom.

relationships (Ezra 6:1-22) Remain Faithful

(Ezra 6:1-22) Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was conducted in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 And in Ecbatana, in the fortress which is in the province of Media, a scroll was found; and the following was written in it: “Memorandum— 3 In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: ‘Concerning the house of God in Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt, and let its foundations be repaired, its height being sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, 4 with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber. And the cost is to be paid from the royal treasury. 5 Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.’

6 “Now as for you, Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and your colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, stay away from there. 7 Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God on its site. 8 Furthermore, I issue a decree concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be paid to those people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that without interruption. 9 And whatever is needed, bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem order, it is to be given to them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons. 11 And I issued a decree that any person who violates this decree, a timber shall be pulled out of his house and he shall be impaled on it; and his house shall be turned into a refuse heap on account of this. 12 May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree; it is to be carried out with all diligence!”

13 Then Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues carried out the decree with all diligence, just as King Darius had ordered. 14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophecy of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building following the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 Now this temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

16 And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 They offered for the dedication of this temple of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their sections for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

19 The exiles held the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves. 21 And the sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the Lord God of Israel, ate the Passover. 22 And they held the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord had made them happy, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

There is amazing blessing when we remain obedient - faithful - to the Lord, as in maintaining a very close, personal relationship with Him, because this is the most important relationship we can ever have.  As our heavenly Father, He loves and cares for us, and gives us guidance, which may not always make sense or may not be what we feel like doing... but when we trust that God knows what He is doing, we will want to do it God's way.  And then, we will see Him work things out for good.

Part of this obedience actually involves submitting to the leaders and authorities that are in place, and praying for them, even when and especially when they are unreasonable and unfair.  We might think this is a futile effort, and I'm sure the Israelites could have thought the same thing, as there were several years of, not only standing still, but seemingly going backwards.  But we never know when God will work that miracle, and He doesn't always carry out a miracle the same way every time.  As for His timing, since He knows all things, including the future, He knows exactly when something needs to happen.  

Therefore, in every moment and every long span of time, when things don't seem to be going our way, by learning to rest in and wait on the Lord, with trust, patience and perseverance, we will still experience the joy of the Lord.  And when the timing is right, when God wants something accomplished, and He asks us to be part of that and do something - ask, and He will help and equip us appropriately!  And when all believers are working together, in God's love, wisdom and unity, we get things done, and in His unity, we can celebrate together with His joy, in both times of "success" and times of struggles.

relationships (Ezra 4:1-5:17) True Trust

(Ezra 4:1-24)  Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the Lord God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for like you, we seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”

4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, 5 and bribed advisers against them to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

7 And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.

8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows— 9 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues, the judges and the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the Euphrates River. And now 11 this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him:

“To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men of the region beyond the Euphrates River; and now 12 let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom tax, or toll, and it will be detrimental to the revenue of the kings. 14 Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s shame, for this reason we have sent word and informed the king, 15 so that a search may be conducted in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and detrimental to kings and provinces, and that they have revolted within it in past days; for this reason that city was laid waste. 16 We are informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, then as a result of this you will have no possession in the province beyond the Euphrates River.”

17 Then the king sent a response to Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River: “Peace. And now, 18 the document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me. 19 And a decree has been issued by me, and a search has been conducted and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, and that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, 20 that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that tribute, custom tax, and toll were paid to them. 21 Now issue a decree to make those men stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. 22 And beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should there be great damage, to the detriment of the kings?”

23 Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ decree was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in a hurry to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by military force.

24 Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem was discontinued, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

(Ezra 5:1-17)   When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

3 At that time Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues came to them and spoke to them as follows: “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?” 4 Then we told them accordingly what the names of the men were who were reconstructing this building. 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report could reach Darius, and then the decree concerning it could be sent back.

6 This is the copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River, and Shethar-bozenai and his colleagues the officials, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7 They sent the report to him in which it was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8 May it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God which is being built with large stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is being performed with great care and is succeeding in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders and said to them as follows: ‘Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?’ 10 We also asked them their names so as to inform you, in order that we might write down the names of the men who were in charge. 11 So they answered us as follows, saying, ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. 13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 Also the gold and silver utensils of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought them to the temple of Babylon, King Cyrus took them from the temple of Babylon and they were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor. 15 And he said to him, “Take these utensils, go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and have the house of God rebuilt in its place.” 16 Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction and it is not yet completed.’ 17 And now, if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, as to whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem; and let the king send to us his decision concerning this matter.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Hmmm... "fake news" used to manipulate the hearts of the people???!!!  Facts being twisted in order to accuse and destroy reputations???!!!  Propaganda and corruption in politics, and hateful words and actions against Jews and Christians is nothing new.  And many people suffer and struggle as a result of persecution and injustice.  But if we think we will be safer and better off by compromising our faith to "fit in" with unbelievers, we are sorely mistaken.  

It is far better to be on the outs with mankind and be on God's side.  Although, while many people might be against us, we are told:

(Romans 12:18)  If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people.  

(1 Thessalonians 3:12)  and may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; 

(1 Peter 2:17)  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

(1 Peter 2:13-14)  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

No matter what is going on around us, we are to continue living in God's will and doing God's work.  And we are to continue supporting and encouraging one another to remain steadfast!  Not because we have to, but because we want to!  When we truly trust in the One who is trustworthy, our words and actions will prove it.  

God is faithful, and will keep His eye on those who are His servants.  He is the God of the impossible.  As the Lord was able to move in the hearts of men such as king Cyrus and king Darius, He can move in the hearts of any other leader.  So, yes, do go out and vote, but we do not have to fear or worry about who gets into power, or anything else.  God is sovereign, He knows and holds the future, and He takes care of His children who love Him.

relationships (Ezra 3:1-13) j.True Unity

(Ezra 3:1-13)  Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one person to Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers, rose up and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God. 3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, because they were terrified of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 They also celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the prescribed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; 5 and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the appointed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a voluntary offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. 7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites who were twenty years old and upward to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. 9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God.

10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. 11 And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, because the people were shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

This is what true unity looks like in a community of believers, or even in a marriage, or any relationship, for that matter.  The only way we can agree, is if we have direction from God, Himself, through HIs Spirit as well as through His word.  Both God and His word never changes!  He is our firm foundation on which we should build upon.  And when we truly desire to seek, find and understand God's will, we will agree - because His will is very clearly written out for all of us to read!  It is NOT based on any one's opinions or feelings or assumptions or preferences, which shift and blow around and change like sand on the beach.

There will be enemies, and there will even be fellow believers who do things, like, compare the past with the present, but don't let them quench the joy of the Lord and the Spirit moving within us.  And when there are enemies, continue to fear and respect the Lord.  Why look to ourselves or other people for answers and strength, when God is omniscient and omnipotent.  He is also good, and He brings us joy!  So, just as this community did, we can come together with one mind in order to work, serve, worship, praise, thank and seek Jesus.  Let's just say it - in everything!  As we all draw closer to the Lord, we will draw closer to each other.