Day 131 – A Year in the Bible – Ezra 1-3
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EZRA 1 – GOD HATH CHARGED ME TO BUILDING THE HOUSE OF THE LORD
Who is There Among You of All His People?
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. – Ezra 1:2-4
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EZRA 2 –
These Carried Away Into Babylon and Came Again Unto Jerusalem and Judah
Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mizpar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. – Ezra 2:1-2
They, as Polluted, were Put from the Priesthood
And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: these sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women. – Ezra 2:61-65
Priest, Levites, Singers, Porters, People, the Nethinims, and All of Israel Dwelt in Their Cities
And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: they gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments. So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities. – Ezra 2:68-70
Nethinim – the name given to the Temple assistants in ancient Jerusalem. The term was applied originally in the Book of Joshua to the Gibeonites.
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EZRA 3 – WHEN THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSE WAS LAID
Many Ancient Men Wept with a Loud Voice, Many Shouted for Joy
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. – Ezra 3:10-13
The ancient men wept with a loud voice and also shouted with joy.
As I look at the world today and see what my world looked like as a child and young adult and what the world of my children was like as they grew up…sometimes I want to weep. Then, I look at what my heart was like in those days. I look at how God saved me and delivered me and filled me with His Holy Ghost and then lit a fire under me in these days. I know that I wouldn’t go backward in my life for anything. And yet, I weep because it took many hardships, trials, and significant loss to take me to the place of surrendering to Jesus as my Lord and Savior in 2006. It took much for me. It will take much for some of this generation. So while we weep, we also are those that walk with peace and with joy. If even one soul is saved because of the hardships of this present world…then I, with the angels, will REJOICE!
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