Home

Weekly Devotional

August 31, 2009

God’s Peace be with you all!

Ezra 1:1-6  In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia so that he sent a herald throughout all his kingdom, and also in a written edict declared:  ² "Thus says King Cyrus of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.  ³ Any of those among you who are of his people-- may their God be with them!-- are now permitted to go up to Jerusalem in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel-- he is the God who is in Jerusalem;  ⁴ and let all survivors, in whatever place they reside, be assisted by the people of their place with silver and gold, with goods and with animals, besides freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem."  ⁵ The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites-- everyone whose spirit God had stirred-- got ready to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.  ⁶ All their neighbors aided them with silver vessels, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with valuable gifts, besides all that was freely offered.

            As we look to really get things started back up this fall, I thought it would be appropriate to start our fall Bible Study with Ezra.  Ezra is one of the Old Testament prophetic books that starts with the end of the Babylonian Captivity.  Therefore, this book starts on a somewhat high note in regards to the lives of the Hebrew people.  They have been restored to the land of their forefathers, and along with that comes a rebuilding of God’s temple.  But the story doesn’t stop there.  The book of Ezra takes readers on the journey of those years following the Hebrews return to the Promised Land, and all the different things they had to deal with.

             The most important piece in this story though is rebuilding God’s temple in the holy city.  What a joyous occasion that this was for the Hebrews!  Can you imagine being able to leave a land where you have been in captivity for a long time and return to your home land?  In the midst of all the excitement though, we will encounter resistance, restoration, decrees, denunciations, and prayers.  It truly is an interesting story to read.  If you want to know more about the book of Ezra, please plan on attending Bible Study on Wednesday mornings at 10:15.  If you can’t make that time, please let me know when will work for you and we will try to hold a second session.

In our prayers this week:  Lisa, Doris, Mary Netta, Ann, Joseph, Jane, Irene, Michael, and St. John’s Lutheran Church.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Judson