Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Reformation based on the values of the kingdom of God
Bible portion: Ezra 3 : 8-13
Key Verse: Ezra 3:8 “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.” Ezra 3:8
Devotion
Key Verse: Ezra 3:8 “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.” Ezra 3:8
Devotion
Judah disobeyed God, worshipped other gods and displeased Him. God disciplined them by allowing the Babylonians to capture them and carry them to Babylon as captives. The Babylonians crushed the pride of Judah, by destroying the temple of Jerusalem and the walls of the city.
The exiled Jews in Babylon built synagogues to worship God but did not have animal sacrifices as they had in Jerusalem. After seventy years of exile, when the Medio-Persians captured Babylon, Cyrus set the Jews free to return to their homeland with all the vessels and wealth that was taken from the temple of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. They were taken to Babylon as captives in three waves and they returned liberated in three waves. They were permitted to rebuild their temple of worship.
A remnant of the Jews returned to Jerusalem in the first wave, under the leadership of Zerubbabel. When they returned to their homeland, it was occupied by the non-Jews. They unified themselves under the leadership of Zerubbabel with the common goal of laying the foundation of the temple. The Levites had the responsibility of overseeing the rebuilding of the temple. The wood for the temple rebuilding came from Lebanon. The Jews contributed generously towards laying the foundation and building the temple. The remnant sacrificed their time, energy, wealth and resources for Kingdom purposes. When we as a faith community get united as an organized team, under strong leadership, then we can do great things for the Lord and can withstand our adversaries better. We ignite and empower one another for Christ. Unity is strength. United we stand and divided we fall.
The non-Jews did not like the return of the Jews nor their building the altar or laying the foundation for the temple, nor worshiping their God. They did not want them to efficiently rebuild their nation.
The remnant did not give into their fear of the non-Jews and waver from laying the foundation of the temple. They overcame their fear through faith. They knew their exile was due to their disobedience and disregard for God. They decided to please God than human beings. They knew that the Lord who liberated them from Babylon and brought them back to their homeland safely, will protect them from the non-Jews.
After the foundation was laid, the Jews assembled passionately for a worship service and praised God. They sang psalms that David penned hundreds of years ago. Young and old expressed their emotions. The enthusiastic young Jews celebrated and sang, whereas the elderlies were a bit disappointed as they remembered and compared their present with the magnificent first temple that Solomon had built. So there was sorrow-mingled with rejoicing at their worship service.
The exiled Jews in Babylon built synagogues to worship God but did not have animal sacrifices as they had in Jerusalem. After seventy years of exile, when the Medio-Persians captured Babylon, Cyrus set the Jews free to return to their homeland with all the vessels and wealth that was taken from the temple of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. They were taken to Babylon as captives in three waves and they returned liberated in three waves. They were permitted to rebuild their temple of worship.
A remnant of the Jews returned to Jerusalem in the first wave, under the leadership of Zerubbabel. When they returned to their homeland, it was occupied by the non-Jews. They unified themselves under the leadership of Zerubbabel with the common goal of laying the foundation of the temple. The Levites had the responsibility of overseeing the rebuilding of the temple. The wood for the temple rebuilding came from Lebanon. The Jews contributed generously towards laying the foundation and building the temple. The remnant sacrificed their time, energy, wealth and resources for Kingdom purposes. When we as a faith community get united as an organized team, under strong leadership, then we can do great things for the Lord and can withstand our adversaries better. We ignite and empower one another for Christ. Unity is strength. United we stand and divided we fall.
The non-Jews did not like the return of the Jews nor their building the altar or laying the foundation for the temple, nor worshiping their God. They did not want them to efficiently rebuild their nation.
The remnant did not give into their fear of the non-Jews and waver from laying the foundation of the temple. They overcame their fear through faith. They knew their exile was due to their disobedience and disregard for God. They decided to please God than human beings. They knew that the Lord who liberated them from Babylon and brought them back to their homeland safely, will protect them from the non-Jews.
After the foundation was laid, the Jews assembled passionately for a worship service and praised God. They sang psalms that David penned hundreds of years ago. Young and old expressed their emotions. The enthusiastic young Jews celebrated and sang, whereas the elderlies were a bit disappointed as they remembered and compared their present with the magnificent first temple that Solomon had built. So there was sorrow-mingled with rejoicing at their worship service.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, empower us to stand united as a faith community and bring reformations based on the values of the Kingdom of God. Embolden us to overcome our fear through our faith in Christ. Enable us to do your will, and to live as living sacrifices for you. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Thought for the Day
“If God be for us who can be against us”
Mrs. Saramma Chacko. Epiphany MTC, NY