Read: Ezra 1-2
God has prompted Cyrus the king of Persia to release the people of
Israel to return to the promised land to rebuild the temple. Why do you
think God caused some of the people to want to go, but not all in verse
1:5? Was it important for some to stay behind so that they could help
support those that went to work on the temple? As we look at these first
two chapters of Ezra, we must realize that these people are going back
to a land that was destroyed. They will face many hardships along the
way and after they get there. Would you be one that would be willing to
go?
Prayer Thoughts: Just like the people of Israel who returned to
Jerusalem, many of our ancestors came to this country not knowing what
to expect. Let us give thanks that God caused them to come here, and
that we are able to worship God with the freedom we have in this
country. 
Read: Ezra 3-4
In today’s reading we see the people begin to offer sacrifices, and the
start of the rebuilding of the temple. Many of the people are happy, but the
older priests and Levites that had seen the former temple wept in verse 12.
We also see that the people that lived in this area were not happy with what
was taking place in Jerusalem. They wrote letters to the king to get the
construction stopped. Will this be the end of the temple? We will see in the
coming chapters that you can not stop the plans of God.
Prayer Thoughts: Have you ever had things going the way that you
think God wants things to happen, and then something happens to stop it?
Have you given up, saying I guess I was wrong, God did not want me doing
that? How do we determine when to go on and when to stop? Today ask God
to help and guide you in doing His will. Ask Him to help you in the good
times, and in those times when life becomes difficult.
Read: Ezra 5-6
What had seemed a roadblock was instead a blessing. The people continue
to build the Temple when a new king come into power in Persia. Again a
letter is sent off, but this time the outcome is different, and King Darius
allows the temple to be built. God’s plan was never truly stopped, just
postponed for a time. The temple is finished.
Prayer Thoughts: Many times we may have thought that God’s plan
have been stopped, only to realize later he was just waiting for a better
time to complete the work. As you go about your day, think about what is God’s
plan for you. If you are not sure, ask and He will lead you.
Read: Ezra 7-8
After the first exodus the temple has been built. The second exodus is
about to start with Ezra to be its leader. He is helped by the King of
Persia, Artaxerxes. Sixty years has passed from the first exodus to this
one. We are told that Ezra is well versed in the Law of Moses. The king has
given Ezra everything that he needed for the trip and much more. We see that
before they start their journey they fast and pray to God in order to humble
themselves before Him. When they finish their journey they offer up
sacrifices of thanks and praise.
Prayer Thoughts: Is it important that we humble ourselves before God,
and offer praise and thanksgiving to Him? How we do this can be different
for all of us, but we are given some insights in the scriptures that may
help us in our own prayer and praise life. Think of how you can do a better
job of this today and then do it.
Read: Ezra 9
Ezra’s attention is brought to bear on a sin that the nation of Israel
is guilty of. They have intermarried with the people surrounding them. Is
this scripture saying that it is wrong to marry between different races? As
we look at this chapter, God has commanded the people of Israel to remain
pure as a nation. God’s main concern was not that the Jewish nation remain
Jewish, but that it would remain true to Him. As often happened in the past
when the people broke this Law, they also took up the gods of those people
they intermarried with. Ezra prays for himself and the whole nation about
this sin.
Prayer Thoughts: As we think about today’s reading, we need to
think about what sin we may be doing that may separate us from God. Is our
nation as a whole guilty of sin? As you pray today, think of those sins that
hurt you individually, and the sins of this nation you see as leading us
away from God.
Read: Ezra 10
We’ve done it! We have read the whole book of Ezra this week. In
the previous chapter we learned that the nation of Israel has sinned. In
this chapter we see what is done about it. We have individual confession
of sin, and then the whole nation’s confessions of sin. As a result we
see the whole people coming together with a plan of action. They decide
to get rid of their foreign wives.
Prayer thoughts: Could we ever come together as a whole nation to
get rid of the sins that plague it? Can we even come together as a
single congregation to correct the sins that may be separating us from
God? As we pray we need to ask God to bring unity to us as a family, as
a congregation, as a town, as our school, and as our nation.
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