In the book of Ezra, Ezra said, “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 endures 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”, and in chapter three and verse thirteen of Ezra, Ezra shared how,“the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping” where we read,
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.
The verse reads, “So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people:” Ezra began with the words, “so that the people” which means “thus and therefore the human beings both male and female” “could not discern the noise of the shout of joy” which means “were unable to recognize, acknowledge, regard or pay attention to the loud blast or alarm of mirth, happiness, gladness, gaiety and pleasure” “from the noise of the weeping” or “separate and apart from the voice and sound of overflowing soreness and sorrow” “of the people” which means “belonging to the human beings both man and female”. Ezra shared how the surrounding human beings both male and female were unable to separate and distinguish the happy and pleasurable sounds from the sounds of anguish and sorrow.
The verse continues, “for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.” Ezra added the words, “for the people shouted” or “because, since and on account that the human beings both male and female cried aloud with an exceedingly great and intense alarm, blast of joy” “with a loud shout” which means “by the means of an exceedingly great and tense blast or alarm of mirth, happiness, gladness, gaiety and pleasure”, “and the noise was heard afar off” or “and the sound or voice was listened to, perceived by ear and understood from a remote and distance away”. Ezra shared how the people cried aloud with an exceedingly great and tense blast of joy, and their voices were perceived from a great distance away.
When we think through the words in this verse, we discover through Ezra how the people were unable to distinguish the shouts of despair from the shouts of happiness because the sound of their voices was listened to from a great distance away. The older people were crying aloud with sorrow, and the younger people were rejoicing in happiness. The combination of them both made them difficult to discern. God was willing to work with people who had the past image of the temple in their minds and with the ones for whom this temple was exceedingly brand new. God loves people, and He knows there are those who dwell in the past, “the good ole days”, and He knows there are people who enjoy the present and the future. God loves both, and when we yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us how He values both the older and newer vessels in His Kingdom. (See Matthew 2:22; Luke 5:38)
Next time we begin a new chapter and see Ezra share what happened, “when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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