In the book of Ezra, Ezra said, “Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, You have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives”, and in chapter ten and verse twelve of Ezra, Ezra said, “make confession unto the LORD God”, where we read,
Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As you have said, so must we do.
The verse reads, “Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, ...” Ezra began with the words, “then all the congregation” or “at that time each, every, the whole and everyone of the people assembled, collect and gathered”“answered and said” or “responded and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “with a loud voice” which means “by the use of an intensely distinctive sound and noise of uttered words ”. Ezra shared how everyone of the people assembled responded and proclaimed with the exceedingly intense sound of uttered words.
The verse continues, “... As you have said, so must we do.” Ezra added the words, “as you have said” which means “in the same and like manner you, Ezra, have uttered, declared and proclaim”, “so must we do” or “thus and therefore we, Ezra and the people of Israel, have to produce and perform”. Ezra shared how the people of Israel who were gathered together were to keep their word and perform as they proclaimed.
When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra how the gathering of the people of Israel began to proclaim with a powerful sound of uttered words that they would perform what they so loudly declared. This was according to the word of the LORD for the people of Israel, and in like manner, when we yield ourselves to God's Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a desire to keep His words and obey His commands.
Next time Ezra says, “it is a time of much rain”, 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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