In the book of Ezra, Ezra said, “Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied”, and in chapter nine and verse four of Ezra, Ezra said, “then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel” where we read,
Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
The verse reads, “Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, ...” Ezra began with the words, “then were assembled unto me” which means “at that time were gathered, collected and amassed to me, Ezra” “every one that trembled” or “all the people who were fearful and afraid” “at the words” which means “at the utterances, declarations and proclamations” “of the God of Israel” or “pertaining to the Supreme Deity belonging to Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name of the descendants and nation of descendants of Jacob”. Ezra shared how all the people gathered to him who were fearful of the utterances and declarations by Jehovah God who was “Israel's” Supreme Deity.
The verse goes on to say, “... because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.” Ezra continued with the words, “because of the transgression” which means “since and on account that the unfaithfulness and treacherous acts” “of those that had been carried away” which means “belonging to the people who were exiled and held captive”; “and I sat astonied” or “and I, Ezra, was seated, remained and stayed in a desolate, appalled, stunned and stupefied state” “until the evening sacrifice” which means “till the time of the tribute and oblation performed at dusk or sunset”. Ezra said the people who “trembled at the words of the God of Israel” did so on account of the treacherous acts of the people who were held captive in Babylon, and until the time of the oblation offered at dusk, he was seated in a desolate and stupefied state.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Ezra how there were people who fearful and afraid of the utterances of Jehovah God on account that they were aware of the treacherous acts of the people of Israel. Ezra responded to this in a seated and stupefied state. We can imagine his thoughts as the people of Israel were just freed from being exiled for seventy years because they intermingled with the people and religious activities of the pagan foreign nations, and now they were involved with them again. God loves the people of Israel, and He loves us. When He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, He gave us the opportunity to receive Him as our “Savior and Lord” and to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and provided with His Holy Spirit so we will be sensitive to His “words” and respond in grievance and humility to those who violate His laws.
Next time Ezra said, “at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness”, 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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