In the book of Ezra, Ezra asked, “Should we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? would not you be angry with us till you had consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? O LORD God of Israel, you are righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before you in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before you because of this”, and in chapter ten and verse one of Ezra, Ezra shared what happened when he, “had prayed”, where we read,
Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed,
weeping and casting himself down before the house of God,
there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children:
for the people wept very sore.
The verse reads, “Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, ...” Ezra began with the words, “now when Ezra had prayed” which means “at the time and moment that Ezra, whose name means help and was the priest and scribe who led the reforms of the returned exiles in Jerusalem, made supplication, intreated and intervened”, “and when he had confessed” or “and at the time and moment he, Ezra, gave laud, praise, reverence and worship” and the following. Ezra shared at the time and moment he made orations and supplications and praised and revered Jehovah God in addition to the following.
The verse continues, “... weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, ...” Ezra added the words, “weeping and casting himself down” which means “bewailing, crying and shedding tears as well as making his own self to fall down” “before the house of God” which means “in the presence and front of the habitation, abode and dwelling place belonging to the Supreme God” the following occurred. Ezra included how he bewailed, cried and threw himself to the ground in the presence of the dwelling place belonging to the Supreme Deity, and the following happened.
Finally the verse says, “there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.” Ezra concluded the verse with the words, “there assembled unto him” or “there gathered and collected to him, Ezra” “out of Israel” which means “from Israel whose name means God prevails and is the name for the descendants and nation of the descendants of Jacob” “a very great congregation of men” or “a huge and massive company or convocation of male human beings” “and women” which means “and female human beings” “and children” or “and offspring and progeny”: “for the people wept very sore” which means “because, since and on account that the human beings of Israel bewailed, shed tears and lamented in a bitter manner”. Ezra shared how the people of Israel gathered to him in a massive and huge manner, and they shed tears and lamented in a bitter manner.
When we think through Ezra's words in this verse, we see how the people of Israel assembled themselves together after he made supplication on their behalf, wept and fell face down on the ground before the temple of Jehovah God. The people followed his example, and Ezra proved himself to be a leader of people in this way. God wants us to humble ourselves before Him, repent of our sins and cry out in belief and trust in His Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. When we surrender to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put within us a humility before Him and others that allows us to have a relationship with Him that lasts for all eternity.
Next time Ezra shares how, “Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra we have trespassed against our God”, 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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