TUESDAY, 18 MARCH 2025
TEXT: Ezra
8:15-27
15: I assembled them at
the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I
checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.
16: So I summoned
Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and
Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of
learning,
17: and I ordered them to
go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his
fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring
attendants to us for the house of our God.
18: Because the gracious
hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the
descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and
brothers, 18 in all;
19: and Hashabiah,
together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and
nephews, 20 in all.
20: They also brought 220
of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to
assist the Levites. All were registered by name.
21: There, by the Ahava
Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God
and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our
possessions.
22: I was ashamed to ask
the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road,
because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who
looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.”
23: So we fasted and
petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
24: Then I set apart
twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their
brothers,
25: and I weighed out to
them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his
advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house
of our God.
26: I weighed out to them
650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of
gold,
27: 20 bowls of gold
valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious
as gold.
(New International
Version Holy Bible)
TOPIC: EZRA
STRESSES THE NEED FOR PRAYERS
We are always reminded
about the role of the spiritual fathers in every serious assignment of God.
Ezra took time to register them before setting out on the journey.
Notice the roles of
fasting and petition in an important event such as this. These were meant to
demonstrate humility and ensure the safe journey of the entire community.
Today, we tend to depend
on security personnel rather than prayer and faith. Ezra had that in mind. But
he remembered that he had informed the king that the gracious hand of Yahweh
will look over them.
QUESTION:
How serious is your prayer life and petition in fasting?
PRAYER:
Lord, challenge me to pray and petition more in fasting on issues that matter,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Remain
Blessed
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