daily reading 17.1 (Ezra 3:7–13)

5-days-a-week through Daniel and other late OT books in 2023

Our opening prayer for this glorious Easter week is from the end of Psalm 118. The Messiah's words are in regular print, and his people's words are in bold print:

“Open the righteous gates That I may enter them.”
“This is the gateway of the LORD; The righteous may come in.”
“You answered me in need. My rescue? You alone!”
“The stone the builders cast aside Is now the cornerstone.

“This is the LORD’s own work And marvelous to see;
The LORD has acted on this day! We praise his victory.
All glory be to him! Hosanna! Send success!
How blessed is he who comes to us In God’s own name, all blessed.

“God is the LORD, and he Has shined on our dark ways;
Bring branches to the altar horns. Process with hymns of praise!”
“My God, I give you thanks. I will exalt your name!”
“O, thank the LORD, for he is good, His mercy e’er the same.”

Ezra 3:7–13

  • They gave money to the stonecutters and artisans, and  gave food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so they would bring cedar wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, according to the authorization given them by King Cyrus of Persia.
  • 8 In the second month of the second year after they arrived at God's house in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers, including the priests, the Levites, and all who had returned to Jerusalem from the captivity, began to build. They appointed the Levites who were twenty years old or more to supervise the work on the LORD's house.
  • 9 Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah and of Henadad, with their sons and brothers, the Levites, joined together to supervise those working on the house of God.
  • 10 When the builders had laid the foundation of the LORD's temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as King David of Israel had instructed.
  • 11 They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: "For he is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever." Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD because the foundation of the LORD's house had been laid.
  • 12 But many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this temple, but many others shouted joyfully.
  • 13 The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away.
Helpful notes on Ezra 3:7–13




For yourself pray:

  • That memories of the good old days don't keep you in Christ from pressing forward

For others pray:

  • That your church's main song in every heart is about the goodness of the Lord, and how his loyal love is eternal

A psalm to listen to, as time allows:


 


  

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