daily reading 17.3 (Ezra 4:6–10)

 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 4:6–10

  • At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, the people who were already in the land wrote an accusation against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem.
  • 7 During the time of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.
    • 8 Rehum the chief deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes concerning Jerusalem as follows:
    • 9 From Rehum the chief deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges and magistrates from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, Babylon, Susa (that is, the people of Elam), 10 and the rest of the peoples whom the great and illustrious Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and the region west of the Euphrates River. 
Helpful notes on Ezra 4:6–10




For yourself pray:

  • That God in Christ keeps seeing you through the thing that today seems most impossible to you

For others pray:

A psalm to listen to, as time allows:


 


  


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