daily reading 17.5 (Ezra 4:17–24)

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 4:17–24

  • The king sent a reply to his chief deputy Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates River: 
    • Greetings. 18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
    • 19 I issued a decree and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has had uprisings against kings since ancient times, and there have been rebellions and revolts in it.
    • 20 Powerful kings have also ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates River, and tribute, duty, and land tax were paid to them.
    • 21 Therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a further decree has been pronounced by me. 22 See that you not neglect this matter. Otherwise, the damage will increase and the royal interests will suffer.
  • 23 As soon as the text of King Artaxerxes's letter was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they immediately went to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
  • 24 Now the construction of God's house in Jerusalem had stopped and remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.
Helpful notes on Ezra 4:17–24


The letter went from Jerusalem to Susa


For yourself pray:

  • That God prepares you for problems far in the future

For others pray:

  • That God saves his chosen children from cults such as the one in eastern Kenya that recently led to horrid mass starvations

A psalm to listen to, as time allows:

 


  


 

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