daily reading 38.3 (Ezra 7:11–20)

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


Our opening prayer for this week:

O Lord, you have in your pure grace 
Made shine on us a Father’s face:
Arise, your holy name make known; 
Take up your power and reign alone;
On earth, in us, let your pure will
Be done as angels do it still.
 
O King and Father, kind and dread, 
Give us this day our daily bread;
Forgive us, who have learned to bless
Our enemies, all trespasses;
Spare us temptation; let us be
From Satan set forever free. 

Yours is the kingdom; unto you 
We bow the knee in homage true.
And yours the pow’r; no power is there 
That stands against you anywhere.
The glory yours; by every tongue
Your praise shall be forever sung! Amen.

 

Ezra 7:11–20

  • This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the LORD's commands and statutes for Israel: 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens: Greetings.
  • 13 I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession. 15 You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. 17 Then you are to be diligent to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.
  • 18 You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. 20 You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God.
Helpful notes on Ezra 7:11–20 

 




For yourself pray:

  • That for Jesus' sake, you put God and his worship first

For others pray:

  • That God gives your church's leaders all they need to serve him, the church, and your community

A psalm to listen to and ponder, as time allows:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

daily reading 52.2 (Nehemiah 13:15–22)

Image
5-days-a-week through Daniel and other late OT books in 2023 Our opening prayer for this week: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev’ry heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ. While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy. No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings known Far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love. Amen.   Nehemiah 13:15–22 At that time I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in stores of grain and loading them on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day. 16 The Tyrians living there were importing fish and all...
Read more

daily reading 52.5 (Psalm 89:38–52)

Image
5-days-a-week through Daniel and other late OT books in 2023 Our opening prayer for this week: Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev’ry heart prepare him room And heaven and nature sing. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let all their songs employ. While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy. No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings known Far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness And wonders of his love. Amen.   Psalm 89:38–52 But you have spurned and rejected him; you have become enraged with your anointed. 39 You have repudiated the covenant with your servant; you have completely dishonored his crown. 40 You have broken down all his walls; you have reduced his fortified cities to ruins. 41 All who pass by plunder him; he has become an object of ridicule to his neighbors. 42 You ...
Read more

daily reading 45.4 (Nehemiah 5:1–5)

Image
5-days-a-week through Daniel and other late OT books in 2023 Our opening prayer for this week: Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word; Curb those who by deceit or sword Would seek to overthrow your Son And to destroy all he has done. Lord Jesus Christ, your power make known, For you are Lord of lords alone; Defend your Christendom that we May sing your praise eternally. O Comforter of priceless worth, Send peace and unity on earth. Support us in our final strife, And lead us out of death to life.  Amen.   Nehemiah 5:1 –5 There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. 2  Some were saying, "We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live." 3  Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine." 4 Still others were saying, "We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards.  5  We and our children ...
Read more