daily reading 41.3 (Ezra 10:9–17)

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


Our opening prayer for this week:

O God, my faithful God, O fountain ever flowing,
Who good and perfect gifts In mercy are bestowing,
Give me a healthy frame, And may I have within,
A conscience free from blame, A soul unhurt by sin.

Grant me the strength to do, With ready heart and willing
Whatever you command, My calling here fulfilling,
That I do what I should While trusting you to bless
The outcome for my good For you must give success.

Keep me from saying things That later need recalling;
Grant that no idle words May from my lips be falling,
But then, when in my place, I must and ought to speak,
My words grant power and grace Lest I offend the weak.

Lord, let me win my foes With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends For counsel and correction.
Help me, as you have taught, To love both great and small
And by your Spirit’s might To live in peace with all.

Let me depart this life Confiding in my Savior;
My soul, give rest from strife That it may live forever;
And let my body have A place near those I love
Within a Christian grave, While I’m with you above.

And on that solemn day When all the dead are waking,
Stretch o’er my grave your hand, Yourself my slumbers breaking.
Then let me hear your voice, Transform this earthly frame,
Forever to rejoice With all who love your name. Amen.

 

Ezra 10:9–17

  • So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people sat in the square at the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
  • 10 Then the priest Ezra stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful by marrying foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. 11 Therefore, make a confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the surrounding peoples and your foreign wives."
  • Then all the assembly responded loudly: "Yes, we will do as you say! 13 But there are many people, and it is the rainy season. We don't have the stamina to stay out in the open. This isn't something that can be done in a day or two, for we have rebelled terribly in this matter.
  • 14 "Let our leaders represent the entire assembly. Then let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each town, in order to avert the fierce anger of our God concerning this matter."
  • 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them.
  • 16 The exiles did what had been proposed. The priest Ezra selected men who were family heads, all identified by name, to represent their ancestral families. They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter, 17 and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
Helpful notes on Ezra 10:12–17 





For yourself pray:

  • That God gives you someone bold who will speak God's Word to you no matter whether you like it or not 

For others pray:

  • That God gives your congregation time and energy to deal with the biggest issue you together are facing

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

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