Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezra 6-8.

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In yesterday’s passage when the returned exiles resumed work on rebuilding the temple, those who opposed the rebuilding sent a letter to Darius suggesting that the returned exiles were lying about Cyrus giving an edict for the rebuilding of the temple.  The subtext of their letter was that Darius should issue an edict prohibiting them from rebuilding the temple.  However, Darius discovered that Cyrus had indeed issued an edict supporting the rebuilding of the temple.  As a result, instead of ordering the returned exiles to cease and desist, Darius ordered those who had sent the letter to not just not interfere in the rebuilding of the temple but to provide support for it.

Which brings me to what for me is the most important part of today’s passage (at least for this year).  If you read my post for yesterday you might remember that I questioned whether or not the returned exiles had done the right thing by refusing the offer of the people who had been living in the land to help rebuild the temple.  Well, I think we have the answer to that in the description of the Passover celebration they held after they completed rebuilding the temple.  In verse 21 of chapter 6 it says this about that Passover: “It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.”  That reads to me as if the returned exiles handled those who were living in the land exactly as I would have wished them to do.  They welcomed into their fellowship those of the people of the land who separated themselves from the unclean practices of the peoples of the land.

I think we can infer from this that the returned exiles accepted the assistance of those living in the land who wished to separate themselves from the unclean practices of the people and join the returned exiles.  In the same way, we can allow those who wish to join us in the mission which God gave us who wish to join us and separate themselves from the sinful practices around us.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.