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

I do not normally write about this because it crosses over passages I read on separate days, but I decided to write about it anyway today.  Toward the end of yesterday’s passage, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah inspired the Jews to resume work on rebuilding the temple.  The political leaders of the people around them attempted to intimidate them into stopping, when that failed those leaders sent a letter to the King of Persia to request that he order them to stop.  However, instead of ordering the Jews to stop work on rebuilding the temple, Darius, King of Persia, ordered the people who had sent him the letter to cover the costs of rebuilding and provide animals for the Jews to sacrifice on its altar in order to pray for the king and his sons.  This gives us a great example of how God moves to aid those who faithfully serve Him, even in the face of opposition.

Some time later, Artaxerxes sent Ezra the priest to Jerusalem with wealth in order to make sacrifices there on behalf of Artaxerxes and his sons (Side note: I believe that the “his sons” referred to here and in the letter from Darius is meant to refer to those who took the throne after those kings).  In response to this commission from Artaxerxes, Ezra gathered leaders from among the Israelites in exile to return to Jerusalem with him.  When those who would accompany Ezra gathered, Ezra realized just how much wealth they would be traveling with and was concerned that they might become a target for bandits.  However, he was embarrassed to request armed guards from the king, since he had been bragging to the king about God’s great power.  So, Ezra called on those who would be traveling with him to fast and pray for God’s protection.  Ezra and those who traveled with him put their trust in God for their protection.  Let us follow their example…and perhaps, considering the state of our world today, we should remember to include more fasting with our prayers.

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