Ezra 9

Read Ezra 9

The Lord's people had been thrust out of the Promised Land because of their unfaithfulness. Now that the Lord had brought them back home, it was deeply disappointing for Ezra the priest to receive a report that they were marrying women who were not part of the covenant community. This was behavior that the Lord had expressly forbidden in His Word. Not only were they sinning badly in this matter, but some of the chiefs were setting a very poor example in their own rebellion against God.

Ezra was deeply grieved by this report of “faithlessness.” The priest turned to the Lord in humble prayer. He did not hide the guilt of the people from God. He acknowledged their sinful past that had led to a national disaster. He also spoke of the favor that the Lord had shown them by giving them a new opportunity to serve Him honorably. But now what would happen?

From the beginning of the Lord's history with Moses and Joshua those who received the Law of God were told that they could not marry the daughters of the Canaanites or give their daughters in marriage to them. Those nations that had once been in the land were under the Lord's curse. Ezra 9 ends with Ezra's humble plea for Israel. He led the people in repentance. God had shown them great grace and favor. The Lord's mercy demanded that they consider His Word carefully and obey Him.

We who live after the coming of our faithful Messiah have been the recipients of a much larger mercy. Such divine kindness requires a sincere response of loyalty on the part of those who have been baptized in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We should be deeply thankful that we have become joint-heirs with Christ. The only appropriate way for us to show our gratitude to the Lord is to give Him the obedience of faith which He has always demanded of all those who would claim to love Him.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

 Glorious God, we feel the danger of the world all around us. There is so much false thinking and idolatrous worship everywhere. Even some of Your leaders have been quickly overtaken by temptation. We pray that You would hear our cry for help as we humble ourselves before You. We have been walking without sense in the midst of great sin and danger. We should know the truth by now. We cannot travel along the way of death in order to find life. How could we be so foolish! So many are enslaved by sin in what should be a day of great opportunity and hope. We have work to do. It is so close to us, and yet our hands will not move. It is right there for us to take and to do, but we are turned away by entangling distraction and iniquities. Would we test You by despising Your commandments again? See our weakness and hear us as we appeal to You for strength.

Ezra 8

Read Ezra 8

The return of the Lord's people to the Promised Land and the reconstitution of a worshiping people in a rebuilt temple was a large project that took place over many years. In such a massive endeavor there was much room for discouragement and distraction. Reinforcements from among the faithful who yet remained in Babylon were necessary in order for the purposes of the Lord to be accomplished in their generation.

The people who responded to the call were listed by Ezra. Upon inspection, Ezra came to the conclusion that they were lacking Levites. Men like Ezra himself were priests who were part of the tribe of Levi, but others from that tribe were necessary who were not of the sons of Aaron. These other Levites were important for the ceremonial life of the nation. They needed to be recruited, which was soon accomplished.

Even though they now had the necessary people for the Lord's work, their troubles were far from over. They had a long journey to make carrying many precious objects back to Jerusalem that were coveted by bands of thieves along the way. Could they count on the Lord to protect them on their journey?

The pilgrim congregation humbled themselves before the Lord with fasting and prayer. They asked for safety for themselves, their families, and their goods. They could have asked their captors for armed protection, but Ezra wondered about the message that this request might send. Was the hand of God with them? Was God able to defend them and to bring His wrath upon all who dared to attack them?

Along the way the offerings of the people and the sacred objects for the temple were placed in the care of specific individuals. They had a job to accomplish that would not be completed until all of these gifts were received in full by the appropriate officials in Jerusalem. They entrusted themselves and their mission to the Lord, and he brought them safely home.

Long before the days of Ezra, another group of Israelites were entrusted with a different sacred mission. Joshua led a much larger group of people into Canaan. The Lord was with them in the defeat of the nations that lived there at that time.

We have a new Joshua today who calls us forward in love. As we consider the mission of the church over the centuries, we can certainly say that “through many dangers, toils, and snares, we have already come.” Our journey is not yet over, but the Jesus who sent us out on this mission with His own death and resurrection is still leading us forward today by His Spirit.

We are a pilgrim people. We travel with the sacred “gold” of our beloved families and all of our friends in Jesus Christ. We may encounter enemies along the way, but we still humble ourselves before the Lord and seek His blessing and protection. Our destination is not the Jerusalem in Canaan, but the Jerusalem that is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. Our trust is in the Lord. He will lead us home.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

 Great God and King, there is no power that will stand against You, for You will accomplish all Your holy purposes. There are many people that You have called into Your church throughout the world. Some are gathered together with a few others in modest surroundings. Others are attached to much larger assemblies. All of us are a part of one body. Grant us ministers, men of discretion, who will serve You by lovingly and truthfully presenting Your Word to Your children. Surely Your hand is open to us for our good, for we seek You. You will protect us from those who hate You. We have been given much aid for our needs and for the progress of Your work. Help us to be wise in Your service, for we have been trusted with gifts more precious than silver and gold. We have been blessed with the care of bodies and souls, and with the task of loving Your children and leading them in the ways of life.  

Ezra 7

Read Ezra 7

The Lord is above all the kings of the earth. He had His purposes for Nebuchadnezzar in bringing Judah into exile. He also worked through Cyrus in sending the people of God back into the land. After some time Darius issued a decree that the Lord used in the continuation of their work to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Now in Ezra 7 we read of another king, Artaxerxes, who provided for the later return of Ezra the priest to the new Israel.

The Lord knew what His people needed. To the kings of eastern empires this land was just one province that they called “Beyond the River,” and Yahweh was just one god among many. But this one God was moving these rulers according to His purposes, helping His people in their obedience and worship in their new life that He had granted to them in the Promised Land.

In that territory that the Lord had given so many centuries before to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, His people needed more than a place of worship. They needed a teacher of the Law who would help the people to rightly understand the Word that He had given through servants in earlier days. Ezra was a key priestly figure who called the people of God to Scriptural fidelity in his generation. Ezra was given much support by Artaxerxes in his mission, but behind and beneath the desires and actions of both of these men was the hand of the Lord God Almighty.

Ezra did not return to the Promised Land alone. Other priests and Levites came with him. He had studied the Law and was prepared to teach it to his people along with others who served the Lord. These men came with a letter from Artaxerxes commending Ezra, encouraging others to go with him, and commanding full support of their efforts from the local officials in the land.

Artaxerxes was not a priest or a Levite. Someone had instructed him that the furtherance of this policy of supporting the servants of the Lord would be good for his administration, lest God's wrath “be against the realm of the king and his sons.”

Artaxerxes also gave to Ezra the authority to appoint judges in the land who would rule according to the Law of God. Ezra and those whom he appointed were to see that violators were punished.

How is it that Artaxerxes showed such favor to the Lord's Word in this particular province? These developments came from the Lord. His Name deserved to be praised, for God “put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.” It was the steadfast love of the Lord that led to these great blessings. The God who had disciplined them had not forgotten them. His hand was with them in rebuilding the life of worship among His people.

We have even more powerful indications of the Lord's steadfast love for us in the New Testament era. The cross is our continual reminder that the Lord has loved us with an everlasting love. Jesus has assured us that He will build His church, and that even the gates of hell will not be able to stand against the kingdom Word that will go forth from His humble servants. We have been instructed to teach the Word of the Lord all over the earth with the solemn assurance that our labors in the Lord will not be in vain. This is more than any of the kings of the earth could guarantee us. The promise has come to us from the One who rules over all.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

 Father, we shall not give up in our mission when You give us strength for the moment before us. You have prepared us for this work of prayer and service. You have trained us and have placed around us others who provide much help. You place Your hand upon Your ministers, and they are granted a heart to study Your Scriptures and to teach Your people. You provide the financial resources for Your Word to be taught and known. You bring to our minds the facts of our redemption by the sacrifice of Your Son, and we are suddenly helped by Your great power. Even the presence of enemies all around us can become the very thing that is necessary for Your good work to go forward. Grant us wisdom from Your Word, so that the greatest glory will come to Your holy Name. Fill the hearts of many men and women with godly impulses according to Your great plan.

Ezra 6

Read Ezra 6

An honest letter had been sent to King Darius regarding the efforts of the Jews in Jerusalem. What would the king find when he searched the records for the decree of Cyrus, an earlier ruler? Would the local adversaries of the Jews be successful in intimidating those who were working on this project?

The record of Cyrus' decree was in fact discovered and it supported the claims of the Jews. The response of Darius' government was direct and plain. Those who wanted to stop the work of rebuilding needed to stay away. Beyond that, the king insisted that local monetary support be provided from the tax payments of the very people who had attempted to stop this mission. Furthermore, everything that was necessary to begin the Jewish sacrificial system once again needed to be provided by the local authorities.

The king wanted to see this work accomplished. He wanted the Jewish religious authorities to seek the Lord for his own well-being and that of his descendants. He also included serious sanctions against anyone who might meddle with this correspondence or in any way interfere with the work of rebuilding.

The local officials obeyed the king's word. Eventually the work of temple reconstruction was accomplished. The house of God was dedicated and the Passover was celebrated. The Jews were grateful for this wonderful turn of events.

Even in an era that may seem quite bleak for the church, encouraging accounts of faithfulness and diligence come our way. These are all from the hand of God. He is the One who gave us His Son to be our atoning sacrifice. He laid the first stone in the new resurrection temple of the Lord through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Since that great time the walls of the Lord's temple have been going up all over the world. We should always thank the Lord for that.

Temporary setbacks can never change the Lord's settled purpose. The full temple of God, the glorious body of Christ, will be raised up. Do not be discouraged. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, You are surely above all rulers. You will work out Your holy will. No adversary who sets himself against You will finally win. You make even the wrath of Your enemies to praise You. Providences that seemed an insurmountable hindrance turn out to be just what was necessary for Your work to be done with the greatest blessing and fruitfulness. Help us to trust You even in the day of great disappointment and confusion, and grant us eyes to see Your vindication in the day of Your power. We long for the completion of the building up of Your heavenly temple as You bring people to Yourself and turn us away from sin. We thank You for the one great offering of Your Son for us. We give ourselves entirely to You for Your good purposes. We turn away from the unclean lusts of the world, and we give our lives again this day to the building of Your holy city.

Ezra 5

Read Ezra 5

The Lord's people needed to hear from God. Yahweh had called them back into the land, but they were soon frustrated by the adversaries who had succeeded in stopping their work on the temple.

God sent two prophets to the people, Haggai and Zechariah. We have their words of divine encouragement recorded for us in the Scriptures. The Lord was instructing His people to move forward with the great task they had been given despite the opposition that they faced.

Zerubbabel, from the line of King David, and Jeshua, the High Priest, heard the call from the Lord's prophets and led the people forward in obedience. They began to rebuild the temple.

They had to know that they would face renewed opposition. The report of their efforts would soon reach Darius the king.

The letter that was sent to the king by their enemies contained an accurate account of what had happened to the Jews in prior years and what they were doing now. The destruction of the temple had come to pass because of the Lord's anger against His chosen flock. Now they had been sent back into the land in order to rebuild His house.

The decree of Cyrus in the first year of his reign was mentioned specifically in the letter to Darius. It was Cyrus who had commanded that this house of the God of the Jews be rebuilt. The letter urged that the historical accuracy of these matters be investigated and that the local authorities be informed regarding the results.

This was the second letter sent east to the imperial powers. The first correspondence had led to the suspension of all work on the temple. Only when God gave His Word through His prophets did the work begin again. But now what would happen? Could God's Word stand in the face of continued correspondence with the king?

The Lord did not send Haggai and Zechariah to the people by a spirit of confusion. The people needed to trust the Word of the Lord. They needed to believe that God was able to move the heart of the king in the direction of the truth. Every assertion that the leaders of the Jews had made regarding their history and their current purpose was true.

We can have this same confidence regarding the Lord's plans for His church in our day. Christ's death and resurrection must be proclaimed regardless of the opposition that we face. We need to be faithful to the charge we have from our Lord even when the road ahead seems impassable. Our God will make a way for us to move forward with His good purposes.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O God of Grace and Glory, thank You for the encouragement of Your Word that comes through Your prophets. You are above all human authorities. There is no place that is closed to You. There is no good work that men will be able to stop if You say that it must proceed. Grant us diligence and wisdom. How can we keep on going with such opposition from enemies seen and unseen? Above all we seek Your leading and power. We need discernment to distinguish between useless projects that You have not commanded, and works of mercy, justice, and truth that You will surely bless. Grant us wisdom that we would spend our lives on those things most pleasing to You.

Ezra 4

Read Ezra 4

Men largely from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin had returned to the promised land with a divine mission. When they got there, some of the people who were in the land at that time said that they would be happy to help with the work. Yet these men were not friends but adversaries.

The day had not yet come for the Gentiles to be grafted into the people of God. That great mission would await the death and resurrection of the Messiah who would be a descendant of David through Zerubbabel. This same Zerubbabel and the tribal leaders among Judah and Benjamin knew that these supposed helpers needed to be stopped from joining in the work that God had given the returning Jewish exiles to accomplish.

This rejection of their offer was not well-received by those who claimed to be worshipers of Israel's God. They began to do what they could to bring discouragement upon those who had been called to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. In particular they wrote a letter to the emperor asserting that the Jews were rebellious, and that if they were permitted to complete their project they would no longer pay taxes. They supported this accusation with an appeal to history, asking the king to check the records concerning the Jews. The letter suggested that the history of this region would show that the city of Jerusalem was destroyed because of rebellion against the powers of Assyria and Babylon.

The king did the research that the letter proposed and found that the records supported the claims made by the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin. In addition, the accounts that the king reviewed showed that in former days powerful kings had ruled in Jerusalem who not only refused to pay taxes to the imperial powers to the east, but who also exacted tribute from neighboring nations. The king ordered that the work that they were currently engaged in be stopped, and the local enemies immediately pressed the king's order upon the men of Judah and Benjamin. The rebuilding of the temple was stopped for more than a decade.

In this world that is fading away God's people face opposition. Will the progress of the kingdom of God be stopped forever because of the attacks of evil men? Is the case that these foes press against the Lord's people so persuasive that God's direct commandments and promises should be forever thwarted?

The adversaries did have a point. Israel and Judah had a record of insubordination to the empires around them. But that was not why Jerusalem had been destroyed. There is a power far above all empires. God's people had rebelled against Him. He had used the kings to the east as agents of His own discipline. Even this time of testing in the days of Zerubbabel would have to give way to the Lord's purpose of steadfast love. The temple would be rebuilt and the city of Jerusalem would stand again among the great places of the earth.

The Lord's good purposes could not be stopped. A Messiah would come who would enter the temple of the Lord. He would be a descendant of Judah, the tribe of kings. He would accomplish through His life and death a deed far more powerful than anything that all the kings of the earth could ever have achieved. Through His resurrection an entire new realm of life would begin. His kingdom will stand forever.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

 Our Father, the work of building Your kingdom goes forward in an environment that includes demonic enemies. There are subtle attacks of weariness and discouragement that come over us like waves of trouble. Help us to contemplate Your nature and Your work. Help us to meditate upon Your great promises, for we should not lose heart. We have been warned by Your Son that we will face trouble. Our King was despised by men. Why are we surprised when men lie about us and seek our destruction? See how Your adversaries try to use civil authorities to bring trouble upon Your church. We suffer strange setbacks for a season, though You are sovereign in Your power and bountiful in Your love. O the mysteries of Your providence! It is all too much for us to understand. Grant us faith when the facts that are against us seem insurmountable.

Ezra 3

Read Ezra 3

The returning exiles had important work to do. They needed to rebuild the temple. This great project began with the building of an altar for the sacrifice of animals according to the Law of Moses. The people also kept the Feast of Booths at the appointed time. This feast was a celebration of the Lord dwelling with His people. They looked for a better day in the near future when the foundation of the new temple would be put in place and when the massive timbers that would come once again from the forests of Lebanon would be used to build up the Lord's house.

In the second year of their return the work would begin. This was far more than a construction project done according to the strength of men. It was an act of worship. When the builders laid the foundation, the priests and Levites came forward with song and instruments of praise.

Unless the Lord would build this great house, those who labored on the project would do so in vain. The people needed to believe the Word of God and trust that the character of God was supremely worthy. They sang to a living Lord who had brought them this far and would see them through to the end of their days. Together they sang out regarding His goodness, “for His steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”

This worship of God was not only a task for the priests and the Levites. All of the Lord's people joined in the praise of God together. A great shout came forth from God's assembly. Many were celebrating, but some of the elderly were weeping because they knew about the greater glory of the former house that had been destroyed by the Babylonians so many years before.

We who worship the Lord God through Jesus, our Redeemer, are being built up together into a holy temple in the Lord. We may mourn the state of the Lord's church in various times and places, but we thank God for the privilege that we have of participation in a glorious enterprise of worship and service. Though we may appear as nothing in the eyes of those who dismiss Jesus and His church, we know that not one of the Lord's promises will ever fail. We are a part of an everlasting kingdom and we will praise the Lord forever and ever.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

 O Lord of Hosts, we have a job to do, for You are using us to build a temple. Your Son has promised to build His church, yet He grants to men a part that we are to play in His great work. We certainly cannot do this holy work unless You lead us, and supply what is necessary. You have perfect plans for Your eternal temple on high. You have given Your Son as the Cornerstone of this greatest of all houses. Your apostles are the one foundation set in perfect order according to that one precious Stone laid in Zion. What a marvelous truth! We have a place in Your church, for we are living stones set upon a sure apostolic foundation given to us in Your Word.

Ezra 2

Read Ezra 2

God's people were born not to be slaves, but to be free. When they lived under the bondage of Pharaoh they cried out to God and He delivered them through Moses. After centuries of rebellion the Lord sent His people into exile under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Freedom would once again come to them by the hand of the Lord. They would be led home by men like Zerubbabel from the line of David and Jeshua the High Priest.

Under these great men of their day and many other tribal leaders listed here were thousands of men whose names we do not know. Their numbers are recorded for us—numbers that at first glance may seem impressive, but these figures are much lower than those in the account that we have of the people who came into the land centuries earlier under Joshua.

Special attention is given here to those who would lead the life of worship in a rebuilt Jerusalem. Without proper priests and Levites the returning exiles would immediately be walking in disobedience to the revealed will of the Lord. The number of Levites noted in this chapter was surprisingly small. They were aided by other temple servants, but those who could not prove their ancestry were excluded from religious leadership in the new Israel.

When the fighting men of Israel were numbered prior to entering the land of Canaan the total was over 600,000. Centuries later when David ordered an unauthorized census there were well over 1,000,000 men who were counted as descendants of Jacob. After hundreds of years there should have been many millions who were their descendants, but the whole assembly coming back from exile totaled only 42,360. What happened to all of them? How could it be possible that there were fewer than 50,000 returning exiles?

Israel and Judah had faced the discipline of the Lord and many people had died. While this plain fact is very discouraging, we should never be surprised that the judgment of the Almighty might lead to the loss of many lives. What should surprise us is that anyone is allowed to live.

The Lord had a plan that involved the survival of some number of Israelites and the continuation of the line of David through Zerubbabel. These survivors would have much work to do. They could take courage that though many of their brothers and sisters had died and many others would remain in foreign lands throughout their lives, God would fulfill His promises through the thousands that were coming back to Jerusalem.

The returning exiles would set out to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Many gave of their substance to see that good work accomplished. Theirs was an important period in the history of the people of God. The Jews would be kept alive for the great purposes of God, including the eventual coming of the Messiah King. But who could have known that it would take many centuries for that King to come, and that He would give His life for the building of a much greater temple? Who could have known that the death of one prisoner, Jesus, would mean eternal freedom not only for millions of Jews, but also for billions of Gentiles?


Prayer from A Book of Prayers
 Lord God, You know Your people. You sent many out of the land in the day of discipline. You brought them back according to Your prophetic Word. Thank You for Your particular care for Your people today. You know our names, but Your knowledge is much more extensive than that. You know our heritage. You know our extended families and the towns we came from. While this is true of all Your creatures, it is especially the case for Your chosen people. The particular care that You have shown for the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is undeniable. Your actions of love and discipline for the people of the Old Covenant are recorded in the Scriptures. But there is a vast multitude of chosen men, women, and children who have become Israelites indeed through faith in Jesus Christ. In Him we have a safe place within the worship assembly of Your people. We are even part of the priesthood of all believers who shall serve You forever in a better land than Canaan. Blessed be Your Name, O God.

Ezra 1

Read Ezra 1

The book of Ezra begins where 2 Chronicles ended—the voice of God through Cyrus of Persia to His people Israel telling them to return home. This was in fulfillment of the Lord's word through Jeremiah. Like God's message so long ago to His people who were in bondage in Egypt, this word through the Persian king was a call to worship. The exiles were to return to Israel to rebuild the temple so that the people of God might worship the Lord in accord with His Word.

Cyrus expressed his own desire that the God of Israel would be with the returning Jews in this great endeavor. The Persian king said that the Lord was the God who was “in Jerusalem.” Did he understand that the God of the Jews was more than a local deity?

The time had come for the people of God to give their lives for the progress of the Lord's kingdom in their day. The tribal leaders of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites responded to this call to action—“everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Many others came alongside them with the gifts that would be necessary in order for the task to be accomplished. Even Cyrus sent back with this mission team “the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.”

This passage also speaks of more that was “freely offered” by the people of God on this great occasion. They had holy work before them—work that would require courage and sacrifice. They would face enemies and difficulties recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah. Their task was appropriate to the era in which they lived. They were willing to do their part.

We are called to serve God's kingdom today in a way that is far greater than anything that these returning exiles were to do in Jerusalem and the land of Israel. Inspired by the great offering of King Jesus, we have the privilege of bringing the message of the Lord to the ends of the earth. This mission is fraught with danger and difficulty, but our God is with us, and He will use us to do the part that He has prepared for us to do. Let all who love the Savior and who are called by His Name serve Him with ready hearts and hands. Let us seek His presence and rise up to bring glory to His Name.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, You fulfilled Your Word that You gave to Your people through the prophets. You kept a remnant from among them during the years of exile and then restored them to the land of Judah. But You have done much more than this in the redemption that has come to us through the gift of Your Son. You are building Your church throughout the world. Your promises are entirely reliable. The matters of Your greatest interest should be our focus as well. We are so easily distracted by our own smaller thoughts and fascinations. Help us to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness day by day. We trust You with all things, great and small.

2 Chronicles 36

Read 2 Chronicles 36

The exile of Judah was only a matter of time once Josiah was gone. As the Lord had promised long before, God would send His people away by the hands of the Babylonians.

The sons and grandson of Josiah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served at the pleasure of larger imperial powers to the southwest and northeast. Yet their defeat came not because of the plan of these neighboring nations, but because of the settled purpose of the God of Jacob.

The subjugation of these final kings of Judah also meant the destruction of the city and the temple. The leaders of Judah would not hear the Word of the Lord through God's ambassador, Jeremiah. They also rebelled against the powers around them that God was using to discipline His people. After centuries of warning from the Lord's faithful prophets, the end had finally come for Judah.

During those centuries of disobedience, the people of God had been unwilling to celebrate the Sabbaths that He had commanded. Now the land would have seventy years of Sabbath rest after the leading inhabitants were taken into exile.

But then, after those seventy years were completed, God would bring forth an amazing proclamation through Cyrus of Persia. “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”

The fulfillment of the Lord's faithful promise through Jeremiah was the passion of the Chronicler. The author recorded these two books of biblical history because of this great moment in the lives of the covenant people. The time had come for the descendants of Jacob to go back into the land.

We profit from his words even today. His call to faithfulness needs to be heard by all the followers of the best Son of David. We have a mission that God has given to His people today. We need to take possession of a better kingdom than was ever known in the days of Josiah. Through the blood of Jesus we have been granted title to the kingdom of heaven. Our Savior has told us to build His kingdom throughout the world in accord with the Scriptures. The people of Jesus Christ from every nation must set our hearts above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father. It is time for us to fulfill the ministry that our Savior has given us with the confidence that the meek shall inherit the earth.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, Your people suffered through the end of the days of the Davidic kingship after the death of Josiah. His sons and his grandson were nothing compared to him. There was much wickedness perpetrated by those who should have known Your Word. At just the right time, some centuries later, You brought a final end to the age of the Law. It had been a great era of Your revelation. Your people heard wonderful truths from Your prophets, but the old age had to end. It had to give way to a new age of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank You now that the age of the Law is gone. It was a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could bear. Now You have brought to us that greatest Son of David, the great Lord of the Sabbath. Be with us as we move further and further toward the end of this present age. This too has been a great age. The gospel shall be preached to all nations, and then the end will come. That end will not be easy, but we are looking for the glory of Your Son’s great Day, and for the fullness of the new resurrection age.

2 Chronicles 35

Read 2 Chronicles 35

“Josiah kept a Passover to the Lord in Jerusalem.” Like Hezekiah, his great-grandfather, Josiah called the covenant community back to a sincere observance of the festival that celebrated the payment of Israel's sin through the shedding of the blood of the Passover lamb.

Josiah followed the patterns of worship established by Moses and David. He was not seeking to be an innovator, but to be faithful to the traditions that were contained in the Word of the Lord. He was willing to give out of his own possessions in order to see that the Passover was kept and he encouraged the other leaders among the Lord's people to do the same.

This celebration of the Passover, including the faithfulness of the king and all the priests and Levites, was a great moment in the history of Israel. Within a few years this good king would be gone. He had led Israel in the proper ritual that the Lord had commanded, but he could not save the people of God.

The situation surrounding the death of Josiah was the only blemish on his otherwise exemplary life. His insistence that he go out against the forces of Neco, king of Egypt, was a rejection of a surprising instruction from God that came to him through the leader of this enemy nation. Josiah's time on this earth had come and gone, and lesser men would take his place.

Hundreds of years later, Josiah's best descendent would be hailed by mocking soldiers as the king of the Jews. He would die a horrible death, but unlike Josiah, His death was His greatest act of obedience.

Jesus died as the Passover Lamb. Now He leads His people as we offer up our bodies to God as living sacrifices. He died on a cross for us. We take up our cross daily and follow Him.

2 Chronicles 34

Read 2 Chronicles 34
Josiah was the last good king in Judah prior to the Babylonian exile. He began to reign at the age of only eight. Even at such a young age, “he began to seek the God of David.” By the time that Josiah was twelve years old he was leading the Lord's people in the destruction of idols and the removal of false places of worship throughout the land.

When the king was twenty-six years old, a book was found that would help Josiah to serve the Lord even more—the Bible, that is, the “Book of the Law.” The book was rediscovered in connection with the renovation of the temple in Jerusalem.

When the king heard the Book of the Law, “he tore his clothes” in mourning for the disobedience of the Lord's people. He knew that the Lord's wrath was upon His people for their disobedience to His Word. The king sought to understand from the Lord what ought to be done now.

God's response came to the king through a prophetess who lived in Jerusalem. The Lord knew not only the actions and words of the king, but even the inner motions of his heart. The God of Israel gave Josiah a promise that there would be peace during his reign.

The king gathered together an assembly of all the people in order to read to them from the “Book of the Covenant.” Then the king pledged his obedience to the Lord. He also led the entire nation in a renewed commitment to the Word of God.

Josiah was seeking the Lord even before He had read the Book of the Law. Finding God's Word did not damage the king's relationship with the Almighty, it enhanced it.

Jesus followed God without sin during every moment of His existence. He did not scoff at the Scriptures, but loved the Word of the Lord. When He fought against the devil, He used the Bible. In the midst of life-threatening controversies with the spiritual leaders of Israel, He plainly affirmed that the Scriptures could not be broken. He did not came to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. His death on the cross was not only a fulfillment of biblical prophesy, it was a payment of our debt to God because of our disobedience to biblical commandments.

We are called to love and obey the Lord God whether or not we have access to any of His writings. But when we hear His Word, we need to be like Josiah. We should let the Word of God expose our sinful ways. We should then repent of our sin and plead to God for mercy through His provision of grace for us in the life and death of His Son. This is the way for true disciples of Jesus to find joy in a dark world.