The Old Testament Book of Ezra
And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift
up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are
increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up
unto the heavens.
Ezra 9:6 KJV
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* CHAP * COMMENTS
* 1 * In the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, The Lord stirred up his
heart to proclaim - that the God of heaven had charged him to build
Him a house at Jerusalem. This was to fullfill the word of the Lord
spoken by Jeremiah. The chief of the fathers of Judah, Benjamin, the
priests and the Levites rose to build the Lord's house in Jerusalem.
Cyrus, the King, brought the vessels from the Lord's house and gave
them to Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah.
* 2 * The children that went up out of the captivity are listed.
* 3 * After 7 months, the people gathered together at Jerusalem and began
to offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. In the 2nd month of the
2nd year, the Levites were appointed to the work of the House of
the Lord. The foundation of the House of the Lord was laid. Some
rejoiced; but some wept because they remembered the first temple.
* 4 * When the adversaries heard that the Children of the Captivity were
building the temple, they came to Zerubbabel saying, "Let us build
with you." But the chief of the fathers said, "We will build unto
the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus has commanded." Then they hired
counsellors to frustrate their purpose. They wrote to Artaxerxes
accusing the Jews of sedition and refusing to pay toll , tribute,
and custom. The king ordered work to cease on the houe of God.
* 5 * The prophets Haggai & Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and
Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel. Zerubbal and Jeshua began
to build the house of God at Israel. Tatnai and Shetharbaznai asked
who had commanded them to build. The eye of God was on the Jews that
they couldn't stop the work So they wrote to Darius of these things.
* 6 * Darius searched & found where Cyrus gave command to build the House of
God. Darius said to leave the work alone. He decreed the tribute
beyond the river be used to help the work. Anyone altering this
command was to be hanged from the timbers of his own house. The
House of the Lord was completed on the 3rd day of the month Adar in
the 6th year of the reign of Darius. The house was dedicated; the
priests were set in their divisions; the Levites in their courses.
The Passover was kept on the 14th day of the first month.
* 7 * In the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra - a ready scribe in the law of Moses
went from Babylon to Jerusalem. For Ezra had prepared his heart to
seek and do the law of the Lord. The text of this chapter includes a
copy of the letter that the king gave to Ezra.
* 8 * The genealogy of those that went with Ezra is given. Ezra seeks
Levites to go with them. They fast before starting their journey. The
silver, gold, and vessels were given to the priests to take. God
delivered them from the hand of the enemy and those that lay in wait
by the way -- and they came to Jerusalem.
* 9 * The princes came to Ezra and said that the people - including the
priests and the Levites had not separated themselves from the people
of the Lands and were doing according to their abominations. Ezra sat
astonished until evening prayer. He prayed, "O my God, I am ashamed
and blush to lift up my face to thee my God - for our iniquities are
increased over our head & our trespass is grown up into the heavens.
* 10 * A large group of the congregation gathered before Ezra. Shechaniah
said, "We have trespassed against God - Yet there is hope. Let us
make a covenant with God to put away such wives - and such as are
born of them. They had a great meeting in Jerusalem 3 days later.
Because of the rain- and becausse there were so many who had so
transgressed, they devised a plan to complete the work. A number of
men who had so transgressed are listed -- some had wives by whom
they had children
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