A Devotional Look at the Book #526

A Devotional Look at the Book #526

by Jesse Abel

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

Kenya did not become a nation of it’s own until 1963, before this time it was known as; British East Africa Protectorate. This is just a helpful tidbit when investigating legal documents. That is if you have a need to know; if not leave it alone!

A DAY IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. As they called them, so they went from them; they sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to carved images. Like it or not there was a similar calling in the latter years of the fifteenth century and God rose up another nation. No nation will ever take the place of Israel as God’s own chosen people; but God’s blessing or judgment will always be on His Children of all nations. As a result many parallels in the history of Israel tell the rest of the story! I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped to feed them… but they did not repent. Hosea 11:1-4. Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood; Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song, in the night season and all the day long. IT IS GOD WHO LEADS US ALONG. As a nation we need to REPENT and let Him lead.

Ezra; the Book

Ezra 4:6-24 – We should find it interesting of the work that all nations do to reduce the glory of God. Commanders of armies, lawyers, business men, professors and politicians are seen coming together here in these verses of Ezra. These men are not just enemies of Israel; they represent the world system of destroying God and enthroning their king… Satan. Rehum and company sought legal action to stop the rebuilding of the temple.

A letter in Chaldean language might have been sufficient for King Artaxerxes, certainly he had qualified translators on his staff, but Rehum and his representatives wanted no stone left unturned. Written in their own language and translated into Aramaic; the Assyrians ensured that the letter would state the purpose clearly intended by the sender. The message basically states that while Darius the king of Persia elected to free the captives and let the Jews return to their homeland and rebuild.

Osnaper; Assur-bani-pal (Ashurbanipal) was not willing to give up the captive lands of Samaria and the regions beyond the river. It is also interesting to note that the argument of stopping Israel from rebuilding would end up as a loss of tax revenue. So on the one hand the men of Assyria are not conscious of God, but it would seem that the men of Persia were. See the proclamation of Cyrus king of Persia. Ezra 1:2-4, yet much of the acknowledgement of God loses ground in just two years and as the decree of Artaxerxes reveals in Ezra 4:17-22.