7/19/2011 8:39:52 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Concern: a privilege people PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ezra 9:3-4
Message of the verses: “3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.
“ 5 ¶ But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God; 6 and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7 "Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day.”
This section of Ezra is a very convicting passage of Scripture. Ezra nine, along with Nehemiah 1:4-11 and Daniel nine are all about prayer, intercessory prayer. Seeing the sins of the people that they have committed and then not act like these great men were above those who had sinned, but identifying themselves with the people knowing in their heart that they too were sinners. These are three of the greatest chapter in the entire Bible to read when it comes to prayer, intercessory prayer. One can see as they read this section the greatness of the leadership that Ezra had. The first thing that he did after hearing about these sins was to tear his clothes and pull out hair from his beard and head and sit down for the Bible says that he was appalled. I wish to give a little more of a definition of this word that is translated as “appalled” in the NASB-95 version. This definition comes from the Strongs Hebrew “08074. םמשׁ shamem shaw-mame’; a primitive root; to stun (or intransitively, grow numb), i.e. devastate or (figuratively) stupefy (both usually in a passive sense):— make amazed, be astonied, (be an) astonish(-ment), (be, bring into, unto, lay, lie, make) desolate(-ion, places), be destitute, destroy (self), (lay, lie, make) waste, wonder.”
In his commentary on this section of Scripture (verses 3&4) Dr. Wiersbe points out that people in our culture are not appalled when they see people sin, people such as politicians for example, and for that matter “religious leaders.” There comes a time when it seems like people take for granted the “grace of God.” As I visit different churches from different parts of the US it seems like the emphasis of their services is upon the love and the grace of God, and there is nothing wrong with the love and the grace of God, but God is also One who executes judgment and we as believers are to have reverent fear of God for the Scripture says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Sadly this seems to be missing in many churches today. One needs to be so thankful for the attribute of judge that our God has for without judgment of our sins on Calvary no one could be saved, and without God’s judgment upon people and nations sin would run more rampant than it is now. When Jesus Christ died on the cross He said that “it is finished,” He had paid the price for those He came to save and that involved Judgment. There will come a time when God’s wrath will be finished: “Re 15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.”
Ezra was appalled over the sin of the exiles and this was a good thing for him to be appalled at. John MacArthur writes from the “MacArthur Study Bible” these words from verse four explaining the phrase “trembled at the words. In contrast to those who participated in the intermarriage, there were those who saw it as an abomination. They greatly feared the Lord’s judgment on them again (cf. Is. 66:2,5) and sat with Ezra until the gathering of the people for the evening sacrifice, when there was surely public prayer and confession as Ezra fasted, lamented, and prayed (v. 5) in an effort to lead the leaders and people to repent.”
I believe that I will insert one more quote and this time from Dr. Wiersbe and with that will end this portion this morning as I have much to think about. “Too many Christians today are willing to read the Bible, study it, outline it, and even defend it; but they don’t fear God and seek to obey what the Bible says. ‘but on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word.’ (Isa. 66:2, NKJV). Until God’s people show respect for God and His Word, the Spirit of God can’t work in mighty power as He longs to do.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I would suppose that conviction is the word for today, especially from the two different quotes that I used above. I suppose that there are far too many times when I take for granted the grace of God and do not allow the Word of God bring about the kind of fear of God that the Scriptures speak of. I desire to be used of God, but I realize that it must be in His way and in His timing, and in the mean time I would pray that the Word of God will do its work in me. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Remember the truth of Hebrews 4:12 and pray that the Lord will use His Word to bring about in my heart and life what He desires to accomplish with me.
7/19/2011 10:03:30 AM
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