The Events Leading to the Time of Jesus

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. Ezra 9:1-4

Steps: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

God shares the story of what happened to His people when they went back to Israel and were given the opportunity to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and to restore the people and the city as well. God’s people had learned a few things in their 70 year captivity, and yet almost as soon as they returned to Canaan they began to return to the same behaviors that had led to their captivity. God chose to confront it again through the prophet Ezra. He wanted them to learn the lessons of repentance and reformation. If they did not then the 490 year prophecy of Daniel 9 would come into effect and Israel as a nation would cease to follow God.

Prayer for Today: We have seen this story play out before and we know the inevitable results of rebellion against You. We pray for these people in the past, and we pray for ourselves as well. We pray that we might get it right for ourselves so that we can be in harmony with You and someday meet and greet You directly and personally. Thank You for the opportunities You have granted to us.