SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/19/2011 8:39:52 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Concern: PT-1 A
Privileged People
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference: Ezra 9:3-7
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 judgment 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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