The psalmist is being overwhelmed, and asks God to save him for that feeling of being out in deep water, and near drowning. He anticipates that God will act, not just setting him on dry land, but restoring him to the land which is his inheritance, where God’s glory manifests itself.
LORD, rescue us, we are in over our heads.
After a long delay, rebuilding begins and another challenge to it. The elders were authorized, so they had no problem with asking for the king’s decree to be made known. The prophets urged that the rebuilding proceed as well. There will come times in our lives and ministries when God’s will is so clear that no one dare oppose it. At other times, we must make value judgments. When the world and the church can work together, they should.
LORD, give us clarity of insight concerning your will for our activity.
This psalm celebrates God’s protection and provision for his people, including the great battles he won for them. The point is that it was God’s greatness, not the overwhelming might of Israel’s armies that won the battles. Mention is made of young men of fighting age who hide out among the sheep instead of going to war. The LORD gave victory in spite of the lazy and fearful who refused to fight. Such is the case in the church today. Even the busiest of warriors in God’s kingdom must admit that the victories we win are more from God’s grace than from our efforts.
LORD, forgive us for lying among the sheepfolds. Inspire us to fight, but never to trust in our efforts alone to win the battles.
The returning exiles were offered the “help” of a group of “people of the land” in their God-given and king approved task of rebuilding the temple. They chose to turn that offer down. These were actually adversaries seeking to disrupt the work. This was shown in the review of subsequent history. From that time on, the people of the land (leftovers from syncretistic Samaria) made sure that the rebuilding would not happen. They had been wolves in sheep’s clothing.
LORD, give us discernment, so that we know who our real allies are.
The beginning words of this psalm sound like the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). Every Israelite would be familiar with these words. They stand as a kind of national motto. Yet, the psalm is not about national identity as much as it is about international missions. God’s grace and blessing was to be upon his people so that they could witness of it to the peoples – all the nations. This psalm uses the words of a harvest song to speak of the great harvest – the worldwide harvest of souls for eternity.
LORD, bless us so that we might declare your praise to the nations.
The sound of loud rejoicing filled the city when the foundations of the new temple were laid. Those who were there could also hear another sound, mixed in with the cries of joy. The old timers who had known Solomon’s temple were weeping. They just knew that this temple would in no way make up for the shame of the loss of that greatness. They knew that the future would never be as great as the past had been. They were wrong. One day, that city shall stand as the center of the fulfillment of Israel’s hope’s and humanity’s restoration. The Messiah will come, and take up his place as King in the nation, and of the nations. If only they knew.
LORD, thank you for the hope of the return of Jesus Christ.
Sacrifices and offerings at the temple were an occasion for people to “come and see what God has done.” Each such event was an opportunity for people to tell how God allowed them to be tested and then rescued them from the test. It was an opportunity to show gratitude to God for listening to their prayers. It was a time of testimony, where the believer invites others who fear God to come and hear what God has done for his soul.
The ultimate sacrifice took place in Jerusalem as well. The Son of God was put to death, and the people did not even realize what they were doing. Now, we invite the world to come and see what God has done through his death. Our rescue came through that sacrifice. We invite you to come and hear what God has done for your soul.
LORD, thank you for the supreme sacrifice of your innocent Son, to rescue us from our sins.
This tremendous event – the reoccupation of the homeland of Judah – was personally experienced by thousands who are listed here. Every now and then we experience a day or an event that we think might be very significant. Time will only tell if the things we think are significant really turn out to be. The events of the reoccupation described in the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah were unmistakably significant. It remained for those people experiencing the events to see that their lives were as significant as the times they were living were.
LORD, make our lives count.
At first, the awesome deeds of the LORD which he is being praised for seem to be the same natural wonders of psalm 19: nature declaring the glory of its designer. But then, the psalmist paints a picture of wagons overloaded with harvest abundance, and valleys decked out with golden grain. These too are God’s awesome deeds. He gives the abundance that is the result of “our work.” If he withheld his hand, all our toil would be useless.
Thank you LORD, for performing your miraculous awesome deeds, and making our work accomplish your purposes.
People attribute Cyrus’ decision to restore the holy cities beyond the Tigris river to good royal strategy – and it was. But the writer of Ezra recognizes that the mastermind behind that good royal strategy is the LORD. He intends to fulfill his promise to restore his city, and return his people. He uses king Cyrus to begin that restoration. At stake is more than a ruined city. At stake is the glory of the LORD. When God wants to do something, he will get it done. If it takes turning the heart of a pagan king, that’s what he will do. Pray for God to do something, and do not be surprised if he moves your heart to get it done.
LORD, make a difference in our community, and use us if you wish.
Psalm 69
Ezra 5
Psalm 68
Ezra 4
Psalm 67
Ezra 3
Psalm 66
Ezra 2
Psalm 65
Ezra 1
