Sun.’s Devo - Ezra’s Return to Jerusalem

Read: Ezra 8:21-9:15; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 21:1-2 Ezra had to take over a thousand people plus lots of gold and silver across land that was know for having robbers and murderers. Ezra was too embarrassed to ask for army protection from the king because he didn’t want the king to think that they doubted their God’s ability to bring them safely to Jerusalem. So instead, he asked his people to pray and fast for safety. They fasted from the 12th to the 15th of Nissan which was Passover. Then they set out to travel again and God protected them all the way. When they arrived in Jerusalem, Ezra was told that many of the people along with some of the Levites and priests living there had taken up the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites and other nations that God had told them to drive out of their land. They had married their women and polluted the Jewish race. Ezra was appalled and speechless. He tore his clothes and bowed to cry out to the Lord. He prayed a prayer of forgiveness and repentance for his nation who was bent on sinning. Paul was facing the same revelations in Corinthians. He was hearing stories of the sexual misconduct of the body of Christ in Corinth. A man in their church was living with his mother-in-law and they were proud of their tolerance of them when Paul said they should be appalled and remove him from their fellowship. They needed to not only throw him out of their fellowship but turn him over to Satan so that his sinful nature would be destroyed and he himself would be saved on Judgment Day. His sin would be like yeast that would spread to the others if they didn’t squelch it. Paul made it clear that we don’t judge or disassociate with sinners in the world because we are not their judge. We are the judge of those in our fellowship and spiritual family. Lord, we repent of the sin of the Church and our nation. We pray your mercy and forgiveness.