Mon.’s Devo - Building For the Next Generation

Read: Ezra 7:1-8:20; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21; Psalm 30:1-12; Proverbs 20:28-30 Ezra was a priest from the lineage of Aaron. He knew the law of God and came to Jerusalem with the exiled of Babylon. They came in the 7th year of King Artaxerxes reign. They traveled four months to get there. Ezra came to teach the people the law of the Lord. He came with a letter from Artaxerxes saying anyone who wanted to return to Jerusalem was allowed to do so. Ezra brought with him gold and silver from the people in Babylon to be used to provide the priests with what they needed to worship God. They were given things from the treasury that had been taken from the Temple years ago. He gave the priests exemption from paying taxes and gave Ezra the authority to appoint magistrates and judges among the Jews who knew God’s laws. He made God’s law the law of Jerusalem. A list of the genealogy of all the returning exiles was given. Ezra noticed that no one on the list was a Levite so he sent for some Levites. He was sent Sherebiah with his eighteen sons and brothers and Hashabiah with twenty of his sons and brothers. He also sent for Temple servants who were assigned to assist the Levites. In Corinth, Paul made it clear that he was just a man trying to do God’s will. God’s wisdom is above all human reasoning and in the end, all in the dark would be brought to the light. Paul knew that he was a pioneer, taking all the persecution so that we could walk safely. He was willing to look like a fool so the next generation would be accepted. He did the hard work, plowing a very hard ground so that it would be easier for those who followed. Paul sent them Timothy who was young but was trained by Paul. He was to teach them what Paul had taught him so that when Paul did come, he could come with gentleness and not rebuke. Lord, thank you for the ones who have gone before us and plowed up the dry ground so that we can walk easier and grow. May we build for the next generation.