Considering how excited I was last week to tell you about Cyrus being named in Isaiah 150 years earlier than Daniel, I am sure that you know my reaction to reading Ezra 1 – when Cyrus sent the Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem and even sent back the articles that had been taken out of the temple by King Neb. How wonderful it was to read of their traditions being restored and the Temple being rebuilt. Then in Chapter 4, the work on the Temple was stopped because of lies told by Israel’s enemies. It wasn’t until we read these three books, Ezra, Haggai and Zechariah, side by side that I realized that they were contemporaries.
Psalm 84 is the basis of one of my favorite praise and worship songs “Better is One Day.” Did you start singing it as you read this Psalm? I did.
Luke 7 has one of my favorite stories in it – the raising of the widow’s son. Coming into town was the parade of Life, Jesus, His disciples, and a crowd of followers. Coming out of the town was the parade of death, the son’s coffin, the widowed mother, and the mourners. When the two parades met, the parade of death was defeated and the son was returned to the mother. Death is always defeated by the Life, Jesus.
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Oct 1…....Zech 10-12, Psalm 126, Luke 14
Monday, Oct 2…...Zech 13-14; Psalm 147; Luke 15
Tuesday, Oct 3…..Ezra 5-6, Psalm 139; Luke 16
Wed. Oct 4…...… Esther 1-2; Psalm 150, Luke 17
Thurs, Oct 5…..…Esther 3-8; Luke 18
Friday, Oct 6…… Esther 9-10; Luke 19
Sat. Oct 7……...…Ezra 7-8; Luke 20