Today in the Word Devotional

ตอน

• 
  Covenant Unfaithfulness 27.09.2026 2นาที

  From time to time my wife and I leave our three young sons with a babysitter. On the way home I always feel the same anxiety—did our children torment this sweet girl who watched them for a few hours? I’ve never gotten a bad report, but I still worry. Ezra, unfortunately, received a bad report about the behavior of the people living in Israel. Chapter 9 begins, “After these things had been done.” This was after the delivery of valuables and the sacrifices mentioned in yesterday’s passage—the leaders delivered their report to Ezra. “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices” (v. 1). In fact, they’ve gone so far as to take “some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons” (v. 2). What’s even worse, “the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness” (v. 2). Remember—God had long ago commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with the surrounding peoples. Why? Because “they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you” (Deut. 7:4). This is how God’s people ended up in exile in the first place! Now they had disobeyed again, returning to the practices that had caused God to judge them nearly a century ago. When he heard this report, Ezra was “appalled.” He says, “I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard” (v. 3). Then Ezra did what we’ve come to expect: “I...fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God” (v. 5). God’s people had sinned, but Ezra remained faithful and turned to the Lord in his devastation.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Arrival in Jerusalem 26.09.2026 2นาที

  Reaching the end of a long journey is a beautiful thing—you step out of the car, stretch your legs, and look forward to some rest and relaxation. In our study of the book of Ezra, we’ve seen this godly leader and his co-travelers reach the end of their long trip to Jerusalem—all without the benefit of planes, trains, or automobiles! Earlier in chapter 8 Ezra refused to ask the king for protection on the journey, even though the returnees were bringing with them an enormous amount of silver and gold. In today’s market, the value of the materials listed in 8:26–27 reaches $604,081,991.20. Ezra was wise to proclaim a fast and ask for the Lord’s protection on their trip home! In verse 31 we read that the Lord indeed answered their prayers: “The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way.” As we’ve seen many times already since meeting Ezra in chapter 7, he is quick to credit the Lord for his success. He never took credit for himself but rather consistently acknowledged God’s grace and kindness toward him. Ezra and the returnees rested for three days (v. 32). Then they “weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest” (v. 33). The men proved faithful: “Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time” (v. 34). The exiles then worshiped the Lord. They sacrificed “twelve bulls for all Israel” (v. 35), again reminding us that the people returning from exile represent all Israel and not just the ten tribes of Judah (see discussion on September 19). Now in Jerusalem, Ezra and his group of Levites and temple servants “gave assistance to the people and to the house of God” (v. 36).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  A Safe Journey 25.09.2026 2นาที

  You’ve mapped out your journey. The car is packed. The children are buckled in. But before you embark on a cross-country road trip, what else do you do? If you were Ezra, you would stop and plead yet again for the Lord to give you a safe and successful journey. In 8:21, Ezra said: “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.” We’ve already seen Ezra trust the Lord time and again during his preparations to return to Jerusalem. Today’s reading gives us insight into Ezra’s thought process. He was “ashamed to ask the king” for protection on the journey. Why? He had already assured the king that “the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him” (v. 22). Ezra didn’t want to appear to dishonor the Lord by asking for human help when he’d already been clear in saying that God would care for him. So, Ezra says, “we fasted and petitioned our God about this” (v. 23). Just as we’ve seen God do many times throughout the book of Ezra, God answered their prayer (v. 23). The rest of today’s passage lists the many valuable items that Ezra and the returnees brought with them to Jerusalem. Here we see Ezra’s practical wisdom again. He entrusts “twelve of the leading priests” with care of the valuables and charges them to deliver the items safely to their destination (v. 24). For all the details involved in this journey, Ezra trusts the Lord, fasting and praying. He also takes appropriate steps to ensure success. Both were needed.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Needing Help 24.09.2026 2นาที

  I’m not very handy, but from time to time I’ll attempt a DIY home project. These typically require about a hundred trips to Home Depot, lots of hand-wringing, and then a call to a buddy or two for help. In today’s passage Ezra wasn’t wringing his hands or running to the home improvement store, but he did realize he needed more help. He called for reinforcements. The passage opens with Ezra and the list of people in 8:1–14 “assembled ... at the canal that flows toward Ahava” (v. 15). They camped “there three days,” during which Ezra “checked among the people and the priests,” searching for Levites (v. 15). He did not find any, so he gathered several leaders, whom he refers to as “men of learning,” and sends them to “Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia” (vv. 16–17). We don’t know exactly what Kasiphia refers to, but we do know there were Levites there, and the “men of learning” returned to Ezra with 20 more Levites, in addition to 220 “temple servants” (vv. 19–20). Ezra would need these temple servants, who ensure smooth and proper functioning at the Jerusalem temple, reestablishing and then maintaining proper worship. As has been Ezra’s pattern, he credits the Lord with the success of this mission. It succeeded “because the gracious hand of our God was on us” (Ezra 8:18). A few things stand out about this passage. First, Ezra was humble. He recognized when he needed help and was willing to ask for it. Second, Ezra was wise. He took all necessary precautions to ensure his work would be successful. Third, Ezra relied fully on the Lord. Here and throughout the book, we see Ezra credit the Lord with any and all of his success.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Ezra’s Response 23.09.2026 2นาที

  What do you do when God provides an unexpected gift in your life? In the time of Ezra, the reigning king, Artaxerxes, had a huge change of heart. He went from shutting down work on the temple to giving full support and sending Ezra to teach God’s people God’s law. Today, we see how Ezra responds to this kindness from the Lord. His reaction is a model for us as we reflect on the many ways God continues to work in our world today. After Artaxerxes listed all the financial resources he was supplying for the temple, he issued an order that Ezra was eager to obey: “And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them” (Ezra 7:25). Ezra gave credit for all of this to the Lord. He says, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way” (v. 27). And for the third time since we met Ezra in Ezra 7:1, he says that “the hand of the LORD my God was on me” (v. 28). And so Ezra obeyed the king’s order, which in this case was consistent with what God had called him to do: “I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me” (v. 28). As we read of God’s work in ancient Persia and His faithfulness to Ezra individually and His people as a whole, we cannot help but to marvel at both. Ezra’s response of worship and courage is a model to follow as the Lord works in our own lives.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Miraculous Decree 22.09.2026 2นาที

  Changing hearts, reversal of fortune, good winning out over evil—those are my favorite types of books to read and movies to watch. There’s something refreshing and encouraging when we see the little guy win or the hardhearted ruler change his ways. In Ezra 4 we learned about the opposition God’s people faced. At that time, Artaxerxes had issued “an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order” (Ezra 4:21). In Ezra 7, we witness nothing short of a miracle, especially in light of Artaxerxes’ earlier decree. Here the Persian king shows enormous favor to Ezra and God’s people living in Persia: “I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go” (Ezra 7:13). But wait, there’s more. Artaxerxes didn’t just allow his subjects to return to the land of promise, he paved the way with gold (almost literally!). He told Ezra, “Take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel” (v. 15). He added “the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God” (v. 19). And if that was not enough, “anything else needed ... you may provide from the royal treasury” (v. 20). But the king still didn’t stop! He listed abundant supplies, like gold and silver, wheat, wine, olive oil, and salt. There was a slight hiccup in the king’s changed heart. He ended his decree in typical domineering fashion: “Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment” (v. 26). Even so, what a reversal for this king who had earlier shut down construction in Israel!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Ezra the Scribe 21.09.2026 2นาที

  When movies switch back and forth in time, a caption on the screen will typically appear: “twenty years later” or “1957.” The book of Ezra doesn’t quite do that, but it does use the reigns of kings to signal transitions in time. Chapter 6 ends in 515 BC, with the completion of the temple. Chapter 7 opens nearly 60 years later, “during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia.” The author introduces us to Ezra, the godly scribe who returns to Jerusalem to teach God’s people. The chapter then transitions to another long list of names (remember chapter 2?). This time it’s the genealogy of Ezra, recorded in order to prove his qualifications. Ezra’s lineage traces back to the first high priest, Aaron (Exod. 28–29). We also see a few familiar names. Hilkiah was the priest who ministered during Josiah’s reign, when the Book of the Law was rediscovered and revival broke out in Judah (2 Kings 22). Phinehas was the famous Levite who defended God’s name in the wilderness (Num. 25). Ezra had a heritage to be proud of! We read that “priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants” came to Jerusalem with Ezra (Ezra 7:7). Verse 6 says “the hand of the LORD his God was on” Ezra, and the same message is repeated in verse 9: “the gracious hand of his God was on him.” What is significant about Ezra is that he was “well versed in the Law of Moses” (v. 6). He “had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (v. 10). Ezra was just what the people needed. He was a faithful priest who was devoted to learning God’s Word. This appointed man of God could teach them to follow God with their whole hearts.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Passover Observed 20.09.2026 2นาที

  Many churches observe Communion weekly; you may call it the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist. Others observe it monthly or quarterly. Jesus commanded that His followers do this regularly in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19). The wine (or grape juice) represents the blood of the new covenant, and the bread represents His body, broken for us. The Lord’s Supper was patterned after the Passover meal, which Jesus shared with His disciples on the night Judas betrayed Him (Luke 22:14–23). In Ezra 6, the returnees were celebrating Passover and the ensuing seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread. This festival commemorated that harrowing night when “the destroyer” (Exod. 12:23) went through Egypt killing the firstborn of all families who did not have the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. The meal celebrated God’s incredible rescue of His people from slavery, His great kindness in passing over them, and His utter faithfulness to Abraham’s children. The priest and Levites took care to be “ceremonially clean” (Ezra 6:20), just as the Lord commanded. “The Israelites who had returned from exile” ate the meal. Joining them were “all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel” (v. 21). Note the emphasis on following God completely. Both religious leaders and the everyday people were seeking the Lord with obedience. The people “celebrated with joy” because “the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria” (v. 22). In contrast to Pharaoh, who stubbornly refused to let God’s people go and whose heart God hardened, God softened the heart of the foreign ruler. Either way, the Lord receives the glory for His faithful care.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  The Temple Dedicated 19.09.2026 2นาที

  Have you ever been part of a church moving into a new building? If so, you understand the significance of the celebration described in Ezra 6: God’s people were rejoicing at the completion of the temple! Verse 13 reports that Tattenai, the governor of Trans-Euphrates, and his associates received Darius’s letter to support the completion of the temple. They “carried it out with diligence.” Because of this, “the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah” (v. 14). Finally, two decades after their return from exile, God’s people “finished building the temple” (approx. 515 BC). An enormous celebration ensued! A rough, low-end estimate of the value of the animals they sacrificed in today’s market? A quarter of a million dollars! Significantly, the people offered “a sin offering for all Israel” that included “twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel” (v. 17). The northern kingdom of Israel had all but ceased to exist when the Assyrian forces overran the nation in 722 BC and scattered its people. This return from exile symbolically encompassed all of Israel’s tribes, not just the southern kingdom of Judah that had been exiled to Babylon and was now returning to the promised land. These returnees were a remnant, a small portion who represented all of Israel’s tribes, not just the southern kingdom of Judah, which comprised two tribes, Benjamin and Judah. Today, we ourselves are God’s temple, with His Spirit living within us. But in the Old Testament, God’s presence dwelled specially in the temple, where His people worshiped Him and offered sacrifices. All that to say, these few verses depict a significant moment for God’s people.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  The Heart of Kings 18.09.2026 2นาที

  Have you ever experienced waiting for some bureaucratic decision over which you had no real power? You fill out the forms, state your case, pray like crazy, and then just wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. Ezra 6 gives us an inside look on what was happening on the government side of things, at least in ancient Persia. King Darius had received Tattenai’s letter (Ezra 5:7–17) and took to heart its request to search the archives for Cyrus’s decree. Ezra 6:1–2 tells us that a search was made and in fact such a decree was found. Of course, we already know about the decree from Ezra’s first chapter and the last chapter of 2 Chronicles. The second half of Darius’s letter to Tattenai and his associates goes into great detail about how they were not to simply allow the work to continue but support it (vv. 6–12). Remarkably, the king even allotted tax revenue to rebuild God’s temple: “Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates” (v. 8). The returnees were to be given “whatever is needed,” including “young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil.” In short anything the priests requested “must be given them daily without fail” (v. 9). Darius then, with typical flair, adds a stark punishment for whoever might oppose the rebuilding of God’s temple: “I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble” (v. 11). The Lord had moved Cyrus’s heart to favor the exiles, and here He moves Darius’s heart to do the same. The Lord is indeed the true King over the entire earth!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Report to the King 17.09.2026 2นาที

  How do Christians live faithfully when governed by unbelieving leaders, especially in a culture that is often hostile to the Christian faith? This brief section in Ezra gives a clear example of how we can faithfully give witness in a way that is gentle, kind, firm, and clear. Previously Tattenai, the governor of the province where Jerusalem was situated, had questioned the Jewish leaders about their work rebuilding the temple (see Ezra 5:1–5). There we read that “the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews” (v. 5). Verses 6–7 introduces the “copy of the letter that Tattenai ... sent to King Darius.” And the following verses record the contents of the letter. The letter informed the king that the Jewish people were rebuilding “the temple of the great God” (v. 8) and that the provincial leaders had inquired about the work (vv. 9–10). The Jewish leaders responded: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon” (vv. 11–12). Note the content and tone of their response. They witnessed faithfully to the Lord, “the God of heaven and earth,” and gave the theological reason for their exile: “our ancestors angered the God of heaven.” The leaders did not cling to their “rights” or demand that the king and government leaders mind their own business. Instead, they witnessed clearly and faithfully to the true God and stated simply what they were doing and why. Their response shows how we can live faithfully in a non-Christian culture.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Experiencing Hardship 16.09.2026 2นาที

  Chances are good that you’ve experienced some sort of trouble as you’ve lived out your Christian faith. But experiencing hardship should not be a surprise. After all, Jesus promised His disciples certain trouble in this world (John 16:33). In the book of Ezra, God’s people experienced serious opposition to their plan to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Ezra 4:24 told us that “the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” In Ezra 5, the year was 520 BC. Here we see the truth Jesus repeated to His disciples: “Take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Verse 1 mentions a couple of significant names: Haggai and Zechariah. Verse 1 says, “Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.” You can read more about these prophets in the biblical books named after them. They stirred the people to begin rebuilding God’s temple and supported the work of Israel’s two primary political and religious leaders: “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak” (v. 2). This renewed work drew the attention of Tattenai, the “governor of Trans-Euphrates” (v. 3). Trans-Euphrates was the province of which Jerusalem was a part. The section ends by stating that “the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received” (v. 5). God was with His people, and He would ensure that the temple would be rebuilt so that they might worship Him as He had commanded them.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Comeback Story 15.09.2026 2นาที

  There’s a reason they don’t make movies about sports teams that dominate every opponent. That would be boring! By contrast, everyone loves a great comeback story. The team must overcome an initial obstacle, stiff opposition, or even apparent failure before the triumphant conclusion. The chronology at the end of Ezra 4 is a bit confusing. Verses 17–23 relate to the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem. Verse 21 states, “Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.” This order came from the Persian king Artaxerxes, who ruled from 464 to 424 BC. He is the king who received the letter recorded in verses 11–16. The final verse in today’s reading (v. 24) jumps back several decades to discuss the status of the temple rebuilding project. It states, “Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” Temple construction had begun in 538 BC when the exiles first returned. That’s what Ezra 1:1–4:5 is all about. Temple reconstruction would stop the next year and not start again until Darius’s second year, that is, 520 BC. To summarize, these two sections lump together two instances of successful opposition to God’s people. In 4:17–23, opposition to rebuilding the city itself succeeded. That occurred somewhere during 464 to 424 BC. In Ezra 4:24, the author reminds us of successful opposition to rebuilding the temple, which ceased for eighteen years, several decades before King Artaxerxes ordered that city construction stop. Ezra 4:17–23 sets us up for the comeback story recorded in the book of Nehemiah. And verse 24 prepares us for the comeback story starting in chapter 5. The temple will be rebuilt!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Twisting the Truth 14.09.2026 2นาที

  The New Testament confirms that Satan “is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). We see evidence of this in the very first book of the Bible. In the garden of Eden, the serpent twisted God’s words to deceive Eve (Gen. 3:1). And in Ezra 4:6–16, we see another example of the enemy twisting the truth in order to harm God’s people. Verse 6 gives helpful historical context: “at the beginning of the reign of Xerxes.” Xerxes ruled Persia from 485 to 465 BC. The next verse refers to “the days of Artaxerxes,” who ruled from 464 to 424 BC. The author is emphasizing that God’s people faced opposition for an extended time—decades! This was not a one-time occurrence cleared up in a few days. The letter to Artaxerxes called Jerusalem a “rebellious and wicked city” (v. 12). It stated that “this city was destroyed” because it “is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces” (v. 15). That was all true. The city was rebellious and wicked. Most significantly, God exiled His people because they consistently worshiped false gods and refused to obey Him. But the letter writer was not concerned with Jerusalem’s idolatry or mistreatment of the poor, the orphans, or the widows. Those opposing God’s work in Jerusalem twisted the truth of God’s people’s sins in order to manipulate the earthly ruler Artaxerxes into stopping the rebuilding project. In short, the letter did not technically lie, but it left out the whole truth. Namely, God’s people had rebelled against God Himself. They had experienced God’s discipline for their sin, repented of their sin, and now God had restored them to the land He had already given them. The accusations lodged against God’s people didn’t tell the whole story. In fact, they left out the most important parts: sin, repentance, and God’s glorious grace.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Partnering in Ministry 13.09.2026 2นาที

  Determining who to partner with in ministry can be tricky. For example, what level of theological alignment is necessary to lock arms with others in common causes? In Ezra 4, we read that a group of people living in Israel attempted to join the temple-rebuilding efforts, but the returnees refused their help. Why? These verses indicate that opposition from the people living in the land had persisted for many decades. Verse 5 states, “They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.” Cyrus is the Cyrus mentioned at the beginning of Ezra, the one who decreed that the exiles should return to Jerusalem to rebuild. Darius I—not the Darius in the book of Daniel—came to power in Persia in 522 BC. Ezra 4:6–7 mentions opposition during the reign of Xerxes (485–465 BC) and the reign of Artaxerxes (464–424 BC). These few verses outline a period of opposition to God’s work that spanned at least 70 years (537–464 BC)! The “enemies of Judah and Benjamin” (Ezra 4:1) who offered to help say they “have been sacrificing to [God] since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here” (v. 2). Esarhaddon ruled Assyria from 680 to 669 BC. So these people had been in the promised land for more than a century. Though they claimed to worship God like the returnees, at most they worshiped Him as one of many gods. We know this from 2 Kings 17:14–24, which details the syncretism and false worship of the people whom the Assyrians brought to Israel. The returnees refused to compromise by allowing unfaithful people to join in the rebuilding of the LORD’s temple.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  The Foundation Laid 12.09.2026 2นาที

  The foundation is the most important part of any building. It has to be stable, secure, and well-built. It’s also the first part to be built because, well, everything else goes on top of it. In Ezra 3:7–13 we read about the laying of the temple’s foundation. There’s great rejoicing over this monumental step, but it’s mixed with weeping from some of the people who were old enough to remember the first temple. Verses 7 and 8 recount that the workers received payment for their work. This is a small detail that reminds us of what Jesus said in Luke 10:7: “The worker deserves his wages.” Ezra 3:8 gives us a date stamp: “the second month of the second year.” This is April–May, 537 BC; it’s the same month (though a different year, of course) that Solomon began work on the first temple (1 Kings 6). Great care was taken to ensure that the work was overseen properly. This was a massive undertaking of supreme importance. Finally in verse 10 we read that “the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD.” The priests and Levites erupted in praise, some with trumpets and other with cymbals, and all of them singing “praise and thanksgiving...to the LORD” (v. 11). Quoting Psalm 107:1, they rejoice in God’s hesed, His covenant love toward His people Israel. He had brought them back from exile and allowed them once again to worship Him in the land of Israel (v. 11). Next the people “gave a great shout of praise,” but some of them “wept aloud” even while “many others shouted for joy” (vv. 11–12). Their great rejoicing was tinged with sorrow for those who had seen Solomon’s temple. Nevertheless, they all rejoiced, for God had shown great faithfulness to His people.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Read the Instructions 11.09.2026 2นาที

  There are two types of people in the world—people who read the instructions before trying to assemble furniture, and others who plunge right in. I guess there’s also a third type: people like me who give up before starting. In Ezra 3:4–6 we learn that God’s people were the “read the instructions first” type, at least when it came to what was truly important—worshiping the Lord in the way He wanted to be worshiped. We read that they “celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles” “in accordance with what is written” (v. 4). The author goes on to tell us that they presented “the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day” (v. 4). After that, “they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD” (v. 5). Why spend so much space outlining exactly how God’s people obeyed when He could have left it at “in accordance with what is written”? It’s because the author wants to drive home the point that the returned exiles obeyed completely. They followed God’s prescriptions for sacrifice to the letter. Complete obedience matters, especially for these people who had just returned from a seven-decades-long exile due to their lack of obedience. This section ends with a summary statement about the people’s sacrifices: “On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD.” And it ends by saying they did all of this even “though the foundation of the LORD’s temple had not yet been laid” (v. 6). God’s people had their priorities in order. They built the altar and began to worship God rightly. And they did all of that first, before they’d even begun work on the temple’s foundation.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Faithfulness over Fear 10.09.2026 2นาที

  Courage is not a lack of fear. Courage is doing the right thing even when we’re afraid. We see courage on display in Ezra 3, when the people came “together as one” (v. 1), built an altar, and began offering sacrifices “despite their fear” (v. 3). The chapter opens with the notice that “the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns” (v. 1). The seventh month, or Tishri (September–October), plays a particularly important role in Israel’s calendar. This is when Israel was to celebrate the new year, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Festival of Tabernacles (see Lev. 23:23–44; Num. 29). This is also the month Solomon dedicated the first temple and prayed his prayer that foreshadowed the people’s sin, the exile, and God’s merciful forgiveness and restoration of His people (see 2 Chron. 6, esp. vv. 36–39). The returnees wasted no time in getting started on the most important feature of the rebuilt temple: the altar. Significantly, they did this “in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses, the man of God” (Ezra 3:2). The returnees made every effort to avoid the sins that had caused the Lord to expel them from the land. They were off to a good start, paying close attention to what God revealed in Exodus 27:1–8. In Ezra 3:3 we read that “they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.” This is consistent with what God commanded through Moses in Numbers 28:1–4. Despite their fear, God’s people demonstrated courage in keeping the Lord’s commands and following the instructions He had given them so many centuries ago. May we demonstrate the same faithfulness over fear!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Right Priorities 09.09.2026 2นาที

  My family and I travel by car twice a year from our home in Sandpoint, Idaho, to a little school in the mountains of Colorado about 1,200 miles away. It usually takes us three days, with several stops and, of course, an overnight at a hotel with a pool. In the book of Ezra, the journey home for the exiles (50,000 people!) was about 900 miles. They traveled by caravan, not by car—a journey that took around four months. What an ordeal! Now, imagine yourself on a four-month, 900-mile walk with 50,000 of your closest friends. What are you thinking about when you arrive? Crashing into bed? Setting up your new home? Getting something to eat? I’m sure the returnees did all that, but verse 68 describes one thing in particular they did: “When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site.” God’s people gave! They had just made what must have been an exhausting trip across the Middle East, and the first thing they did upon arrival was to give. Why did they give? So the temple could be rebuilt. Think about that. I’m sure they were exhausted, hungry, tired, worn out, ready for a nap, anxious to get started on their own homes, and a million other things that needed to get done so they could settle into this new life in the promised land. But they put the first thing first. They prioritized restoring God’s temple, because they knew that their relationship with God mattered more than anything else. This example is a reminder for us today to prioritize God and our relationship with Him above all else.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
• 
  Holy Priesthood 08.09.2026 2นาที

  Growing up Protestant, and Southern Baptist at that, I had very little understanding of what it meant to be a priest. My limited knowledge was based on the depiction of Roman Catholic priests in popular media. In the Old Testament, the priesthood was quite a bit different. Priests were assigned to offer sacrifices on behalf of God’s people and teach the people His law. These priests were descended from Aaron, the first high priest. And, in the New Testament, we learn that Jesus is the ultimate high priest (Heb. 4:14–16). Through Jesus, all believers are priests: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God’s people had been exiled from the promised land for their sin, which included improperly worshiping the Lord. So, as they prepared to return from exile, it was essential that they worship God in the way He said they should worship Him. These few verses highlight the necessity of only allowing people qualified to serve as priests for that role. In fact, it was so imperative that if a family could not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were in the family tree of Aaron, then they “were excluded from the priesthood as unclean” (v. 62) and forbidden from eating the sacrifices offered to the Lord. Following God’s commands to the letter was that important. Obeying God fully remains an important part of our relationship with Him today. He is still holy and still demands that we obey Him with our whole hearts. Jesus is our great high priest, and all believers in Jesus are priests with direct access to the Father. Hallelujah!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.