And Ezra opened the book
in the sight of all the people ...
and when he opened it,
all the people stood up.
Nehemiah 8:5
For years, the prophets warned Israel: "Follow God's Word. Follow God's commands. The alternative is destruction." Do you think the people listened? No. So God -- as he warned -- took his hand of protection off. As promised, destruction came. Israel was overrun. Jerusalem was destroyed. And the Israelites became slaves and exiles.
But God did not forget his people! After a generation -- about forty fitful, fateful years -- God brought Israel home. Through Ezra the priest and Nehemiah the governor, the city walls were rebuilt and the holy city began to be restored.
As the project neared completion, Ezra stood before the re-formed people of Israel. He unraveled the scrolls -- the books of Moses, the Torah, the Law! And what did the people do? They stood up! Why? Such was their reverence for the word of God!
On that day, those standing people and that repentant nation was saying essentially, "We ignored the Lord, did it our way, and look what happened -- exile and destruction. So ... maybe ... maybe ... we should try it God's way!" With that reading of scripture, a golden age of Judaism began.
Our golden ages begin whenever stand before God and his word. Welcome back to daily devotions.
In Christ's Love,
a guy who wants tired legs
from standing too much!
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