NOVEMBER 19, 2015
As It Is
Written
[They]
built the altar . . . to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written.— nkjv
Ezra 3:2
Read:
Ezra 3:1-6
When it comes to
putting things together—electronics, furniture, and the like—my son and I have
differing approaches. Steve is more mechanically inclined, so he tends to toss
the instructions aside and just start in. Meanwhile, I’m poring over the “Read This
Before Starting” warning while he has already put the thing halfway together.
Sometimes we can get
by without the instructions. But when it comes to putting together a life that
reflects the goodness and wisdom of God, we can’t afford to ignore the directions
He’s given to us in the Bible.
The Israelites who had
returned to their land after the Babylonian captivity are a good example of
this. As they began to reestablish worship in their homeland, they prepared to
do so “in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses” (Ezra 3:2). By
building a proper altar and in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles as
prescribed by God in Leviticus 23:33-43, they did exactly what God’s directions
told them to do.
Christ gave His
followers some directions too. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And “love your neighbor
as yourself” (Matt. 22:37,39). When we believe in Him and come to Him, He shows
us the way to live. The One who made us knows far better than we do how life is
supposed to work.
Remind us, Lord, as we
start each day that You have already shown us by Your example how to live. Help
us to read Your Word and follow the directions You so graciously provide for
us.
If we want God to lead us, we must be willing
to follow Him.
INSIGHT:
Twice in today’s
passage Ezra records that the people returning from exile did things “in
accordance with what is written” (vv. 2,4). However, what makes these
statements impressive is what is found in the middle of the paragraph. They did
all these things “despite their fear of the peoples around them”—the residents
of Judah who were not part of the returning exiles (v. 3). J.R. Hudberg
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015