[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY MAY 13

Fri May 13 04:15:38 UTC 2022

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR FRIDAY MAY 13

WORD OF WISDOM

Do you know what today being Friday the 13th means?...It's only 227 days
until Christmas!

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DAILY DEVOTION

The Open Invitation

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and
morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:16-17

Dr. A. T. Schofield told of attending one of the revival services held by D.
L. Moody in London. He was seated behind a prominent London attorney. At the
conclusion of the sermon, as the choir sang an invitation song, the man
remained in his seat. When Schofield spoke to him, the lawyer shrugged him
off. But a few days later, he came to the hospital where Schofield worked
and asked to see him. He had come to tell Schofield of his salvation. Though
he had been a member of a church for many years, he had never been saved.
The lawyer said, "While you were talking, I was listening to that choir. You
know how it kept at it-'Come to Jesus! Come to Jesus!' Well, the first fifty
times I didn't mind, but when it kept on unceasingly, and after I had heard
it about a hundred times, I began to think. And as it still went on, I
realized the truth of the Savior's words, 'Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28). I thought I
had better come. So I took the Lord Jesus as my Savior there and then and
went home rejoicing, and ever since my joy has been growing and growing; I
don't know how to contain it."
The invitation to accept God's gift of salvation is still open. Anyone who
comes to Him in faith can receive it. But the time is coming when the door
will be closed. We must reach those who are lost while there is still time.
The Lord has tasked us with the responsibility to invite and encourage
others to trust in Him for salvation.

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DAILY BIBLE READING

Ezra 7-10 New King James Version
The Arrival of Ezra
7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra
the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of
Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son
of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the
son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the chief priest- 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he
was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had
given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the
Lord his God upon him. 7 Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the
Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem
in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the
fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first day
of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day
of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his
God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek[a] the Law of the
Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest,
the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His
statutes to Israel:

12 [b]Artaxerxes, king of kings,

To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:

Perfect peace, and[c] so forth.

13 I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests
and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with
you. 14 And whereas you are being sent [d]by the king and his seven
counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law
of your God which is in your hand; 15 and whereas you are to carry the
silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the
God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem; 16 and whereas all the silver
and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the
freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered
for the [e]house of their God in Jerusalem- 17 now therefore, be careful to
buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and
their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God
in Jerusalem.

18 And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of
the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God. 19 Also
the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God,
deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever more may be
needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide,
pay for it from the king's treasury.

21 And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers
who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the
scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done
diligently, 22 up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of
wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without
prescribed limit. 23 Whatever [f]is commanded by the God of heaven, let it
diligently be done for the [g]house of the God of heaven. For why should
there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

24 Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or
custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or
servants of this house of God. 25 And you, Ezra, according to your God-given
wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in
the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and
teach those who do not know them. 26 Whoever will not observe the law of
your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him,
whether it be death, or [h]banishment, or confiscation of goods, or
imprisonment.

27 Blessed[i] be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as
this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in
Jerusalem, 28 and has extended mercy to me before the king and his
counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes.

So I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I
gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.

Heads of Families Who Returned with Ezra
8 These are the heads of their fathers' houses, and this is the genealogy of
those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2
of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the
sons of David, Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh,
Zechariah; and registered with him were one hundred and fifty males; 4 of
the sons of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two
hundred males; 5 of [j]the sons of Shechaniah, Ben-Jahaziel, and with him
three hundred males; 6 of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and
with him fifty males; 7 of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah,
and with him seventy males; 8 of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of
Michael, and with him eighty males; 9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son
of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males; 10 of [k]the sons of
Shelomith, Ben-Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males; 11 of
the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight
males; 12 of the sons of Azgad, Johanan [l]the son of Hakkatan, and with him
one hundred and ten males; 13 of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are
these-Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah-and with them sixty males; 14 also of
the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and [m]Zabbud, and with them seventy males.

Servants for the Temple
15 Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there
three days. And I looked among the people and the priests, and found none of
the sons of Levi there. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah,
Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leaders; also
for Joiarib and Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I gave them a command
for Iddo the chief man at the place Casiphia, and [n]I told them what they
should say to [o]Iddo and his brethren the Nethinim at the place
Casiphia-that they should bring us servants for the house of our God. 18
Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of
understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel,
namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; 19 and
Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and
their sons, twenty men; 20 also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders
had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty
Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might
humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and
our little ones and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request of
the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on
the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is
upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are
against all those who forsake Him." 23 So we fasted and entreated our God
for this, and He answered our prayer.

Gifts for the Temple
24 And I separated twelve of the leaders of the priests-Sherebiah,
Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them- 25 and weighed out to them
the silver, the gold, and the articles, the offering for the house of our
God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel who
were present, had offered. 26 I weighed into their hand six hundred and
fifty talents of silver, silver articles weighing one hundred talents, one
hundred talents of gold, 27 twenty gold basins worth a thousand drachmas,
and two vessels of fine polished bronze, precious as gold. 28 And I said to
them, "You are holy[p] to the Lord; the articles are holy also; and the
silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers.
29 Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leaders of the
priests and the Levites and heads of the fathers' houses of Israel in
Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord." 30 So the priests and
the Levites received the silver and the gold and the articles by weight, to
bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.

The Return to Jerusalem
31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first
month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He
delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. 32
So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.

33 Now on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the articles were
weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the
priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; with them were the
Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, 34 with
the number and weight of everything. All the weight was written down at that
time.

35 The children of those who had been carried away captive, who had come
from the captivity, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve
bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male
goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.

36 And they delivered the king's orders to the king's satraps and the
governors in the region beyond [q]the River. So they gave support to the
people and the [r]house of God.

Intermarriage with Pagans
9 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, "The people
of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from
the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the
Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of
their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy
seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the
leaders and rulers has been foremost in this [s]trespass." 3 So when I heard
this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair
of my head and beard, and sat down astonished. 4 Then everyone who trembled
at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the
transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat
astonished until the evening sacrifice.

5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my
garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord
my God. 6 And I said: "O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up
my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. 7 Since the days of our fathers
to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our kings,
and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation,[t] as it is this
day. 8 And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our
God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy
place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival
in our bondage. 9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our
bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to
revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give
us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. 10 And now, O our God, what shall we say
after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 11 which You commanded
by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to
possess is an unclean land, with the uncleanness of the peoples of the
lands, with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another
with their impurity. 12 Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives
for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their
peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land,
and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.' 13 And after all
that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You
our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us
such deliverance as this, 14 should we again break Your commandments, and
join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You
not be angry with us until You had [u]consumed us, so that there would be no
remnant or survivor? 15 O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are
left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt,
though no one can stand before You because of this!"

Confession of Improper Marriages
10 Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and
bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women,
and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly.
2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and
said to Ezra, "We have trespassed[v] against our God, and have taken pagan
wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite
of this. 3 Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away
all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the
advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God;
and let it be done according to the law. 4 Arise, for this matter is your
responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it."

5 Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all
Israel swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they
swore an oath. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went
into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there,
he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of
those from the captivity.

7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the
descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8 and that
whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of
the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he
himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three
days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the
people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this
matter and because of heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said
to them, "You have [w]transgressed and [x]have taken pagan wives, adding to
the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of
your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the
land, and from the pagan wives."

12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, "Yes! As you
have said, so we must do. 13 But there are many people; it is the season for
heavy rain, and we are not able to stand outside. Nor is this the work of
one or two days, for there are many of us who have transgressed in this
matter. 14 Please, let the leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all
those in our cities who have taken pagan wives come at appointed times,
together with the elders and judges of their cities, until the fierce wrath
of our God is turned away from us in this matter." 15 Only Jonathan the son
of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and
Shabbethai the Levite gave them support.

16 Then the descendants of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with
certain heads of the fathers' households, were set apart by the fathers'
households, each of them by name; and they sat down on the first day of the
tenth month to examine the matter. 17 By the first day of the first month
they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives.

Pagan Wives Put Away
18 And among the sons of the priests who had taken pagan wives the following
were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of [y]Jozadak, and his brothers:
Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 19 And they gave their promise that
they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they presented a ram of
the flock as their trespass offering.

20 Also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 of the sons of Harim:
Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 22 of the sons of Pashhur:
Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23 Also of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita),
Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24 Also of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem,
and Uri.

25 And others of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Jeziah, Malchiah,
Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah, and Benaiah; 26 of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah,
Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Eliah; 27 of the sons of Zattu:
Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza; 28 of the sons of
Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai; 29 of the sons of Bani:
Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and [z]Ramoth; 30 of the sons of
Pahath-Moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui,
and Manasseh; 31 of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah,
Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah; 33 of the sons of
Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and
Shimei; 34 of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah,
[aa]Cheluh, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai,
[ab]Jaasai, 38 Bani, Binnui, Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40
Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum,
Amariah, and Joseph; 43 of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad,
Zebina, [ac]Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

44 All these had taken pagan wives, and some of them had wives by whom they
had children.

Footnotes
Ezra 7:10 Study
Ezra 7:12 The original language of Ezra 7:12-26 is Aramaic.
Ezra 7:12 Lit. and now
Ezra 7:14 from before
Ezra 7:16 Temple
Ezra 7:23 Lit. is from the decree
Ezra 7:23 Temple
Ezra 7:26 Lit. rooting out
Ezra 7:27 The Hebrew language resumes in Ezra 7:27.
Ezra 8:5 So with MT, Vg.; LXX the sons of Zatho, Shechaniah
Ezra 8:10 So with MT, Vg.; LXX the sons of Banni, Shelomith
Ezra 8:12 Or the youngest son,
Ezra 8:14 Or Zakkur
Ezra 8:17 Lit. I put words in their mouths to say
Ezra 8:17 So with Vg.; MT to Iddo his brother; LXX to their brethren
Ezra 8:28 consecrated
Ezra 8:36 The Euphrates
Ezra 8:36 Temple
Ezra 9:2 unfaithfulness
Ezra 9:7 Lit. shame of faces
Ezra 9:14 destroyed
Ezra 10:2 been unfaithful to
Ezra 10:10 acted unfaithfully
Ezra 10:10 Heb. have caused to dwell or have brought back
Ezra 10:18 Jehozadak, 1 Chr. 6:14
Ezra 10:29 Or Jeremoth
Ezra 10:35 Or Cheluhi or Cheluhu
Ezra 10:37 Or Jaasu
Ezra 10:43 Or Jaddu