Ezra 8:24-36 - Thanksgiving For Safety And Success
Into our hands also is committed first the rich treasure and solemn trust of our own souls, and next the great deposit of the gospel; 1 Timothy 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:20. In order to fulfil this sacred charge there must be purity, "Ye are holy;" and sleepless vigilance, "Watch ye." There were ambushes and designs on their safety, but the foe was unable to break through the divine environment, Ezra 8:31. How safe are we who live in God! What joy as the little band weighed the vessels, and rendered up their charge, Luke 19:16. Is not this a picture of our entrance into heaven, when we also shall acknowledge the good hand of the Lord, and sacrifice our burnt offerings of thanksgiving? This incident is no exception. Similar care will be surely and blessedly experienced by all those who trust under the shadow of God's wing. It is credibly affirmed that, in the American Civil War, none of the Quakers, who of course were non-resisters, suffered any damage from the troops of either side. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them." Let those who fast and pray for God's help be sure to return Him thanks when it has been given. [source]
Chapter Summary: Ezra 8
1The companions of Ezra, who returned from Babylon 15He sends to Iddo for ministers for the temple 21He keeps a fast 24He commits the treasures to the custody of the priests 31From Ahava they come to Jerusalem 33The treasure is weighed in the temple 36The commission is delivered
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.