ERCC DEVOTIONAL (TEKAN) DAILY SPIRITUAL DIET; MONDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER, 2023
TEXT: EZRA 6: 19 - 22.
SPIRITUAL FOCUS: LIVING A HOLY LIFE BEFORE GOD.
The Lord our God is Holy and therefore, want us to be holy. The Passover observance by the Israelites dates back to the time when Jehovah delivered them from Egypt. The Lord sent plagues on Egypt that killed the first born of every family, except that of the children of Israel.
The plague did not affect the Israelites because they sprinkled their doorposts with the blood of a lamb at the Lord's command. He also commanded them to observe this festival every year when the time comes. Sadly, during the Babylonian exile, the Jews were not able to observe the festival. Now that the Lord had brought them back, they returned to worship as usual.
That is why they have dedicated the temple to the true God by sanctifying themselves with them, that is, by consecrating themselves. In the same way, we must sanctify ourselves with the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, who shed His blood on the cross for our redemption from Satan. If we are to please the Lord, we must live holy lives.
We must not let the desires of the world deceive us so that we will not be able to please God. As the Jews did, it is important that leaders and all the people of Christ purify themselves too.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Lord God is Holy.
PRAYER: Lord God, I help me, beseech You, to live and worship You with holy life in the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.
EZRA 6: 19 - 22 (NLT).
19 Celebration of Passover
On April 21 the returned exiles celebrated Passover.
20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
21 The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their immoral customs to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.
22 Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.
