The Book of Ezra
Chapter 4
¹ When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD the God of Israel, ² they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of families and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King Esar-haddon of Assyria who brought us here."
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 1 to 2)
Oh God my Father, when somebody asks to help us, one may have his or her agenda in the background. The intention may be anything but that of helping. The 'helper' may be a 'Pawn' in the hands of others as a means by which to obtain information. Therefore before accepting such help it is better to stop and pray on You, my God in order for us to discern if this source of help is from You or not before making our decision. May God bless genuine helpers and hinder the works of impostors Amen.
³ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, "You shall have no part with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us."
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 1 to 3)
Oh God my Father when You gave me this calling to share my prayers online I invited others in order to help me, however, in time You showed me that You desired this blog from me and not from others that I had appointed to help me. Therefore I continue to bless You and praise Your name forever and ever Amen.
⁴ Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, ⁵ and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 4 to 5)
³ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, "You shall have no part with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us."
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 1 to 3)
Oh God my Father when You gave me this calling to share my prayers online I invited others in order to help me, however, in time You showed me that You desired this blog from me and not from others that I had appointed to help me. Therefore I continue to bless You and praise Your name forever and ever Amen.
⁴ Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, ⁵ and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 4 to 5)
Oh God my Father when You encourage us to follow Your or to take an important step in our relationship with You all hell breaks loose. The enemy starts planning to persecute us up to the point of our feeling sad and discouraged. I pray for all who are experiencing such situations to keep their eyes planted on You my God and Father, for in Your good time You will deliver us from all our crisis. Amen.
⁶ In the reign of Ahasuerus, in his accession year, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 6)
Oh God my Father, blessed are we when we suffer persecution for doing what is right and according to Your will, for I prefer to be ridiculed and persecuted for doing Your will than to be condemned for not having done it Amen.
⁷And in the days of Artaxerxes Bishlam and MIthredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associate wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia: the letter was written in Aramaic and translated. ⁸ Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows ⁹ (then Rehum the royal deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the envoys, the officials, the Persians, the people of Erech, the Babylonians, the people of Susa, that is, the Elamites, ¹⁰ and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River wrote-and now ¹¹this is a copy of the letter that they sent):"To King Atraxerxes: Your servants, the people of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now ¹² may it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city; they are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 7 to 12)
Oh God my beloved Father, communication is one action that cannot be put to an end, for in some way or another we do it all the time both verbally and non verbally, however we need to be very careful, for when we communicate as in a letter or email, the contents of the letter can be re produced and even used as a means against us. I remember when I had to delete eight chapters of the blog of the book of Genesis, due to the fact that I had unjustly been accused of plagiarism. In many situations emails are printed or forwarded as evidence, therefore I am to be very careful in what and how to communicate due to the reaction that it can cause which can be both positive and negative. Amen.
¹³ Now may it be known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 7 to 13)
Oh God my beloved Father sometimes people try to project a bad impression on me by saying all kind of things about me however You have the power to turn such negative things into positive ones. Thank You Jesus Amen.
¹⁴ Now because we share the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, ¹⁵ so that a search may be made in the annals of your ancestors. You will discover in the annals that this is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from long ago. On that account this city was laid to waste.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 14 to 15)
Oh God my Father, we do not only share the salt of the palace, we are the salt of the palace, and as Roman Catholics and Christians we are to keep on adding the salty taste of Faith wherever we go. If we go back in time Christianity had to face many trials and tribulations for Your Name my God and Father as it is still facing today, however You are always with us Amen.
¹⁶ We make known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.'
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 16)
As the accusers informed the king, if the city was rebuilt it would be dedicated to You and no other king would have control over it. Anybody who has experienced Your interventions as did Your chosen people and those in the neghboring towns and villages, could have testified to the conquests that were achieved through Your mighty presence. Amen. When we are acting in Your presence, and according to Your will success is always at hand Amen.
¹⁷ The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now ¹⁸ the letter that you sent to us has been read in translation before me. ¹⁹ So I made a decree, and someone searched and discovered that this city has risen against kings from long ago, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 17 to 19)
Oh God my Father, it is a pity that many times when assessing a person or a situation we tend to focus on the past than on the present. Moreover it may be the case that the person in question may be labelled as based on situations in the history of one's family that he or she has never had a part of. Many times such outcomes are unfair and are based on reasons that are not totally valid and objective. I pray that we be more aware of such decisions Amen
²⁰ Jerusalem has had mighty kings who ruled over the whole over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid. ²¹ Therefore issue an order that these people be made to cease, and that this city not be rebuilt, untill I make a decree.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 20 to 21)
Oh God my Father many times we tend to dwell and focus on the negative instead of on the positive as in the case of our friend the king. Instead of considering that as in the case of other kings his revenue could increase he focused on the negative facts given to him by those who were negatively biased against the project. I pray oh God my Father that I am always aware of the presence of negative biases and do my best with Your help not to be negatively influenced by them Amen.
²² Moreover, take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 22)
Oh God my Father as much as the people of these times were careful not to bring pain and suffering to the heart of their king, we also are to remain alert not to do the same to You my God and Father Amen.
²³ Thus when the copyof King Artaxerxes letter was read before Rehum and the scribe Shimshal and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. ²⁴ At that time the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was discontinued until the second year of King Darius of Persia.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 23 to 24)
Oh God my beloved Father, at the present I am also facing pressure on all sides in relation to the sharing of these prayers online. I am sorry if for some time I would have to stop publishing but if it is according to Your will I will continue Amen
Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end the fourth chapter of the book of Ezra with the following prayer:
Oh God my beloved Father, any project that has your backing will experience hostility, because the forces of evil will stop at nothing to bring Your good works to an end, even this blog, however my prayer now and forever in my life will always be the same:
"May Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven Amen"
⁶ In the reign of Ahasuerus, in his accession year, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 6)
Oh God my Father, blessed are we when we suffer persecution for doing what is right and according to Your will, for I prefer to be ridiculed and persecuted for doing Your will than to be condemned for not having done it Amen.
⁷And in the days of Artaxerxes Bishlam and MIthredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associate wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia: the letter was written in Aramaic and translated. ⁸ Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows ⁹ (then Rehum the royal deputy, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the envoys, the officials, the Persians, the people of Erech, the Babylonians, the people of Susa, that is, the Elamites, ¹⁰ and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River wrote-and now ¹¹this is a copy of the letter that they sent):"To King Atraxerxes: Your servants, the people of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now ¹² may it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city; they are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 7 to 12)
Oh God my beloved Father, communication is one action that cannot be put to an end, for in some way or another we do it all the time both verbally and non verbally, however we need to be very careful, for when we communicate as in a letter or email, the contents of the letter can be re produced and even used as a means against us. I remember when I had to delete eight chapters of the blog of the book of Genesis, due to the fact that I had unjustly been accused of plagiarism. In many situations emails are printed or forwarded as evidence, therefore I am to be very careful in what and how to communicate due to the reaction that it can cause which can be both positive and negative. Amen.
¹³ Now may it be known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 7 to 13)
Oh God my beloved Father sometimes people try to project a bad impression on me by saying all kind of things about me however You have the power to turn such negative things into positive ones. Thank You Jesus Amen.
¹⁴ Now because we share the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, ¹⁵ so that a search may be made in the annals of your ancestors. You will discover in the annals that this is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from long ago. On that account this city was laid to waste.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 14 to 15)
Oh God my Father, we do not only share the salt of the palace, we are the salt of the palace, and as Roman Catholics and Christians we are to keep on adding the salty taste of Faith wherever we go. If we go back in time Christianity had to face many trials and tribulations for Your Name my God and Father as it is still facing today, however You are always with us Amen.
¹⁶ We make known to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.'
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 16)
As the accusers informed the king, if the city was rebuilt it would be dedicated to You and no other king would have control over it. Anybody who has experienced Your interventions as did Your chosen people and those in the neghboring towns and villages, could have testified to the conquests that were achieved through Your mighty presence. Amen. When we are acting in Your presence, and according to Your will success is always at hand Amen.
¹⁷ The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now ¹⁸ the letter that you sent to us has been read in translation before me. ¹⁹ So I made a decree, and someone searched and discovered that this city has risen against kings from long ago, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 17 to 19)
Oh God my Father, it is a pity that many times when assessing a person or a situation we tend to focus on the past than on the present. Moreover it may be the case that the person in question may be labelled as based on situations in the history of one's family that he or she has never had a part of. Many times such outcomes are unfair and are based on reasons that are not totally valid and objective. I pray that we be more aware of such decisions Amen
²⁰ Jerusalem has had mighty kings who ruled over the whole over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid. ²¹ Therefore issue an order that these people be made to cease, and that this city not be rebuilt, untill I make a decree.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 20 to 21)
Oh God my Father many times we tend to dwell and focus on the negative instead of on the positive as in the case of our friend the king. Instead of considering that as in the case of other kings his revenue could increase he focused on the negative facts given to him by those who were negatively biased against the project. I pray oh God my Father that I am always aware of the presence of negative biases and do my best with Your help not to be negatively influenced by them Amen.
²² Moreover, take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?"
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verse 22)
Oh God my Father as much as the people of these times were careful not to bring pain and suffering to the heart of their king, we also are to remain alert not to do the same to You my God and Father Amen.
²³ Thus when the copyof King Artaxerxes letter was read before Rehum and the scribe Shimshal and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. ²⁴ At that time the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was discontinued until the second year of King Darius of Persia.
(The Book of Ezra Chapter 4 verses 23 to 24)
Oh God my beloved Father, at the present I am also facing pressure on all sides in relation to the sharing of these prayers online. I am sorry if for some time I would have to stop publishing but if it is according to Your will I will continue Amen
Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end the fourth chapter of the book of Ezra with the following prayer:
Oh God my beloved Father, any project that has your backing will experience hostility, because the forces of evil will stop at nothing to bring Your good works to an end, even this blog, however my prayer now and forever in my life will always be the same:
"May Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven Amen"
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