Ezra 8:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

I proclaimed

Afflict ourselves

Jeremiah 50:4

To seek

For our little ones

General references

Jeremiah 42:3

Bible References

I proclaimed

So all the Israelites, the whole army, went up to Bethel. They wept and sat there before the Lord; they did not eat anything that day until evening. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace to the Lord.

After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed there, "We have sinned against the Lord." So Samuel led the people of Israel at Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord's advice. He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast.

Announce a holy fast; proclaim a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

"Yet even now," the Lord says, "return to me with all your heart -- with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your garments!"

The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

Afflict ourselves

"This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the foreigner who resides in your midst,

Indeed, any person who does not behave with humility on this particular day will be cut off from his people.

They lament, 'Why don't you notice when we fast? Why don't you pay attention when we humble ourselves?' Look, at the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers.

Then I will reply, 'I will bring them back from the land of the north. I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth. Blind and lame people will come with them, so will pregnant women and women about to give birth. A vast throng of people will come back here.

"When that time comes," says the Lord, "the people of Israel and Judah will return to the land together. They will come back with tears of repentance as they seek the Lord their God.

To seek

Lord, lead me in your righteousness because of those who wait to ambush me, remove the obstacles in the way in which you are guiding me!

Let those delivered by the Lord speak out, those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy,

May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, for I trust in you. Show me the way I should go, because I long for you.

Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.

You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, "This is the correct way, walk in it," whether you are heading to the right or the left.

A thoroughfare will be there -- it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it; it is reserved for those authorized to use it -- fools will not stray into it.

I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way; I will guide them down paths they have never traveled. I will turn the darkness in front of them into light, and level out the rough ground. This is what I will do for them. I will not abandon them.

They will not be hungry or thirsty; the sun's oppressive heat will not beat down on them, for one who has compassion on them will guide them; he will lead them to springs of water.

Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny. It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them.

For our little ones

Why has the Lord brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?"

From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.

Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples scolded those who brought them.

For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself."

General references

Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."