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Ezra 10:1 Repentance in action - Day 10

 Good morning beloved brothers and sisters,

As you can see, not all my devotional get all the way through the "4 strand model".  Just an encouragement to do as much as you can each day.

Blessings,

Jeff

Instruction - what is the lesson of The very great assembly that gathered to Ezra as he wept and confessed and cast himself down?   Study bible notes point out that preceding description is in first person. Ezra recorded what he did and said. Starting here, it is third person, an observer reporting what was said and done. Also all this took place in public at the evening sacrifice. So the large crowd was already there for the sacrifice and were overwhelmed by Ezra 's acts of repentance.  They were doing the ritual when the new Levite breaks the mold.   While he was a Levite, he had only read about the morning and evening sacrifice of a lamb. He had never seen it.  Exodus 29 includes this ongoing offering as part of consecration of priests. A twice daily reminder of priestly status.  He knew what it was supposed to be and now saw what it had become among the first returnees. 

Thanksgiving  - doctrine intended to shape or define experience. You have the ordinance with a specific purpose. However, the practice had become divorced from the purpose.

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