Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Sola Deo Gloria

Psalm 27

"A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

Sola Deo Gloria.

"And He Was Entreated of Us."

"For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God of this: and he was entreated of us."[Ezra 8:22-23]

The people of Israel fasted to entreat the Lord for protection from the inhabitants of the land. They sought the Lord's face because their iniquities had separated them from their God ("Behold, the Lord's had is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."[Isaiah 59:1-2] ), and God heard the cry of His people, and defended them against their enemies. "If my people, which are called be my name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place." [2 Chronicles 7:14-15]

They sought the Lord's face with fervency because it was not acceptable to not be helped by their God. They wrestled with God as Jacob had wrestled with God and they obtained a reward. This reminds me of a passage of Scripture in John: "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus." [John 12:21] These people sought the Lord's face. Their desire was after God. A pastor once said, "It is as if these people were saying, 'Sir, we would see Jesus else we die.' "

By God's grace, we have been promised that if we seek the Lord's face, He will hear our cry and be attentive unto us. The Lord is very kind. He is faithful who promised. I beg you, dear brethren, to seek the face of our Lord and to ask for His protection against all of the powers of darkness. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord for He will have mercy upon him and to our God for He will abundantly pardon." Sola Deo Gloria.

The Law of God

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." Ezra 7:10

Matthew Henry says of Ezra, "He sought the law of the Lord, that is , he made it His business to enquire into it, searched the scripture, and sought the knowledge of God, of His mind, and will, in the scriptures, which is to be found there, but not without seeking."

"He sought the law of the Lord" - "But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night."[Psalm 1:2] "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."[Psalm 119:2] The Greek word for seek is "darash," which means diligently to seek after, to inquire, to make inquisition. Ezra inquired after the Law of God. He diligently sought after it. "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."[Psalm 119:10]

"He made conscience of doing according to it(the law); he set it before him as his rule, formed his sentiments and temper be it, and managed himself in his whole conversation according to it." - Matthew Henry

He followed completely after it. Ezra was consumed with the Lord and his law. Everything he did was dictated by it and subdued under it. Ezra delighted himself in the Law of the Lord.

"This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him." God blessed Ezra because he loved the Lord his God and served Him fully.

As you have seen in the example of Ezra, so do ye. "The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul."[Psalm 19:7] "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ Jesus."[Galations 3:24] "But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for the sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." Everyone at the last day will be judged by the Law as Nineva was judged and destroyed for witchcraft. Will you be crushed under the law or will you be forgiven by the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We have all broken the law of God. We have all fallen short. We have all denied the Law of God in our actions, in our words, and in our deeds day by day. How long, O man, will you deny the Lord's Law? Take heed to the Law of the Lord. Take heed lest you be deceived by the deceitfulness of sin. Soli Deo Gloria.