Title: New Year's Blessing
Description Manna was the food that the Lord gave from heaven when the Israelites on the exodus died of hunger (Ex 16:3) (Ex 16:4~), and the name was called “Manna” (Ex 16:31). ).It is a new morning with the dawn of the new year.The Bible you receive today will become manna that sustains life in the wilderness of this world.
1. Must leave Babylon 9a~
2. Need help 9ha~
This is God's help, so "with the help of God's good hand, they arrived in Jerusalem on one day in the beginning of the month." With weak human determination or will, it is impossible to leave Babylon, the world. Those who left Babylon arrived at their destination Jerusalem in one day in early May, and it took about 4 months, the distance was 1,440Km (the straight distance was about 850Km), and it was impossible without God's help because there were hardships passing through the Euphrates River and the desert along the way. . Just as Joseph, who received such help, became the prime minister of Egypt and received the blessing of saving his entire family from famine (Gen. 45:8~), we too will prosper as the manna of life when we receive God's good help. “We came to Jerusalem” means the spiritual restoration of faith and the church life. "Zechariah 7:4-6" They said that fasting and eating and drinking were for them, but "Zech 8:19" said that fasting is joy. In our faith life, we will be satisfied with the manna of blessing in the new year because God's help can please us when we give up our greed for ourselves, repent, and live according to God's will.
3. We must live according to the Word10~
"Ezra studied the law of the Lord, and he was determined to do it and teach it." At the beginning of the text, there is the conjunction "because" in the original text, which is the word that states the purpose of Ezra's return to his home country. It was said to “follow” because he studied the word and lived according to the word. It was the Word that enabled Ezra to receive God's help (verse 6), so it was an urgent priority to provide food for the spiritually hungry Israelites with the Word of God. The Word of the Bible is the spiritual food that fulfills the law of serving God and His will (Luke 12:48). The Word of God is the Word of God that gives life to the soul, makes wise, enlightens the eyes of the soul, purifies it, and reveres God, and is the word of righteousness (Ezra 9:7-10). Therefore, you and I must learn the Word and obey it to become manna in the new year.
[Conclusion] I know that there have been many regrets and strong resolutions at the moment of closing the old year and opening the new year. I hope that you can be faithful to Ezra's testimony to make this happen.