Come out—come out—wherever you are? Do you remember playing Hide-and-Go Seek as a kid? I do. It used to be a favorite summer evening game growing up especially when we had friends over for special occasions like the 4th of July. We’d quickly and quietly hide—trying not to be found. When we’d hear the seeker shout “Olly, Olly, oxen free (meaning all ye, all ye, out are free”) we knew the game was over and relieved that we hadn’t been found. When searching for those hiding, we’d anticipate joyously finding them. In Psalm 119 the lost sheep wander around. Are we like lost sheep? When looking for Jesus in the Book of Ezra, it was like looking for the hiding kids. Where is He? He's got to be here somewhere! I did find a few verses with the word LORD—which is our go to clue for Jesus as Yahweh—the Creator. The Book of Ezra tells the story of the Jews who came back to Israel at the direction of King Cyrus of Persia. They were to rebuild the Temple and the walls around the city of Jerusalem. God was in that and He brought back from captivity all the right skilled people together to do the work…His work.
Ezra
had been in captivity in Babylon and now he was free to go back to Jerusalem.
He was obedient to God, to the letter of the Law. As a scribe Ezra would have
known the law because he had the opportunity to study it for himself as he
copied the text. He had to know the law inside and out in order to teach it to
the Israelites. Having lived in Babylon in captivity the general Israelite
population was not familiar with the Law and the religious regulation like they
would have been had they lived in Israel all their lives. There was no Temple
in Babylon and religious commitment was not the same in Jerusalem. Headed back
to Jerusalem after seventy years in Babylon, Ezra was determined to know the
Law so that he could teach it to the Israelites as they returned. He valued the
God, the Torah—the Law—and the people returning to Israel. His desire to please
God gave Ezra a good motivation to obediently study the Law and teach the
regulations to the Israelites.
What is
your motivation to study God’s word? I read and study God’s word—to learn more
about Him—so seek His approval. Being loved and approved of is the most
important thing in anyone’s life. That is good motivation. Would you choose to
study like Ezra did?
Then
they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was
great joy throughout the land because the LORD had caused the king of
Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple
of God, the God of Israel. Ezra
6:22
This
Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the
God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from
Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious
hand of the LORD his God was on him. ... Praise the LORD, the God of
our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the LORD
in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by
honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt
encouraged because the gracious hand of the LORD my God was on me. And I
gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem. Ezra 7:6, 27-28
O LORD,
God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an
escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your
presence. Ezra
9:15
(Underlined
for emphasis.)
Prayer
– Lord Jesus—rescue us and show us Your unfailing love just like You did for
the Israelites as they rebuilt the Temple. Put Your gracious hand on each of us…for
we praise You moment by moment, day by day, year by year, as You rebuild Your
Temple in our hearts.
Meditate.
Consider God’s guidance in scripture.
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
One of my
all-time favorite foods is a seafood stew called Cioppino. I recently had it at
an Anthony’s restaurant in celebration of my Granddaughter’s, Julia, 10th
Birthday.
¼ cup
extra-virgin olive oil
1 large
onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic
cloves, grated
2½
teaspoons fresh thyme
2
teaspoons dried oregano
1 tsp
fresh fennel, chopped
1/2
teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes (optional – add for spicy heat)
1 dried
bay leaf
1 can (28
ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed
1 cup dry
white wine
1½ cups
water
1 cup
fish stock or bottled clam juice
2 pounds
shell-on Dungeness crab legs, cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)
20
littleneck clams, scrubbed well
10 mussels,
preferably from Penn Cove
1 pound
firm, skinless fish fillets (red snapper or salmon), cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound
large shrimp (about 30), peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired
Coarse
salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup
coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Heat
oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until onion is
translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, and bay
leaf.
2. Add
crushed tomatoes and their juice, white wine, water, and fish stock; bring to a
simmer. Note you can make this stew to this point and save it in the
refrigerator for 2 days. Heat to simmer when ready to continue preparing the
stew.
3. Add
crab, mussels, and clams. Simmer, covered, until crab shells turn bright pink
and seafood shells open, about 10 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper.
Add fish and shrimp, to stockpot. Simmer, covered, until fish is opaque and
shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf and any unopened clam or mussel
shells.
4. Remove
pot from heat. Sprinkle with parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve and
enjoy with a crusty French bread.
© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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