Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

May 29th, 2024 Our Trust Is in God

Today’s Reading – Ezra 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers Read – 1 Corinthians 1 – 4; Psalm 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1

Read the “0529 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Read previous posts from this passage – “I Am Ashamed and Blush,“ and “Here We Go Again.“

“21 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. 22 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. 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.” (Ezra 8:21-23)

In Ezra 8, Ezra is reviewing the details of the preparations for his journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezra was returning to Jerusalem with over 1,700 men, plus some women and children. Chapter seven gives us the date that Ezra left Babylon and the date that he arrived in Jerusalem. It also tells us that Ezra had permission from the king (Artexerxes), after Ezra assured him that God’s hand of blessing was upon him and the returning remnant:

“6 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. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 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 7:6-10)

The chapter goes on to tell us that Artaxerxes wrote a letter on behalf of Ezra permitting any Jews who desired to go with Ezra and authorizing the complete funding of the trip. Ezra was very appreciative of the king’s kindness but also acknowledged that God worked in the king’s heart to motivate him to be such a blessing to the Jews: 

 “27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:” (Ezra 7:27)

“1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

After having assured the king that God’s hand was upon this returning remnant, the last thing Ezra wanted to do was request protection by way of a military escort from the king. Ezra 8:21 – 23 tells us that instead Ezra stopped at a place near the beginning of their journey to “afflict [themselves] … to seek of him a right way.” They fasted and prayed that God would protect them on their journey and be able to avoid all the pitfalls and dangers that they would surely face somewhere along the way. Ezra did not want the king to think that God was unable to protect them, so he bypassed asking the king for protection. They wanted the king to know that God was able to protect them on their journey. By stopping to fast and pray, Ezra and the remnant were declaring their complete dependence upon the Lord. And God came through. He brought them into Jerusalem safely.