“… I took courage …”
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
(Ezra 7:8-10; NIV.)
Praise be to the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
(Ezra 7:27-28; NIV. Please read Ezra 7-10.)
There was a job to do … a mission from God to complete. Things had been left in ruins … years of neglect … lack of materials … no lack of distractions or discouragement … but Ezra “took courage” and did what he had to do – to get the job done.
Consider this man - who he was – what he did …. because “the hand of the Lord was upon” him.
He was a man of devotion - devoting himself to study … to obey … to teach God’s Word.
He was a man of praise - praising God for His rule over the king and for the ”good favor” granted to him.
He was a man of courage - taking action to fulfill his mission in spite of his enemies and in spite of his corrupt people.
He was a man of wisdom - understanding that he had to please heaven and earth – to work with friend and foe.
He was a man of faith – believing that his commission from the king was a mission from God.
ON SECOND THOUGHT: If Ezra could believe that the hand of the Lord was on him – (without direct revelation from God) – can we believe the same, when we devote ourselves to the mission of building His temple?
March 28, 2008 at 9:29 am
We can believe the hand of the Lord is on us when we devote ourselves to the mission of building His temple because He has told us so. We have been told over and over by Him that we are in His hand … He is watching us … protecting us … forgiving us. If we accept the gift of Jesus … then we have God’s approval. Anything that we do to honor Him, to serve Him will have His hand in it as well.
I like Ezra’s faith. He just went after it. He knew what he was supposed to do … and he did it. I really like the picture of him when he finds out that the captives have sinned by intermarrying. He is appalled! Yet … I look at his prayer. He doesn’t say, “Well God … these people you gave me to teach have messed up again.” No. He says, “”O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because OUR sins are higher than our heads and OUR guilt has reached to the heavens.” He is standing right there with them. He doesn’t share in that same guilt of intermarriage, but he doesn’t distance himself from them as if they are dirty. He stands with them … prays for them … and works out a solution.
How many times have I made statments to make sure someone knew that just because I hung out with someone didn’t mean I was in the same “sin” boat as them? How many times have I hesitated to be around someone who is a “known” sinner? How many times have I prayed for someone’s horrible shame, but wanted to make it known to God that it was THEIRS … not mine? I don’t know that I’ve ever done any of these, but if I have … shame on me. Most of the time I was the one in the “sin” boat, the “known” sinner, or the one in horrible shame. I’m thankful that I had someone like Ezra who “took courage” and was willing to stand right there with me … praying to God for OUR sins.
March 28, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Ezra’s faith and courage are quite an inspiration. He wanted to serve God…he wanted to help the people…the remnant…serve God wholeheartedly. In my Bible, I have underlined his comment about the prayer he offered before they took off for Jerusalem. In 8:21 it says that they humbled themselves before God, to seek from Him a “straight way”. (NIV says safe journey, but my Revised Standard says straight way) That sounds a lot like my favorite verse “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:6 RSV) I cling to that thought. I don’t know what I’m doing so much of the time. I need God to make a straight path for me…and hold my hand to lead me.
Ezra had courage to do what was right…even when it was unpopular with some. Even when it involved choices that were hard. I’m sure the people would have rather kept their wives and children…that was probably hard for some to handle. But the will of God took precedence.
God help me to have that kind of courage. I want to do what is right. I want to do what You would have me do.