Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and our possessions.
--Ezra 8:21 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on August 8, 2013 of Psalm 134; Luke 11:37-54; Ezra 8-9.
Ezra, a direct descendant of Aaron the priest and brother of Moses, served as a scribe while in captivity in Babylon, skilled in the Mosaic Law which God had given him. God smiled on him and all he did, and the king of Persia (by this time, Persia had defeated Babylon and basically inherited the captive children of Israel) granted all he requested (please reference Ezra 7:1-6). In about 458 BC, the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes, Ezra led a second wave of the house of Jacob from captivity to Jerusalem. The Temple of God had been rebuilt, but much work remained, including rebuilding the city walls. The king offered Ezra and his company safe passage through the lands as well as silver and gold to fund their efforts. They were also allowed to collect freewill offerings from the people and take those funds for the reconstruction effort. In all of this God greatly blessed Ezra.
While still on the journey to Jerusalem, Ezra paused by the river that flows to Ahava, a location lost over the centuries but the "river" was likely a tributary of the Euphrates. They camped there for three days while he took stock of their situation. He found that there were no Levites among them, those separated to God who served the priests and had responsibility over the holy articles and implements. For some reason, very few of the sons of Levi chose to return to Jerusalem, possibly because of the long journey or the harsh conditions in the destroyed city. So Ezra sent his leaders to Casiphia (exactly where this might be is also unknown now, but many Levites and Nethinim (Temple servants) must have dwelt there), to recruit those willing to serve. His call was answered as 38 Levites and 220 Temple servants joined them. Now Ezra could have asked King Artaxerxes for an armed escort for the long trek, but chose instead to trust in God for His protection, telling the king that "the hand of God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (verse 22). God indeed protected them, seeing them safely past ambushes and through the lands.
Today's focus verse carries the key to all of Ezra's successes, why God favored him and smiled on everything he did, why He saw the entire company safely through the long, arduous journey to Jerusalem. Ezra humbled himself before God, and led all those who followed him to do the same. They fasted and prayed there by the river. They still had a long way to go before reaching their destination and a lot of work ahead of them once they got there, yet they paused for three days simply to seek from God what He would have them do. This is our lesson for the current age. No matter how rushed we are, no matter how the busyness of life overtakes us, we need to humble ourselves before our Lord, stop what we are doing and pray for His guidance, and in the silence discern His will for us. Be still, and know He is God. Amen.
Almighty God, You show great favor to all those who seek Your voice, who follow Your commands, who believe in Your Son as Lord and Master. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to humble ourselves and come to You for guidance, when we refuse to discern Your will for us. Forgive us our pride when we think we can do things on our own. Only through You, Lord God, can we accomplish great things. Only by seeking You will Your hand be upon us, guiding us in the right way. Thank You, Father, for being ever faithful. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
While still on the journey to Jerusalem, Ezra paused by the river that flows to Ahava, a location lost over the centuries but the "river" was likely a tributary of the Euphrates. They camped there for three days while he took stock of their situation. He found that there were no Levites among them, those separated to God who served the priests and had responsibility over the holy articles and implements. For some reason, very few of the sons of Levi chose to return to Jerusalem, possibly because of the long journey or the harsh conditions in the destroyed city. So Ezra sent his leaders to Casiphia (exactly where this might be is also unknown now, but many Levites and Nethinim (Temple servants) must have dwelt there), to recruit those willing to serve. His call was answered as 38 Levites and 220 Temple servants joined them. Now Ezra could have asked King Artaxerxes for an armed escort for the long trek, but chose instead to trust in God for His protection, telling the king that "the hand of God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him" (verse 22). God indeed protected them, seeing them safely past ambushes and through the lands.
Today's focus verse carries the key to all of Ezra's successes, why God favored him and smiled on everything he did, why He saw the entire company safely through the long, arduous journey to Jerusalem. Ezra humbled himself before God, and led all those who followed him to do the same. They fasted and prayed there by the river. They still had a long way to go before reaching their destination and a lot of work ahead of them once they got there, yet they paused for three days simply to seek from God what He would have them do. This is our lesson for the current age. No matter how rushed we are, no matter how the busyness of life overtakes us, we need to humble ourselves before our Lord, stop what we are doing and pray for His guidance, and in the silence discern His will for us. Be still, and know He is God. Amen.
Almighty God, You show great favor to all those who seek Your voice, who follow Your commands, who believe in Your Son as Lord and Master. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to humble ourselves and come to You for guidance, when we refuse to discern Your will for us. Forgive us our pride when we think we can do things on our own. Only through You, Lord God, can we accomplish great things. Only by seeking You will Your hand be upon us, guiding us in the right way. Thank You, Father, for being ever faithful. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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