Today's Scripture
GOD’S WITH Us: EZRA 8:15-31
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: EZRA 7-10(CEB)
15 I gathered them by the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped for three days.
As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. 16 So I called for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, all leaders, together with Joiarib and Elnathan, who were wise. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader at the place named Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his colleagues the temple servants at Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for God’s house.18 Because we were favored by God, they brought us Sherebiah, a skillful man of the family of Mahli, Levi’s son and Israel’s grandson, together with his sons and relatives so that there were eighteen in total. 19 They also brought us Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah of the family of Merari, together with his relatives and their sons so that there were twenty in total. 20 In addition, there were two hundred twenty temple servants whom David and the princes had appointed to serve the Levites. These were all recorded by name.
21 Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River so that we might submit before our God and ask of him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions. 22 I had been ashamed to ask the king for a group of soldiers and cavalry to help us in facing enemies on the way, because we had told the king, “The power of God favors all who seek him, but his fierce wrath is against all who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and prayed to our God for this, and he responded to us.
24 Then I selected twelve of the leading priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their relatives with them.25 I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the equipment, the offering for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his officials, and all Israel present there had offered. 26 I weighed out into their keeping six hundred fifty kikkars of silver, one hundred silver containers weighing a certain number of kikkars, one hundred kikkars of gold, 27 twenty gold bowls worth one thousand darics, and two containers of highly polished copper, which were as precious as gold. 28 I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the equipment is holy; the silver and the gold are a spontaneous gift to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in Jerusalem before the officials of the priests, the Levites, and the heads of the families of Israel, within the rooms of the Lord’s house.” 30 So the priests and the Levites received the silver and the gold and the utensils as they were weighed out, in order to bring them to Jerusalem, to our God’s house.
31 Then we left the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The power of our God was with us; he saved us from the power of the enemy and ambushes along the way.
What does this passage mean to me/us
Ezra was the scribe, determined to teach the people to live according to the forgotten way; following God’s command.
It says, “ Ezra had determined to study and perform the Lord’s Instruction and to teach law and justice in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
When we are in a position to teach, it requires us to fully commit to what we are teaching.
In a similar way, Ezra showed how to fully submit to God’s hand, while the nation was traveling back to the ruined Jerusalem.
During the trip, we see how Ezra did not ask for the king to provide protection on their journey back to their homeland. Israel, already being in a vulnerable stage, would have benefited from some extra sense of security.
It also became a moment where the people experience God’s hand, while they seek God’s provision.
“Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River so that we might submit before our God and ask of him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our possessions” (Ezra 8:21).
Fasting is a great spiritual discipline to live out and practice our full dependence on God.
It is not the act of abstaining from the food, but it is the act of facing our vulnerability and surrendering and relying upon the full power of our Lord.
In desperation, the people were able to experience the protecting hand of God during that journey.
Are we desperate to see God working hand in our lives?
Prayer
Lord, help us to desire to see you in our lives, as we walk on this journey. We pray in Christ name, AMEN.
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.