Ezra: The Right Man at the Right Time. Pt. 9 Humility Before God and Attention to Detail
Good day to everyone joining us to study God's eternal truth. The wonderful character of Ezra will be on full display today and the church can learn much from this humble man of God.
Ezra's humble posture before his God
I mentioned in our last post about the humility of Ezra. The concluding text of Ezra 7 puts that on display for us. God included this in the inspired record so that we can see what a man (or woman) of integrity looks like.
I think Ezra was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of God's goodness that his happy heart burst with praises to Jehovah.
First, he blesses Jehovah Elohim, the One, True God of heaven and earth. Second, he acknowledged that Jehovah can turn a king's heart any direction that He deems necessary and Artaxerxes was stirred to offer the strongest possible support to Ezra.
Next, Ezra praises Jehovah Elohim for His abundant mercy that was showered upon this humble priest. The result of this is that Ezra declared "the hand of the LORD my God was upon me." His hands were strengthened and he summoned all the people who would travel to Jerusalem with him.
Ezra 7:27-28 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: 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Ezra's careful attention to detail ensures Levites will make the trip
Ezra 8:1-14 is a genealogical record of the families who were to go with Ezra. I want to point out the carefulness of this man as he sought to serve Jehovah. First, he gathers all the people together at the river Ahava. This is either an irrigation canal like the one named Chebar or it is a stream that branched off from the Euphrates River.
Next, Ezra took 3 days to view all the people that came to make the journey. He probably listed them out to compare with the records of Jewish families. We might think that this small detail is unimportant, but being careful helped Ezra see that something was wrong.
There were no son's of Levi in this group. These are the men who were privileged to serve as priests. This was a huge problem because only the Levites could serve in the Temple and they were going to need them in Jerusalem.
Ezra sent a strong message to Iddo requesting that they locate the Levites so that they could minister in the house of our God. Iddo readily responded and sent the Levites and more Nethinims to Ezra to accompany them to Jerusalem. Ezra credits this willing response as the good hand of God making the way clear for their trip to proceed.
We see that care and due diligence is needed when we are serving the Lord of glory. We cannot, under any circumstances just "wing it" because God has spelled out the manner of His service, His worship and how we must approach Him. Ezra took the time to get it right and that says a lot about his Godly character.
Ezra 8:15-18 15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. 18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding,
Ezra proclaims a fast to seek God's protection for the journey
After assuring that the Levites and Nethinims were accounted for, Ezra proclaimed a fast. "To proclaim" is to cry aloud and to bring people together for an urgent cause. Ezra deemed this long, hard trip and the goal of reestablishing the true religion of Jehovah was a very urgent cause.
True humility before God and prayers for the will of God in their matters
A fast is to abstain from food for a period of time specifically to humble ourselves before our Holy God, to seek His will for our lives, to mortify the deeds of our flesh and to bring our needs to Him with a pure heart.
All the people are encamped at the canal Ahava. Ezra desired that all the people would humble themselves before Jehovah with fasting and that they would make earnest supplication to Him for their needs. Specifically, that they would know the right way to go and that Jehovah would protect all the people, their little children and their substance.
Ezra's chief concern is that glory of the name of God be exalted among the Persian-Median courts
Ezra had been witnessing about the good hand of God being upon them before King Artaxerxes and he felt that the name of God would be diminished in the king's eyes if he requested a military escort for their journey. Ezra tells us that all the people fasted and humbly poured out their prayers to Jehovah. He does not tell us the duration of the fast but he does record that God heard and honored their prayers.
Ezra 8:21-23 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 is meticulous in handling the valuable offerings and vessels and his passion is the holiness of Jehovah
Notice again Ezra's attention to details. He separated 12 of the chief priests and distributed all of the silver, gold, vessels and offerings for the Temple. He recorded all the measurements of the weights that he placed into the custody of the priests.
Now Ezra is concerned about maintaining the holiness of God in how all of these material things were handled. He reminded the priests that they were separated and purified before the Lord and that their work is an important, holy work. He commands them to guard all the valuable items that he had weighed out to them until they weigh them out to the chief of the father's of Israel already at Jerusalem.
Ezra 8:24-29 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellers, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: 26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; 27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.
Points to Ponder....
Ezra's humble posture before his God
I mentioned in our last post about the humility of Ezra. The concluding text of Ezra 7 puts that on display for us. God included this in the inspired record so that we can see what a man (or woman) of integrity looks like.
I think Ezra was so overwhelmed by the outpouring of God's goodness that his happy heart burst with praises to Jehovah.
First, he blesses Jehovah Elohim, the One, True God of heaven and earth. Second, he acknowledged that Jehovah can turn a king's heart any direction that He deems necessary and Artaxerxes was stirred to offer the strongest possible support to Ezra.
Next, Ezra praises Jehovah Elohim for His abundant mercy that was showered upon this humble priest. The result of this is that Ezra declared "the hand of the LORD my God was upon me." His hands were strengthened and he summoned all the people who would travel to Jerusalem with him.
Ezra 7:27-28 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: 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Ezra's careful attention to detail ensures Levites will make the trip
Ezra 8:1-14 is a genealogical record of the families who were to go with Ezra. I want to point out the carefulness of this man as he sought to serve Jehovah. First, he gathers all the people together at the river Ahava. This is either an irrigation canal like the one named Chebar or it is a stream that branched off from the Euphrates River.
Next, Ezra took 3 days to view all the people that came to make the journey. He probably listed them out to compare with the records of Jewish families. We might think that this small detail is unimportant, but being careful helped Ezra see that something was wrong.
There were no son's of Levi in this group. These are the men who were privileged to serve as priests. This was a huge problem because only the Levites could serve in the Temple and they were going to need them in Jerusalem.
Ezra sent a strong message to Iddo requesting that they locate the Levites so that they could minister in the house of our God. Iddo readily responded and sent the Levites and more Nethinims to Ezra to accompany them to Jerusalem. Ezra credits this willing response as the good hand of God making the way clear for their trip to proceed.
We see that care and due diligence is needed when we are serving the Lord of glory. We cannot, under any circumstances just "wing it" because God has spelled out the manner of His service, His worship and how we must approach Him. Ezra took the time to get it right and that says a lot about his Godly character.
Ezra 8:15-18 15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. 17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. 18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding,
Ezra proclaims a fast to seek God's protection for the journey
After assuring that the Levites and Nethinims were accounted for, Ezra proclaimed a fast. "To proclaim" is to cry aloud and to bring people together for an urgent cause. Ezra deemed this long, hard trip and the goal of reestablishing the true religion of Jehovah was a very urgent cause.
True humility before God and prayers for the will of God in their matters
A fast is to abstain from food for a period of time specifically to humble ourselves before our Holy God, to seek His will for our lives, to mortify the deeds of our flesh and to bring our needs to Him with a pure heart.
All the people are encamped at the canal Ahava. Ezra desired that all the people would humble themselves before Jehovah with fasting and that they would make earnest supplication to Him for their needs. Specifically, that they would know the right way to go and that Jehovah would protect all the people, their little children and their substance.
Ezra's chief concern is that glory of the name of God be exalted among the Persian-Median courts
Ezra had been witnessing about the good hand of God being upon them before King Artaxerxes and he felt that the name of God would be diminished in the king's eyes if he requested a military escort for their journey. Ezra tells us that all the people fasted and humbly poured out their prayers to Jehovah. He does not tell us the duration of the fast but he does record that God heard and honored their prayers.
Ezra 8:21-23 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 is meticulous in handling the valuable offerings and vessels and his passion is the holiness of Jehovah
Notice again Ezra's attention to details. He separated 12 of the chief priests and distributed all of the silver, gold, vessels and offerings for the Temple. He recorded all the measurements of the weights that he placed into the custody of the priests.
Now Ezra is concerned about maintaining the holiness of God in how all of these material things were handled. He reminded the priests that they were separated and purified before the Lord and that their work is an important, holy work. He commands them to guard all the valuable items that he had weighed out to them until they weigh them out to the chief of the father's of Israel already at Jerusalem.
Ezra 8:24-29 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellers, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: 26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; 27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. 29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.
Points to Ponder....
- All believers need to think about having true humility before God. We are nothing and Paul testifies that there is no good thing in our flesh. Jehovah is our life, our being and our savior and sustainer. We owe everything to Him.
- We must take time to pay attention to details regarding the things of God. Men have their own ideas about how to serve Him but only God's mind matters.
- If we react to something we see in the culture or the church, or if we are hasty in trying to "get something done" for God then our hearts are not right and our haste may lead to costly consequences.
- Fasting, prayer and true humility are the tools God uses to shape us into useful vessels in His service.
- Like Ezra, our chief concern should be the glory of God, the hallowing of His name and the holiness of His nature.
American Christians have a lot to learn from Ezra. We tend to be man centered and seeking the praise of men instead of being God centered and desiring to hear the words "Well done" from our Lord Jesus Christ. We tend to be pragmatic and do things that get results instead of relying upon the Spirit of God to do the work of God in the souls of men.
We tend to be consumed with numbers and brag that "We must be doing something right because look at how large we have grown." I remind us all that Jesus Christ said we pass through a straight gate single file and we are to walk on the narrow, God honoring way, but there are few that are willing to live out the gospel.
Let us pray today that the Spirit of God will destroy the pragmatism that has infected the Body of Christ. Let us pray that He will convict us in every area where we think that we have a better way instead of seeking to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. Let us pray that the Spirit of God will help us learn true humility before our God, and that He will transform us into pliable clay that can be molded according to His purposes for you and me.
Bob
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