Ezra’s Mission Blog – Ezra chapter 8
1These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: …………… 15 I assembled them at the canal that flows towards Ahava, and we camped there three days. ………..21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’ 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
Ezra 8:1-23 New International Version – UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Great emotion at leaving, yet great encouragement. Babylon was the only home they had known, but now off to their new/old home – Jerusalem.
In all this:-
- God is to be honoured.
- God is to be trusted.
- Ezra is seen as a leader who is accountable, who delegates and who is transparent in all he does. A worthy servant of God and the people.
Overall this story is not so much about Ezra, but about the hand of God, good and gracious in all our circumstances.
All who trust in God through Jesus our Lord will one day travel to a better place.
21 Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’
Revelation 21:1-4
