Ezra 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
Well a beautiful, blessed and prosperous morning to all you wonderful Friends who reside in the bosom of Christ! Hn, hn! What a way the ole fella waxing articulate today! (smile) But it’s the truth: If you believe in Jesus and live for Him, you’re wonderful, and also a Friend. And once you’re a faithful child of our Lord and Saviour, you are automatically blessed and prosperous, with new mercies being bestowed on you every day. As Ezra writes in Today’s Bit. ‘Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us…’ Ah my people, thankfully, so it is upon all who faithfully believe in and serve the Most High God Jehovah. Ezra is talking here about their journey from Babylon back to Jerusalem, during the second wave of returning Jewish exiles. It’s important to note how often the phrase is used in just two chapters. Ezra was a priest, scribe and teacher, who felt God’s calling to rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel after its destruction and deportation of its people to Babylon, and when he undertook this laborious but godly mission, the Good Book says; ‘the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.’ (Ez.7:6) Only three verses later, the phrase is repeated when it relates how he left Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month; ‘according to the good hand of his God upon him.’ (Ez.7:9) Yes Friends, Ezra’s journey took a long time, but it was successful because the good hand of the Lord was upon him. And why was that so? ‘For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek (study) the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements.’ (Ez.7:10) It’s a sure shot Friends that once we commit our ourselves to sincerely do the Lord’s will, He overseers our venture with His good hand upon us all the time, through trials and tribulations, famine and storm. And I am living testimony of that, for when I began this Scrip-Bit project I didn’t have a clue what I was about, not that I have now (smile) but the good hand of the Lord’s been upon me for almost three years now, enabling me to learn His Word and spread it some. Yuh know mih breddren, even when it doesn’t seem like it, His good hand is verily upon us. That’s how we get out of any negative or unfortunate situations in which we find ourselves; by His tender, LOVING mercy coming upon us, not by our own doing. This fact is further highlighted by the differences in the way Israel left Egypt and how they left Babylon. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but he obviously softened Artaxerxes’, the Babylonian king who decreed that any Jews living under his dominion who wanted to return to Jerusalem could go of their own freewill. Oh Friends, you must read that decree for yourselves and see what wonderful blessings it contained. (Ez.7:11-26) And that wasn’t by accident, but as Ezra understood and thankfully declared: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart…And hath extended mercy unto me before the king…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.’ (Ez.7:27-28) It’s sure fire proof my Friends that when the Lord puts a dream in our hearts, or a job in our minds, He will undoubtedly make a way for us to successfully execute it. And so it was with Ezra as he sought good people to go to Jerusalem with him. He sent for the Levites, the priests to minister unto the congregation; ‘And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.’ (Ez.8: 18) And yuh know what mih people? Ezra finally ended up with over two hundred and fifty priestly souls. And you all know why; the good hand of his God was upon him. But this next part is even more important, for if you read the king’s decree, Ezra was allowed to take a whole lot of stuff with him, including gold, silver and precious vessels for the temple. However, when the time for departure finally came, Ezra claims that he was ashamed to ask the king for a military escort to protect them on the journey since he had previously boasted to the king; ‘That 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.’ (Ez.8:22) So what did Ezra do? By the river of Ahava, he proclaimed a fast, ‘and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.’ (Ez.8:23) And the Lord obviously gave him a plan, for he entrusted all the money, silver, gold and precious items to twelve of the chief priests, warning them thus: ‘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. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.’ (Ez.8:30) Ah Friends, you’ll notice that the Lord’s aid was invoked in every step of the preparation. And it was not until everything was settled, twelve days later, that they began the journey. ‘Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and of such as lay in wait by the way.’ Yes my people, the mighty hand of our God protected them against any ambush or assault on their long and dangerous journey to Jerusalem. And per the scholars, it wasn’t that they escaped from misfortunes, but rather there were none to escape from. The Lord prevented any serious mishaps. It’s the same way He looks upon, guides and protects us Friends, whether it’s on a physical journey, or our journey through this earthly life. We all know it won’t be easy, but with the good hand of the Lord upon us, we’ll certainly make it safely through and eventually come to stand before Him, to the best greeting possible: ‘Welcome! Welcome, thou good and faithful servant!’ So let’s get our act together and involve the Lord in all our doings, for that’s the only way His good hand will be upon us. Much LOVE!…if we do our part…He will do His…
Well a beautiful, blessed and prosperous morning to all you wonderful Friends who reside in the bosom of Christ! Hn, hn! What a way the ole fella waxing articulate today! (smile) But it’s the truth: If you believe in Jesus and live for Him, you’re wonderful, and also a Friend. And once you’re a faithful child of our Lord and Saviour, you are automatically blessed and prosperous, with new mercies being bestowed on you every day. As Ezra writes in Today’s Bit. ‘Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us…’ Ah my people, thankfully, so it is upon all who faithfully believe in and serve the Most High God Jehovah. Ezra is talking here about their journey from Babylon back to Jerusalem, during the second wave of returning Jewish exiles. It’s important to note how often the phrase is used in just two chapters. Ezra was a priest, scribe and teacher, who felt God’s calling to rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel after its destruction and deportation of its people to Babylon, and when he undertook this laborious but godly mission, the Good Book says; ‘the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.’ (Ez.7:6) Only three verses later, the phrase is repeated when it relates how he left Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month; ‘according to the good hand of his God upon him.’ (Ez.7:9) Yes Friends, Ezra’s journey took a long time, but it was successful because the good hand of the Lord was upon him. And why was that so? ‘For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek (study) the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements.’ (Ez.7:10) It’s a sure shot Friends that once we commit our ourselves to sincerely do the Lord’s will, He overseers our venture with His good hand upon us all the time, through trials and tribulations, famine and storm. And I am living testimony of that, for when I began this Scrip-Bit project I didn’t have a clue what I was about, not that I have now (smile) but the good hand of the Lord’s been upon me for almost three years now, enabling me to learn His Word and spread it some. Yuh know mih breddren, even when it doesn’t seem like it, His good hand is verily upon us. That’s how we get out of any negative or unfortunate situations in which we find ourselves; by His tender, LOVING mercy coming upon us, not by our own doing. This fact is further highlighted by the differences in the way Israel left Egypt and how they left Babylon. The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but he obviously softened Artaxerxes’, the Babylonian king who decreed that any Jews living under his dominion who wanted to return to Jerusalem could go of their own freewill. Oh Friends, you must read that decree for yourselves and see what wonderful blessings it contained. (Ez.7:11-26) And that wasn’t by accident, but as Ezra understood and thankfully declared: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart…And hath extended mercy unto me before the king…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.’ (Ez.7:27-28) It’s sure fire proof my Friends that when the Lord puts a dream in our hearts, or a job in our minds, He will undoubtedly make a way for us to successfully execute it. And so it was with Ezra as he sought good people to go to Jerusalem with him. He sent for the Levites, the priests to minister unto the congregation; ‘And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.’ (Ez.8: 18) And yuh know what mih people? Ezra finally ended up with over two hundred and fifty priestly souls. And you all know why; the good hand of his God was upon him. But this next part is even more important, for if you read the king’s decree, Ezra was allowed to take a whole lot of stuff with him, including gold, silver and precious vessels for the temple. However, when the time for departure finally came, Ezra claims that he was ashamed to ask the king for a military escort to protect them on the journey since he had previously boasted to the king; ‘That 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.’ (Ez.8:22) So what did Ezra do? By the river of Ahava, he proclaimed a fast, ‘and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.’ (Ez.8:23) And the Lord obviously gave him a plan, for he entrusted all the money, silver, gold and precious items to twelve of the chief priests, warning them thus: ‘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. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.’ (Ez.8:30) Ah Friends, you’ll notice that the Lord’s aid was invoked in every step of the preparation. And it was not until everything was settled, twelve days later, that they began the journey. ‘Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and of such as lay in wait by the way.’ Yes my people, the mighty hand of our God protected them against any ambush or assault on their long and dangerous journey to Jerusalem. And per the scholars, it wasn’t that they escaped from misfortunes, but rather there were none to escape from. The Lord prevented any serious mishaps. It’s the same way He looks upon, guides and protects us Friends, whether it’s on a physical journey, or our journey through this earthly life. We all know it won’t be easy, but with the good hand of the Lord upon us, we’ll certainly make it safely through and eventually come to stand before Him, to the best greeting possible: ‘Welcome! Welcome, thou good and faithful servant!’ So let’s get our act together and involve the Lord in all our doings, for that’s the only way His good hand will be upon us. Much LOVE!…if we do our part…He will do His…
SCRIP-BITS 