JOURNEY
AS GOD’S PEOPLE
Picture taken
from Google
BIBLE PASSAGE:
Ezra
chapters 7 - 8:15-21
When we were a child, we had
no responsibilities to think about. We just
focused on ourselves and we were dependent to our parents. But now, as adults
we have so many things to think about especially to our future. We think about
plans and decisions we need to do. Whether we like it or not we need to stand
for ourselves. We need to be independent. In our journey in life, we just don’t
do anything we think in instant, we need to sit down and think about the plans.
Just
like in our own personal life, spiritual journey is hard when we don’t have plans
ahead. In my own experience, I’ve been in the church for so long since 1991 so I
saw how leaders and pastors manage the church or the ministry in different
ways. Truly Proverbs 29:18 which says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the
law, happy is he,” is a great verse to consider for leaders.
This chapters
give us a more particular narrative of Ezra's journey to Jerusalem. Ezra's mission was to further the spiritual and religious restoration of
the Jewish community in Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple. Ezra is introduced as a skilled scribe and a
priest, "a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of
Israel, had given." Let’s see what preparations Ezra considered in
their journey.
LESSON POINTS:
1. THE IMPORTANCE OF
CAREFUL PLANNING (Ezra 8:1-21)
We know the importance of careful planning but most of the
times we don’t do it. Some of us we have the attitude of doing the planning
when it’s already near and so we are in a rush situation. In Ezra’s case, they
were preparing for a 900-mile journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. Approximately,
it was a four-month journey. They gathered all the people (who was all making
the journey) and approximately, 5000 people who would include in the journey. When
they were in a three-day journey, Ezra discovered that no sons of LEVI included
in the journey. Levites were needed to assist the priests in the temple. We don’t
know exactly what are the possible reasons why there were no Levites in the journey but King Artaxerxes
made a decree in the previous chapter, 7:13, that anyone of the Israelites who
were willing to go with the journey were allowed to go. It means that the Levites didn’t volunteer themselves
in that important journey. Maybe they prefer to remain in Babylon rather than
fulfill the role in the temple. Possible, they were already comfortable in Babylon
and they think of the hardness of long trip.
It's never okay to abandon God’s purposes in our lives in this
journey. What did Ezra do? He sent a group of men, men of
understanding unto IDDO, the chief of the place (Ezra 8:16-17) to send them workers
of what they needed; God provided In verse 18, Ezra recognized God’s hands in
their journey.
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; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
Ezra understands that God is sovereign over everything even in individual
decision of Levites. He understands their dependence on the Lord that every
good and perfect gift comes from the Lord.
In our journey, we have plans on where we’re going and how to get
there but we need to include God in our journey. WE can plan, we can prepare,
we can lay out the best vision BUT WITHOUT THE LORD IT IS NOTHING.
2. THE NECESSITY OF FASTING AND PRAYER (Ezra 8:21-23)
Everything was ready: materials, people and others and in verse
21, Ezra proclaimed a fast. In fact, Ezra didn’t ask the king for soldiers and
horsemen in order for them to defend from enemies. He thought that God would
defend them. So, he asked the people to fast. They did this to humble ourselves before God and ask Him for a safe
journey for them and their children, with all their
possessions. He turned to the ONE Who is far more capable; he turned to
the Lord. Only the hand of the Lord can make our goals happen. In verse 23, God
answered their prayers.
In our church, our pastor planned to build a three-story
building. The church and the prayer team are busy including this plan in
prayers. There are plans, and preparations are doing but only God can make this
plan happens.
Personally, whatever our plans, ask God and trust
Him. Include him in everything we do.
3. THE WISDOM OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNT (Ezra 8:24-34)
In
chapter 7, King Artaxerxes loaded with them up with all their needs in travelling
and their purpose in Jerusalem – in rebuilding the city and most especially the
temple. When they arrived, they weighed all their valuables and listed all and
gave to the right people in the temple.
CONCLUSION:
In verse 35, they don’t forget the
Lord. They burnt offerings unto the Him. They grew up in Babylon but the very
first time, they are in the temple and having the opportunity to worship. We
can see in their journey that there so many things we need to do to make our
journey successful but the most important thing to do is don’t forget God.
Consider Him in our journey. He will give wisdom on how our journey becomes
smooth.
Whatever part of our journey of
life we are in at this moment, always be sensitive to God’s call and don’t ever
neglect the reminders of God on His Word. KEEP ON!
