Less Than Our Iniquities Deserve

Ezra 9:13-14 "And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?"

Anytime someone complains about evil being proof that a loving God cannot exist, it merely proves that they have no idea what they are talking about. It merely shows that they have no understanding of Who God is nor do they have any understanding of how vile man is.

Anyone complaining about that, saying that evil in the world is a bad thing, obviously considers themself to be mostly excepted from this evilness. Or else they wouldn't be wanting God to get rid of the evil. We see what others are doing and call it evil, and make exceptions for ourselves. However, we know that one sin is all it takes to make us less than perfect. And perfect is God's standard.

Therefore, to anyone complaining about that, they need to take a minute a realize that God is being good in the midst of the evil. He is being good because he is punishing them less than their iniquities deserve. They deserve eternal death right now. But God is patient. He offers deliverance, a chance at salvation.

I Proclaimed a Fast

Ezra 8:21 "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."

Fasting is not a part of our culture anymore these days. And perhaps that is a bad thing. Ezra says here that fasting was so that they could afflict themselves. "Afflict" here means to humble, bring oneself low, be bowed down. When hungry, we become weak, we see how truly frail and helpless we are without God's constant provision.

This "forced humility" allows us to clear our minds of distractions, to see what truly matters. This allows us to seek God with a clear mind, to find His right way for us and our possessions as well as for those who we influence.

For what thing in your life do you need God's direction? Can I set aside a day to fast and pray, seeking God's right way for me? Is finding God's right way worth a day without food to me?

Seek, Do, Teach

Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

The Word of God is deliberate. The words are not just put there because that's where they were put. All Scripture comes from the inspiration of God Himself, therefore we know there is a purpose behind every word. In a way, what Ezra is doing here is what we in the New Testament are called to do - make disciples. Yet he didn't just go out and do it. There was a process.

The first step was to prepare his heart to seek the law of the Lord. The word 'prepare' means to make ready, to firmly establish. Ezra's heart was set on seeking, his heart was not about to move from that. He had made his mind up, he was dedicated. The second step was to do it. After he sought God's law, Ezra followed through. It went past a head knowledge (which puffs up) into a heart knowledge that brought action. God's law became Ezra's way of life. And finally the third step was to teach the statutes and judgments.

If Ezra had skipped any of these steps, he surely would've fallen flat on his face. But because he followed these steps, in this order, God blessed him with success. I am called to make disciples in a very similar way. Which step am I on? They are a continual process as we grow and mature, but one must follow the other.

The Heart of the King

Ezra 6:22 "And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel."

The Bible makes it very clear. In Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." Imagine, a nation in captivity, a conquered people, not only being told to go back to their homeland and rebuild their temple, but being provided with everything they could possibly need to do so. What could possibly possess a king to do that for his captives?

The only answer is the power of God. When we are seeking God, desiring earnestly to do His will, He will make the way clear for us and give joy. Proverbs 10:22 "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

Whatever obstacle appears to be in my way as I seek God's will, remember that He holds it in His hand.

The Eye of Their God

Ezra 5:5 "But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter."

God governs in the affairs of men. He has purposes and plans that He is working through the actions of men. It's almost humorous when you think about the fact that mere humans think they can interfere in the working of the God of the Universe.

The Bible speaks several times of God's eyes. 2 Chronicles 16:9a "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him...." Often, the Bible says it is in God's eyes that righteous men found grace. 1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."

Nothing escapes His eyes, good or bad. I, for one, desire to find grace in His eyes. I desire to see His cause prosper through my life. Are you comfortable with the eyes of the One True God being over you? How can you find grace in His eyes today?

Frustrating a Godly Purpose

Ezra 4:4-5 "Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia."

The devil is in constant opposition to the things of God. Therefore, it follows that anytime God's people work toward something within God's will, the devil is there to do his best to frustrate or stop that work.

Is there something that I feel called to do, yet my hands feel weak? Is there something in my life that I know to be God's will, yet I am troubled in my move toward that thing? If it truly is God's will, it is nothing more than the devil attempting to oppose the God of the universe. Heed him not.

The Ancient Men Wept

Ezra 3:12 "But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:"

The Bible doesn't specifically say, however we can make the assumption that the weeping of the ancient men came because they saw how feeble the new foundation was compared to the old temple. Solomon's temple had been a true wonder in its magnificence. Anything that attempted to come after it would likely pale in comparison. Hence the tears and the weeping.

The temple was not for God as much as it was for the people. It was a symbol of the relationship between God and His people. It was the sign that He had chosen His dwelling place with the Hebrews. When it was destroyed, so was that symbol. But when it was rebuilt, its grandeur was lessened. If one were to view the temple as a symbol, seeing its glory reduced comparatively would be a painful sight.

As my Christian walk goes through ups and downs, do I ever look back and weep for what my relationship with God used to look like?