(Some comments on Ezra)
Harry Foster
IN 1 Corinthians 12:31 the apostle exhorts us eagerly to desire the greater spiritual gifts. I cannot aspire to the highest ones of apostleship or prophetic office but at least I can work up the list to that most desirable gift of what are classified as 'helps'. I am encouraged to pray for this gift since it has a whole book of the Old Testament devoted to it under the title of Ezra. Now, of course, Ezra was a historic character, but the word actually means 'help' as, for example, "a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). If God is an 'Ezra', a Help, then I would earnestly desire to have this spiritual gift too.
The man Ezra was a kind of second or third generation man, for in his book he himself only appears from chapter 7 onwards. Others had pioneered the return from the captivity -- Zerubbabel and the others -- while Ezra came in at a later date to help the work on. He explains how he was able to do this with the phrase about the hand of his God being upon him, an expression which he repeats six times in chapters 7 and 8. They may repay a closer examination.
1. Purpose (7:6)
He discloses what was in his heart by his words of praise about Artaxerxes: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord" (7:27). Well, it was only in the king's heart because it began in the heart of Ezra himself who had his request to the king granted, "according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him". Surely this was a noble purpose of Ezra's -- to beautify the house of the Lord.
It was not an impulse or his own bright idea, but the effect of having the sense of a grip of God upon his life. This is where it should all begin. Those who take up some task for any lesser reason will sooner or later discover that the thing is too big or too hard for them. But [19/20] none need hesitate or delay. The honour of God's house should be our first concern and if it is we will soon find our whole outlook mastered by a divine purpose.
2. Progress (7:9)
Ezra was a man of prayer but he was equally a man of action. It took four months of arduous travelling for him even to get to grips with the work in hand, but he was able to make progress along that daunting journey because he had not only the hand, but "the good hand" of his God upon him. The same avails for us. Our faith and patience may be tried by difficulties and delays but we will always find the good hand of our God upon us if we persevere in that to which we have been called. We notice that he not only began with a set purpose but made his progress in the same spirit for "Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach ..." (v.10). With our set hearts and God's good hand, how can we fail to make spiritual progress?
3. Power (7:28)
Nothing really worthwhile is easy. Whether Ezra was a strong character or not, he soon found that he needed divine energy and encouragement if he was to press on with his task. And so do we. The question is not whether we are strong types or not, but whether we are enjoying constant renewals of strength, as Ezra did, according to the good hand of the Lord our God upon us. This is only another way of describing the working of the Holy Spirit, the One who gives power for building in God's house. Remember, we began by a reference to 'helps' as spiritual, charismatic, gifts. There is no reason, therefore, for us to be discouraged or deterred, since power for service comes from God. Somehow faith is infectious. In Ezra's case it meant that he was able to gather together choice colleagues to share his encouragement of heart as they faced the work.
4. Partnership (8:18)
"According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man ...". In the end there was quite a group of them. No-one can worship or serve in isolation. Whether or not a church can find it sufficient to have one apostle or just one miracle-worker, I do not know, but I do believe that it will be a feeble and unfruitful church if it does not have real co-operation in this sphere of being helpful. In their three-day encampment by the river, Ezra realised the great need for partners in the work of God's house. The hand of God provided them -- "all of them were expressed by name" (v.20). What about your name?
5. Prayer (8:22)
No doubt Ezra had been a man of prayer all the time but at this juncture he felt that special prayer was called for, so they humbled themselves before the God whose hand they so desperately needed and concerning whom they so boldly testified. To me it is always inspiring to read that Ezra was "ashamed" to ask for human help. This, surely, is the right kind of shame. Having testified so confidently to the king that God's hand was upon those who trusted Him, how could he then turn and request assistance from the world? Incidentally, he had mentioned to the king that God's hand was far from being on those who forsake God, so it would have been a shameful thing for Ezra even to appear to have done that. May the Lord give us that kind of shame and that kind of faith -- it will surely help to beautify His house.
6. Protection (8:31)
The whole story is a thrilling one of how the whole band was prospered and protected in its journey, finally reaching the goal with no loss at all of the treasure committed to them. It was not without its hazards. There were -- and still are -- many enemies and "liers in wait" in the path of those who seek the honour of the Lord's house, but how can there be failure or loss when men have the overshadowing of the hand of the Lord as they move forward in His will?
7. Provision (7:22)
There are only six references to God's hand but I suggest that the story is better for being completed by just one more reference which lists the provisions laid down by statute so that everything should be as God would have it. It is wholly adequate. We read of "an hundred" in the list of talents, measures, baths, etc., but the final item of salt is described as being "without prescribing how much"! The vital ingredient, never to be lacking in the whole range of sacrifices, was to be provided unstintingly and without measure. This seems to reassure us that when we humbly know the good hand of our God upon us in any enterprise, we can always count on an adequate supply of life and grace to meet every need. [20/ibc]
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