THE HAND OF GOD
I wish you all a blessed and Christ-centred New Year 2020. This year God gives us the following promise to our church.
“The hand of the Lord is for good on all who seek him” (Ezra 8:22).
One phrase that appears six times in the book of Ezra is the ‘Hand of God’. It is found nearly one time for every ten verses in chapters 7 and 8. There are several things that Ezra attributes to the “hand of God”. When Ezra refers to the hand of God, he is referring to God’s strength; God’s manipulation of events and circumstances; God’s overarching control of circumstances; God’s sovereignty over rulers. I would like to explain on the six uses of God’s hand in these two chapters. These uses lead us to the same conclusion as Ezra, and it was this – the Hand of God is for good.
DIVINE FREEDOM
For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him (Ezra 7:9). And by the hand of God, Ezra and the fellow Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem. To come back to Jerusalem is every Israelite’s dream during the time of captivity. But they cannot imagine that they will come back with the King’s blessing. It’s like a dream comes true for all of them. Some of you may feel that you are in captivity and bondage. You may be experiencing setbacks in some areas of your life. The good news is God’s hand can set you free (Exo. 6:6; Deut. 5:15). His hand will take you to the place where you are supposed to be. His hand is not shortened to deliver you (Is. 59:1)!
DIVINE FAVOR
The king granted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him (Ezra 7:6). It takes the miraculous hand of God to have the request of Ezra be granted by the Persian king. King Artaxerxes has nothing to do with the God of Israel. But Ezra knew that even the heart of the pagan king is under the hand of God. Ezra cannot do anything to influence the king. But he knew that only God can do it in his favour. The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes like the rivers of water (Proverbs 21:1). Ezra 7: 11-26 preserves for us the king’s letter of approval. In verse 20, the king says, “And anything else needed…you may provide them from the royal treasury.” Well, the king is telling Ezra, “Whatever you need, you have the financial assets of the kingdom of Persia at your disposal.” Why has this king of kings acted with so much generosity and support for the work of Ezra? Because the King of Kings is sovereign over the circumstances of life. We have the hand that causes the planets and world to move according to God’s will. And the hand of God will touch our boss, our clients, and our situations if we are in His will. He will provide for all your needs miraculously in this year 2020.
DIVINE FORCE
I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me (Ezra 7:27-28). Ezra becomes strong man because of the hand of God. Some of us may be feeling weak and fearful. Some of us may be feeling afraid to start some good things or afraid to stop some bad things. We may never have the courage or a brave heart to endeavour for a challenging task or projects. But if you are sure that you have the hand of God with you, then you don’t have to be afraid because God will give you the courage and the strength. You have divine force in God’s hand. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13). Human resource is no match for God’s power. When the hand of God came upon Elijah he ran ahead of Ahab who was riding in a chariot (1 Kings 18:46)!
DIVINE FELLOWSHIP
Ezra assembles the Jews at the Ahava river where they camped for three days. During those three days, He discovers that Levites who are supposed to handle the sacred objects in the temple had not volunteered to go back. So, Ezra sends 11 trusted men to go and recruit servants for the work
of God. According to the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of insight of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, eighteen men (Ezra 8:18). The hand of the Lord brought nearly 40 Levites and 220 temple servants to join Ezra. If we really have the hands of God with us, God will send us people who will support us and join us to do the will of God. As we continue our journey in serving the Lord, the Lord will add more people who will join us (Acts 11:21). The Lord’s hand will bring more people into our fellowship in this year.
DIVINE FORTIFICATION
Ezra was ashamed to ask for a security escort from the king’s troops because he had already told the king that the hand of God is able to protect them along the way to Jerusalem. So they fasted and prayed for the hand of God to protect them. And the Lord listened to their prayer (Ezra 8:22-23). They started their journey in the first month and reached Jerusalem in the fifth month (7:8; 8:31). It took 150 days and 900 miles of travel. Also we must understand that they are carrying with them tons of gold which are needed for the temple of God. That wealth and even the purpose of their journey would encourage their enemies to come against them along the way and even kill them. But even the minds of their enemies are under the hands of God. They were able to arrive at Jerusalem without any problem along their way. The Lord delivered them from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way (Ezra 8:31). Indeed, the hand of God is our best protection along the journey of our life in this year (Ps. 121:5-8)!
KEYS TO EXPERIENCE THE HAND OF GOD
Ezra experienced the blessings of God’s hand in his life because he was a man who sincerely sought the Lord.
EZRA SOUGHT THE LORD IN PRAYER
Ezra believed that God’s hand will be upon those who seek Him (8:22).Thus he entreated God’s protection through fasting and prayer (8:21-23). He knew that God would reward those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). Ezra was a man of prayer. His prayer of confession and intercession for his people is recorded in Ezra 9:1-10:1. He also praised God for answered prayer (7:27–28).
EZRA SOUGHT THE LORD IN HIS WORD
Ezra was a man of God’s Word. He was saturated and well-versed in the Scriptures (7:6). Ezra 7:10 says, ‘For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.’ God’s Word pervaded every area of his life and ministry. He was diligent in persistent preparation (“prepared his heart”), personal application (“to do it”), and purposeful communication (“to teach”).
EZRA SOUGHT THE LORD IN FULFILLING HIS CALLING
Ezra was also a great revivalist and reformer. The revival began with the reading of the Word of God by Ezra. We can see that in Nehemiah 8. He challenged the people to leave the contaminated life and get back to the Lord. He showed the people how to trust the word of God even in a difficult time. People’s lives were transformed by the ministry of Ezra. Also, Ezra was probably the writer of 1 and 2 Chronicles and Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible). Ezra organized the synagogue. He was the founder of the order of scribes. He helped settle the canon of Scripture and arranged the Psalms. Thus he sought the Lord in fulfilling His purpose in his life.
Dearly beloved, if we seek the Lord intensely like Ezra this year, we can see the hand of God working for good in our lives. God bless you. Have a blessed New Year!
