Text: Ezra 8:18-22
Topic: Don’t go back to that King
We will study this with the following headings:
Background
The hands of God on Ezra
The fear of the enemy in the way
Don’t go back to that king
Background
King Cyrus as prophesied makes a proclamation that the Lord has appointed him to build the temple in Jerusalem. He allows any of God’s people within his jurisdiction to return for this task. Is.44:28,Jer 25:12,Ez.1:1-2
The king returned gold and other articles that Nebuchadnezzar had taken earlier from the temple and built the returnees build an altar to present offerings, they also laid the foundation for the Temple(the formers having been destroyed by invaders). There was a mixture of joy and weeping as the foundation was laid. Ez.1:4-11, the elderly were weeping because when they compared what has just been built to what was there before they cried, are we celebrating the right things?
Ezra a graced and skilled scribe and priest is introduced Ez.7:1ff.King Artaxerxes writes to grant Ezra permission to lead a second group of exiles back to Jerusalem after a short stoppage and provides him with resources and a decree supporting the Temple services.7:16,17,20.No Soldier goes to battle at his/her own expense.1 Cor.9:7.If God has sent us any task he will provide all that is needed in His own way and time.
The hands of God on Ezra
God’s hand was on Ezra a scribe and a priest who also made up His mind to seek, do, and teach God’s word/laws 7:10 and this is imperative for a minister also important is the fact that he knew the aforementioned fact for sure. This was highlighted vividly in the book, some of which are 7:6,7:9,7:28,8:18 God’s hand upon you and your ministry? if yes are you doing things with this consciousness?
The fear of the enemy in the way
Ezra was embarking on a godly journey, he had the support of King Artaxerxes a world power at that time, and he had a fine array of God’s people with him, he also knew that the hands of God were upon him however he was still fearful of the enemy in the way(an/the enemy he hasn't seen), are we any better today?
However the good part of the fear is what the fear led him to do viz: he proclaimed a fast, sought God’s face 8:21.what a good result that the bad feeling/attitude of Ezra resulted unto.8:21-22.what does your own fear, anxiety cause you to do?
Don’t go back to that King
The temptation to return to the king for what you have told the king that God (the king of kings) does when leading God’s people is high, how prepared are you and how are you preparing for periods when you will feel threatened/in need of support and feel pressured to go back to the king, are you already caught in the web and maybe entangled even on oath against righteousness, peace, and joy? run back to Jesus, He is always willing to welcome us from any prodigal excursion. He can lead you to people but let Him have the wheel as He would also have gone ahead to prepare the person he sent you to.
Ezra thought of going back to the king we can also do so with the following way/method/approach:
l Going back to the world, bowing to its ways, manners, and pressure for supplies/provision especially when things are going south, and it's very difficult to survive, doing unwholesome, illegal, illicit things just to stay afloat. 1 John 2:15-17,2 Tim.4:10.
l Going to/back to demons and demonic sources for valueless/vague powers. Acts 16:17 if the spirit/source is wrong the results/output can not be right.
l Don’t ever make men/women your supplier, God uses men but maintain your focus on Him. Jer.17:5,Ps.24:1ff
l Don’t lose sight/focus on God’s work in other to make ends meet, you can be a tent maker. Since He called He is faithful 2 Thess5:24,the Pauline model.
l Negating our confessions, sermons, and strong beliefs of/in God because of our acts of fear of real or apparent enemies.Ps.23:4.
Do not go back to any king, always return to the king of kings. He is a present help in times of trouble Ps. 46:1-2.He knows all we are going through and He is a loving God, He will come through , He did it before He will do it again.
Shalom.
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