Several weeks ago, Dave Kountz, one of our teaching pastors asked us to go through Ezra 8, V21-35 at a staff meeting. It was very impactful for me so I thought I might share what I've been pulling out of it.
To help set the scene for what's happening here are the bullet points:
• Ezra is leading a large group of people to Jerusalem. About 1,700 men, potentially 6,000-7,000 including women and children.
• They are transporting lots of goods and materials. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 tons worth of gold and silver or possibly $3,000,000 worth.
Principle 1: Pray before you plan.
Place prayer first on your list before planning the "how." What do you pray for? Well, first acknowledge who God is, give Him thanks and praise. They humbled themselves. Then they asked for protection...because there was a high probability for things going horribly wrong. They could be robbed of everything, everyone could have been killed or both.
Principle 2: Don't let fear rule you.
Yes. Many things could go wrong. Ezra is no less human than the rest of us. He was anxious and afraid as he states he was ashamed to ask the King for protection because he had already proclaimed, "The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." In other words, there was a crossroads of faith. Trusting in the ability of men vs. trusting in the ability of the Almighty God. Prayer and fasting was his first and most direct root at fighting this battle between fear and faith.
Principle 3: Trust God
At some point comes the "Amen." In other words, after you've prayed you leave the fear and worry there with God. "So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty." They had done what they needed to do first, then they say "Amen" and put their hand to the plow. The very next verse says, "Then I set apart..."
Principle 4: Select trustworthy men and delegate
"Then I set apart twelve leading priests..." They were to bear much responsibility on this journey. They need to be trustworthy and have a track record.
Principle 5: Be Organized: Great things don't happen arbitrarily
There was great intentionality and organization on the part of Ezra and the leaders he had selected. We have recorded here the amount of organization with which they proceed. Everything was weighed out, recorded and accounted for with each leader.
Principle 6: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Ezra doesn't just let his leaders go and "figure it out for themselves." He communicates and casts vision. "Then I said to them, 'You are holy to the Lord, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers. Watch and keep them until you weigh them...'" In other words, he kept the vision out front as if to remind them of their identity before God and their great purpose in this journey.
Principle 7: Give Thanks
Some scholars believe this journey took about 4 months. Can you imagine what it may have been like? They finally arrive as God has delivered them from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes along the way. They take time to acknowledge God's provision, protection and guidance.
Principle 8: Take time to rest
Other versions describe them resting for three days once they arrived. It's good to take time to recoup, rest, and regroup for a time before we move on to the next thing.
There are at least three or four more great principles found in this passage. I'd love to hear your comment or additional thoughts in the comment section below.
