“There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.”
~ Ezra 8:21
Hi James and Ellen,
It is about 458 years before God – as God the Son, became incarnate as Jesus. 128 years earlier, the army from Babylonia pillaged, ransacked and razed the city of Jerusalem and took away to their country as exiles many of the surviving residents of this city of David. Almost 50 years later, the first wave of displaced, exiled Israelite people group guys and gals – who are God’s specially chosen guys and gals, were given permission by Cyrus – soon after he and his army that was made up of Medes and Persians defeated the Babylonian country’s army, to return to their homes in the land of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem. Sheshbazzar – with Zerubbabel’s able help, led a contingent of somewhere around 30,000 Israelite people group guys, gals and kids back to their homeland and to their homes in the land of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem. It is now 79 years later. Ezra has just led an eclectic troupe of God’s specially chosen people groups guys and gals to their homeland and to their homes in the land of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem. Persia’s king – Artaxerxes, had given Ezra his okay to lead another group of God’s specially chosen guys and gals back to their homeland and to their homes in the land of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem. Ezra is quite specific in his report – in Ezra 8, about the three days right before he and his collection of 1,496 guys, gals and kids, 38 Levi tribal clan guys and 220 temple servants headed out for their homeland and for their homes in the land of Judah and in the city of Jerusalem. Ezra assembled his assortment of guys, gals and kids at a canal that flows towards the Ahava – where they camped from possibly day 9 to day 12 of the month of Nisan. Verse 21 says, “There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.” Ezra wrote that God heard and answered their prayers. Ezra had been concerned that they would be robbed by highway robbers at some point during the at least a month long trek back to the land that God – as God the Father, had given them to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . before Ezra and the guys, gals and kids who were going with him left the country of Babylonia, King Artaxerxes, his advisors, officials and some Israelite people group guys and gals who were remaining in the country of Babylonia liberally donated gold, silver and bronze talents, 20 gold bowls, 1,000 darics and two finely polished bronze articles to be used in the temple of God that was located in the city of Jerusalem. Ezra had had the weighty responsibility of insuring that the gold, silver and bronze talents, the 20 gold bowls, the 1,000 darics and the two finely polished bronze articles that were donated made it all the way to the city of Jerusalem.
When Ezra and his diverse band of guys, gals and kids arrived in the city Jerusalem – after the long trek that they made from a canal that was located somewhere near the Euphrates or Tigris River in the country of Babylonia, they rested for three days before going to the temple of God that was located in the city Jerusalem – where they sacrificed burnt offerings to God for the protection that He had over them during the long hike that they had just made from the country of Babylonia to the city of Jerusalem. 12 bulls, 96 rams, 77 male lambs, and 12 male goats were sacrificed as thanksgiving offerings. Ezra very thankful that he and the guys, gals and kids who had traveled with him had made it safely to the city of Jerusalem without any incidents is spite of not having any protection other than God watching over them and protecting them. Ezra could have asked King Artaxerxes to have some of his soldiers and horsemen go with him but he was too embarrassed to ask King Artaxerxes for help after having told King Artaxerxes that the gracious hand of God would be on them as they made their way to the city of Jerusalem.
Do you accept as true that the gracious hand of God is protecting you right now? Do you accept as true that God will let loosen His anger on any guy, gal or kid who does not unconditionally trust in Him? Are you risk takers? Your grandpaa has been called a risk taker. A risk taker is a guy like Ezra who – because God – as God the Father, led him to do so, was willing to lead a motley mob of guys, gals and kids – for at least a month, over rugged terrain while carrying millions of dollars’ worth of gold, silver and bronze and valuable articles to the city of Jerusalem. Your grandpaa – near the end of August of 1978 and because God – as God the Father, led him to do so, took your grandmaa, dad and Aunt Lynn with him to Bolivia, South America – where your grandpaa and grandmaa joined the South America Mission Bolivia field missionary team When the time arrived for your grandpaa, grandmaa, dad and Aunt Lynn to leave for Bolivia, your dad’s Uncle Dan and Aunt Margaret took your grandpaa, grandmaa, dad and Aunt Lynn to the Washington, D.C. train station – where they boarded an Amtrak train to take them to Miami. Once they were in Miami, your grandpaa, grandmaa, dad and Aunt Lynn boarded a plane in which they would fly in all night to Santa Cruz. Your grandpaa will never forget his first sight of Santa Cruz as the airplane broke through the layer of thick clouds that were blanketing Santa Cruz. It had been raining. The orange, ceramic tiles that cover Santa Cruz’s house roofs glistened a warm welcoming to your grandpaa. Your grandpaa also remembers the short ride – which had the vehicle that he was in having to drive down potholed streets, from the airport in Santa Cruz to the South American Mission mission base – where the South America Mission Bolivia field team missionaries were having a mini-conference. You will experience moments and times that will always be etched in your minds just as Ezra would always remember the long, safe hike that he took from the country of Babylonia to the city of Jerusalem.
Ezra 8 (629)