Posted: 27 March 2024

From a sermon given on 24 March 2024:

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
(Ezra 8:22)

Ezra was preparing to lead a group of returnees from Babylon to Jerusalem. Having obtained the greenlight to travel back to Jerusalem from king Artaxerxes, he was faced with a major dilemma - whether or not to ask for security guards during the journey.

He had already declared to the king the supremacy of God and how his hand was good to all those who seek Him and how His wrath was against those who forsake Him. Therefore, going back to the king to ask for protection would be inconsistent with his earlier declaration. Ezra was ashamed (holy shame) to request for escort because he had confidence in God. He was certain that the good hand of God would be upon them to help and protect them against their enemies as they journeyed back to Jerusalem to reconstruct the temple and restore worship.

The good hand of our God is still upon our lives today. Even in the face of real danger, perils of all kinds, sicknesses and diseases, the powerful hand of God is upon all those who seek Him. His good hand is efficiently promoting the interests of His people.

Further readings:

Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
(Exodus 6:1)

With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
(2 Chronicles 32:8)

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
(Jeremiah 17:5)