“We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19 and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. So we arrived safely in Jerusalem, where we rested for three days.
On the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed at the Temple of our God and entrusted to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest and to Eleazar son of Phinehas, along with Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui – both of whom were Levites. Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded.
Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They presented twelve bulls for all the people of Israel, as well as ninety-six rams and seventy-seven male lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was given as a burnt offering to the LORD. The king’s decrees were delivered to his highest officers and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, who then cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God.
Ezra 8:31-36 NLT
Well, this group made it, too. Once again, the gap in the narrative makes me curious about their journey: did they argue? Did they play games to pass the time? Did anyone get sick? I’m sure they sang. I bet the children got antsy. I can only imagine how all the animals smelled.
But they made it. Because “the gracious hand of [their] God protected [them].”
And Ezra is pretty specific from whom God protected the caravan: enemies and bandits.
The Hebrew for protected is natsal – to snatch away. I have a person in my life regularly reminding me that there is only one enemy in my situation. And it is not another person. It is the one who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy.
Can I tell you how grateful I am to have a God Who will snatch me away from that enemy? From that bandit (arab) who lurks around looking for opportunities to destroy?
If you are His precious child, that is how He is working in your life as well. Snatching you away from the evil one. Only giving him just enough leash to accomplish in your life what He allows and desires. Using everything that bandit means for evil to work for good in your life. Because if our awesome God made sure that physical treasure of gold and silver made it safely on their way, you can rest assured He will take care of His little flock on ours.
The next sentence is so beautiful: “Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel.”
How long had it been? This generation had never been able to offer a proper offering for their sin in Temple. These exiles, shbiy– prisoners – finally getting to worship God for accepting a chatta’ah – a penalty for the death they deserved.
How grateful they must have been.
And it gets even better: the king’s decrees were given to all his officials and they, too, “cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God.”
That word support is nasah – to lift. The non-Jewish king and his officials lifted, furthered, supported the people and the House of God.
God will use Who He will to lift high His name and His people.
The beautiful news is when they see Him lifted up, many will bow down.