Monthly Archives: November 2013

Ezra 8, Acts 28

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Ezra had previously told the king that “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him”. He chose not to rely on the soldiers and horsemen that the king offered to protect them, instead trusting in God, fasting and imploring God for His protection.  So Ezra records “The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way”.

The hand of God is not always visible in our lives, but we can trust in the certainty that He hears our prayers, and watches over us, just as He watched over Paul and those travelling with him when shipwrecked on Malta. Paul preached that the “salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles”, and we have received that hope. It’s up to us to follow the examples of Ezra and Paul, trust in God and serve Him.

Ezra 1-2

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In Ezra 1 we read of the fulfilment of a promise God made years earlier, with details provided to Isaiah 200 years before the event. God promised that at the end of 70 years captivity in Babylon, the Jews would be brought back to Jerusalem, and now Cyrus king of Persia was persuaded to do just that. The main motivation for the Jews to leave their home of 70 years and return is “to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem”.

Just as “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” to acknowledge God and to do His will, the Jews who returned also had their spirits stirred (roused, woken up) by God. We can be similarly motivated, stirring up each other “to love and good works”, reassured that our faith is not in vain by this example of God’s promise being precisely fulfilled.

Hosea 4, Acts 20

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In Hosea 4 we read of the negative example of Israel. God describes Israel by saying “the more they increased, the more they sinned against me… they shall eat, but not be satisfied.” God’s response to this behaviour is equally negative “I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.” This is an especially harsh sentence, since God describes himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger”

The warning is relevant to us living in a land of prosperity. It’s so easy to rely on the things we see around us, rather than trusting in God.  Let’s instead be like Paul, “serving the Lord with all humility”. Paul was interested only in the ministry that he’d received from Christ, “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God”, and this is our calling also.

Acts 18-19

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In Acts 18-19, Paul receives a vision telling him “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you”.  So Paul continues in Corinth for 18 months, teaching the gospel to anyone who would listen, demonstrating time and again his willingness to put the teaching of the gospel ahead of his own wellbeing.

We have been told something similar. God has said “‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me'”. Like Paul, we should have no reason to hinder us from preaching the gospel, and living it in our lives.

Acts 14-15

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In Acts we read of the great faith and persistence of Paul. At Iconium they “remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord”, until they learned of a plot to stone them. At Lystra Paul was stoned, but he got up and went back into the city, leaving the next day for Derbe. As they continued around Asia, Paul “strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith”.

At the Jerusalem conference Peter says, “we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus”. God has called us to be a people for His name, to be spiritual Israelites, with our hearts cleansed by faith.

Paul encourages us to imitate him, just as he imitated Christ. So it’s up to us to strengthen each other, that together we might encourage each other to continue in the faith, cleansing our hearts and actively living our faith.

2 Chronicles 32

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Sometime after re-establishing temple worship, Hezekiah’s faith was tested with the invasion of Sennacherib. Hezekiah encouraged the people by reminding them that “there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”  As Sennacherib’s campaign continued, Hezekiah “prayed because of this and cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors.. of the king of Assyria”.

Hezekiah’s faith strengthened Judah and kept them safe from their enemies. But after a while he became proud with his achievements, “therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem”.  So Hezekiah is a great example of faith and also a warning for us. He shows the importance of turning to God in prayer, of strengthening each other against our enemy King Sin, but also of remaining humble, realising that “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

2 Chronicles 30

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Hezekiah’s message to the 10 tribes of Israel describes God’s mercy. “The Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.” Hezekiah implored his brothers to return to serving God, and not be faithless like their fathers. Most of Israel rejected this message, but some “humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.“

The words Hezekiah sent are just as applicable to us today. God is aware of our sin, and forgives us if we humble ourselves and return to Him. Just like God heard the prayers of Daniel, He hears our prayers. “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard“.