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Context No. 2227 of 4322 · Ezra

Context · Reflection

Ezra 8:11-20: in context

11Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai; and with him twenty-eight males. 12Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan; and with him one hundred ten males. 13Of the sons of Adonikam, who were the last, their names are: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah; and with them sixty males. 14Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud; and with them seventy males. 15I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava; and there we encamped three days. Then I looked around at the people and the priests, and found there were none of the sons of Levi. 16Then I sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, for Elnathan, for Jarib, for Elnathan, for Nathan, for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib and for Elnathan, who were teachers. 17I sent them out to Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should tell Iddo and his brothers the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God. 18According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen; 19and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty; 20and of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred twenty temple servants. All of them were mentioned by name.

As Ezra gathers the exiles to return to Jerusalem, he reviews the company and discovers a gap: there were no Levites among them, no one to serve in the house of God. So he sends leaders to bring back ministers for the temple. And the result is recorded with a phrase Ezra uses often: according to the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, and with him a company of Levites and temple servants. What Ezra needed and lacked, God supplied, and Ezra saw in it the good hand of God upon them.

The phrase to hold is one Ezra returns to again and again: the good hand of our God upon us. When he faced a need, no Levites for the temple service, he acted, sending for them; and when the need was supplied, he attributed it not to his own effort or good fortune but to God: the good hand of our God was upon us. Throughout his account, Ezra credits their success, their safe journey, their supply of needs, to this good hand of God upon them. He saw God's gracious hand at work in the meeting of their needs and the prospering of their work. This is a way of seeing that we do well to learn. When our needs are met, when our efforts succeed, when the right help arrives at the right time, we can attribute it to chance, to our own effort, to good luck. Ezra attributed it to the good hand of God upon them. He saw God's gracious providence behind the supply of their needs and the success of their work, and gave him the credit. This is not a denial of human effort, Ezra worked and acted, but a recognition that behind the meeting of needs and the prospering of work is the good hand of God, graciously at work for his people. This gives both comfort and confidence. It comforts us to know that God's good hand is upon his people, graciously supplying their needs and prospering their work; when we face a lack, as Ezra faced the lack of Levites, we may trust that God's good hand can supply it. And it gives confidence as we undertake what God calls us to: my help, the psalmist says, comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Those who seek to serve God can trust that his good hand is upon them, at work to supply and prosper. This calls us to see and trust the good hand of God upon us. When our needs are met and our work prospers, we may recognize, as Ezra did, the good hand of God behind it, giving him the credit rather than chance or ourselves. And when we face a lack or undertake a work, we may trust that the good hand of God is upon those who seek to serve him, graciously at work to supply their needs and prosper their labor. Ezra saw the good hand of God in the supplying of what he lacked; and we too may see and trust that good hand upon us, at work for his people in the meeting of their needs and the prospering of their work.

When my needs are met, my efforts succeed, or the right help arrives at the right time, do I attribute it to chance, luck, or my own effort, or can Ezra, who saw in the supply of what he lacked the good hand of our God upon us and credited God for it, teach me to recognize God's gracious providence behind the meeting of my needs and the prospering of my work, giving him the credit, and to trust that his good hand is upon those who seek to serve him?

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