Theological Commentary: Click Here
Discipleship Focus: Protection
- Protection: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that God might deliver us from evil – even the Evil One. Sometimes we need God’s protection from the sin around us. Sometimes we need protection from the sinful people around us. Other times we need protection from the sin that lies within ourselves. In any case, Jesus’ point is clear. We need protection from the Father to make it through each and every day.
I think
this is one of the most remarkable chapters on the topic of protection that
ever appears in the Bible. Ezra is about
to set off across the desert with the whole of the communal wealth of the
Hebrew people. Then he announces that he
isn’t about to ask the king for military protection. He won’t ask for protection because he is on
record saying that God’s hand is with them.
In Ezra’s eyes, what good will people do if God’s hand is truly upon
them?
Now that’s
faith in the protection that God can provide.
That’s utterly incredible. Ezra
sets off into the wilderness without any kind of military escort. He’s asking to be robbed. In fact, what better opportunity for a
smaller nation to not just take the wealth of these people but then take the
people and make them slaves, too! Ezra
had much to lose. He places everything in
God’s hands – even the very freedom of the people with whom he is charged.
I am in
awe of Ezra’s faith. I am in awe of God’s
protection. What an incredible testimony
we have before us this chapter.
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