Ezra

Character of God (in the book of Ezra)

Ezra as author portrays God in this book of his as the ultimate Hero that Israel has desperately needed. In all humility, Ezra sees the things that are worked out for the sake of Israel as the invisible hand of God acting in all sovereignty over the people of Israel who belong to him. The impossible nature of what is happening in the lives of his nation Israel can only be explained by the steadfast love of Yahweh over their lives. The most powerful nation of the world is overthrown by the next superpower… Persia, who makes the boldest and most unknown move any empire has ever done… they send the nations home with riches and wealth to rebuild their own identities… expecting loyalty to Persia to rule and govern. This is literally unbelievable and could only be explained by God’s hand… especially considering the reality that Jeremiah and Isaiah both prophesied about it coming to fruition, Isaiah speaking of a leader named Cyrus who would deliver the people of Israel… and yep… that’s what happened. God sends his people home, empowers them with good leadership to govern the nation, rocks their world in the face of their sin to repent and turn to him… and in the end… has brought restoration to the temple, the nation, and completely redeemed their hearts back to him. This is who God is… acting in his sovereign and steadfast love to bring about redemption for his people Israel. Even as they fall into sin and away from Yahweh, he is faithful to send his prophets and leaders to guide them and bring them back to himself in genuine repentance. They were sent into exile b/c of their sin, the deserved it… & they didn’t deserve to be released… but God in his steadfast love for his people mercifully released them and blessed them abundantly with protection and resources to be rebuilt as his nation under his Law.

The OR is forced to look at who God is and choose whether they will serve him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength… to walk with him in righteousness… with on compromises. They can choose him and live… or… turn away and face his justice and he brings about the consequences of their sin. This is the reality for the OR, and Ezra is showing them how faithful God has been in hopes that they would look to him for life… for they have no hope apart from him. God has given them a second chance… a chance to live… they must look at who he is and choose to walk with him or not.

The situation is the same today… God has proven himself steadfast to love those who would call on him in the name of Jesus. He is not a genie to be abused… he is not to be manipulated for what we want. He is God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, he rules over ALL creation. He has given us a second chance… forgiveness from sins that cannot be taken away… in Christ. Do we choose to walk with him in unrighteousness, uncompromising in wanting what he offers… or not?