As Ezra and the others leave Babylon and begin the journey
towards Jerusalem, a journey of some 900 miles, he stops and calls for the
group to fast and pray for safe travel and protection on the journey. They have no guard as Ezra says, “I was
ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us
against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, ‘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 would trust the Lord completely, and thereby the Lord would
prove to the exiles as well as the king that He was able and willing to protect
His people as they did His will. Ezra
entrusted the priests accompanying the delegation with all the vessels used in
worship or given as freewill offerings for the temple in accord with the king’s
edict. When they arrive, they have all
that was given to them, they had faced no enemy, and they offered sacrifices in
thanksgiving for answered prayer. That
is always an important thing to do, thank God for answers to prayer.
The crowds that came to the “desolate place” were those who
believed, not like those of Jesus’ hometown who had doubted because they knew
Him and His family. These people would
not allow the doubts and disbelief of others to dissuade them from what they
knew, based on what they had heard and seen.
They believed and they wanted healing for the sick among them, enough to
go to the desolate place on foot and to remain there as long as necessary, even
if it meant they went hungry that night.
In addition to the healing miracles Jesus worked that day, this crowd
was rewarded with a meal provided by God Himself, a miraculous feeding even the
disciples couldn’t imagine. Like the
exiles in our first reading, faith was rewarded.
John sees the final angels, seven, the number of completion,
in heaven and these will bring the final wrath of God. Prior to their coming forth the 144,000
appear again, singing the song of Moses, the song of faith and praise that what
is going to occur is part of God’s holiness.
This judgment is just, true and righteous and as awful as it will be,
God should be praised for it for these reasons.
We don’t like the idea of judgment.
We should be appalled at it, not anxious for it to come, we should
regret the necessity and pray for those who are outside the number of the
redeemed. In the end, however, in order
for the plea, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”
to be answered, judgment is required.
The angels come from the tent of witness in heaven, and one of the
living creatures gives them the seven bowls of wrath to pour out on the
earth. Faith is our only hope and we
should daily thank Him for that faith that will see us through to our home just
as Ezra and those exiles came safely to Jerusalem.
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