“The Hand Of The Lord My God Was Upon Me”

Date: August 5, 2001-A.M.
Speaker: John Phillis
Main Scripture Reference: Ezra 1:1-9:15

The Bible is filled with stories of people who lived their lives under the influence, under the power, under the direction of God. Through deep faith and a willingness to serve, God used these people to fulfill His purposes. In the Old Testament, we read about one named Ezra, who was such a one as I have described, one who moved under the power, the influence, and the direction of God and whom God used in a very powerful way. We see through Ezra the example of what can happen when, first of all, a person is determined to see God, and then is completely obedient to God, and then allows the Lord to use him.

Ezra, you may recall, was a scribe, was a teacher, and was a priest. He was a direct descendent of Aaron. And he was among the Jews who were still living in Babylonian captivity. He had found favor with the King of Persia (and to remind you, Persia had captured Babylon in battle, and although the children of Israel had been taken into exile by the Babylonians some generations before, they were now under the control of the King of Persia). Ezra had found favor with Artaxerxes, the King of Persia. And in about 457 BC, Ezra was appointed by the King of Persia to lead a group of Jews from this Babylonian captivity, that they were still in, back to Jerusalem. This was about 80 years after Zerubbabel had led a similar group back to Jerusalem, who had returned specifically with the task of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.

The mission of Ezra and his group was to restore the people of God. Turn to the book of Ezra in the Old Testament and we are going to be looking there and reading from this Old Testament book today.

The first 6 chapters of the book of Ezra describe the work of Zerubbabel and that group that returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. The final 4 chapters of this book relate Ezra’s arrival and the great restoration he brought about among the people of God. If we were to indicate a theme to Ezra’s life work, it would have to be the theme: “The hand of the Lord my God was upon me.” This is because 6 times in 2 chapters in the book of Ezra, he will make this statement or a statement to this effect: “The hand of the Lord my God was upon me.” Well, as we think about this statement that he makes, we’re going to explore and see how it was that the hand of the Lord, the hand of God, was upon Ezra.

We first notice that the hand of God was upon him in receiving requests from the king of Persia, Artaxerxes. In chapter 7 of the book of Ezra, verse 6 we read, “The king [Artaxerxes] had granted him [Ezra] everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.” Why was it that Ezra had found favor with the king? Because the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra.

We also see that the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra in several other ways. As we look in chapter 7, we see that the hand of the Lord was upon him in order for him to return to Jerusalem, chapter 7, verses 12 and 13. We see there that this is actually part of the text of the letter that the king of Persia wrote to Ezra, for Ezra, which described his mission. Chapter 7, verse 12: “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of God of heaven. Perfect peace. I issue a decree that all the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem with you may go.” So, indeed, here we see the hand of the Lord upon Ezra, and the favor of this king. We see further here in the instruction that the king will give, verses 14-17, that Ezra and this group were to take gold and silver to offer, as well as animals to sacrifice. And then we see, in verses 18-20 of chapter 7, that they were to buy what was needed for the service to be rendered in the house of God. And further, verse 24, that they will be free of taxation. And then we see that Ezra is given the authority, in chapter 25, to set up something of a government by setting up magistrates and judges.

In verses 27 and 28, we see again what Ezra has to say concerning this great mission that he has been dispatched on. Chapter 7, verse 27: “Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, Who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty princes. So, I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.” The hand of the Lord God was upon Ezra as he received these things, these directions, these privileges, and even this honor by the king.

We see also, that the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra in finding servants for the people. In chapter 8, verse 15, as Ezra and the contingent he was to take to Jerusalem were about to make their journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, Ezra will note that there are no Levites among them. Why there were no Levites present, why there were no Levites who were prepared at this time to make the journey, we do not know. But certainly, to effect the reforms that God desired to be made, Levites would be a necessity—they would be an important part of this process. And so, indeed, it was needed that some Levites would be included along as part of this contingent. So Ezra will send men to find Levites, who will go with them, chapter 8, verses 16 and 17.

And once again, we see that there is success, for we read in verse 18: “Then, by the good hand of our God upon us” they find 38 Levites and 220 Nethinim, verses 18-20. Who were the Nethinim? Nethinims were temple servants who assisted the Levites. This order (this group of temple servants) was set up by David during his reign as King of Israel. And so, again, there is success to be had because the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra and He blessed his efforts—38 Levites and 220 temple servants to make this journey with him.