THE LORD SPOKE (July 11)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Ezra 7-8

The gracious hand of our God was on me.

Six times in two chapters. That's how often this phrase appears in the book of Ezra. The fact was perceived by kings (7:6,27-28) and feared by bandits (8:31-32). It was recognized by others (7:6,9) and proclaimed by Ezra himself (3:28). It started with one dedicated individual (3:6,9, spread to other leaders (8:18), and then to "everyone who look[ed] to [God]" (8:22).

How did/does it happen? How does one experience "the gracious hand of God"?

• by immersion in Scripture (7:6)
• by commitment to preparation, practice, and preaching (7:10)
• by humbling yourself before God (8:21-22)

What are the results?

• favor with those in authority (7:6,27-28)
• attainment of your goals and dreams (7:9)
• courage to move forward (7:28)
• encouragement to others to follow your example (8:18)
• more dependence upon God (8:21-23)
• God's protection (8:31-32)

Go back for a minute to where it started. Because Ezra devoted himself to the study of God's Word, "the gracious hand of his God was on him" (7:9-10). The Hebrew for "devoted himself" is literally "set his heart". It takes a commitment. Did you notice the sequence in 7:10? You need to "seek it", "do it", and "teach it". In that order! It's worthless to teach it to others if you're not doing it yourself and it's impossible to do it if you don't first know it.

Ezra was "well versed in the law of Moses". The KJV translates it as he was a "ready scribe". The Hebrew original actually uses a derivative of "fast" - i.e. he was quick in the Scriptures because he knew it front to back. When a question came up, he had a ready response from God's Word because he knew it so well himself.

"The systematic preaching of the Word is impossible without the systematic study of it. It will not be enough to skim through a few verses in daily Bible reading nor to study a passage only when we have to preach from it. No, we must daily soak ourselves in the Scriptures."
John R.W. Stott, The Preacher's Portrait (p. 31)

Don't you wish to experience the gracious hand of God upon your life too?


New Testament: I Timothy 2

Is there a difference between God willing something and God wanting something? There certainly is. Two different Greek words are used. Thelo is the lighter of the two and leans toward “inclination, desire, wish”. Bulomai is the stronger term and means “deliberation, determination, will”. The semantic range of the two words intersects but the difference is significant, especially in understanding a text like I Timothy 2:4.

If God wanted all men to be saved in the sense of divine determination, what could stop it? Paul tells us that God desires (thelo) the salvation of all men. In a very similar passage, Peter flips that over and affirms that God does not determine the damnation of anyone:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting (bulomai) anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (II Pet. 3:9)

In both texts we’re reminded of God’s patient loving-kindness. Peter especially emphasizes the slowness of His judgment (see the context) in order that men may come to repentance. Elsewhere (I Pet. 1:2) he speaks very clearly of God’s sovereign choice according to His foreknowledge. Likewise, Paul tells us that God predestined, called, justified, and glorified those He foreknew (Rom. 8:28-30). This knowledge is based on his love and is mixed with purpose. It is not the idea that God foresaw who would believe and then “chose” them. He did the choosing! He knew us before we had any knowledge of Him.

Man has the mistaken notion that we should all have an equal chance, that we’re all basically pointed that direction, and that we all deserve the opportunity to respond. The opposite is true. We’re all faced in the opposite direction and quite delighted with our sin. We love darkness and our inclination is away from God. We are bent toward sin. God, in His great mercy and grace, reaches down and snatches some for Himself. The Scriptures say, “many”. It’s not His desire that any perish and so He has determined to save many.

My sin - O, the bliss of this glorious tho’t -
My sin - not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!