“O the sweet rest that’s prepared for the faithful Will be His blest and final, ‘Well done.’” —L.E. Campbell
They broke camp at their rendezvous site by “the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem” (Ezra 8:31). Rather than ask the king for help, they had requested a security detail from God, and, no surprise here, “the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.” Of course, it’s good for us to ask for His help at the beginning of a journey, and thank Him at the other end. But did you know, Christian, that you already have an assigned security detail? Both the Old and New Testaments confirm this. “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them” (Ps 34:7). As regarding “the angels…Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:13-14). We seldom see them, but until we receive our ultimate salvation when removed from this fallen world, they are there as surely as they ringed the mountains at Dothan in the days of Elisha. Remarkably, the four-month journey is passed by in three sentences. “Then we departed… and He delivered us…So we came to Jerusalem” (Ezra 8:31-32). What more needs to be said? Assuming we grew up with the King James Version, we describe the most important events in our lives with only two code words: Hitherto and Henceforth. We sweep across our past and say, “Ebenezer…Hitherto the Lord hath helped us” (1 Sam 7:12, KJV). And we encapsulate all that lies ahead in these words: “the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever” (Ps 125:2). So Ezra’s entourage rested and recovered in Jerusalem for three days, then handed over the treasures and delivered the king’s orders. Mission accomplished!