Fast Day 16: Ezra

By Pastor Thomas Renfroe

Ezra 8:21–23 (ESV) 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For 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.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Ezra is one of the most under-appreciated and sometimes easily overlooked leaders in the Bible. This is not because he is lacking in strength, but because his strength doesn’t look like what we have come to admire in our modern culture. We live in a time where the culture is teaching men and young boys how to look strong through their physiques, aggression, and performance. The beautiful thing about the scriptures is that they teach us what true strength really is. Ezra isn’t known for his physical strength or for being a warrior or conqueror like David and Joshua, instead Ezra models for us exactly what this true strength looks like for a godly man. He shows us that true strength is about being aligned with God, walking in humility, fulfilling our responsibilities, and protecting the vulnerable. 

Ezra is mostly known for being a priest and scribe and a man who had ^“set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel^” (Ezra. 7:10). But he was also a man who used his discernment as he led God’s people. In this devotional passage that we are looking at today, Ezra is leading the second group of exiles back to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. He understands the path that has been laid out before him and also the dangers that are along the way. By using his discernment, Ezra pauses so that the people can fast and humble themselves before the Lord. The purpose of the fast is for protection for themselves and their children. This is something that we as fathers need to remember to do more often. We have been given a very special and sometimes challenging responsibility of protecting our children. Ezra shows us that it isn’t about rushing to the next place, but instead taking our time and relying on the Lord to help us along the way. 

Ezra 8:31 (ESV) Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 

Reflection:

Ezra succeeded in leading God’s people back to Jerusalem not by his own strength, but by walking in humility and being totally dependent on God’s strength. He understood that the hand of the Lord is on those who seek him, and he relied on God for the protection that was needed. Ezra is a great reminder of how fasting can be used for the protection of our children and how success and victory isn’t always about our performance or by using force. 

Prayer: 

Lord, we thank you that we can turn to you in our times of need. We pray that you would stir up the hearts of the fathers at COTR so that they can become men who have a strong desire to study, practice, and share your Word. We pray that we can slow down so that we can be in alignment with you and rely on you to help us protect our children. In Jesus name, Amen.