Ezra 4:23-24, 5:1-17, 6:1-12
GODLY response is neither weak nor tame, nor is it irresponsible or violent! It is a combination of mixed actions and attitude not a concurrence of the saying “The end justifies the means.”
Godly response to opposition is about truth, wise timing, and giving way to a God-honoring triumph! The process is long and the purging of character goes deep; results are frustrating and the delays and deceptions of those who go against God irritatingly gains ground and yet, all along the way grace is sufficient and at the end, God wins and His purpose is always done.
We ask timely, legitimate questions...“Why go through all of these?” or “Why can't God be like Harry Potter, wave His magic wand and spare us from all these pain?” There are no easy answers...just honest questions whereby we express our humanity and authenticity in our quest for spirituality.
For the meantime, in this and in the afterlife, we respond in faith! We can learn more spiritual insights from the leaders of Israel as they responded in a godly way while their oppositions went from deceivingly polite to brutally intense. Let’s learn from their responses and let us marvel at the result!
1. We see an attitude of Compliance and flexibility over the enemies’ political bullying vv. 18-24
Wisdom to comply while matters were intense is godly response. Godly response is a willingness to wait on the Lord, willingness to err while exercising patience rather than seek immediate resolution of things. It takes wisdom to have the strength to wait while delays are frustrating and denials are unfair. The work stopped only because God allowed it to stop! Only a God-authored faith can continue believing when the backdrop seems to suggest sure defeat.
A willingness to go through long processes rather than taking political shortcuts provide timely space for a wiser assessment of the issues and gain better perspective. When we say “process of long wait,” we don’t mean waiting for 15 minutes or 15 days, the worked stopped for 15 years! Reason over rage is godly response. It is a time-tested principle that whenever you are busy, you are not at your best, and when you are angry, you are not prone to decide wisely! Calm compliance over aggressive attack is a wise choice.
2. We see a timely display of Courage and Firmness once God's direction is clear.
This seems contradictory to the first principle of compliance and flexibility...look closer...you will see it is not. In fact, they complement each other! The point of difference is hearing God's voice clearly! Clarity is very crucial to courage and firmness. What made them hear God's voice clearly? Their leaders knew who to listen to for God's direction; at the frontline leading them to obey God's direction.
Credibility matched their credentials. If you have both, it’s a blessing. If you need to choose one over the other, choose credibility!
They were all leaning on God's power while getting strength from God's presence...stubbornly hoping for God's promise to fulfil His purpose. It meant no matter how much it took, dead or alive, the flame of faith will keep burning!
Thank you for reading...so far...please, do not miss the concluding portion of this article...next issue.