Freedom to Worship
Study Scripture: Ezra 6:1 – 12
Background Scripture: Ezra 5; 6: 1 – 12; 10: 1, 5, 70
Lesson 2 March 12, 2022
Key Verse
May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who [a]attempts to [b]change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem… Ezra 6:12.
INTRODUCTION
The experiences of the first wave of Jewish exiles that returned to Judah from Babylonian exile is a stark reminder of the believers’ dependence on God to achieve His will in our lives. Undoubtedly, many of the survivors and those born in captivity longed for the homeland, a common feeling for many who for one reason or another have to leave home for a foreign land. Despite this very common desire,
we read that it was only those … whose spirit God had stirred… that actually braved the arduous, nine- hundred-mile journey to Judah and the despairing conditions that awaited them in Jerusalem.
Our Study Scripture therefore intends to remind believers that they will never be free to worship God unless God takes the initiative and frees them to mentally and spiritually leave their present position, determine the will of God when God stirs them up, and move forward to achieve the will of God.
To get an insight into the history of the times we should review briefly the conditions under which the Jewish community existed. The Persians under Cyrus the Great had defeated the powerful Babylonian Empire and had taken their territory including Israel and Judah. This area where Judah came from is called Beyond the River, the Euphrates.
The Persian Empire operated under a very different kind of political system from the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar. The Persians like the Babylonians were quite brutal and violent but they believed in state religion and so under their political and administrative system they would in addition to their other practices would allow some captured people to return to their homeland and establish worship of their particular gods because the view was that once these people had returned to their homeland and established their worship they would remain loyal to the Persian Empire.
The Babylonians of course thought differently and so they were prepared to deport captured people and strip their temples of valuables, keeping it in their treasure houses. Unlike the Babylonians, in addition, the Persians surmised that the gods of the captured peoples would bless the Persian dynasty and they would continue for a long time.
The Persians set up a structure for the captured people where they would have Satraps or governors that would be responsible to the central government in Babylon. This was an efficient system.
We must not suppose that the Persians believed in the God of Israel but they believed in monotheism, or one god, with their one God called Ormadz. They would therefore be inclined to look favorably on the monotheistic worship of the Jews rather than on the religious system of their semi-pagan opponents. But in any case they did allow state religion of these pagan gods to continue in the captured territories.
The Persian king that we are dealing with is Darius and we should note that according to Herodotus the Jewish historian that he was quite savage and menacing and he had impaled 3000 men at Babylon after he recaptured the city. So these were savage times and savage people and so when Darius made a decision to allow Israel to return home he had no problems in threatening savage and menacing actions to those that disagreed with him and his decision.
We should also remember that the Medes and the Persians were quite proud of their fact that once they made a decision it could not be reversed and we see that in the book of Daniel this practice was used to try to trap Daniel when he refused to worship in contradiction to the decrees of the Persian king not to worship anyone except him for a period of time. But Daniel in chapter 6 we are told as was his custom prayed three times a day to the God of Israel and so was accused of breaking the decree of the king. As a result the king who loved Daniel labored to save Daniel but he had to throw him into the lion’s den. We all know that story for God saved Daniel and the king as a result was quite happy and executed the men that accused Daniel by casting them, their children and their wives into the lion’s den.
We must therefore understand that if the Providence of God was not working in full force the Jews would have achieved nothing and they would not be now living under the successor to the Babylonian Empire with rulers who were autocrats and which had a totally different kind of policy on state religions.
We must understand that divine observation, the eye of God going throughout all the world looking at the people of Israel and looking at their enemies would never cease. The heart of Darius would be guided so that the kindness of God toward Israel would succeed.
It will be helpful at this stage to just briefly look at the history of the Jews under this Empire. The Persians under Cyrus the Great had defeated the Babylonians and captured Babylon in about 539 B.C. Cyrus made a proclamation which allowed the people of Judah to return home under the leadership of Zerubbabel and rebuild the temple of the “Lord of heaven and earth”. This return is dated about 537 B.C. and the altar was rebuilt. Then the Temple rebuilding begun in 536 B.C. but the enemies of Israel, mainly the mixed race Samaritans, opposed the rebuilding and the rebuilding ceased between 530 B.C. and 520 B.C. The rebuilding was stalled but construction of the Temple was resumed in the sixth year of Darius which was about 516 B.C.
The question we must first examine therefore is why the people of Israel so badly wanted to return to their homeland, rebuild altar, and rebuild the Temple. Is it because the people of God know in their hearts that it is most important to keep company with brethren, to worship God and to begin enjoying the amazingly beneficial things that are experienced when one gathers to worship God?
The question is posed by one writer as it relates to us. It is stated in a teaching entitled God, the Cause of Our Joy:
“How high is the pursuit of joy on your priority list? Do you view it as something that is not only nice to pursue, but absolutely necessary? Many Christians view the Christian life primarily in terms of duty and obedience, and those are not minor themes in the Bible. But how many Christians view the pursuit of joy, gladness, and delight in God as a prime duty?
All too often, we view God as a stern, cosmic killjoy, who doesn’t want anyone to get too carried away with having a good time in life. The Puritans are often falsely caricaturized as being against joy and pleasure. Someone lampooned a Puritan as a person who suffers from an overwhelming dread that somewhere, sometime, somehow, someone may be enjoying himself. That’s a false view. It was the Puritans who said, “The chief aim of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”.
The hope is that our Study Scripture will make believers realize that when there is worship there is a joy that God brings to His people for the people know that God’s eye is on them. Joy and gladness in the Lord are extremely important themes in the Bible and so Deuteronomy 12 tells us, we should rejoice in all that we undertake for God for God will bless us. A warning however comes that if we do not serve God with joy and a glad heart we will find that we are serving our enemies and God would send our enemies against us. Deuteronomy 28.
The people of Israel were well aware of the work of God among them.
The providential, surprising, prophecy-fulfilling proclamation and the very reason for the king Darius’s edict plainly stated (Ezra1:1-4), must have confirmed in the minds of the Jews that theirs was the sovereign God; they were still His people and He was faithful to His promises. The auspicious circumstances of their departure from Babylonia, the preserved Temple utensils handed over to them, the material and logistic support of people in all the locales where Jews lived (1:6-8) must have buoyed spirits even in the face of a nine- hundred-mile trek.
What was expected likely paled in comparison to what the real conditions were on the ground. Couple this with the hostility of the then citizens and the returnees were in a very ‘hard’ place and things were not about to get better anytime soon!
But remember that for them freedom to worship in the Land God had promised and provided was critically important.
As we observe the workings of God however we will see that when circumstances turn against us and God does not seem to be answering our prayers the way we want, we have to look at our history, stand back from our circumstances, survey the whole picture, and learn that though we are perplexed by our experiences and the difficulties we face there is a incredibly great plan in heaven for the people of God.
The people of Israel who had returned however first rebuilt the altar in 537 BC (Ezra 3:1–6), revived the system of sacrifice, observed the feasts and laid the foundation to rebuild the Temple. All this in the face of mounting opposition and harassment, local and regional.
Eventually though the rebuilding work was halted (536 B.C.). The Jews should have persevered because King Cyrus supported their efforts to rebuild.
Note the rebuilding of the Temple was a key element to the main objective and purpose for which God repatriated the people to Jerusalem. The pagan Persians who were like the Jews monotheists, and who had adopted a rather strange policy of returning exiles and having them return home to rebuild their worship of their god, were certainly behaving as if God saw them and was directing how they behaved.
But interestingly, the people of Israel that had returned rationalized their decision to suspend reconstruction with the statement: “… The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built…”, (Hag. 1:2). These are the same people that braved a nine-hundred-mile journey, laid a foundation for the Temple, set-up the organs of a functional society and yet flinched in the face of opposition.
This episode shows that even with godly, committed leadership, believers can falter, become disillusioned and begin to pursue personal goals at the expense of God’s work. We can develop a sense of achievement, satisfaction, fall into a comfort routine and say maybe with pride look at what ‘I’ have already done!
Not that I have already [g]grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that [h]for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14).
It is some comfort for believers that God intervenes to meet the needs of His people and empowers them to stay with the tasks He assigns us. It was during this period of inactivity on Temple work that God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to exhort and encourage the people to resume construction. The people responded to the ministries of these prophets (Hag. 1:12-14) and work resumed (520 BC) as did opposition. There is always an effective answer to discouragement in the bold proclamation of the word of God.
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (Isaiah 40:28-29).
The returnees might have feared the worst as the heavy hand of authority again acted against them, however they found support for their construction efforts from a surprising quarter.
Today’s Study picks-up the narrative as the latest move of the opposition backfires spectacularly and in favor of the builders and work will continue unimpeded to completion in 516 BC. (Ezra 6:15).
The Text contains a decree of Persian King Darius I (522–486 BC). The decree continued a policy established by King Cyrus (539–530 BC). This policy allowed for the return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the Jewish temple (Ezra 1:2–5).
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the exiles returned to Jerusalem and Judah (538 BC) (Ezra 2:1–2; see Zechariah 4:9). Two years after the exiles returned, reconstruction began on the Temple in Jerusalem, 536 BC (Ezra 3:8–9). However, the reconstruction was delayed several times by local opposition and regional authorities (4: 24).
Today’s Study Text comes as a response to questions from Persian officials Tattenai and Shethar-boznai. After seeing the efforts at reconstruction, they questioned Zerubbabel and the local leaders concerning whose authority granted them rebuilding rights (Ezra 5:3, 9). The builders noted that their authority came from God and Cyrus.
But it is clear that the hand of God was operating here for the satrap did not immediately order a stop to the work on the Temple but allowed the work to continue while he investigated what right the Jews had in this matter. A letter was sent to King Darius to inquire on the nature and authority of Cyrus’s decree (5:5–17). The Lesson concerns Cyrus’s decree and Darius’s response to the Persian officials.
As we study this Text and consider our own circumstances let us be encouraged and reminded that God is “ … able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,…” (Phil. 3:20).
THE TEXT
Verse 1. Then Darius the king made a decree and search … this was in response to a letter from Tattenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River and Shethar-bozenai, (Ezra 5:6-17). This province included Palestine.The king was not compelled to even respond but he was going to be God’s instrument even as king Cyrus before him, (Ezra 1:1-4).
Archaeological remains of Persian archives reveal detailed reports of taxes, expenditures and local government occurrences throughout the empire. However, not all official records were stored in Babylon. Other cities held local and national records and treasures. Therefore, a search for Cyrus’s records would extend outside the capital. One scholar Yamauchi comments on the accurate record keeping which would have had to exist so that proof of Cyrus’s instructions to benefit the Jews returning to their homeland would exist:
“Diodorus (2.32.4) declares that the Persians had ‘royal parchments recording their history. Persian officials wrote on scrolls of papyrus and leather, as discoveries made in Egypt show”.
Verse 2. And in Ecbatana, in the fortress,.. the search for Cyrus’s decree took investigators to Ecbatana (modern Hamadan), a city located some two hundred and eighty miles northeast of Babylon. The city served as the summer palace for Persian royalty, so it is possible that Cyrus issued his decree there during the summer of 538 BC (Ezra 1:1). According to the Greek historian Xenophon, Cyrus lived in Babylon during the winter, in Susa during the spring, and in Ecbatana in the summer.
It would appear from any perspective except God’s, that a disproportionate amount of effort and expense was expended just to find out if a ‘building permit’ was issued for a Temple some nine-hundred miles away! However, we cannot read this story without realizing that ‘the eye of the God of Israel was on the elders of the Jews’ (5:5) and that all the peoples were in His hand. The search had to uncover that document. The required and necessary document was of course recovered. God had acted precisely as was required.
Verse 3. The focus of Cyrus’s decree expands on a directive given in previous text (Ezra 1:2–4). Cyrus had given permission for the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland. Now the Text elaborates on a key detail of their return: the reconstruction of the house of God in Jerusalem.
… the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits… prior to Darius’s decree, the altar where they offered sacrifices was reconstructed (Ezra 3:2–3). Now the Temple would be rebuilt to provide a space for worship. The Temple’s height and breadth were to be threescore cubits, or approximately ninety feet each way. (A cubit is about 18 inches). These dimensions differ from those of Solomon’s Temple. That Temple had a length of sixty cubits, a width of twenty cubits, and a height of thirty cubits (1 Kings 6:20). The size was likely specific to keep the cost of construction within limits.
The decree did not include the Temple’s length. One might assume the length would be suitably proportional for esthetic and stability considerations.
Verse 4. Archaeological discoveries in modern-day Syria have shown that the use of timber after several rows of stones helped buildings survive earthquakes. This practice was utilized in the construction of the inner courtyard of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6:36) and the courtyard of Solomon’s palace (7:12). Both mention the use of cedar wood, but Cyrus’s decree does not elaborate in that regard.
And let the expenses be given out of the king’s house... those remaining in Babylonian exile contributed to the Temple’s reconstruction (Ezra 1:4, 6). But in an act of goodwill, the decree placed part of the financial burden on the king’s house, another term for the Public Treasury. These funds came to the Treasury via new taxation practices (vs. 8).
It was one thing that the ‘project’ had royal permission but it was to be significantly financed from the provincial Treasury. Then like now, unforeseen expenses often wrecked budgets!
Verse 5. And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, … the centrality of the sacred vessels, their removal from the house of God, and their eventual return to the Temple is again made evident by Darius’ repetition (compare Ezra 1:7–11). These vessels were made by Solomon and were used at the temple for worship (1 Kings 7:48–51). However, Nebuchadnezzar confiscated them and took them to Babylon following the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:13–17;
2 Chronicles 36:18). That these very valuable items both for their spiritual and monetary value survived intact after fifty years can only be credited to divine protection.
Be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, … these vessels were used in profane and unholy ways during the exile (Daniel 5:1–4). They would need to be purified and reconsecrated before they were restored and brought into the temple, the house of God. The restorative act required sacred anointing oil (Exodus 30:22–29; 40:9). The presence of these items in the newly restored temple contributed to the restoration of Israelite life as the holy people of God.
Verse 6. Tattenai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, …. be ye far from thence.
What follows are the direct words of Darius to his officials, Tatnai and Shetharboznai.
Beyond the river refers to the area west of the Euphrates River and east of the Mediterranean Sea. This area was a satrapy, or province, of the Persian Empire, of which Tatnai was governor (Ezra 5:3).
The identity and role of the Apharsachites (kjv) is unclear. Their name is an English transliteration of an Aramaic term. They were either an ethnic group from Samaria, the region north of Judah, or Persian officials who accompanied the governor of the satrapy. Their only mention in Scripture comes in here and Ezra 4:9. This injunction put an end to official provincial interference with the reconstruction.
Verse 7. …let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews … Darius seems to have viewed Zerubbabel as the ruler of the Jews living in the jurisdiction of Tattenai, who governed the whole province that included Palestine and Jerusalem.
Zerubbabel served as the governor of the Jews who had returned from exile (Ezra 5:2). The governor coordinated local affairs with the Persian authorities. Another group of localized leadership consisted of the elders of the Jews. These were leaders who handled local affairs like family disputes or village conflicts (Deut. 21:1–9; 25:7–10).
This division allowed the leaders to respond to the internal challenges of the community and maintain good relationships with the Persians. Additionally, it allowed the Persians to maintain control over the satrapy without overt involvement and concern in all local matters.
Verse 8. Darius’s decree went well beyond Cyrus’ and much to the chagrin of the provincial governor we might imagine. Specifically, Darius committed to funding part of the temple’s construction expenses from taxes and tribute money from the satrapy beyond the river Euphrates. Some believe this action reflects a larger policy to restore and provide for local temples and cults in the empire in the hope of securing loyalty to the Persian throne and gain the favor of local deities. Darius’s financial generosity highlighted his desire to honor the Temple, whether or not he believed in the Temple’s God.
As unexpected as that financial backing was, the backing by Darius was all the more so. A pagan king offered to subsidize the construction and function of Israel’s Temple!
Through what unexpected measures has God provided for you to do His work? How can you cut through opposition in order to continue toward the goal God has set for you?
Verse 9. In addition to financial backing, Darius ordered officials to provide the necessary resources for regular sacrifices at the Temple. Young bulls, rams, and lambs were valuable livestock for the burnt offerings required of Israel (Leviticus 1:2–13; 22:27; Numbers 7:87–88; 1 Chronicles 29:21). The returned exiles would eventually offer sacrifices with these animals (Ezra 8:35).
Flour made of wheat was used alongside daily sacrifices and burnt offerings (Exodus 29:40;
Leviticus 2:1–2; 5:11; 6:20; etc.).
– Salt accompanied grain offerings (2:13) and burnt offerings (Ezekiel 43:24). The preservative properties of salt served as a reminder of the preserving nature of God’s covenant (Numbers 18:19;
2 Chronicles 13:5).
– Oil accompanied the sacrifices, and wine was presented as a drink offering (Exodus 29:40;
Leviticus 23:13).
Darius’s use of the title God of heaven acknowledged the power and scope of the exiles’ God
(Ezra 1:2; 5:11–12; 6:10; 7:12, 21, 23). This God is the creator of all things and omnipotent
(all-powerful) over all creation, even the Persian Empire (Genesis 14:19; Isaiah 37:16; Daniel 2:44).
… day by day without fail… an on-going supply to the Temple sacrificial system.
Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. (Psalm 76:10).
Verse 10. Darius’s motives for backing the reconstruction becomes evident here and is not totally altruistic. He desired that the returning exiles have a location where they might rightly offer acceptable sacrifices. He hoped that the God of the Jews would be content and would hear their prayers, specifically those for the king and his sons. On the other hand, he might well have heard stories about Daniel (605-536 B.C.), who served under Cyrus (Dan. 6:28), and was thereby influenced to favor Jews.
…sweet savors… refer to the rich ingredients included in the sacrifices (vs. 9). When Israel offered sacrifices in the way God desired, they were considered pleasing (Numbers 28:24; contrast with Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Hosea 8:13).
It was fairly common for leaders to ask that their subjects pray to their gods on their behalf; even to this day. Greek historian Herodotus (484–425 BC) described how Persians would offer a prayer for the king while offering sacrifices to their pagan gods. The practice continued through the New Testament era (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Sometimes rulers recognized Israel’s God as a supreme God (Daniel 2:47; 6:26–27). As a result, Israel fulfilled the promise that they would be a blessing to Gentiles (Genesis 12:3).
Verse 11. As with an ancient covenant or a royal inscription, the decree ended with a warning or curse for anyone who might dare to disregard or alter the words of the king. The dramatic and violent conclusion would not have shocked ancient audiences. Worshippers and leaders would have thought it appropriate that anyone not honoring the temple of a god should have their own house destroyed and turned to refuse (Jeremiah 26:1–6).
As for the form of punishment, the underlying Aramaic text is unclear whether the punishment referred to being hanged, crucified, or impaled. While gruesome, the act of hanging an individual as punishment was not unprecedented for a Jewish audience (Genesis 40:22; Joshua 8:29). However, the Law of Moses restricted the practice of hanging (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). Persian audiences would be familiar with the punishment of hanging, as Persian officials suffered a similar gruesome fate after a failed assassination attempt of the king (Esther 2:21–23). Further, Haman, a high-ranking Persian official, was hung after he attempted to massacre Jews in Persia (5:14; 7:10).
Many expressed doubt and opposition to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple; Darius confirmed the project’s legitimacy.
When have you let doubt or opposition interfere with the work God has for you? Or might you be opposing God’s work in someone else’s life?
Verse 12. Following the format of a curse, the decree’s final line acknowledges the presence of God and the protection of all under His domain. This is the same God who promised to choose a place at which He would “cause his name to dwell there” (Deuteronomy 12:11; see Exodus 20:24). This promise referred to the unique place where God met His people, the
temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:29; 9:3; 2 Chronicles 6:2).
Darius anticipated that Israel’s God would protect His holy place and all within its premises. By calling a curse to destroy all kings and people, Darius followed an ancient Near Eastern tradition that taught that the gods would protect that which was considered precious and divine. This protection was notable for all people and items located within holy places. We are told by scholars:
“In 1973 French archaeologists discovered at Xanthos in Lycia in southwestern Turkey a cult foundation charter– written in Greek, Lycian, and Aramaic– dated two 358 B.C., a period when the area was controlled by a Persian satrap, that provided some striking parallels with the decree of Cyrus’ (Yamauchi).
We therefore have no reason to disbelieve that the hand of God was working and had redirected this powerful Empire providing the conditions necessary for the return of the exiled Jews as Jeremiah had predicted and the rebuilding of the altar and the Temple of God. Never forget therefore that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord..
The enemies of the Jews, in appealing to Darius, hoped to get an order to suppress them, but instead they got an order to supply them.
While unlikely that Darius was influenced by ancient Hebrew literature, the psalmist warned against the “kings of the earth … and the rulers” who “take counsel … against the Lord, and against his anointed” (Psalm 2:2). The Lord would “break them” and “dash them in pieces” (2:9). Those who would go against the Lord and the His intentions will be destroyed. Those who would stand against and defile the Temple of God will eventually suffer destruction. While the temple of God that Darius envisioned no longer stands, God’s promises to watch over His “temple” remain true
(1 Corinthians 3:16–17).
CONCLUSION
The sovereignty the Jews gained under Cyrus and maintained under Darius was short-lived. In the centuries that followed, the Jewish people experienced many years of occupation. However, in that specific season under the reign of and support from Darius, the Jews survived and even flourished as they resettled their homeland.
But even then after the Mede and Persian Empire was captured by the Greeks we are told that Alexander the Great was shown prophecies that he would arise the power and conquer the world and because of that he did not attack and destroy Jerusalem but simply bypassed Judah. God’s hand still worked and God’s eye still looked all over the earth.
The problem however is that the people of Israel consistently did not obey the commandments of God. Even when Alexander’s successor was given the right to rule over the land of Judah and Israel and tried to impose pagan customs the people of Israel seem to have compromised with that. It took the revolt of the Maccabees to expel the Syrian overlords and expel the rule of disobedient Jewish rulers who are compromised with the pagan Syrians, and cleanse the Temple and the nation.
But even though they restored the freedom to worship in this trying period of Greek rule the Maccabean family ascended the throne because they had done a great work for the people, even though they had no right to do that since they were not in the line of David.
It is therefore important for us to follow what God has laid down to the letter and even though things might seem to suggest that we have a right to do what seems right in our eyes, we must remember that that is not really so.
Especially in difficult circumstances and trying situations, God calls His people to be faithful to His purpose for their lives. That Cyrus and Darius, two Gentile leaders, allowed for the resettlement of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the Temple showed the surprising ways God provides for His people.
We must be able to understand from the history of the nation of Israel that God will always provide freedom for them to worship Him and experience the joy of fellowship with Him.
If the situation in which the people of God are found they refuse to follow the commandments of God we know that as Moses warned in the book of Deuteronomy dire times would come.
God’s aim according to one writer, is to give us great joy in Him and His sovereign ways so Psalms 5:11 reminded
“But let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy,, and may You shelter them, that those who love Your name may exult in You”.
Also,
“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart”. Psalm 32:11.
Also,
“In God’s presence is fullness of joy ; in your right hand there are pleasures forever”. Psalm 16:11.
How has God called you to obey Him? Through what unexpected circumstances is He calling you to obey Him?
God’s word is sure and His people must be careful not to limit in word or action the omnipotent and omniscient God. He often works through His people to accomplish His will. Let us understand that His will, will be done and to the extent we are involved, He will supply all we need. Let us be willing and available.