God’s Mysterious Ways

By Jeff Curtis

According to the first chapter of Ezra, in about 538BC, the Persian king Cyrus the Great issued the that allowed the Jews to return to their own land after they had spent many years in captivity. What can we learn about God and His dealings with man from Ezra chapter 1?

God’s Power is Sovereign: Cyrus issued the decree that allowed the Jews to return, but God caused him to do so. This is made clear in the text; “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom” (1:1). Isaiah predicted that God would use Cyrus to bring His people home, calling the ruler by name almost two hundred years before Cyrus began his rule (Isa. 44-45). Jeremiah by inspiration had predicted that, after 70 years in captivity, the Jews would be allowed to return to their own land (Jer. 24:11; 29:4-10). God brought fulfillment of these prophecies through Cyrus.

Today, Christians can take comfort in knowing that even when evil seems to reign on the earth, God rules over the rulers and allows them to rule only because it suits His purposes. In the end, because God is sovereign, His cause will triumph.

God Keeps His Promises: The text says that Cyrus allowed the Jews to return “in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah” (1:1); Jer.29:10). God had promised to bring back His people from captivity in 70 years, and He kept that promise.

This, of course, is a constant characteristic of God. “The promise of the Lord proves true” (2Sam. 22:31; 2Pet.3:9). God kept His promise to Abraham, even thought twenty-five years passed between the time He made His promise to and the time that the promised son Isaac was born. God kept His promise to bring Israel into Canaan, in spite of Israel’s sins. In the same way, we can be sure that God will keep His promises now and in the future. He will save those who obey the gospel (Acts 2:38; 2Thess.1:6-10). He will take into heaven those who are faithful to Him (Rev.2:10).

God Accomplishes His Purposes: In the case of Cyrus and the Jews, God’s purpose required that the Jews return to their own land. This emphasizes the connection between the land that God gave Israel and the promise to bring the Messiah into the world. When the Messiah came, the purpose was accomplished; therefore, from New Testament times on, Israel has had no special God-given right to the “Holy Land.”

God Works in the World Through His Providence: In Bible times, God sometimes worked in the world through miracles. Miracles were real. They were historical; they happened at certain times in definite places. However, even then God sometimes worked non-miraculously, or providentially. Joseph’s experiences provide examples of both the miraculous and the non-miraculous, or providential, working of God to accomplish His purposes.

Ezra chapter 1 teaches us several important truths about God: He has power over the kings of the world, He keeps His promises, He accomplishes His purposes, and He works through His providence. Knowing these truths, Christians can rest better at night, even when evil seems to be winning on every hand, even when the days are dismal. They know that behind the blackness of the hour stands the Almighty God, who will ultimately – as He did in the days of Ezra – triumph over the evil one, win the victory, and bring His people home.

A Complaint Arose

by Frank Himmel

“Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food” (Acts 6:1).

Complaints at church are nothing new. They have been around as long as the church has because the church is people, and people tend to complain. Some complaints are legitimate and constructive: they point out real problems and lead to resolutions and better performance. Others can only be described as petty gripes. It would be instructive for all of us to look at how this first complaint was handled.

What Was Not Done

Before we examine what was done, consider what was not.

No one quit. That sometimes happens. Brethren become disenchanted over some circumstance and quit. We call it quitting the church, but it is really quitting the Lord. What does that say about one’s commitment, his discipleship? A friend of mine calls it, getting mad at your brother and taking it out on your Father.

No one went to another congregation. In this case they couldn’t because there was no other congregation. This was not just the only one in Jerusalem, it was the only one anywhere! And I can’t help but wonder if that wasn’t in one regard a blessing. While there is much to be said for having several churches in an area, one drawback is that it gives folks an option they would not otherwise have - to run away from problems instead of working them out. That solves nothing.

No one started a move to fire the preacher or oust the elders. It is uncertain whether Jerusalem had elders at this time. The apostles were in the lead. The brethren duly respected them. They did not attribute sinister motives. There were none of those privately circulated surveys or petitions, no secret meetings, nor a so-called “vote of confidence.” No one tried to use irrelevant matters such as Peter’s personal weaknesses or Matthew’s former occupation as a means to discredit them.

No one quit, no one split, no one pitched a fit! If only brethren today would abandon these unfruitful practices.

What Was Done

Actually, the solution to this complaint was quite simple. First, the apostles gave it an objective hearing and found it valid. Leaders must be listeners. As is usually the case, no purposeful wrong had been intended, it was just a simple oversight.

The apostles responded promptly, not allowing the problem to fester. They instructed the congregation to select some qualified men whom they could put in charge of the task. Seven were appointed. They must have done their jobs because this problem is never mentioned again.