Divine Deliverance

“Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days.” ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭8:31-32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ http://bible.us/114/ezr.8.31-32.nkjv

The experience of Ezra and the returning captives enroute Jerusalem shows that empty faith in God’s deliverance will fall flat like packs of cards in the face of threat. At the river of Ahava, efforts were made to rededicate their conviction in divine deliverance while counting the cost rejecting human deliverance (Ezra had rejected the king’s offer of road escort and posited that God was able to provide protection to those who put their trust in Him). While many believers would count Ezra’s faith old-fashioned, it is the real faith of the Bible - Faith with works. Empty faith in God’s deliverance do not have provisions for holiness and righteousness before claiming possession of the promised land. Whereas in the interplay between the hand of our God and the hand of the enemy, God is more interested in our character of holiness along the way than the comfort of holiday in the promised land. Obviously, the break in transition at the river of Ahava was not a waste of time. It consolidates their conviction in the worth of treasure in uprightness, especially through absolute faith in the Lord. No matter how tough the tide may sometimes appear in life, absolute faith in the Lord does save the righteous from the hand of the enemy.