Fasting in the Bible Day 4: Ezra

Ezra, the prophet :

Then I proclaimed a fast at the Ahava Canal, where we camped for three days, a hundred miles from Babylon. We needed to humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey to Jerusalem for all of us, which included our little ones. We also carried all we possessed and the great temple treasure given to us for a voluntary offering to the LORD in His temple in Jerusalem. I was ashamed to request that King Artaxerxes protect us from the enemy on the way, because when we left Babylon, we had said to the king, “The hand of our God is favorable to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who abandon Him.” So we fasted and pleaded in prayer with God concerning this matter, and He listened to us … When we journeyed from the river on the twelfth of the first month, the hand of our God strengthened us, and He kept us safe from the hand of the enemy and bandits along the way. We arrived unharmed in Jerusalem. From Ezra 8: 21-23, 31-32

Some history: The Babylonian exiles were allowed, by various kings of the Persian Empire, to return to Jerusalem in waves to reoccupy the city. They were also permitted to repair the temple of God that had been destroyed seventy years earlier. This was a thousand-mile journey that took four months for Ezra and the thousands of people that accompanied him. Nehemiah was a contemporary of Ezra and the central figure in the book of Nehemiah which was historically seen as part of the book of Ezra. He didn’t get permission from Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem to repair the wall surrounding the city until at least a decade later.

In the book of Ezra, we see that the prophet proclaimed a fast at the beginning of this long journey. They were traveling with many people and their families and the temple treasure. Safety was uppermost in their minds. They were nervous that Ezra’s bold statement about God protecting them would turn out to be false. They were traveling with their whole families, their little ones, and they were concerned.

What did they do? Ezra and the people fasted. Ezra and the people prayed.

Today, you have probably heard people praying for traveling mercies. This is usually a one-phrase prayer that doesn’t include all the parts of a specific journey. Gabriel Powell blogs about it, calling it a Christian cliche, “like imitation crab in sushi.”¹ In contrast, Ezra and the people fasted and pleaded in prayer by the river for three days. They didn’t pray flippantly, but covered every circumstance. They really needed God to come through for them. The success of this journey would be reported to the king. The treasure the king had given them custody of needed to arrive in Jerusalem whole. They wanted the king to fully believe in the God of Israel.

The next time you have a long journey, or a journey with complicated parts, consider a short time of fasting and prayer beforehand. It could be just skipping one meal or your evening snack … but purposefully set aside the time you would have spent eating to pray in solitude. Or, if appropriate, fast and pray with other people who are going on the journey or who have an interest in your safe arrival:

Fast to connect with God.

Pray to show your trust in His power.

Cover all the specifics that concern you.

He will listen! He will give you the strength you need!

Powerful Lord, You watched out for thousands of Jews returning to Israel 2500 years ago! On my next journey, remind me to focus on Your power to make it a success. I want You to go with me everywhere, not leave You behind. Be my journey. Amen.

¹ Gabriel Powell, Christian Cliches