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Bible study · Ezra 8:1-36

Ezra 8: The hand of our God on us

Read Ezra 8:1-36 before you meet.

In a few lines

Ezra 8 turns on something Ezra had already said: having told the king, "The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good" (8:22), he was ashamed to ask for soldiers, so the company fasted at the river Ahava and God "granted our request" (8:23). Then every gift was weighed out, kept on the road, and weighed again in God's house.

The verse to carry

“So we fasted and begged our God for this, and he granted our request.”

Ezra 8:23

To talk about

  1. 1. Ezra had told the king, "The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good" (8:22), and then was ashamed to ask for soldiers. When have your own words about God been put to the test by what came next?

  2. 2. They fasted to humble themselves and ask "a straight way for us, for our little ones, and for all our possessions" (8:21). What road ahead of you, or of people you love, would you bring to God like that?

  3. 3. Ezra weighed the gifts into the priests' hands and said, "Watch and keep them until you weigh them" (8:29). What has been put into your hands to keep for God? Who checks it with you?

Prayer requests