Ezra 8:21
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
At the river of Ahava, just before the months-long journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, a fast was proclaimed as a consecration service for a company traveling with wives, children, substance, and temple treasure, without protection by any human power while enemies lay in wait to plunder and destroy. To afflict themselves before God meant to fast, pray, and humble themselves before Him. That humbling included examining themselves, confessing sins, seeking forgiveness, and seeking harmony with God and His law.
Its purpose was to seek from Him a right way, with guidance, protection, help, and blessing for a safe journey. They sought this for themselves, for their little ones and children, and for all their substance and possessions. They sought His blessing so that their journey and conduct would honor Him before the heathen. They were traveling to Jerusalem to restore His worship.
They refused to ask the king for soldiers, horsemen, an armed escort, or military aid. Ezra had testified to the king that the hand of God is for good upon those who seek Him and against those who forsake Him, and that God protects, defends, and prospers those who seek and serve Him in restoring His worship, so he was ashamed to ask for such help. The company therefore determined to put trust wholly in God as their divine Leader and not to seek help from idolatrous men who did not worship Him. The fast was an act of implicit faith and dependence to magnify the name of God before the heathen, giving them no occasion to ascribe glory to human strength and raising no doubt about the sincerity of dependence on God. It was solemnized by the knowledge that strength and protection come not through wealth nor through the power and influence of idolatrous men but through the favor of God enjoyed by keeping the law of the Lord before them and striving to obey it.
God was entreated for this protection, and He answered their earnest pleading when they fasted and prayed. This special season of seeking the Lord taught rich spiritual lessons: that God alone was their strength and that sin separates from the source of power, leaving weak and defenseless. It made many strong in faith, so that when they mingled with the discouraged and indifferent in Jerusalem their influence was a powerful factor in the reform soon afterward instituted.