Toward The Lord Are My Eyes

Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah from Pahath-moab’s descendants, and 200 men with him.

-Ezra 8:4

The message here is based on the names in this text, with a note on the number 200.  I believe every verse in the Bible is "preachable" (2 Tim. 3:16), and of course I believe in context and exegetical principles.  I also believe that names are important and numbers mean something sometimes too.  

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I believe that we are people who's eyes are fixed on the Lord.  We are watchers and seers.  Our inheritance is to be people who have eyes to see and follow God.

e-li-e-ho'-e-ni ('elyeho`enay, "to Yahweh are mine eyes")

This is what Eliehoenai means.  Every follower of God has this calling.  Jesus spoke, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Those who have a desire to see God have glimpsed him already.  "Taste and see that the Lord is good", says Psalm 34:8.

The one who has the Lord in his sights, was fathered by the one from who the Lord has risen or come forth, Zerahiah:

zer-a-hi'-a (zerachyah, "Yahweh hath risen" or "come forth"; the Septuagint has Zaraia, with variants)

We who watch and see, were likely fathered by or are living in the inheritance of those who the Lord "rose upon" or "came forth" to.  In other words, we lived and came up under the fruit of a move of God.  We are the descendants of someone.

Pahath-moab, is the "further back" part of the generations.  Generations and family lines are important.

200 can mean great expectancy (10 x 20) or insufficiency.  From "Numbers in Scripture", by E.W. Bullinger:

20 is the double of ten, and may in some cases signify its concentrated meaning. But its significance seems rather to be connected with the fact that it is one short of twenty-one, 21 - 1 = 20; that is to say, if 21 is the three-fold 7, and signifies Divine (3) completion as regards spiritual perfection (7), then twenty, being one short of 21, it would signify what Dr. Milo Mahan calls expectancy, and certainly we are not without illustrations in support of it:

• Twenty years Jacob waited to get possession of his wives and property, Gen 21:38,41.

• Twenty years Israel waited for a deliverer from Jabin's oppression, Judg 4:3.

• Twenty years Israel waited for deliverance through Samson, Judg 15:20, 16:31. But his work was never much more than "begun," Judg 13:25.

• Twenty years the Ark of the Covenant waited at Kirjath-jearim, 1 Sam 7:2.

• Twenty years Solomon was waiting for the completion of the two houses, 1 Kings 9:10; 2 Chron 8:1.

• Twenty years Jerusalem waited between its capture and destruction; and

• Twenty years Jeremiah prophesied concerning it.

200

Twenty is the number of expectancy as we have seen (p. 262). Here we have it tenfold (20x10).

The significance of this number is suggested by John 6:7, where we read, "Two hundred pennyworth of bread is NOT SUFFICIENT for them."
And so we find this number stamping various things with insufficiency.

• Achan's 200 shekels were "not sufficient" to save him from the consequences of his sin (Josh 7:21). This shows us the insufficiency of money (Psa 49:7-9).

• Absalom's 200 shekels weight of hair were "not sufficient" to save him, but rather caused his destruction (2 Sam 14:26, 18:9). This shows us the insufficiency of beauty.

• Micah's graven image was purchased for 200 shekels (Judg 17:4 and 18), and led to the introduction of idolatry into Israel and the blotting out of the Tribes of Dan and Ephraim from the blessing of Revelation 7, showing usthe insufficiency of mere religion.

• Ezra's 200 "singing men and women" (Ezra 2:65), were "not sufficient" to produce "peace with God," true spiritual worship, or joy in the Lord. Only God's word rightly ministered can lead to this (Neh 8:5-9). This shows the insufficiency of external things in the worship of God, and the impossibility of worshipping God with the senses. True worship, which alone God will accept, "MUST" (John 4:24) be spiritual.

There is a lesson here to not see sufficiency in our selves, but always see our only sufficiency in the Lord.  There is also a lesson here to live in great expectation of the Lord's coming and the Lord's moving here and now.

We serve a big God, the big God, called The Lord, Yahweh, or Jehovah.  This is the person we have our eyes on, the eyes of our heart.  Watching for, looking, and beholding Him, is our passion.

Looking for what the Father is doing and then following His lead is our inheritance and Jesus way of living (John 5:19-20).  Christians are called to let Christ live through them.  We will live a life where we see what the Father is doing and do that very thing, in the Spirit of Christ.

Our lives in Christ are also careful not to be distracted.  We re-focus our eyes on the Lord every day.  My Lord is one who is worth looking for, taking the time and energy to look for, and then seeing and following.

We live in the paradox of, "I will be with you", and at the same time, waiting for and waiting on God.  A good waiter or servant invests what they have already had deposited in them, and is ready and attentive, while they wait.

God is on the move, but we have to stop, look and wait for his move.  We have great expectation of God.  We also always know we have no sufficiency in our selves.

We have a heritage and a legacy of God, rising up, and coming forth to save and deliver people.  He is doing it and will do it again.  Same God, new move.

God is the most creative person and he does what he does in a new way, a fresh way, His way.  We looking toward the Lord, having no idea what he will do or how we will do it, but believe that he will save, heal, restore, deliver, and love people.

And we get to participate and be his servants in his great ministry.  But we must watch for him and move with him.  Toward the Lord are my eyes always.


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Bibliography:
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance by E.W. Bullinger Philologos Edition:  Oct 1601