The word used for “fast” here is tsum which basically means to put a cover over your mouth. In other words, this is a fast food (sorry, couldn’t resist, you know food fast, fast food, ah forget it). The word is spelled “Sade, Vav, Final Mem. Esoterically, the letters used and their meanings will actually give us the reason for this type of fast. The “Sade” represents humility; the Vav represents a connection from earth to heaven. And the final Mem represents things that are hidden. In this case, there was so much human effort involved in preparation for this journey that people almost forgot that God was behind this move. The fasting was merely an act of humility and an outward recognition and confirmation that this whole operation was the workings of God and not man. This was God’s move, not the people, not Ezra, and definitely not the Persians.

Ezra says they “sought God” on this matter. It stood to reason that if God was really behind this move and not man, they did not have to pray for “traveling mercies,” that would be assured. Again, they sought the Lord just to confirm their understanding that they were only following God’s direction. The word “sought” is baqash which is to seek or ask, but when used in the context of one’s relationship to God, it is an act of worship. Note too that this is in a Piel form with a paragogic Hei. So the people just did not simply join hands and ask for traveling mercies, but they went into serious worship before God.

What is really interesting is that even the mere asking or petitioning God is a form of worship. A woman once observed Delacroix’s painting of an “Indian Woman Bitten By A Tiger” and noted to Delacroix that the woman appeared to be smiling. Delacroix commented that this was because she was glad to at least be able to feel something. It would seem that even if we go to God with nothing but petitions, at least we are communicating or speaking with Him, and that can be worship. Worship does not have to be a well-orchestrated, rehearsed ceremony with flowery words. Worship can be just a simple form of going to God in humility and acknowledging him in all things.  

Tomorrow morning on my disability bus, I will take an 81-year-old Alzheimer’s patient and his caregiver to his doctor’s appointment. His caregiver is a live-in caregiver who is with his client 24/7. This man is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s, where he must have everything done for him, including bathing, eating, diaper changing, etc. He can not even communicate. I know that even though the caregiver will be with him, I will be struggling to get his wheelchair into my disability bus as well as perform some other duties. As I perform these duties, I will be baqash (seeking) petitioning God on behalf of my passenger and his caregiver. I think I understand what Mother Theresa said when asked how she could perform such caring duties to someone who seemed hopeless and covered in filth. She said: “In every one I minister to, I see the face of the Jesus that I love and perform my ministrations for them as unto God.” So, when I perform my duties, I will be nevaqeshah, and since this caregiver encourages me to play my worship music on the bus, I suspect he will also nevaqeshah. Nevaqeshah is the word for sought used in Ezra 8:23, which is more than just seeking God or petitioning God; this would be baqash in a Piel (Intensive) form with a paragogic Hei adding to this intensity. In this context, I can find no better explanation for this word than worshipping God in our petitions. I am not just looking at an hour of performing duties as a disability bus driver but spending an hour worshipping God.  

This is what Ezra 8:23 is all about. The people were not just asking for traveling mercies; they turned their journey into a time of worship. God responded by “entreating them.” Some translations render this as listening to them or answering them. The word in Hebrew is ‘atar which has the idea of becoming favorable. It is in a Niphal form; thus would mean that God will make Himself accommodating. In other words, God would fit naturally and perfectly into the journey with His people. Just as God will fit naturally into my journey tomorrow, and I am excited with anticipation in just writing about it. To have foreign soldiers protecting Israel on such a journey would be almost insulting to God; God would be such a vital part of their journey for an enemy to attack them would be to attack God as well.

This is not a one-time event for me. I work full-time driving a disability, but as I begin each eight-hour shift, I begin as Ezra and the people of Israel before their journey. They began their journey to their homeland first with a fast to humble themselves. There are many days that I will fast breakfast and lunch and not eat anything during my day’s journey to put myself in a right spiritual frame of mind. Then in a state of bagash, I will make a worshipful petition from which God would respond in atar or become a favorite part of my day’s journey.

No matter what our daily work or activity may be, if we do it as unto God and allow him to ‘atar or become a favorite part of our activity, we will spend the day in worship, we will, like Paul says, “praying without ceasing.”

I guess you can say that tomorrow I will be having church in my disability bus. It will not be in a building, not with a congregation, not with a liturgical order of service, but it will be the church; for me, church involves worship, and I will be worshipping.

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