Why Should We Risk?

Ezra 7:23
Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?

New Living Translation
Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons?

To risk is to put yourself on the path of possible harm. Why should we risk? Harm could be an injury, loss of property, and loss of life. The risk could also be a failure in our plans and objectives. Risk is when you expose yourself or friends to possible harm. Risk is exposing what you own or love or value to possible harm. Why should we risk?

There are times when we must take great risks in order to succeed. In order to achieve something greater, we risk losing something that we currently have. It is only in taking risks that progress is made. If we can’t take risks, we can’t make significant progress. To relate we must risk heartbreak. To make a profit we must risk the loss of capital. This kind of risk-taking is encouraged and promoted. We should take risks for greater goals and the greater good.

However, the risk we are addressing today is the risk-based on carelessness. A risk is taken yet there is nothing great being pursued. A risk taken is carelessness because the harm is greater than any benefit that would follow. Smoking and drinking alcohol may be sweet now but the risk is lung cancer and liver cirrhosis. When you look at the benefits and risks, it is not wise to take such a risk, and we ask, therefore, why risk? Drug abuse has guaranteed harm, why risk? Since relationships will surely break, do not share nudes, it will surely be used against you, why risk? Party life doesn’t augur well with academic focus, professional and development at home, why risk? Theft may give you something you need, but it is a guarantee of a curse from God and arrest and shame. Why risk? When harm is guaranteed, why should we risk? When the harm is greater than the benefits if we get the benefits, why should we risk? There is no need to take such a risk. Why should we risk?

Our text today is a letter that Ezra was carrying on his way from Babylon (modern-day Iraq) to Jerusalem (in modern-day Israel). Ezra and other Israelites were slaves in Babylon under Medo-Persia (Modern-day Azerbaijan and Iran). The Persian king had allowed Ezra to now leave slavery and go and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple of God in Jerusalem. In the letter, he was instructing Ezra and all those with who he interacts (officials of the Persian king, since Israel and the entire territory of the Middle East was still under Persian jurisdiction) that they must allow the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. In this letter and in our text today, the Persian king says that all that God of Israel must be done in exact detail because he does not want to risk angering the God of Israel who will consequently harm him and his children. He asks them the rhetorical question, why should we risk?

The Persian king in his letter recognizes that when we do not do exactly what God wants, there is a guarantee of being harmed by God’s anger. The Persian king tells Ezra and the officials that, what God wants should be done as God prescribed and in diligent details, or else God will get angry and for sure He will harm everyone including the king and his children. Why take the risk of being harmed? Why should we risk? Therefore to avoid guaranteed harm, do exactly and in diligence what God has said. Why should we risk?

God has also given us instructions to follow in life. God has given exact instructions on how to treat our enemies, He says, love them and do them good. God has given exact instructions on what to do when we are offended, He says, forgive and let Him do the revenge. God has given exact instructions that we should not retaliate when confronted. God has exact instructions that husbands should unconditionally love their wives and wives should unconditionally submit to their husbands. God has given exact instructions that there should be no adultery or fornication. If we do not do exactly what God has said and do it diligently, we risk being harmed by God’s anger. Why should we risk?

God has given exact instructions on the day of worship and how He should be worshipped. Should we ignore that and do our own things? Why should we risk? God has given precise instructions about income, that we should give tithe and offerings, not tithe only and not offerings only. There are no circumstances that justify not giving. Failure to give puts all our sources of income at risk of being harmed by God. Why should we risk?

To offend God comes with a guarantee of being harmed by God. The harm is certain and sure. The anger of God cannot be downplayed. It is not a risk worth taking. The Persian king in the inspired word advises all of us, to just do what God has prescribed in the situation you find yourself in. Don’t just do what God said, do it diligently, or else He may get offended that you didn’t do it well. Let what God has said be done. Find out what God has said in the situation you are in then do it, do not take a risk of being harmed by God, the harm will surely come. Why should we risk? We attend worship to know what God wants. We read the Bible and religious articles like these to know what God wants. What God wants in all and every situation must be done or else He gets angry and destroys everything we own and even us and our children. Why should we risk?

Dear God, forgive me for not doing everything that you want me to do. Forgive me for not doing things diligently. Help me from now on, to do everything you have prescribed and that I should do it diligently. May it be my habit to daily find out what God has prescribed and then do it diligently. I no longer want to risk the wrath of God against me, this is my prayer, in Jesus’ name, Amen!