"company; yet he had asked from the king no armed force for protection. “I was ashamed,” he has explained, “to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek Him; but His power and His wrath is against all them that forsake Him.” Verse 22 . PK 615.1"
"There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength."
Both passages emphasize reliance on God rather than military might. Ezra's decision not to request a military escort from the king reflects the sentiment in Psalm 33:16 that a king is not saved by a large army. The EGW passage amplifies the idea of trusting in God's protection and power, echoing the principle in the Psalm.
"In this matter, Ezra and his companions saw an opportunity to magnify the name of God before the heathen. Faith in the power of the living God would be strengthened if the Israelites themselves should now reveal implicit faith in their divine Leader. They therefore determined to put their trust wholly in Him. They would ask for no guard of soldiers. They would give the heathen no occasion to ascribe to the strength of man the glory that belongs to God alone. They could not afford to arouse in the minds of their heathen friends one doubt as to the sincerity of their dependence on God as His people. Strength would be gained, not through wealth, not through the power and influence of idolatrous men, but through the favor of God. Only by keeping the law of the Lord before them, and striving to obey it, would they be protected. PK 615.2"
"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."
Both passages contrast reliance on earthly power with trust in God. Ezra's decision to forgo a military escort to avoid giving the heathen the impression that their success depended on human strength aligns with the sentiment in Psalm 20:7, which contrasts trust in chariots and horses with remembering the name of the Lord. The EGW passage amplifies the idea of magnifying God's name through faith and dependence on Him, echoing the principle in the Psalm.