Commision to Return
Rubble to Restoration: A Study in Ezra and Nehemiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
Introduction:
If there has ever been a day when strong men and women and strong leaders are needed, it is today. Within our culture it is clear that we have seen a decline in discipline. There seems to be fewer people of integrity, fewer who are upright and honest, moral and pure, decisive and steadfast, enduring and persevering. And if we are not vigilant this cultural phenomenon can influence and affect the church negatively.
We talked about this a few weeks back, but we need to be men and women of integrity who turn away from lying and deception, and speaking the truth in love. We need to be a people of morality who will uphold the bond of marriage and other commitments. A church filled with those who have strong but tender hearts that are decisive (when it matters) yet compassionate and merciful. I pray that we are men and women who will encourage the family of God. building each other up.
In our passage this morning we are going to see a man of enormous strength and leadership skills steps forth to introduce himself. We are speaking about Ezra, the man this books is named after. The Lord here, has raised up this man to lead a second group of exiles back to the promised land of God.
And we are going to see two major points that will teach us that we have to truly commit ourselves to God.
We need to be men and women who are committed to the Word and committed to the mission.
Recap:
Recap:
Almost 60 years after Zerubbabel led the first Jewish exiles back to the promised land, Ezra finally shows up on the scene. After receiving permission from King Artaxerxes, Ezra gets the opportunity to lead the second group back to the promised land. While this second group is smaller then the first, it was just as important.
The years since Zerubbabel to Ezra shows that the Jews in Jerusalem had begun to slip away from the Lord. And I believe that Ezra was commissioned by God to:
Investigate the situation in Jerusalem.
To stir the people to make a renewed commitment to rebuild the nation.
Restore true worship in the temple.
Ezra was a priest and a man of good repute. He was God’s person to use and stir genuine revival among the people. He was a godly leader who could arouse the backslidden priest and Levites to return to their duties in the temple.
We need to keep in mind that Ezra was writing primarily to the exiles who had returned from Babylonian captivity and to succeeding generations of Jews. Exhorting them to continue in their devotion to the Lord. Above all else, they had to remain faithful to the Lord. If they and the generations to come were faithful, genuinely trusting in the Lord and living righteously, God would continue to guide and protect them.
The Jews were never again to risk captivity by giving in to the wicked and faithless idolatry of the nations around them. Most of their ancestors had lived wickedly; all future generations must live righteously. They needed to remain strong in their commitment, unwavering in their devotion and worship of the Lord.
vv. 1-10) A Commitment to the Word of God:
vv. 1-10) A Commitment to the Word of God:
At long last we are now introduced to Ezra. And within this section of Scripture we are see four significant areas of Ezra’s life:
His godly roots
His profession
His skilled leadership
And his devotion to the Lord and His Word.
[1-5] A godly heritage. Ezra is a priest from a long line of spiritual leaders. These leaders had served as priests to the nation of Israel down through the centuries. A few of these leaders were:
Hilkiah, who had discovered the Law of God while the temple was being repaired during the days of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:1-20).
Zadok, who served as High Priest during the days of David and who proved loyal to David during some of the most difficult trials confronted by the kings (2 Samuel 15:24-37; 17:15; 1 Kings 1:8, 26).
Phinehas, who proved his zeal and loyalty for the Lord during the wilderness journeys. He helped purge the land of apostasy and immorality (Numbers 25:1-18; Psalm 106:30).
With this brief genealogy it shows the importance of that Ezra was a descendant both of Aaron and also of Seraiah, the last High Priest before the captivity. This is really important because:
“As a messengers of the will of God, the scribe took the place of the prophets, with this difference: instead of receiving new revelations, they explained and applied the old. Of this new order Ezra was at once the founder and type.... He was expert in exposition and application of the Law. The qualifications for such work are ever clearly set out in the statement made concerning him in the tenth verse of this chapter. He “set his heart to seek… to do… to teach.”–G. Campbell Morgan
In Ezra we also see the fulfillment of God’s wonderful promises to bless the descendants of the godly.
40 You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”
1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
[6] Ezra was a scribe or teacher by trade, well versed in the Law, God’s Holy Word. By this time Ezra would have most of the scriptures. Having the Pentateuch, some of the historical writings, and some of the prophets’ messages. What is really neat about this is the fact that Ezra was well versed in the Law of God shows that the exiles at least had access to many of the writing of Holy Scripture.
Scribes were important and influential, and one might say that they had three main duties: to preserve the Word of God, to teach the Word of God, and to administer the Word of God (in the sense of interpreting and applying it).
With the rise of textual criticism it became more popular to say that Ezra, or others in his day, actually first compiled the Pentateuch (first 5 books) from various written and oral traditions they gathered. Yet this verse alone shows this is wrong:
Ezra 7:6 (NKJV)
6 this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.
6 The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
7 You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.
[6-10] Ezra was a man of exceptional leadership skills. he was also a man wholly devoted to the Lord and His Word. Ezra was the man appointed by the Lord and King Artaxerxes to lead the second group of exiles from captivity back to the promised land.
Lets look as some of his leadership skills:
Ezra was a skilled communicator. Everything he asked of the king, the king granted. Nothing was withheld, and no request was left unanswered. How was he so successful? Because “for the hand of the Lord was upon him.” Take note of this, that the statement “The hand of the Lord was upon him” is mentioned 6 times (Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22,31). It is so clear that God definitely chosen Ezra.
Ezra also had an exceptionally strong will and an iron determination. Lying out before Ezra was a long, treacherous journey of about 900 miles. The roadway plagued with bandits and led through the territory of enemies who bitterly despised the Jews. Despite these difficulties, the major problem did not lie with Ezra himself making the journey. The problem was that he personally had to lead a caravan of 5,000 exiles through the dangerous territory. Nevertheless, with fierce determination, Ezra completed the task in just four months.
Ezra was a man who was committed to serve. Serving both the Lord and His people. The Lord had charged him with the incredible mission of delivering His people from captivity and returning them to the promised land. And Ezra was committed to this task.
Application: Anyone looking to have a place of leadership within the church take note. There needs to be ability to communicate gracefully with the hand of the Lord upon your life, to be brave, and to ultimately have a heart to serve God and His people.
Husbands and fathers too be effective in lead your families, emulate these things.
[10] Ezra was a man wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord and the Word of God. I noticed three facts of Ezra’s devotion to the Word of God:
Ezra studies God’s Word. The implication is that Ezra walked throughout the day meditating upon the Word of God.
Ezra obeyed God’s Word and made a deliberate effort to keep His holy commandments. He sought daily to live out God’s Word.
Ezra taught God’s Word to others. remember that the people of that day had no other way to learn God’s Word. They couldn’t pop over to Walmart or hop onto Amazon and order a Bible, they were extremely expensive. Ezra was a man who dedicated himself to teaching God’s Word so that people could have the fullness of life promised in the Word.
Application: One of the greatest needs in the our culture and world today is for men and women to be totally committed to the Lord and to His Word. Most of the world is ignorant of the Lord and His Word.
To kinda prove this point let me ask some questions: How much time do we spend in daily prayer? How much time do we spend in daily Bible study? When it comes to serving the Lord are we meeting the needs of others? loving them as Christ desires?
We need to be striving to be men and women committed. A committed believer will draw near to God through prayer. They will study the word of God and minster to other people. Being totally committed means that we study, live, and bear witness to the Lord, doing exactly what He instructs in the Word.
10 points the Lord says about His Word:
We are to love, joy, and rejoice in God’s Word:
47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
97 Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
140 Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
God’s Word feeds the hunger and thirst of our hearts:
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my necessary food.
The Word of God is inspired, “God-breathed:”
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
The Word of God is to be held tightly in our hearts:
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
The Word of God is to be a light and a guide to our lives:
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
The Word of God cleanses and purifies us:
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
The Word of God is to be reverenced, for it is sacred:
6 Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
The Word of God is to be studied:
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The Word of God is absolutely trustworthy, and its promises will always come to fruition:
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
7 The works of His hands are verity and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
The Word of God must be obeyed, the commandments kept:
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
vv. 11-28) A Commitment to Fulfill the Mission:
vv. 11-28) A Commitment to Fulfill the Mission:
[11] The commission appointed Ezra as a personal representative of the king himself.
[12] The letter listed the qualifications of Ezra by addressing him as a priest, teacher, and scholar, in the Law of the “God of heaven.”
[13] Artaxerxes decreed the right for any Israelite who wished to return to Jerusalem with Ezra to do so. Any Israelite anywhere in the empire of Persia could be freed from captivity and returned to his homeland.
[14] Ezra was being sent with a purpose. And that was to investigate and to make sure his people were obeying the Law of God’s Word. If they were not, then Ezra was to teach the Law of God and stir the people towards obedience to the Lord’s commandments.
Remember that the earlier exiles who had returned under Zerubbabel had been commissioned to rebuild the temple and the cities of Judah. But in the intervening 57-58 years, those men and women had slipped away from the Lord and were no longer committed to completing the task.
This is where Ezra’s commission comes in. To return to Jerusalem, investigate the situation, and stir the people to make a renewed commitment to rebuild their nation and to restore true worship in the temple.
The letter also assigned the oversight of the finances to Ezra. He was to oversee all the gifts that had been given for the temple, as well as all the money and gifts he was yet to obtain from the province of Babylon after he arrived in Jerusalem.
Four facts spelled out by the letter:
Ezra was given a place in charge of the finances… that were given by the king and his officials, government officials and the province of Babylon, And the Jewish people and priest in Jerusalem who were expected to give a freewill offering.
Freewill offering:
All this money was to be used to help the people settle into their homeland and to help with whatever repairs might be needed on the temple.
In addition to the money, some temple furnishings and articles were placed into Ezra’s care. He was to return all these to the temple. As can be seen in verse 19.
Verse 20 points out that if Ezra ran short of any supply or faced a lack of funds for anything, he could call upon the royal treasury of the local province to provide it.
[23-24] To make sure the officials supposed whatever Ezra needed, Artaxerxes issued a warning to them. They were to provide quickly for the temple of God in order to secure the protection of the Jewish God and to prevent His wrath from falling upon them. Why would this pagan king fear the God of the Jews, after all they were easily conquered? While we are not 100% sure why, it’s safe to say that it is evident that God was at work in his heart, moving him to show favor for the Jews. He further instructed the officials not to tax any religious worker serving at the temple.
[25-26] In closing the letter, the king gave Ezra a threefold royal authority.
He gave Ezra the authority to appoint magistrates and judges. They were to govern all the Jews in the province west of the Euphrates River.
Ezra was given the royal authority to teach the Law of God to the Jewish people. He was to make sure that all the Jews knew and obeyed the Law.
Ezra was to execute justice upon any who did not obey the commandments as spelled out in the Law of God and in the law of the king. Justice was to be carried out either by Ezra personally or by the Persian governor and his officials. These sentences included the verdict of death as well as banishment, confiscation of property, and imprisonment. All civil and religious laws were to be obeyed.
[27-28] Note who it is that Ezra praised: not the king, but rather the Lord. He praise the Lord: because God had moved the heart of the king to honor the Lord’s house, because God had shown mercy by stirring the king and his officials to appoint him for the great mission, and because the hand of the Lord was upon him.
Application: Family each of us, as long as you are a true believer has been commissioned by the Lord, commissioned to lead people to the promised land of heaven.
It is heartbreaking to realize that many people are not going to heaven because they are alienated from God, cut off from Him. They neglect and ignore the Lord, going so far as to deny Him. Tragically, they have nothing to do with the Lord in this life, consequently, they will have nothing to do with Him in the next life either.
If they live apart or separated from God now, they will live under the constant wrath of God through all eternity. For this reason, the Lord has commissioned us as believers to go forth proclaiming the truth to this world.
That truth is the gospel (the good news) of Jesus Christ, that He alone is the Savior of the world. Through Him alone can a person become acceptable to God. If a person wishes to approach God, they must approach through Jesus. Jesus is the way to God. He is the truth we are to live by. He is the Life we are to receive and live. As Christ declared, “I am the way, truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me.”
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”–Spurgeon
Family we must proclaim the gospel of Christ, for no person will live in heaven who approaches God any other way. We are commissioned, set forth as the ambassadors and witnesses to a world reeling in sin, lost and alienated from God. Listen, God’s Word has a lot to say about our Commission:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’