Hello, I'm Mike Browning.
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Welcome to Let God Speak.
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Nothing of value ever
seems to be accomplished for God
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without trial and difficulty.
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Therefore, every forward step in
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advancing God's Kingdom
must be saturated in prayer.
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We'll see this in
the experience of Ezra
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and Nehemiah today.
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Well, folks, on our panel today
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we have Steven
Groom and Blair Lemke.
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And, gentlemen, we're
very grateful to have you
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on our panel today.
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Thank you.
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I would invite
everyone to join us in prayer
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before we open the Scripture.
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Father in heaven,
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we really need Your
Spirit to guide us today
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and help us to understand
and apply in our lives
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the things that we study
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from Ezra and Nehemiah
and other scriptures today.
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So please bless in God
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as we pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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All right, folks,
we're going to begin today
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by looking at
the influence of God
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in the history
of men and nations,
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which is very interesting.
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And, of course, our
particular focus is on Israel.
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And we'd like to
invite you to join with us
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as we turn to Daniel Chapter 1.
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And we're going to
read verse 1 and 2 there,
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to give us the background here,
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and this is what it says,
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"In the third year of the reign
of Jehoiakim king of Judah,
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Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
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came to
Jerusalem and besieged it.
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And the Lord gave Jehoiakim
king of Judah into his hand,"
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and I want you to
notice what he did at the time,
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"with some of the
articles of the house of God,"
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that's the temple in Jerusalem,
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"which he carried
into the land of Shinar
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to the house of his god,
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and he brought the
articles into the treasure house
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of his god."
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It just looks like they took
everything out of the temple,
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almost at the end
of temple worship,
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as they knew it, isn't it?
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Yeah, this is certainly
what we see in scripture.
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And it is destroyed
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this is the first of a
number of attacks on Jerusalem
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that ultimately result
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in the
destruction of the temple.
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And God's people are
taken into captivity in Babylon
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and no longer able to worship
in that temple environment.
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And so, of course, it's
not the end of the story.
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We pick up the end
of the story in Ezra.
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I'm in Ezra 1:1-7
and 8 as well 8-9.
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And we see here
Cyrus is raised up,
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by the name of Cyrus,
King Cyrus is raised up
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to kind of restore
I suppose these things
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that were taken
away from Jerusalem
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and it mentions
there in verse 10,
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"Thirty gold basins,
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four hundred and ten
silver basins of a similar kind.
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All these
thousands of other articles."
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It's just many
riches and many items
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for their from
that temple worship
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that are brought back
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and King Cyrus is
raised up to restore.
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Yeah.
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And it specifically says
there in verse 7 on as that,
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"King Cyrus also brought out
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the articles of
the house of the Lord,
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which Nebuchadnezzar
had taken from Jerusalem."
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So he acknowledged
that this Nebuchadnezzar
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had taken them as he as earlier.
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And now, of course,
he's bringing them back.
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Sorry, you were
gonna say something else.
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It's interesting
that Cyrus is named
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as God's
Anointed in Isaiah 45:1.
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So he was
anointed by God to capture
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the kingdom of Babylon
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and open the way for
the captives Israelites
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to go back home to Jerusalem,
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just as Jesus,
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when He comes again,
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He will open the
way for God's people
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to go back home.
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Hey, I like that. Thank you.
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Yeah, that's good, a
good message, indeed.
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How interested is God
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in what the nations actually do?
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Is He watching in the affairs
of the nations do you think?
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Yeah, it's
interesting, actually, you know,
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we find in
Scripture that God's actually
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very interested
in what takes place
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in all of the
nations of the world.
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Let's have a look
here in Proverbs 14:34.
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Scripture actually says that,
"Righteousness exalts a nation,
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but sin is a
reproach to any people."
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And so, you know,
we see in scripture
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that prosperity and
peace is not just singly
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the result of smart
or intelligent leadership
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of the nation,
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but it's actually also a
result of God's blessing.
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Yeah.
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And we see this
as well in Daniel,
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we see a very clear
depiction of this in Daniel
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with King Nebuchadnezzar
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isn't it's a
very strong example.
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In Daniel 4:30-31.
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Let me just read
to you what it says,
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this is speaking of
King Nebuchadnezzar,
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it says, "The
king spoke, saying,
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'Is not this great Babylon,
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that I have built
for a royal dwelling
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by my mighty power
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and by the
honor of my majesty.'"
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He thought he'd
done it all himself.
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Yeah.
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Verse 31,
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"While the word was
still in the king's mouth,"
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while he was still saying,
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"a voice fell
from the heaven saying,
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'King Nebuchadnezzar,
to you it is spoken,
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the kingdom has
departed from you!'"
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You know, we see here
the Nebuchadnezzar thinking
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that he's the
one that has created
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this great nation,
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but God interrupts and says, no,
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that's not necessarily the case.
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And have a look,
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if you just flick
over across to verse 34,
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God really brings us home.
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It says, "At the
end of the time,"
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you know,
Nebuchadnezzar becomes aware
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of that it wasn't just him.
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And it says, "At
the end of the time
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I, Nebuchadnezzar,
lifted my eyes to heaven,
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and my
understanding returned to me,
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and I bless the Most High
and praised and honored Him."
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I'm in verse 37,
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there at the end
of the chapter says,
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"I,
Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt
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and honor the King of heaven."
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You know, Nebuchadnezzar
is brought to a place
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where he actually acknowledges
that God is involved
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in raising and lowering nations
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and in that blessing
and prosperity process
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and it's not
just the human leader.
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Yes, and that still
applies today, of course...
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Of course.
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Amongst the nations
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and we should keep that in mind.
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And notice he had to go
insane for, was it seven years?
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Seven times or seven
years until he realized
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that who
actually runs the kingdom?
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What does God have
to do to interrupt,
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you know, our
process to communicate
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these spiritual truths for us.
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It shows you how
important the spiritual truths
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are to pick those up.
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Yeah. And I thanks for that.
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Now the last
Babylonian king was Belshazzar,
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the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar.
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Yeah.
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And the question is,
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was he any smarter
than Nebuchadnezzar?
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He had to go mad for seven years
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to learn the lessons of life.
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Yes.
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Well, if we look at Daniel 5:1,
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"Belshazzar the
king made a great feast
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for a thousand of his lords,
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and drank wine in the
presence of the thousand."
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Now this was
happening while Cyrus,
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the king of the Medes
and Persians was outside
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attempting to capture the city,
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but he took great comfort
or in the physical surroundings
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in the great
big walls of Babylon
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and also the steel gates.
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He thought he
was completely safe,
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but the Bible says
that now God in Isaiah,
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he says that God
opened those gates.
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He showed his
pride and arrogance
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in this act and...
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And he was
surrounded by the Persian army
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and while he was
having this big party.
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And in verse 2 and
3, we see this more so,
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it says, "While
he tasted the wine,
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Belshazzar gave the command
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to bring the gold
and silver vessels
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which his father Nebuchadnezzar
had taken from the temple
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which had been in
Jerusalem, and that the king,
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his Lords, and his
wives, and his concubines
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might drink from them.
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Then they
brought the gold vessels
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and had taken from the temple
and they drank from them."
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This shows the arrogance
of taking spiritual things
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from the temple
of the Israelites
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and using them for sacrilege.
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Yeah, so this was a real
act of defiance against God,
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the deliberate act
of defiance, wasn't it?
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Yeah.
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By Belshazzar.
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So he wasn't any smarter.
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And isn't it interesting
how the temple in Jerusalem
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comes into focus
again by the way.
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Yeah.
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Once more, it's those vessels
that Nebuchadnezzar stole
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from the temple and
brought back to Babylon
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come into focus again.
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And as we've seen,
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they finally make their way back
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after this period,
of course, under Cyrus.
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That's very interesting indeed.
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Now Daniel was brought in
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because remember how Belshazzar
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saw this hand up
here on the wall.
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Yeah.
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Basically, saying like
this is, your time is up,
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but he didn't
understand the message,
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calls in Daniel
and the Hebrew prophet
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to talk to him and explain it.
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And Daniel reminds Belshazzar
of Nebuchadnezzar's conversion,
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you know, where he had
that experience of going mad,
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and then he came and
acknowledged the true God.
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And so Daniel
reminds him of this,
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and I like the way this is put.
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It's fascinating to me.
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Daniel 5:22.
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It says there,
this is Daniel talking,
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addressing the King Belshazzar,
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"You his son Belshazzar,
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have not humbled your heart,
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although you knew all this,"
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referring to the
experience of his grandfather
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Nebuchadnezzar, do
you knew about that?
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And instead of
humbling your heart,
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you became more defiant.
00:09:01.70\00:09:03.34
And one wonders however,
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was God more patient
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with Nebuchadnezzar
than he was with Belshazzar.
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I believe so
because we have to remember
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that King Nebuchadnezzar,
he grew up as a pagan,
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so he was worshiping
the Babylonian God Marduk.
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And God had to slowly
bring him to the truth
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by constantly revealing Himself.
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He was patient at times
when he rebelled against God,
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so God was patient with
him, but by that statement,
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that you just read
that you knew all this.
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Belshazzar must
have been brought up
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almost as a Christian, you know,
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hearing the story
from Daniel Chapter 1 to 4
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on the knee of his grandfather.
00:09:48.38\00:09:50.39
And so, now from
those who have great light
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much is
expected, so God, we'd say,
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could not do much with him.
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He chose to rebel
against great light,
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he must have known
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about the true
God at a young age.
00:10:03.40\00:10:04.93
He must have been
denying and drinking, you know,
00:10:04.97\00:10:07.74
their alcohol out of
those temple vessels.
00:10:07.77\00:10:09.70
That's right.
00:10:09.74\00:10:11.07
It's a great act of defiance.
00:10:11.11\00:10:12.44
Great act of defiance.
00:10:12.47\00:10:13.91
He was making a
statement where he stands
00:10:13.94\00:10:15.78
and we always
telling our own story
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whether we realize it or not.
00:10:17.81\00:10:19.18
And he was telling a
story, no doubt about it.
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He had other
advantages too, Blair, didn't he
00:10:21.42\00:10:23.92
besides that
Nebuchadnezzar's history?
00:10:23.95\00:10:26.05
That's right. I mean, he
had a prophet in his palace.
00:10:26.09\00:10:29.12
He had Daniel in his very midst.
00:10:29.16\00:10:31.36
Someone who was
speaking on behalf of God
00:10:31.39\00:10:33.86
and giving oracles
of God directly to him,
00:10:33.90\00:10:36.46
but he demonstrated a posture
00:10:36.50\00:10:38.43
that wasn't
interested in receiving
00:10:38.47\00:10:40.60
that light from God and so,
00:10:40.64\00:10:43.51
he squandered his opportunity
00:10:43.54\00:10:44.87
to receive
direct light from God.
00:10:44.91\00:10:47.84
Defining moments,
00:10:47.88\00:10:49.41
to miss those defining
moments was a great tragedy
00:10:49.44\00:10:51.61
and it was for him.
00:10:51.65\00:10:52.98
Now I wanna go
forward in history now
00:10:53.01\00:10:55.25
to the time when the
people of Israel had gone back,
00:10:55.28\00:10:57.89
remember under Cyrus
taking with them the vessels
00:10:57.92\00:11:00.32
from the temple that
Nebuchadnezzar had taken.
00:11:00.36\00:11:03.76
And now they go back,
00:11:03.79\00:11:05.33
and they rebuild
the temple in Jerusalem.
00:11:05.36\00:11:08.60
And that Nebuchadnezzar
had destroyed the temple,
00:11:08.63\00:11:11.47
which was Solomon's,
called Solomon's temple.
00:11:11.50\00:11:13.34
Now we're going to
read that build that now.
00:11:13.37\00:11:15.37
It's useful to
consider for a moment
00:11:15.40\00:11:17.01
how they actually went
about the rebuilding process
00:11:17.04\00:11:20.54
because with Solomon's temple,
00:11:20.58\00:11:23.48
it was built by
paid professionals.
00:11:23.51\00:11:25.31
That's right. Yeah.
00:11:25.35\00:11:26.68
And, of course,
00:11:26.72\00:11:28.05
it was one of the wonders
of the world at the time,
00:11:28.08\00:11:29.55
magnificent.
00:11:29.58\00:11:31.89
Did they use paid
professionals this time?
00:11:31.92\00:11:33.99
Here's the question.
00:11:34.02\00:11:35.36
Well, this time was
actually very different.
00:11:35.39\00:11:37.76
And the context is that actually
00:11:37.79\00:11:39.83
the volunteers
did all of the work.
00:11:39.86\00:11:41.40
And it's interesting
00:11:41.43\00:11:42.76
when you read
the biblical account,
00:11:42.80\00:11:44.13
even the priests and the Levites
00:11:44.17\00:11:45.73
got involved in this work.
00:11:45.77\00:11:47.10
That's interesting, isn't it?
00:11:47.14\00:11:48.47
Everyone was doing
it. Yeah, that's right.
00:11:48.50\00:11:49.84
So in Ezra,
00:11:49.87\00:11:51.21
and if you ever
look here in Ezra 3:8-10,
00:11:51.24\00:11:55.14
we get this biblical description
00:11:55.18\00:11:57.11
of everyone getting involved,
volunteers doing the work.
00:11:57.15\00:12:00.12
It says in the
scriptures, it says,
00:12:00.15\00:12:01.98
"Now in the second
month of the second year
00:12:02.02\00:12:04.55
of their coming to the
house of God at Jerusalem,
00:12:04.59\00:12:06.76
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
00:12:06.79\00:12:08.86
Jeshua the son of Jozadak,
00:12:08.89\00:12:11.23
and the rest of the brethren
00:12:11.26\00:12:12.59
and the priests and the Levites,
00:12:12.63\00:12:13.96
and all those who had come out
of the captivity to Jerusalem,
00:12:14.00\00:12:16.40
began work and
appointed the Levites
00:12:16.43\00:12:18.33
from twenty years
old and above to oversee
00:12:18.37\00:12:20.04
the work of the house of God."
00:12:20.07\00:12:21.67
And it goes on
and it mentions that,
00:12:21.70\00:12:23.77
"These builders
laid the foundations
00:12:23.81\00:12:25.14
of the temple of God
00:12:25.17\00:12:26.51
and say even the
priests and the Levites
00:12:26.54\00:12:27.94
are involved in this work."
00:12:27.98\00:12:29.31
And it actually
said there in verse 8
00:12:29.34\00:12:30.68
which you just read,
00:12:30.71\00:12:32.05
"All those who would
come had out of the captivity
00:12:32.08\00:12:33.88
in Jerusalem began to work."
00:12:33.92\00:12:35.25
so they were all,
everybody was involved.
00:12:35.28\00:12:36.62
That's right.
00:12:36.65\00:12:37.99
And if you go
across to Nehemiah,
00:12:38.02\00:12:40.02
in Nehemiah Chapter 3,
00:12:40.06\00:12:42.16
Nehemiah 3:1-3,
00:12:42.19\00:12:44.69
we see that the wall around
Jerusalem was actually built
00:12:44.73\00:12:47.40
with the same process as well,
00:12:47.43\00:12:49.06
volunteer labor and all
getting involved in the work.
00:12:49.10\00:12:52.07
In Nehemiah 3:1 it says,
00:12:52.10\00:12:54.60
"Then Eliashib the
high priest rose up
00:12:54.64\00:12:57.57
with his brethren the priests
and built the Sheep Gate,
00:12:57.61\00:12:59.64
they consecrated
it and hung its doors.
00:12:59.67\00:13:02.51
And they built as far as
the Tower of the Hundred,
00:13:02.54\00:13:04.28
and consecrated it, then as
far as the Tower of Hananel.
00:13:04.31\00:13:06.82
Next to Eliashib
the men of Jericho
00:13:06.85\00:13:08.95
built next to them
Zuccur the son of Imri built.
00:13:08.98\00:13:11.85
Also the sons of
Hassenaah built the Fish Gate,
00:13:11.89\00:13:15.02
and they laid its
beams and hung its doors
00:13:15.06\00:13:16.73
with its bolts and bars."
00:13:16.76\00:13:18.19
And so the scene here is
everybody getting involved
00:13:18.23\00:13:20.30
teams of workers,
volunteers completing the work
00:13:20.33\00:13:22.80
that previously was
done on a professional basis.
00:13:22.83\00:13:25.33
It's very
detailed here, isn't it?
00:13:25.37\00:13:26.84
They kept a very strict
account of who was doing what.
00:13:26.87\00:13:29.70
And that shows
the detail of God.
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.67
God is very detailed.
00:13:31.71\00:13:33.04
He keeps a collection of
everything we do, isn't it?
00:13:33.07\00:13:35.61
He know what's going on.
00:13:35.64\00:13:36.98
Especially the names,
the history of the names.
00:13:37.01\00:13:38.48
Yeah, that was
really interesting.
00:13:38.51\00:13:39.85
All right.
00:13:39.88\00:13:41.22
Yeah.
00:13:41.25\00:13:42.58
Now looking at...
00:13:42.62\00:13:43.95
I just liked it
while we're in Nehemiah.
00:13:43.99\00:13:45.32
Nehemiah Chapter 7.
00:13:45.35\00:13:46.76
And I'm gonna read
there verse 73, folks,
00:13:46.79\00:13:50.26
if you can join with me there.
00:13:50.29\00:13:52.83
I want us to
consider for a moment.
00:13:52.86\00:13:55.03
Steven, I'm gonna ask you
to share something with us now.
00:13:55.06\00:13:57.80
What does this tell us about
the success of the approach
00:13:57.83\00:14:00.27
of using volunteers?
00:14:00.30\00:14:01.67
Chapter 7:73.
00:14:01.70\00:14:03.47
At the end of this
process of rebuilding, right?
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.51
This is what took place.
00:14:05.54\00:14:07.44
"The priests, the Levites,
the gatekeepers, the singers,
00:14:07.48\00:14:11.15
some of the
people, the Nethinim,
00:14:11.18\00:14:12.58
and all Israel
dwelt in their cities.
00:14:12.61\00:14:15.98
When the seventh month came,
00:14:16.02\00:14:17.35
the children of
Israel were in their cities."
00:14:17.39\00:14:19.15
It says it twice.
00:14:19.19\00:14:20.52
So there must
be some point here.
00:14:20.56\00:14:21.89
Yeah, we notice
that in the scripture,
00:14:21.92\00:14:23.26
that emphasis is
placed upon our repetition
00:14:23.29\00:14:26.56
and it says that
and we should not lose
00:14:26.59\00:14:28.56
the significance of that,
00:14:28.60\00:14:30.13
because when they
returned to Jerusalem,
00:14:30.17\00:14:34.87
it was just a pile of ruins.
00:14:34.90\00:14:36.24
Much like in
world, after World War II,
00:14:36.27\00:14:38.37
you know, the cities of Germany
were just piles of rubble.
00:14:38.41\00:14:41.91
And so it emphasizes here that
00:14:41.94\00:14:44.71
through the work of volunteers,
00:14:44.75\00:14:48.68
after the seventh month
00:14:48.72\00:14:50.05
they were
dwelling in cities again.
00:14:50.09\00:14:52.22
There's an old saying that says,
00:14:52.25\00:14:53.72
many hands make light work.
00:14:53.76\00:14:55.72
So when you get
everybody working,
00:14:55.76\00:14:58.59
great things can be done.
00:14:58.63\00:14:59.96
It's a good example
00:15:00.00\00:15:01.70
for churches
now to base on them.
00:15:01.73\00:15:03.57
And so by this time that people
00:15:03.60\00:15:04.93
are all
comfortably in their homes.
00:15:04.97\00:15:06.30
Yes.
00:15:06.33\00:15:07.67
Wow.
00:15:07.70\00:15:09.04
So that's quite an achievement.
00:15:09.07\00:15:10.41
Now, you know, there's
bound to be some of our viewers
00:15:10.44\00:15:12.31
of this program today
00:15:12.34\00:15:13.68
who have faced such
devastation themselves
00:15:13.71\00:15:16.51
in their own lives.
00:15:16.54\00:15:18.75
And, you know, our
hearts go out to them, Steven.
00:15:18.78\00:15:20.68
Certainly our hearts
go out to such people.
00:15:20.72\00:15:23.02
I mean, we cannot
expect to live a life of peace
00:15:23.05\00:15:27.76
and safety in this
world completely, can we?
00:15:27.79\00:15:29.66
We seek that,
00:15:29.69\00:15:31.03
but sin has left a
chaotic example in this world,
00:15:31.06\00:15:36.50
so many of us...
00:15:36.53\00:15:39.07
We receive
persecution and disaster.
00:15:39.10\00:15:44.37
God has promised
us in Jeremiah 29:11,
00:15:44.41\00:15:47.98
He says, "Peace, I live you.
00:15:48.01\00:15:50.08
It's an inward peace.
00:15:50.11\00:15:52.81
I have told you
things so that in this world,
00:15:52.85\00:15:56.05
you may have peace.
00:15:56.08\00:15:57.42
In this world you
will have trouble.
00:15:57.45\00:15:58.95
But take heart!
00:15:58.99\00:16:00.32
I have overcome the world."
00:16:00.36\00:16:01.86
So Jesus offers
us an inward peace.
00:16:01.89\00:16:05.23
Outwardly, we can have problems.
00:16:05.26\00:16:10.47
So He's offering us
all the same kind of peace.
00:16:10.50\00:16:13.37
And I notice here,
even in Jeremiah 29:11,
00:16:13.40\00:16:16.71
I think you're going there.
00:16:16.74\00:16:18.21
And God says, "I
know the thoughts
00:16:18.24\00:16:19.67
that I have toward
you," says the Lord.
00:16:19.71\00:16:22.28
And I think this is a
very well-known scripture
00:16:22.31\00:16:24.11
amongst Christians nowadays.
00:16:24.15\00:16:25.48
That's right.
00:16:25.51\00:16:26.85
"Thoughts of
peace and not of evil,
00:16:26.88\00:16:28.22
to give you a
future and a hope."
00:16:28.25\00:16:29.58
Now this was spoken to
encourage the Israelites
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.92
when they went
back basically to Israel
00:16:32.95\00:16:34.99
at the time we're discussing now
00:16:35.02\00:16:37.53
when they're going back to
rebuild a shattered nation,
00:16:37.56\00:16:40.23
basically and
certainly a shattered city.
00:16:40.26\00:16:42.53
And that this
was conditional also,
00:16:42.56\00:16:44.33
conditional upon their
remaining faithful to them...
00:16:44.37\00:16:47.80
That's a very important point.
00:16:47.84\00:16:49.17
I mean, we should
come back to that later.
00:16:49.20\00:16:50.81
Yes.
00:16:50.84\00:16:52.17
Many people, of course,
00:16:52.21\00:16:53.54
stayed in Babylon
and didn't go back
00:16:53.58\00:16:55.34
when they had the
opportunity to do so.
00:16:55.38\00:16:58.01
That's right.
00:16:58.05\00:16:59.38
And they stayed in
Babylon in their homes
00:16:59.41\00:17:00.75
there instead of going
back to Israel, didn't they?
00:17:00.78\00:17:02.45
That's right.
00:17:02.48\00:17:03.82
And in doing so
they really missed out
00:17:03.85\00:17:05.25
on the opportunity of the trials
00:17:05.29\00:17:07.12
and the joy of the
restoration process
00:17:07.16\00:17:09.62
that was involved in going
forward and being in the place
00:17:09.66\00:17:12.69
where God had called them.
00:17:12.73\00:17:14.06
Many had become very comfortable
00:17:14.10\00:17:15.70
in their situation in Babylon
00:17:15.73\00:17:17.23
and didn't feel it
was necessary to go and do
00:17:17.27\00:17:20.40
what God had
called them forward to do.
00:17:20.44\00:17:22.30
And so, you know,
00:17:22.34\00:17:23.67
this is something that
we see happening often,
00:17:23.71\00:17:26.34
in our own experience we
can become very comfortable
00:17:26.37\00:17:28.88
in a situation,
00:17:28.91\00:17:30.48
but where God has called us out,
00:17:30.51\00:17:33.21
you know, God is
asking us to move forward.
00:17:33.25\00:17:34.92
Yeah.
00:17:34.95\00:17:37.35
And sometimes He calls
us out of being comfortable
00:17:37.39\00:17:40.12
to work for Him.
00:17:40.16\00:17:41.49
And that's a
challenge, isn't it?
00:17:41.52\00:17:42.86
It is a challenge.
00:17:42.89\00:17:44.23
And so whether a
job is easy or hard
00:17:44.26\00:17:46.33
is not the question
we should necessarily ask
00:17:46.36\00:17:48.60
when God gives us an assignment.
00:17:48.63\00:17:49.96
Yes.
00:17:50.00\00:17:51.33
It's a case of whether
it should be done or not.
00:17:51.37\00:17:52.77
That's the question.
00:17:52.80\00:17:54.14
Whether God is
actually calling us.
00:17:54.17\00:17:55.50
Exactly. You know,
good, thanks for that.
00:17:55.54\00:17:58.57
Can we avoid
trials and difficulties,
00:17:58.61\00:18:02.31
even disappointments?
00:18:02.34\00:18:03.68
Well, no.
00:18:03.71\00:18:05.05
And I think nor
should we want to
00:18:05.08\00:18:06.98
because these
are the very things
00:18:07.02\00:18:08.42
that God uses to develop
and refine our characters
00:18:08.45\00:18:11.65
and help to grow us spiritually.
00:18:11.69\00:18:13.36
Yeah.
00:18:13.39\00:18:14.72
And you see this
often throughout scripture.
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.99
If you turn to Acts Chapter 14,
00:18:17.03\00:18:19.49
I mean, Acts 14:22,
00:18:19.53\00:18:22.06
we read quite a
powerful scripture.
00:18:22.10\00:18:26.17
It says, "Strengthening
the souls of the disciples,
00:18:26.20\00:18:29.40
and exhorting them to continue
in the faith, and saying,
00:18:29.44\00:18:33.94
'We must through
many tribulations
00:18:33.98\00:18:35.94
enter the kingdom of God.'"
00:18:35.98\00:18:37.75
And so this is
counsel from scripture,
00:18:37.78\00:18:39.48
saying that through
tribulation, through trial,
00:18:39.51\00:18:41.28
this is actually
a pathway forward
00:18:41.32\00:18:42.92
into the very Kingdom of God
through these refining process
00:18:42.95\00:18:45.89
and this is why, you know,
00:18:45.92\00:18:47.26
James is able to
say count it all joy
00:18:47.29\00:18:49.29
when you suffer trials.
00:18:49.32\00:18:51.39
This is why...
00:18:51.43\00:18:52.76
That's a big ask, isn't it?
00:18:52.79\00:18:54.36
It's not an easy
thing to do, we all know.
00:18:54.40\00:18:56.60
And so God is not calling
us to live a comfortable life,
00:18:56.63\00:19:00.14
but He's
preparing us for heaven,
00:19:00.17\00:19:02.27
which is eternal life.
00:19:02.30\00:19:03.64
That's right.
00:19:03.67\00:19:05.01
It's important to get this point
00:19:05.04\00:19:06.37
because we're ought to think,
00:19:06.41\00:19:07.74
"Well, we're Christians now
everything should go smoothly
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.71
and be peachy keen."
00:19:09.74\00:19:11.08
But it's not always like that.
00:19:11.11\00:19:12.45
I thought that when
I was converted, boy,
00:19:12.48\00:19:13.82
I was in for a big shock.
00:19:13.85\00:19:16.02
Perhaps we all were.
00:19:16.05\00:19:17.39
So keep it in mind,
00:19:17.42\00:19:18.75
God has a hard job
getting through to us
00:19:18.79\00:19:21.32
with the things
He wants us to know.
00:19:21.36\00:19:23.73
And trials and difficulties
seem to be the best method
00:19:23.76\00:19:26.46
to make us open-minded.
00:19:26.49\00:19:28.13
Look at Nebuchadnezzar.
00:19:28.16\00:19:29.50
That's right.
00:19:29.53\00:19:30.87
Went mad for seven years.
00:19:30.90\00:19:32.23
So that was the way
God got through to him.
00:19:32.27\00:19:33.60
So we can't avoid
trials and difficulties.
00:19:33.64\00:19:36.27
Some of our viewers may be
facing trials and difficulty
00:19:36.30\00:19:40.01
even as we speak today,
00:19:40.04\00:19:42.31
and have a difficulty following
Jesus as a result of that.
00:19:42.34\00:19:47.98
What would you say to them?
00:19:48.02\00:19:49.35
What encouragement
would you give them today?
00:19:49.38\00:19:51.49
Well, looking back at the Bible,
00:19:51.52\00:19:52.99
by the time of Ezra
00:19:53.02\00:19:54.86
the Jews had lived in
captivity for 150 years.
00:19:54.89\00:19:58.89
So they had become comfortable.
00:19:58.93\00:20:00.86
They had their life, they had
their farms, their property...
00:20:00.90\00:20:03.67
Good jobs.
00:20:03.70\00:20:05.03
Their jobs, so
you can understand
00:20:05.07\00:20:06.40
why many of them
didn't want to leave.
00:20:06.43\00:20:08.64
But I'd like to...
00:20:08.67\00:20:10.74
I'd like to turn
to Deuteronomy 30:1-2,
00:20:10.77\00:20:15.04
and this will show,
00:20:15.08\00:20:16.88
this is often
overlooked, where it says,
00:20:16.91\00:20:21.02
"And you return
to the Lord your God
00:20:21.05\00:20:23.42
and obey His voice,
00:20:23.45\00:20:24.79
according to all
that I command you today,
00:20:24.82\00:20:27.42
and your children,
with all your heart,
00:20:27.46\00:20:29.69
with all your soul,
00:20:29.72\00:20:31.93
that the Lord your God will
bring you back from captivity."
00:20:31.96\00:20:36.13
And then I'd like to take it
00:20:36.16\00:20:37.50
to the last part
of verse 4 and 5.
00:20:37.53\00:20:41.84
"The Lord your
God will gather you,
00:20:41.87\00:20:43.47
and from there
He will bring you.
00:20:43.51\00:20:45.27
Then the Lord your God
will bring you to the land
00:20:45.31\00:20:47.78
which your fathers possessed,
and you shall possess it."
00:20:47.81\00:20:51.68
So Babylon is really for
us in a contemporary setting
00:20:51.71\00:20:55.22
it's about being in sin,
and God calls us out of that,
00:20:55.25\00:20:59.69
to be faithful to
Him and to become holy.
00:20:59.72\00:21:03.53
So He's always
saying, "Come holy still."
00:21:03.56\00:21:05.76
And in that way, we're
coming into the Promised Land,
00:21:05.79\00:21:08.93
so to speak, but...
00:21:08.96\00:21:10.50
And He will prosper you,
00:21:10.53\00:21:12.03
it goes on to say and multiply
you more than your folks.
00:21:12.07\00:21:14.60
And that's what He
was calling the people
00:21:14.64\00:21:16.24
and they weren't
willing to do that.
00:21:16.27\00:21:17.64
And that's why
in Revelation 18:4,
00:21:17.67\00:21:20.58
there's a call at the
end time for the whole world
00:21:20.61\00:21:22.84
to come out of Babylon.
00:21:22.88\00:21:24.51
We know that's not literal
00:21:24.55\00:21:25.88
'cause Babylon is
uninhabited at the time,
00:21:25.91\00:21:28.28
but it's a call
to come out of sin
00:21:28.32\00:21:30.52
and live a holy life and
connect yourself with God.
00:21:30.55\00:21:35.06
Yeah, thank you
for that. That's great.
00:21:35.09\00:21:36.83
Yeah.
00:21:36.86\00:21:38.19
Going back to the time of Ezra,
00:21:38.23\00:21:41.33
where all of Ezra's returnees,
00:21:41.36\00:21:45.10
those who came back
to Jerusalem with him,
00:21:45.13\00:21:47.34
were they all
enthusiastic volunteers, right?
00:21:47.37\00:21:50.81
That's an important
point here to work at, Steven.
00:21:50.84\00:21:54.54
Now if we go to Ezra 8:15, 17,
00:21:54.58\00:21:59.08
the author looks
and he says that he saw,
00:21:59.11\00:22:02.08
"None of the sons of Levi,"
00:22:02.12\00:22:03.49
which were the sons
of the priests there.
00:22:03.52\00:22:07.92
And so he had to...
00:22:07.96\00:22:09.92
There were no priests.
No Levites for the work.
00:22:09.96\00:22:11.29
No priests and Levites.
00:22:11.33\00:22:12.66
No Levite.
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.03
So they had to direct
some to approach the Levites
00:22:14.06\00:22:15.83
and ask them personally
00:22:15.86\00:22:17.20
so it seemed that they
were less willing to volunteer
00:22:17.23\00:22:20.20
themselves to come.
00:22:20.24\00:22:21.60
What do you think about it?
00:22:21.64\00:22:22.97
I mean, it was a big ask,
these people had their homes
00:22:23.00\00:22:24.67
established, orchards, you know,
00:22:24.71\00:22:26.94
they had a lot of,
00:22:26.98\00:22:28.54
grew a lot of
their own food, no doubt.
00:22:28.58\00:22:30.45
And now we're
going back to a place
00:22:30.48\00:22:31.81
where the
orchards were all destroyed
00:22:31.85\00:22:33.21
and the place was a mess.
00:22:33.25\00:22:34.58
Yeah. So it was
a big thing to do.
00:22:34.62\00:22:36.35
There's no question about it.
00:22:36.38\00:22:37.72
And the same
issue is asked for today
00:22:37.75\00:22:39.25
in the Book of
Hebrews Chapter 11 says,
00:22:39.29\00:22:41.59
"And the challenge for us
is to be strangers and pilgrims
00:22:41.62\00:22:44.26
in this land."
00:22:44.29\00:22:45.63
Okay. Okay.
00:22:45.66\00:22:47.00
Okay, so what sort of incentives
00:22:47.03\00:22:49.06
could Ezra offer these people
00:22:49.10\00:22:52.43
who were perhaps not
so willing to volunteer?
00:22:52.47\00:22:54.80
They weren't much of it.
00:22:54.84\00:22:56.44
It really wasn't much
of an incentive at all.
00:22:56.47\00:22:58.24
It was a hard pioneering life
00:22:58.27\00:23:00.18
that was offered
to these volunteers.
00:23:00.21\00:23:02.61
All of the previous generation
00:23:02.64\00:23:04.15
at this point had
been died and passed away.
00:23:04.18\00:23:06.92
And so they were pioneering,
00:23:06.95\00:23:08.28
they were doing
pioneering work and say,
00:23:08.32\00:23:10.12
it was just a call
to sacrifice in service.
00:23:10.15\00:23:12.12
Okay, and so some
responded and some didn't,
00:23:12.15\00:23:13.99
it is important thing.
00:23:14.02\00:23:17.03
When a person who is a
leader like Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:23:17.06\00:23:19.63
leaders at this time,
00:23:19.66\00:23:21.00
they needed some
strong motivation
00:23:21.03\00:23:23.16
to be able to encourage people
to make a huge step like that.
00:23:23.20\00:23:26.50
Didn't they?
00:23:26.53\00:23:27.87
So where did they...
00:23:27.90\00:23:29.24
Where did they get the
courage from to do that?
00:23:29.27\00:23:30.77
I think they were
students of scripture,
00:23:30.81\00:23:33.01
and they allowed
scripture to inform
00:23:33.04\00:23:34.68
how they should move forward.
00:23:34.71\00:23:36.04
And they claimed God's promises.
00:23:36.08\00:23:37.41
We see that in Jeremiah 29:10,
00:23:37.45\00:23:39.11
we talked about
these prophets earlier on.
00:23:39.15\00:23:41.45
Jeremiah 29:10, it
says, "For thus says the Lord,
00:23:41.48\00:23:44.35
after 70 years are
completed at Babylon,
00:23:44.39\00:23:46.39
I will visit you and
perform My good work toward you,
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.86
and cause you to
return to this place."
00:23:48.89\00:23:50.69
There's a promise
of God that they had
00:23:50.73\00:23:52.56
that they would be
returned and restored.
00:23:52.59\00:23:55.56
And we see as well in...
00:23:55.60\00:23:56.93
So this was...
00:23:56.97\00:23:58.30
This promise was
actually a prophecy.
00:23:58.33\00:23:59.67
It was a prophecy.
That it would happen.
00:23:59.70\00:24:01.14
And so they knew was
the right thing to do.
00:24:01.17\00:24:03.30
That's correct.
00:24:03.34\00:24:04.84
And they were also I
think are very well aware
00:24:04.87\00:24:06.81
that the rebellion,
00:24:06.84\00:24:08.44
the time in
captivity was a result
00:24:08.48\00:24:10.38
of their own rebellion.
00:24:10.41\00:24:12.15
And we see that in Nehemiah.
00:24:12.18\00:24:13.85
It's where they
departed, you know,
00:24:13.88\00:24:15.65
the Old Testament is
just a series of departing
00:24:15.68\00:24:18.55
from the Lord
going into captivity,
00:24:18.59\00:24:21.19
and then the Lord bringing them
back out through the prophets.
00:24:21.22\00:24:23.36
Okay. Okay.
00:24:23.39\00:24:24.73
So these promises and prophecies
00:24:24.76\00:24:27.40
had a big impact
on Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:24:27.43\00:24:30.77
Steven, is that right?
00:24:30.80\00:24:32.13
Yes, they knew this
their work would be successful,
00:24:32.17\00:24:35.67
no matter how hard the
trials, the stronger the faith,
00:24:35.70\00:24:39.21
you know, the more they realize
00:24:39.24\00:24:40.94
that God will get them through
00:24:40.98\00:24:42.34
if God is gonna call them out.
00:24:42.38\00:24:44.21
He will give the
success to bring them out.
00:24:44.25\00:24:47.12
No matter what the
difficulties they had initially.
00:24:47.15\00:24:48.82
No matter what the difficulties.
00:24:48.85\00:24:50.25
Yeah, that's
good to keep in mind,
00:24:50.29\00:24:51.62
all right.
00:24:51.65\00:24:53.09
Now, tell me something, Steven,
00:24:53.12\00:24:54.46
does Jesus promise to
return living in our day and age
00:24:54.49\00:24:57.36
now the promise
of Jesus to return,
00:24:57.39\00:25:00.16
end of sin take
us out of Babylon,
00:25:00.20\00:25:03.13
as you've pointed
out already, Steven.
00:25:03.16\00:25:06.53
You know, that
really encourages us,
00:25:06.57\00:25:07.90
doesn't it, encourage you?
00:25:07.94\00:25:09.27
Yes, it does.
00:25:09.30\00:25:10.64
I mean, if we go to John 15:20,
00:25:10.67\00:25:14.34
it says that, "If
they have persecuted," you,
00:25:14.38\00:25:17.78
they'll sorry, "Me,"
Jesus when He was alive
00:25:17.81\00:25:20.82
and we read about
that in the gospels,
00:25:20.85\00:25:22.65
"they will persecute you."
00:25:22.68\00:25:24.45
So the call of the
Bible is to become like Jesus.
00:25:24.49\00:25:27.72
So the more we
become like Jesus,
00:25:27.76\00:25:30.03
the more that we'll
be persecuted in trials.
00:25:30.06\00:25:32.53
And the challenge is
to become more like Jesus
00:25:32.56\00:25:36.06
and accept those trials.
00:25:36.10\00:25:37.80
And the temptation is,
00:25:37.83\00:25:39.53
is to stop becoming like Jesus
00:25:39.57\00:25:41.70
and receive less than
being peace in this world.
00:25:41.74\00:25:44.91
Yeah.
00:25:44.94\00:25:46.27
Okay, thank you
for, that is a challenge,
00:25:46.31\00:25:48.08
and it's a good
challenge to take on board.
00:25:48.11\00:25:50.05
In the few moments
we've got left, folks,
00:25:50.08\00:25:51.81
I wanna just refer to Ezra 8:21.
00:25:51.85\00:25:58.45
Before Ezra
00:25:58.49\00:26:00.02
aactually made the
journey back with his people,
00:26:00.06\00:26:02.92
all the
volunteers back to Israel,
00:26:02.96\00:26:05.46
he did this.
00:26:05.49\00:26:06.83
Verse 21, "I proclaimed a fast
there at the river of Ahava,
00:26:06.86\00:26:10.23
that we might humble
ourselves before our God,
00:26:10.27\00:26:12.43
to seek from Him
00:26:12.47\00:26:14.10
the right way for
us and our little ones
00:26:14.14\00:26:17.07
and all our possessions."
00:26:17.11\00:26:18.74
And so verse 23.
00:26:18.77\00:26:20.28
And he goes in
and say in verse 23,
00:26:20.31\00:26:22.11
"So we fasted and
entreated our God for this,
00:26:22.14\00:26:25.11
and He answered our prayer."
00:26:25.15\00:26:26.68
So what's happening
here in a few moments?
00:26:26.72\00:26:28.85
Yeah, I think God's
people here are not gonna take
00:26:28.88\00:26:31.32
God's protection for granted,
00:26:31.35\00:26:32.89
they're not gonna have
a posture of presumption
00:26:32.92\00:26:35.72
before God.
00:26:35.76\00:26:37.09
But they are recognizing that
this is a dangerous journey,
00:26:37.13\00:26:40.30
and they need God's protection.
00:26:40.33\00:26:41.96
And so they're moving forward
00:26:42.00\00:26:43.33
with a posture of
spiritual humility
00:26:43.37\00:26:44.77
towards God and
submission to Him.
00:26:44.80\00:26:46.40
That's such a
right... Sorry, Steven.
00:26:46.43\00:26:48.04
And also connected
with returning back
00:26:48.07\00:26:50.14
to Jerusalem is
preparing themselves
00:26:50.17\00:26:52.27
to be holy and without sin.
00:26:52.31\00:26:54.18
Okay, okay, 'cause this
was a spiritual activity,
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.61
not just a physical, I mean,
00:26:56.64\00:26:58.08
reestablishing if you
like the remnant people of God
00:26:58.11\00:27:00.78
back there in own country.
00:27:00.82\00:27:02.15
That's right. Yes.
00:27:02.18\00:27:03.55
And was a beautiful thing.
00:27:03.59\00:27:05.05
So they saturated what they
were planning to do in prayer.
00:27:05.09\00:27:08.99
That's right.
00:27:09.02\00:27:10.36
There's a good guide for us.
00:27:10.39\00:27:11.73
Well, let's take
it home folks today.
00:27:11.76\00:27:13.53
We all I think know
to accomplish anything
00:27:13.56\00:27:15.60
of lasting value for God
00:27:15.63\00:27:17.37
requires total
dedication to Him.
00:27:17.40\00:27:20.40
Not only that, but God's people
must be prepared to face trials
00:27:20.44\00:27:23.74
and hardships prayerfully,
00:27:23.77\00:27:26.37
and God calls for true
spiritual warriors today.
00:27:26.41\00:27:29.84
Well, that's Let
God Speak for today.
00:27:29.88\00:27:31.61
You can view this
program again on our website,
00:27:31.65\00:27:33.78
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00:27:33.82\00:27:36.55
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00:27:36.58\00:27:40.06
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00:27:40.09\00:27:41.79
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00:27:41.82\00:27:43.89
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00:27:43.93\00:27:45.26
God bless.
00:27:45.29\00:27:46.63