The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To receive
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with meekness
the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
to present yourself
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approved to God,
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today
is Ezra and Nehemiah.
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
and we welcome you once again
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to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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We're so excited
because today we began
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the fourth quarter of
the Sabbath School quarterly,
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and this is a study
on Ezra and Nehemiah.
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Lest you say,
what's the big deal
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about Ezra and Nehemiah?
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Please stay
tuned because this has
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so much rich
information for the church.
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We encourage you
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to get your own copy
of this Bible study guide.
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If you don't have it,
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you can go to a
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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and ask them for a quarterly,
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they'll be happy to supply that.
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Even study with
you if you'd like.
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Or you can go to
ABSG.Adventist.org
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and download your own copy.
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Well, let me
introduce our panel.
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I have to my left
Pastor John Lomacang,
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my pastor, my friend.
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Good to be here.
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Lovely to have you
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and then my precious
sister, Jill Morikone.
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Thank you,
privileged to be here.
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We love having you on here.
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Kenny Shelton, Pastor Kenny.
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Yes.
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We love you and
your precious wife.
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Good to be here. Thank you.
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And then my dear
friend, Mollie Sue,
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and we're so glad Molly Steenson
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that you're back
with us this time.
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It's good to be here.
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Wonderful.
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Well, I'm going to say
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a short prayer
and then we'll begin.
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Heavenly Father, we
come in the name of Jesus
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and we thank You, Lord,
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that You gave us Your
Word so that we could know You.
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We thank You that
You did not leave us
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as orphans here but You
sent Your Holy Spirit Father,
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that we may
understand Your Word.
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And, Father, we ask
right now that this study
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will open our eyes
to new truths about You.
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We just surrender to You
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and ask for Your
leading in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Well, let me just...
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jumping into this
because I want to give
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kind of a historical background
so that you can understand
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Ezra and Nehemiah better.
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Ezra begins where 2
Chronicles leaves off.
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It just continues the
narrative and the Book of Ezra
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is about the rebuilding of
the temple under Zerubbabel,
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and then the
restoration of worship
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and the
restoration of the Torah,
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the law of God under
Ezra, then we go into Nehemiah,
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and Nehemiah is about
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rebuilding the
walls around Jerusalem.
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And, you know, both
of these books contain
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some similar information.
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And they both are
actually kind of find...
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You know what you find in Ezra,
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you may find in
Nehemiah and vice versa,
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but they complete one another.
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When you look
at the composition,
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there's personal
memoirs, there's inventories,
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letters, census records,
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and the early Jews
considered Ezra and Nehemiah
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as a single book and they
most, they thought most likely,
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Ezra had written both
because he was a scribe
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and he had
access to the decrees,
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and the proclamations
and inventory list etc.
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Ezra and Nehemiah were written
in both Hebrew and Aramaic,
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which was the official language
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of diplomacy
during the Persian period.
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But what's the purpose of this?
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The message of Ezra and Nehemiah
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is the continuation
of God's covenant grace
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at the fulfillment
of Messianic prophecy.
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So let's look at lesson one,
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"Making Sense of
History: Zerubbabel and Ezra."
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It's interesting,
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God used the
Assyrians and the Babylonians
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to deliver his promise judgment
on his unfaithful people.
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So we have the
Assyrians deported
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the 10 northern tribes,
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scattered them all
throughout the nations.
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And then when Judah persisted
in covenant unfaithfulness,
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what happened?
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Here comes the
Babylonians, right?
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And they just nearly
depopulated Jerusalem.
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So God chastened His people
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with over 70 years
of captivity in Babylon.
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But there was this Persian
king by the name of Cyrus.
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And you know,
it's interesting to me
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we find in Isaiah 44
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that before 150 years
before Cyrus was born,
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before his birth,
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God prophesied that he
was going to call Cyrus
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to overthrow Babylon.
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So God purpose to rebuild
the Jerusalem and the temple
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and He stirred in
His people's heart
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to participate in this so that
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He could fulfill the
prophecies of Jeremiah,
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Isaiah, and Daniel.
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That takes us to our
memory text, Ezra 1:2.
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The memory text says this,
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"Thus says Cyrus King of Persia,
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all the kingdoms of the earth
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the Lord God of
heaven has given me,
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this is true and
he's commanded me,
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Cyrus, a pagan king,
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to build him a
house at Jerusalem,
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which is in Judah.
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So, Cyrus issued
that decree about 538 BC
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and he released God's people
to return to their homeland
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to fulfill God's promise.
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And what this demonstrates
is God's sovereignty,
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even over pagan kings.
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So there were three waves
of deportation into Babylon.
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Now there's gonna be three waves
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of the return of the exiles.
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The first was led by Zerubbabel
and then after that first,
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there's a 60-year gap in there.
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And that's where Queen Esther
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and the story of Artaxerxes
is in that 60 year gap.
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Then, the second
wave of the return
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of the exiles is by
Ezra and then about,
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I think, 12, 13 years later,
the Nehemiah leads the third.
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So these are three key men
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that God used to
fulfill His purpose
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of rebuilding the
temple in Jerusalem.
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So Zerubbabel
reconstructed the temple,
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and he was the Governor of Judah
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and when he led the people back,
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there were about, I think was
at 50,000 that went with him.
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I found that, but boy,
this was a long journey.
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It was a 900 mile journey.
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So the people who
went were really committed.
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Ezra, as I said, restored
the worship and the law.
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And so Ezra was a
scribe and he was a priest.
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And, you know, what
he taught the people,
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how important the
word of the Lord is.
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Then Nehemiah comes along,
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and he was a
contemporary of Ezra.
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And what I love
about Nehemiah is, boy,
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he was a prayer
warrior, wasn't he?
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Yeah.
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And so he is the cup
bearer for King Artaxerxes.
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And when he found out
that the people in Jerusalem,
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the temple is rebuilt,
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but he found out that the
gates have been burned down,
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he was mourning
because the people of God
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were being disgraced,
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the name of the
Lord was being disgraced.
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So he petition the king
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and he goes off 13
years later after Ezra,
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here shows up Nehemiah
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to rebuild the wall
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because it couldn't be
a city without the wall.
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And what's
amazing is even though
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they had so much opposition,
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in 52 days they
rebuilt that wall.
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Oh, my, my.
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So Ezra and Nehemiah
record people's interest
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in renewing the
covenant with God.
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And here's what I love,
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although they had been
unfaithful to God's covenant,
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and He sent them into
captivity for 70 years
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because they totally
neglected His teaching.
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God remained
faithful to His covenant.
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Amen, that's right. Amen.
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When they returned to Jerusalem,
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this is like,
when the second Exodus,
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it's like when God's
people came out of Egypt,
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so here they come back
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and that remnant that came back,
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they had to make
a very hard choice
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because they had a relatively
comfortable life in Babylon.
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And now they went back
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because it was
more important to them
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to be in right
relationship with the Lord.
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So the interesting
thing about Ezra and Nehemiah
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is that all these efforts
played a key role in the life
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and the
ministry of Jesus Christ.
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So let's look
very quickly at Sunday,
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the first return of the exiles.
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I'm not gonna have time
to read these scriptures,
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so I'm just gonna
give you a scripture list.
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Jeremiah 25:11 talks about
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how God's people will serve
the King of Babylon 70 years.
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Jeremiah 29:10-13,
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the Lord says, "After 70
years are completed at Babylon,
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I will visit you and
perform my good word toward you
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and cause you to
return to this place."
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And then, of course,
verse 11 is my favorite,
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"For I know the thoughts
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that I have
toward you says the Lord,
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thoughts of peace, not of evil,
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to give you a future and a hope.
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Then you will call upon
Me and go and pray to Me,
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and I will listen to you
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and you will seek Me and find me
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when you search for me
with your whole heart."
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So here's God's saying 70 years.
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Now we come to Daniel 9:1-3.
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And what is happening here,
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Daniel has been
studying the writings
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of Jeremiah and Daniel realizes
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that the 70 years are nearly up.
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He says, "I understood
by the number of the year
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specified by the
word of the Lord,
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through Jeremiah the prophet
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that he would
accomplish 70 years
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and that is in
desolation of Jerusalem."
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So he realizes, "Hey,
this time is nearly up."
00:10:55.72\00:10:59.42
So there's a new Persian empire
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that has been risen to
power and Daniel mourns,
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and he turns
toward God and he says,
00:11:05.99\00:11:08.40
he's calling on the Lord
for the sake of your name
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he's saying, "Lord, it's time
for You to return Your people.
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So we see in Daniel 9:7,
00:11:15.97\00:11:20.48
actually I'll just give
you these references Daniel 9,
00:11:20.54\00:11:23.41
let's look at 16-19
00:11:23.45\00:11:26.21
is what I would
recommend that you read.
00:11:26.25\00:11:28.88
But he is saying
to the Lord here,
00:11:28.92\00:11:31.32
"Oh, for your namesake, Lord,
00:11:31.35\00:11:33.92
O God for the
Lord's sake shine your face
00:11:33.96\00:11:37.89
on the sanctuary."
00:11:37.93\00:11:39.66
So God answers his prayer, how?
00:11:39.69\00:11:41.90
He sends the Angel
Gabriel with a message of hope,
00:11:41.93\00:11:46.23
and we find in Daniel 9:24-27,
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that message of hope is that
God watches over everything,
00:11:50.24\00:11:54.91
the future has been planned,
00:11:54.94\00:11:56.78
He's gonna send a
deliverer to die for the people
00:11:56.81\00:12:00.72
to atone for their
sins, bring righteousness
00:12:00.75\00:12:03.72
and fulfill the
sacrificial system,
00:12:03.79\00:12:06.02
how wonderful.
00:12:06.05\00:12:07.39
So the sovereign
hand of God moved
00:12:07.46\00:12:11.03
according to His appointed time.
00:12:11.06\00:12:13.50
And in His
steadfast faithfulness,
00:12:13.53\00:12:16.10
the 70 year
prophecy comes to an end,
00:12:16.13\00:12:18.80
God stirred King Cyrus
00:12:18.83\00:12:20.80
to command the
release of the captives.
00:12:20.84\00:12:24.31
And Ezra 1 records
King Cyrus proclamation.
00:12:24.34\00:12:30.21
And then, we see that not
only did Cyrus let them go,
00:12:30.25\00:12:36.15
but he makes sure
00:12:36.18\00:12:37.65
that they leave
with lots of gifts.
00:12:37.69\00:12:40.02
It's just kind of
like when they left Egypt.
00:12:40.06\00:12:42.36
In the end, they took all
of these wonderful things.
00:12:42.39\00:12:45.26
So the first group
to return to Israel
00:12:45.29\00:12:47.86
was about 50,000
led by Zerubbabel.
00:12:47.93\00:12:51.60
And then that 60 year
gap with Queen Esther,
00:12:51.63\00:12:56.20
and by the way
Zerubbabel is Ezra 1-6,
00:12:56.24\00:13:00.48
but then Ezra 7-10
00:13:00.51\00:13:03.14
is the second
wave of the return.
00:13:03.18\00:13:06.95
How's that? Yes.
00:13:07.02\00:13:09.52
Bit of review.
00:13:09.55\00:13:10.89
Wow, so you're
pitching it to me?
00:13:10.92\00:13:12.25
Yeah, I'm pitching it to you.
00:13:12.29\00:13:14.26
Thank you, Shelley,
for laying the foundation.
00:13:14.29\00:13:16.36
And those of you
that are watching
00:13:16.39\00:13:17.83
or listening to the program,
00:13:17.86\00:13:19.19
you'll find that
this part of the lesson,
00:13:19.23\00:13:21.76
laying the foundation
is so vitally important
00:13:21.80\00:13:23.97
to understanding
what comes afterwards.
00:13:24.03\00:13:26.27
Thank you for
covering some of the history,
00:13:26.30\00:13:28.04
the chronological kings,
00:13:28.07\00:13:29.70
which kind of lightens my burden
00:13:29.74\00:13:31.67
and having to reiterate that.
00:13:31.71\00:13:33.54
But if you go
to Monday's lesson,
00:13:33.58\00:13:34.91
which is entitled,
00:13:34.94\00:13:36.28
"The Overview of
Kings and Events."
00:13:36.31\00:13:38.08
What I'm going to do
00:13:38.11\00:13:39.45
is not focus so
much on the kings.
00:13:39.48\00:13:41.25
But if I look at
verses 1 through 7,
00:13:41.28\00:13:44.19
what's amazing about this,
Jill, and all of our panelists,
00:13:44.25\00:13:47.32
my wife and I are
reading the Bible together.
00:13:47.36\00:13:49.52
We just finished 2
Chronicles, now we're in Ezra.
00:13:49.56\00:13:52.33
And Nehemiah is one
of my favorite books,
00:13:52.36\00:13:53.96
so it's like
revisiting an old friend.
00:13:54.00\00:13:56.73
But Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:13:56.80\00:13:58.67
there was a time
that you mentioned this,
00:13:58.70\00:14:01.60
Shelley, in Jewish literature,
00:14:01.64\00:14:03.61
there was a
belief that 2 Chronicles,
00:14:03.64\00:14:06.34
Ezra and Nehemiah were one book,
00:14:06.37\00:14:08.94
but and even in
Latin, in the Latin Bible,
00:14:08.98\00:14:12.01
Ezra is called 1
Ezra, and then second,
00:14:12.05\00:14:14.62
and Nehemiah is called 2 Ezra,
00:14:14.65\00:14:16.89
because they run
so fluidly together.
00:14:16.92\00:14:19.45
Even in the
Septuagint, you find that they,
00:14:19.49\00:14:22.29
it's hard to
separate these books
00:14:22.32\00:14:23.66
because they cover so
much of the same events.
00:14:23.73\00:14:26.03
And you'll find
as we study this,
00:14:26.06\00:14:28.10
thank you for
putting the kings together,
00:14:28.13\00:14:29.93
and the leaders,
but verses 1 through 7.
00:14:29.96\00:14:32.20
Now I want to
bring on to the scene,
00:14:32.23\00:14:33.90
some very interesting...
00:14:33.94\00:14:35.27
That's Ezra 4?
00:14:35.30\00:14:36.64
Ezra 4:1-7.
00:14:36.67\00:14:38.37
I'm going to
read that very quickly
00:14:38.41\00:14:39.84
and break it down in
the time I have left.
00:14:39.87\00:14:43.08
Thank you for the kings,
00:14:43.11\00:14:44.55
but let's now look at
one of the first events
00:14:44.58\00:14:46.38
that are very
significant to the building.
00:14:46.41\00:14:48.82
"Now when the adversaries
of Judah and Benjamin heard
00:14:48.85\00:14:51.92
that the
descendants of the captivity
00:14:51.95\00:14:53.42
were building the temple
of the Lord God of Israel,
00:14:53.46\00:14:55.92
they came to Zerubbabel
00:14:55.96\00:14:57.73
and the heads of
the fathers' houses,
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.09
and said to them,
'Let us build with you,
00:14:59.13\00:15:02.03
for we seek your God as you do,
00:15:02.06\00:15:04.07
and we have sacrificed to Him
00:15:04.10\00:15:05.43
since the days of
Esarhaddon king of Assyria,
00:15:05.47\00:15:11.84
who brought us here.'
00:15:11.87\00:15:13.21
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua
00:15:13.24\00:15:15.31
and the rest of the
heads of the fathers' houses
00:15:15.34\00:15:17.05
of Israel said to
them, 'You may do nothing
00:15:17.08\00:15:19.91
with us to build
a house for our God,
00:15:19.95\00:15:22.22
but we alone will build
to the Lord God of Israel,
00:15:22.25\00:15:27.92
as King Cyrus the king of Persia
00:15:27.96\00:15:30.43
has commanded us.'
00:15:30.46\00:15:31.89
Then the people of the
land tried to discourage
00:15:31.93\00:15:34.00
the people of Judah.
00:15:34.00\00:15:35.33
They troubled them in building,
00:15:35.36\00:15:37.37
and hired counselors
against them to frustrate
00:15:37.43\00:15:39.67
their purpose all the
days of Cyrus king of Persia,
00:15:39.70\00:15:42.44
even until the reign
of Darius king of Persia.
00:15:42.47\00:15:46.54
In the reign of Ahasuerus,
in the beginning of his reign,
00:15:46.57\00:15:50.11
they wrote an accusation
00:15:50.15\00:15:51.48
against the inhabitants
of Judah and Jerusalem.
00:15:51.51\00:15:54.02
In the days of Artaxerxes also,
Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel,
00:15:54.08\00:15:59.05
and the rest of their companions
00:15:59.09\00:16:00.79
wrote to
Artaxerxes king of Persia,
00:16:00.82\00:16:03.06
and the letter was
written in Aramaic script,
00:16:03.09\00:16:06.16
and translated into
the Aramaic language.'
00:16:06.19\00:16:09.13
" That's a mouthful.
00:16:09.16\00:16:10.67
You did well.
00:16:10.70\00:16:12.03
Now, praise the
Lord for all those names.
00:16:12.07\00:16:13.40
Thank you that we call
people John and Kenny nowadays
00:16:13.44\00:16:16.47
as it would really,
00:16:16.50\00:16:17.84
but these names have
all meanings to them.
00:16:17.87\00:16:19.37
For example,
Ezra mean, God helps.
00:16:19.41\00:16:23.45
And so significance there.
00:16:23.48\00:16:24.81
But what I want
to point out in this,
00:16:24.85\00:16:26.38
because what I learned
in studying about the kings,
00:16:26.41\00:16:29.62
and all the leaders
in Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:16:29.65\00:16:32.25
there was one project,
00:16:32.29\00:16:33.99
the Lord wanted to
rebuild and restore His city,
00:16:34.06\00:16:37.23
the wall, the economy,
the everything about worship,
00:16:37.26\00:16:42.30
and we'll talk
about this later on,
00:16:42.33\00:16:43.73
the wall, the
economy, the temple,
00:16:43.77\00:16:45.50
the worship, everything.
00:16:45.53\00:16:46.90
And anytime you participate
in any building project,
00:16:46.94\00:16:50.07
they'll always be opposition.
00:16:50.11\00:16:52.14
But I want to point out,
00:16:52.17\00:16:53.54
let's look at
the very first one.
00:16:53.58\00:16:54.91
So in these seven verses,
we find a number of warnings.
00:16:54.94\00:16:58.11
Jill, here comes the list.
00:16:58.15\00:16:59.65
Oh, yay!
00:16:59.68\00:17:01.08
The first one is the warning
against unity with unbelievers.
00:17:01.12\00:17:06.09
Verse 2-3, "They came
to Zerubbabel and says,
00:17:06.12\00:17:09.12
'Let us build with you,
for we seek your God as you do,
00:17:09.16\00:17:12.29
and we have sacrificed to Him
00:17:12.33\00:17:13.66
since the days of
Esarhaddon of Assyria."
00:17:13.73\00:17:16.90
But here's what
they said in verse 3,
00:17:16.97\00:17:18.73
"You may do nothing with us
to build a house for our God,
00:17:18.77\00:17:23.17
but we alone will build
to the Lord God of Israel.
00:17:23.20\00:17:26.68
So what's happening here
00:17:26.71\00:17:28.04
is the Lord is
showing immediately,
00:17:28.08\00:17:29.84
even though they acknowledge God
00:17:29.88\00:17:32.08
when you study
this story further,
00:17:32.11\00:17:34.22
and this is going
to come out later,
00:17:34.25\00:17:35.78
even though they said
we'd like to help you,
00:17:35.82\00:17:38.52
they continued
worshipping their own gods.
00:17:38.55\00:17:40.49
Yeah.
00:17:40.56\00:17:41.89
They continue to
honoring their own gods.
00:17:41.92\00:17:43.83
Now what God was in
essence saying here,
00:17:43.86\00:17:45.46
"How could anybody help
build a temple to the true God
00:17:45.49\00:17:48.53
when they refused
00:17:48.56\00:17:49.90
to stop
worshiping the false gods.
00:17:49.93\00:17:52.10
So everything we do,
hinges on our view of God.
00:17:52.13\00:17:56.81
And so today,
the lesson there is,
00:17:56.87\00:17:58.91
we have to be
careful in unifying ourselves
00:17:58.94\00:18:01.81
with those that may say,
00:18:01.84\00:18:03.18
"Hey, we will love the
Lord just like you do."
00:18:03.21\00:18:05.15
But it doesn't,
that's not the single piece
00:18:05.18\00:18:07.65
upon which unity is based.
00:18:07.68\00:18:10.12
Because today in Christendom,
00:18:10.15\00:18:11.49
there's a push for
unity when the division is,
00:18:11.52\00:18:13.79
we don't
believe how you believe.
00:18:13.82\00:18:15.52
And what is being said
00:18:15.56\00:18:16.89
since ancient times
unless we are in one accord.
00:18:16.96\00:18:20.33
In one place, we
cannot truly be unified
00:18:20.36\00:18:23.77
to do anything to the true God.
00:18:23.80\00:18:25.80
That's the first lesson.
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.17
Second one, Ezra 4:1-5.
00:18:27.24\00:18:30.61
The opposition seeks to stir up
00:18:30.64\00:18:32.34
discouragement among the people.
00:18:32.37\00:18:34.21
So what they did, they
tried to get other kings
00:18:34.28\00:18:36.64
to oppose Zerubbabel
00:18:36.68\00:18:38.58
since when they
made the appeal to build.
00:18:38.61\00:18:41.58
They said, "No, we're
not gonna let you build."
00:18:41.62\00:18:43.39
So they decided to
bring in discouragement.
00:18:43.42\00:18:45.42
My brothers and sisters,
discouragement will come.
00:18:45.45\00:18:49.06
But when God
gives you a purpose,
00:18:49.09\00:18:50.73
push beyond the discouragement.
00:18:50.76\00:18:53.06
Look at how they
created discouragement.
00:18:53.09\00:18:55.13
False accusations
during Ahasuerus reign,
00:18:55.16\00:18:57.97
that's verse 6.
00:18:58.00\00:18:59.33
False accusations
during the reign of Artaxerxes,
00:18:59.37\00:19:02.84
verse 7.
00:19:02.87\00:19:04.24
They wrote an
accusation in verse 6,
00:19:04.27\00:19:06.24
against the inhabitants
of Judah and Jerusalem.
00:19:06.27\00:19:08.98
And here's what the
accusation was trying,
00:19:09.01\00:19:10.91
they were trying to say,
remember how they used to be,
00:19:10.98\00:19:14.05
and this is something we
have to be very careful of,
00:19:14.08\00:19:16.15
when the Lord bring
someone through something.
00:19:16.18\00:19:18.92
And they are, they
repent, and they are revived,
00:19:18.95\00:19:22.62
and they are now
moving in the right direction.
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.99
We have to be very
careful with highlighting
00:19:25.03\00:19:27.86
who they were, we must
look at who they are now.
00:19:27.86\00:19:31.63
And that's what
the accusation was,
00:19:31.67\00:19:33.00
he says, "Remember, these folk,
00:19:33.03\00:19:34.50
those are the ones
that used to be rebellious,"
00:19:34.54\00:19:36.57
but they repented.
00:19:36.60\00:19:39.17
God's caused them to break
00:19:39.21\00:19:42.74
in their in their captivity.
00:19:42.78\00:19:46.61
And they saw the
error of their ways.
00:19:46.65\00:19:48.95
But now they are reformed,
00:19:48.98\00:19:50.32
they repent,
they want to come back
00:19:50.39\00:19:51.72
and do what God
had told them to do.
00:19:51.75\00:19:53.29
But the opposition says,
00:19:53.36\00:19:54.69
remember how
terrible they used to be.
00:19:54.72\00:19:57.43
So don't trust them now,
00:19:57.46\00:19:58.79
they tried to
bring an opposition.
00:19:58.83\00:20:00.30
The other one
is the third point.
00:20:00.33\00:20:03.03
They tried to
misrepresent the work.
00:20:03.06\00:20:05.20
That's Ezra 4:12.
00:20:05.23\00:20:07.04
"Let it be known to
the king that the Jews
00:20:07.10\00:20:08.87
who came up from you
have come to us at Jerusalem,
00:20:08.90\00:20:13.11
and are building the
rebellious and evil city,
00:20:13.14\00:20:16.75
and are finishing its walls
and repairing the foundations."
00:20:16.81\00:20:19.71
Instead of calling at God...
00:20:19.75\00:20:21.08
Now, this shows you
that they had no allegiance
00:20:21.12\00:20:22.85
to the true God
00:20:22.88\00:20:24.25
because they call His
city rebellious and evil.
00:20:24.29\00:20:26.82
How could you
help me build a city
00:20:26.86\00:20:28.39
that you refer to
as rebellious and evil?
00:20:28.42\00:20:30.29
Your intentions
were clearly unmasked
00:20:30.33\00:20:32.69
in your reference to God's city.
00:20:32.73\00:20:34.50
So they tried to
skew the project.
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.36
This is not the good
city, this is rebellious.
00:20:36.40\00:20:38.83
The other one, they
pointed to the economic loss.
00:20:38.87\00:20:41.54
Look at verse 13.
00:20:41.57\00:20:43.47
"Let it be known to the king
00:20:43.54\00:20:44.97
that if this city
is built the walls,
00:20:45.01\00:20:48.94
and the walls are complete,
they will not pay taxes."
00:20:48.98\00:20:52.51
So they're saying,
00:20:52.55\00:20:53.88
"If you allow this
project to go forward,
00:20:53.95\00:20:55.58
there would be
such economic loss."
00:20:55.62\00:20:57.52
They're trying
to give every reason
00:20:57.55\00:20:59.52
for the project to be resisted.
00:20:59.55\00:21:02.09
And the other one,
00:21:02.12\00:21:03.46
they decided to be
creating fear in the leadership.
00:21:03.53\00:21:06.80
That says, "We inform the king,"
00:21:06.83\00:21:08.60
this is verse 16,
00:21:08.63\00:21:10.13
"that if this city is rebuilt
and its walls are completed,
00:21:10.17\00:21:13.40
the result will be that
you will have no dominion
00:21:13.44\00:21:16.20
beyond the river."
00:21:16.24\00:21:17.57
All the opposition.
00:21:17.61\00:21:18.94
So what we're seeing here
00:21:18.97\00:21:20.34
at the very
beginning panel is this.
00:21:20.38\00:21:22.21
God is trying to restore,
00:21:22.24\00:21:23.61
and here's the key
we have to remember.
00:21:23.65\00:21:25.85
There will be tribulation
00:21:25.88\00:21:27.22
whenever you
participate in God's work.
00:21:27.28\00:21:29.12
What I found in the
example, Jill, was this.
00:21:29.15\00:21:31.92
In spite of all
that was said about
00:21:31.95\00:21:34.02
what God had called
them to do, they continued.
00:21:34.06\00:21:36.79
And you'll find out later
on in the Book of Nehemiah,
00:21:36.83\00:21:39.46
it was their mindset.
00:21:39.49\00:21:41.60
They had a mind to work,
we'll talk about that later on.
00:21:41.63\00:21:43.80
It was their mindset,
they focused on the work.
00:21:43.83\00:21:46.60
And finally, the end result was,
00:21:46.67\00:21:49.10
and I know you're going
to cover this in more detail,
00:21:49.14\00:21:51.34
because I know we
are kind of overlapping
00:21:51.37\00:21:52.77
each other in some degree.
00:21:52.81\00:21:56.21
The work was
forced into cessation.
00:21:56.24\00:21:59.31
Finally one of the
king said, "Stop the work."
00:21:59.35\00:22:01.92
And it was
stopped until Darius came
00:22:01.95\00:22:04.09
and restarted the work.
00:22:04.12\00:22:05.45
And you find that
in verse 23 and 24,
00:22:05.49\00:22:08.46
"Now when the copy
of King Artaxerxes'
00:22:08.49\00:22:11.96
letter was read before,"
00:22:11.99\00:22:13.40
and the names are there,
"Rehum, Shimshai the scribe,
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.73
and their companions,
00:22:16.77\00:22:18.10
they went up in haste to
Jerusalem against the Jews,
00:22:18.13\00:22:20.44
and by force of
arms made them cease.
00:22:20.50\00:22:22.97
Thus the work
of the house of God
00:22:23.00\00:22:24.57
which is at Jerusalem ceased,
00:22:24.61\00:22:26.84
and it was discontinued
until the second year
00:22:26.88\00:22:29.01
of the reign of
Darius king of Persia."
00:22:29.04\00:22:30.75
So they forced
it into cessation.
00:22:30.81\00:22:32.95
But here's the
reason why they did so.
00:22:32.98\00:22:35.02
God's thoughts and
the thoughts of those
00:22:35.05\00:22:37.89
who oppose the work
were completely different.
00:22:37.92\00:22:40.32
But here was the key.
00:22:40.36\00:22:41.76
Those who had put
their mind to do God's work
00:22:41.79\00:22:44.33
kept their thoughts in
harmony with God's thoughts.
00:22:44.36\00:22:47.30
And eventually you'll find
in the study of the lesson,
00:22:47.36\00:22:50.40
God honored their determination.
00:22:50.43\00:22:53.07
So here's the point,
00:22:53.10\00:22:54.44
inspiration
will get you started.
00:22:54.47\00:22:56.54
Determination
will keep you going.
00:22:56.57\00:22:58.81
The inspiration is beautiful.
00:22:58.84\00:23:00.58
It'll just get you started.
00:23:00.61\00:23:01.94
But in opposition, you have
to have more than inspiration.
00:23:01.98\00:23:04.48
You have to have
determination and dedication
00:23:04.51\00:23:06.92
and that's what they had.
00:23:06.95\00:23:08.28
Excellent.
00:23:08.32\00:23:09.65
Thank you, John,
that was great insight.
00:23:09.68\00:23:11.52
I am so excited
about this study.
00:23:11.55\00:23:14.46
And we want you to stay tuned,
00:23:14.49\00:23:16.52
we're going to
take a quick break,
00:23:16.56\00:23:17.89
but we'll be right back.
00:23:17.93\00:23:19.26
Ever wish you could watch
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00:23:24.30\00:23:27.20
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00:23:33.11\00:23:35.98
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00:23:38.48\00:23:40.58
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00:23:40.62\00:23:44.05
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00:23:44.09\00:23:45.89
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Well, we're
ready for Tuesday study
00:23:56.90\00:23:58.70
and, Jill
Morikone, you have that one.
00:23:58.73\00:24:00.97
Thank you so much,
Shelley and Pastor John,
00:24:01.00\00:24:03.14
what a wonderful foundation.
00:24:03.17\00:24:05.44
And I was taking
notes with the points
00:24:05.47\00:24:06.98
as you were
talking there, Pastor.
00:24:07.01\00:24:08.91
I love this study.
00:24:08.94\00:24:10.28
I love the study
of the Word of God.
00:24:10.35\00:24:11.88
No matter what the quarterly
00:24:11.91\00:24:13.25
is about, I'm
always blessed by it.
00:24:13.28\00:24:15.48
But this quarter in
particular, I'm excited about
00:24:15.52\00:24:18.02
because Ezra and Nehemiah
is all about godly leadership,
00:24:18.05\00:24:22.36
and godly
leadership moving forward
00:24:22.39\00:24:24.89
in the midst of opposition.
00:24:24.93\00:24:27.73
And whether at
home, you might be saying,
00:24:27.76\00:24:30.07
but I'm not a leader,
00:24:30.13\00:24:31.47
but we all have
influence on someone else,
00:24:31.50\00:24:35.37
whether it's in your home,
whether it's in your church,
00:24:35.40\00:24:38.41
whether it's your
neighbors, or work or community,
00:24:38.44\00:24:41.58
we all have some
measure of influence.
00:24:41.61\00:24:43.91
So that means these
books are for all of us.
00:24:43.95\00:24:46.72
So I have Ezra Chapter 7.
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.38
Turn over a
couple of chapters here,
00:24:49.42\00:24:51.39
Pastor John was in Ezra 4.
00:24:51.42\00:24:53.09
Ezra Chapter 7 and
we're going to look
00:24:53.12\00:24:54.92
at some of Ezra
Chapter 8 as well.
00:24:54.96\00:24:57.09
This is the second
return of the exiles
00:24:57.13\00:25:00.33
as Shelley already talked about.
00:25:00.36\00:25:01.93
Fifty thousand went back
00:25:01.96\00:25:04.27
from Babylon to
Jerusalem under Zerubbabel.
00:25:04.30\00:25:08.24
This is years before.
00:25:08.27\00:25:09.80
Now Ezra comes on the scene.
00:25:09.84\00:25:12.01
He is a skilled scribe,
00:25:12.04\00:25:14.84
and we're going to
take a look at Ezra here.
00:25:14.88\00:25:18.15
Ezra, this is under Artaxerxes.
00:25:18.18\00:25:20.45
The seventh year of Artaxerxes
is when Ezra returned,
00:25:20.52\00:25:23.82
and we'll see
the number of people
00:25:23.89\00:25:25.29
that went back with him as well.
00:25:25.32\00:25:27.46
So who was Ezra?
00:25:27.49\00:25:29.62
Let's look at Ezra 7:6.
00:25:29.66\00:25:32.83
This Ezra came up from Babylon,
and he was a skilled scribe,
00:25:32.86\00:25:36.97
in the law of Moses,
00:25:37.03\00:25:38.57
which the Lord God
of Israel had given.
00:25:38.60\00:25:40.70
The king granted
him all his request,
00:25:40.74\00:25:43.47
according to the hand of
the Lord his God upon him."
00:25:43.51\00:25:47.14
Now, if you look in
the original language
00:25:47.18\00:25:49.84
for skill described,
for skilled it means quick,
00:25:49.88\00:25:53.38
prompt and ready.
00:25:53.42\00:25:56.18
I like to think
that Ezra was known
00:25:56.22\00:25:57.82
for having a
quick mind, Pastor John.
00:25:57.85\00:25:59.85
He was one of those
people who knew the law of God,
00:25:59.89\00:26:03.76
and he had a quick
and an intelligent mind,
00:26:03.79\00:26:06.63
and God can use that.
00:26:06.66\00:26:08.36
We also know that he
was of the line of Aaron,
00:26:08.40\00:26:12.17
he was a priest as well.
00:26:12.20\00:26:14.14
He was a priestly
scribe, you could say.
00:26:14.17\00:26:17.84
Let's look Ezra 7:1-5,
00:26:17.87\00:26:20.11
I am not going to
attempt to read all those names.
00:26:20.18\00:26:23.58
But when it begins, it
says, "After these things,
00:26:23.65\00:26:25.75
in the reign of
Artaxerxes king of Persia,
00:26:25.78\00:26:28.42
Ezra the son of
Seraiah," and then it goes back,
00:26:28.45\00:26:31.59
the son of, the
son of, the son of.
00:26:31.62\00:26:33.46
We won't read all those.
00:26:33.49\00:26:34.92
Jump over to verse
5, "The son of Abishua,
00:26:34.96\00:26:38.99
the son of
Phinehas, the son of Eleazar,
00:26:39.03\00:26:41.16
the son of Aaron
the chief priest."
00:26:41.20\00:26:44.67
So 17
generations back from Ezra,
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.70
it takes us all
the way back to Aaron.
00:26:47.74\00:26:50.77
Ezra was a Levitical priest.
00:26:50.81\00:26:53.68
There were several
well-known of course,
00:26:53.74\00:26:55.54
Aaron, Eli, Ezra, Zachariah,
00:26:55.58\00:26:58.91
those are the ones
that come to mind initially,
00:26:58.95\00:27:01.05
who would be
well-known Levitical priests.
00:27:01.08\00:27:03.62
So we won't get into
Pastor Kenny's portion,
00:27:03.65\00:27:06.72
which is the next portion
with the letter that he gave,
00:27:06.79\00:27:11.73
the letter of
Artaxerxes was given to Ezra.
00:27:11.76\00:27:14.20
I just want to
look at the last verse
00:27:14.23\00:27:15.66
and then we'll
jump into Chapter 8.
00:27:15.70\00:27:17.30
So the last verse of
Chapter 7 is verse 28.
00:27:17.37\00:27:21.74
"So I was encouraged,"
Ezra was encouraged,
00:27:21.77\00:27:24.94
"as the hand of the
Lord my God was upon me,
00:27:24.97\00:27:28.11
and I gathered leading men
of Israel to go up with me."
00:27:28.14\00:27:32.71
So who went with Ezra?
00:27:32.75\00:27:35.75
If we look at 8:1-14,
00:27:35.78\00:27:40.06
you see there are 12
heads of families mentioned.
00:27:40.09\00:27:44.86
I like to think of this
as it were the second Exodus.
00:27:44.89\00:27:47.60
Remember when Moses
00:27:47.66\00:27:48.96
brought the children
of Israel out of Egypt,
00:27:49.00\00:27:51.63
into the land of promise.
00:27:51.67\00:27:53.44
There were 12 tribes of Israel,
00:27:53.50\00:27:55.67
and here we see 12
heads of families represented
00:27:55.70\00:28:00.91
in this exodus as
it were coming out
00:28:00.94\00:28:04.08
of the land of Babylon,
00:28:04.11\00:28:05.45
going back to
Judah and to Jerusalem.
00:28:05.48\00:28:09.22
They were some
priestly returnees,
00:28:09.25\00:28:11.22
you see that in verse 2.
00:28:11.25\00:28:13.05
It says, "Of the
sons of Phinehas,
00:28:13.09\00:28:14.99
Gershom, of the
sons of Ithamar, Daniel."
00:28:15.02\00:28:19.06
Now Phinehas was
Aaron's grandson,
00:28:19.09\00:28:21.36
so here is another priest.
00:28:21.40\00:28:23.47
And Ithamar was
the son of Aaron,
00:28:23.50\00:28:26.13
so this is some of
Aaron's descendants,
00:28:26.17\00:28:29.84
they were priests in the line,
00:28:29.87\00:28:31.44
who had chosen
to return with Ezra.
00:28:31.47\00:28:34.31
There was also loyalty,
00:28:34.34\00:28:35.98
it says, "Of the
sons of David..."
00:28:36.01\00:28:38.51
I'm' sorry. What verse?
00:28:38.55\00:28:39.88
I'm sorry, I'm in
verse 2, Ezra 8:2,
00:28:39.91\00:28:41.98
the second half of verse 2,
00:28:42.02\00:28:43.62
"Of the sons of David, Hattush."
00:28:43.69\00:28:46.22
And then there were,
you could say lay people,
00:28:46.25\00:28:48.72
regular people who went.
00:28:48.76\00:28:50.43
Now we won't read the
list of all the names.
00:28:50.46\00:28:52.66
But it says with so and so
00:28:52.69\00:28:54.20
who is the head
of the household,
00:28:54.20\00:28:55.53
there was 218 males
00:28:55.56\00:28:57.87
or with this person
there was 60 or 110.
00:28:57.90\00:29:02.10
So it lists the people.
00:29:02.14\00:29:03.47
If you count them all,
there's just about 1500 men.
00:29:03.54\00:29:07.54
Then we get to the
point where Ezra looks
00:29:07.61\00:29:10.38
and says,
"Where is the Levites."
00:29:10.41\00:29:12.95
And so then they made a
special call for the Levites
00:29:12.98\00:29:15.82
and the temple servants
which I know we'll study later.
00:29:15.85\00:29:19.42
And they all
come together as well.
00:29:19.45\00:29:22.89
So we're looking
may be 1700 people
00:29:22.92\00:29:24.86
with women and children.
00:29:24.89\00:29:26.26
There's probably 5,000 to
6,000 people they predict,
00:29:26.29\00:29:29.03
that returned with Ezra.
00:29:29.06\00:29:31.33
Now Shelley already
referenced it's 900 miles.
00:29:31.37\00:29:34.54
It's a four month journey.
00:29:34.57\00:29:37.11
It took them four months
crossing a hostile desert
00:29:37.14\00:29:41.64
with no added protection.
00:29:41.68\00:29:44.68
Remember Ezra
went before the Lord
00:29:44.71\00:29:47.12
and prayed and fasted and said,
00:29:47.15\00:29:50.22
"God, would You
protect us on this journey,
00:29:50.29\00:29:52.75
on this trip?"
00:29:52.79\00:29:54.29
So we're going to
get to five qualities,
00:29:54.32\00:29:56.83
Pastor John, of leadership
as demonstrated by Ezra.
00:29:56.86\00:30:00.53
Before we do that,
00:30:00.60\00:30:01.90
I just wanna look at
his personal preparation.
00:30:01.93\00:30:04.23
He was obviously called of God
00:30:04.27\00:30:05.83
to leave the people
back in his second return.
00:30:05.87\00:30:08.94
We know already we
talked about his quick mind,
00:30:08.97\00:30:11.74
his intelligence, his training,
00:30:11.77\00:30:14.44
as a scribe he
obviously had training.
00:30:14.48\00:30:17.11
Ezra 7:6, "He was
called a skilled scribe
00:30:17.15\00:30:20.08
in the law of Moses."
00:30:20.12\00:30:21.45
He obviously knew God's
Word, he spent time in prayer.
00:30:21.48\00:30:26.55
Ezra 8:23,
00:30:26.59\00:30:28.09
"So we fasted and
entreated our God for this
00:30:28.12\00:30:31.06
and He answered our prayer."
00:30:31.09\00:30:32.89
He prayed for help.
00:30:32.93\00:30:34.63
He prayed for
forgiveness of sins.
00:30:34.66\00:30:38.37
Another chapter over.
00:30:38.40\00:30:39.73
Ezra 9, "He says my
God, I'm too ashamed."
00:30:39.77\00:30:43.34
This is Ezra 9:6,
00:30:43.37\00:30:44.91
"And humiliated to
lift up my face to you,
00:30:44.94\00:30:47.71
O God, for our iniquities.
00:30:47.74\00:30:50.48
Have risen higher than our heads
00:30:50.51\00:30:51.98
and our guilt has
grown to the heavens."
00:30:52.01\00:30:53.78
So he spent time
in prayer for help,
00:30:53.85\00:30:55.78
for forgiveness of
sins and for direction.
00:30:55.82\00:30:59.05
Ezra 8:21, "He proclaimed
to fast there by the river
00:30:59.09\00:31:02.92
and they humbled
themselves before God asking God
00:31:02.96\00:31:06.73
to give them a clear
way, through the wilderness,
00:31:06.80\00:31:09.90
through the desert."
00:31:09.93\00:31:11.87
So let's look at those
five leadership qualities
00:31:11.90\00:31:14.34
in the little
time I have remaining.
00:31:14.37\00:31:16.77
First, Ezra set the example
in attitude and humility.
00:31:16.81\00:31:22.48
As true leaders lead by example.
00:31:22.51\00:31:26.41
Ezra 8:21-23,
00:31:26.45\00:31:28.45
talked about the fast
at the river of Ahava,
00:31:28.48\00:31:31.19
that they would humble
their hearts before God
00:31:31.22\00:31:33.82
and seek Him the
right way for them
00:31:33.86\00:31:36.32
and the little ones
and all their possessions,
00:31:36.36\00:31:38.53
and then at very end he says,
00:31:38.56\00:31:40.16
"So we fasted and
entreated our God for this
00:31:40.20\00:31:42.93
and He answered our prayer."
00:31:42.96\00:31:45.80
Ezra didn't just say,
"Now you all need to pray
00:31:45.83\00:31:47.97
and you all need to do this."
00:31:48.00\00:31:49.34
He led by example
00:31:49.37\00:31:51.47
and he himself got
involved in the prayer,
00:31:51.51\00:31:54.48
in the fasting.
00:31:54.51\00:31:56.34
True leaders lead by example.
00:31:56.38\00:31:57.88
Number two, Ezra
assigned responsibility.
00:31:57.91\00:32:01.65
True leaders learn to delegate.
00:32:01.68\00:32:05.09
Ezra 8, we won't
read it, but verses 24-30,
00:32:05.12\00:32:09.16
there was tons
of gold and silver
00:32:09.19\00:32:12.69
that they were bringing back
00:32:12.73\00:32:14.30
from Babylon, back to Jerusalem.
00:32:14.30\00:32:17.13
In today's currency it would
be worth millions of dollars
00:32:17.17\00:32:20.00
and Ezra has had a portion,
00:32:20.04\00:32:22.24
a certain portion
of gold and silver
00:32:22.27\00:32:24.11
to each family to each group.
00:32:24.17\00:32:26.54
And it was weighed and measured
00:32:26.57\00:32:28.48
and then it was supposed
to be weighed and measured
00:32:28.51\00:32:30.21
when they got back to Jerusalem.
00:32:30.25\00:32:32.15
So true leaders
learn to delegate.
00:32:32.18\00:32:34.65
Number three, Ezra
provided motivation.
00:32:34.68\00:32:38.85
Ezra 8:28 and I said to
them, "You are holy to the Lord,
00:32:38.89\00:32:43.06
the articles are holy also
and the silver and the gold
00:32:43.09\00:32:45.83
are a freewill offering
00:32:45.86\00:32:47.83
to the Lord God
of your fathers."
00:32:47.86\00:32:49.30
He reminded them who
they were and why they did,
00:32:49.33\00:32:54.20
what they did.
00:32:54.24\00:32:56.74
True leaders provide motivation.
00:32:56.77\00:32:59.57
Number four,
Ezra maintained unity.
00:32:59.61\00:33:03.55
Ezra 8:31," We
departed from the river of Ahava
00:33:03.58\00:33:06.58
on the twelfth
day of the first month
00:33:06.61\00:33:08.28
to go to Jerusalem,
00:33:08.32\00:33:09.65
and the hand of
our God was upon us,
00:33:09.68\00:33:12.05
and He delivered us
from the hand of the enemy
00:33:12.09\00:33:14.79
and from ambush along the
road and we came to Jerusalem."
00:33:14.82\00:33:18.93
True leaders unite
and mobilize for mission.
00:33:18.96\00:33:22.53
And finally, number five,
Ezra accepted responsibility.
00:33:22.56\00:33:27.70
True leaders identify
with the people that they lead.
00:33:27.74\00:33:31.61
You'll see this over
and over, Ezra 9, Ezra 10,
00:33:31.64\00:33:34.48
when he's praying before God,
00:33:34.51\00:33:37.21
he identifies with
the sins of the people,
00:33:37.25\00:33:39.91
he comes alongside the people.
00:33:39.98\00:33:42.35
So true leaders lead by example,
00:33:42.38\00:33:45.72
they learn to delegate,
00:33:45.75\00:33:47.22
they remind the
team of who they are
00:33:47.26\00:33:49.29
and why they do, what they do.
00:33:49.32\00:33:51.53
They unite and
mobilize for mission
00:33:51.56\00:33:54.56
and identify with the
people that they lead.
00:33:54.56\00:33:57.63
Amen.
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.00
Praise the Lord.
Lot covered there.
00:33:59.03\00:34:00.74
Yeah. I like those points.
00:34:00.77\00:34:02.17
Praise God for that.
00:34:02.20\00:34:04.41
I was excited
about Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:34:04.44\00:34:07.31
because they're men
that we can all look to,
00:34:07.38\00:34:10.75
we can learn from,
00:34:10.78\00:34:12.11
see how God used them
and how God can also use us.
00:34:12.15\00:34:15.65
I'm gonna be
looking at Artaxerxes decree
00:34:15.68\00:34:18.95
and, you know, we have
to look at these things
00:34:18.99\00:34:22.46
in terms of people sat
down, people began to talk,
00:34:22.49\00:34:25.26
but then at the bottom
line there's gonna be things
00:34:25.29\00:34:28.23
that they gonna
have to write it down.
00:34:28.26\00:34:30.43
You know, the
kings gonna have to know
00:34:30.47\00:34:31.83
what's going on with his people,
00:34:31.87\00:34:33.30
with those in captivity.
00:34:33.34\00:34:34.84
And so, just we
look at the decree here,
00:34:34.87\00:34:37.37
I say first of all is,
what would be the decree?
00:34:37.41\00:34:39.87
What would it be?
00:34:39.91\00:34:41.24
And right here it's an
official order, isn't it?
00:34:41.28\00:34:44.21
And the decree
is an official order
00:34:44.25\00:34:46.35
or it's this
decision of the government,
00:34:46.38\00:34:49.72
anything settled or unchanged.
00:34:49.75\00:34:52.19
So we wanted to be,
to be all lined out.
00:34:52.22\00:34:55.12
Everyone have a function,
everyone have a job to do,
00:34:55.16\00:34:58.26
this is what I'm going to
do, this is what you need to do.
00:34:58.29\00:35:01.63
And the decree was there,
00:35:01.66\00:35:03.00
and put forward
to order to decide
00:35:03.03\00:35:05.73
and to certainly to appoint.
00:35:05.77\00:35:07.70
We're gonna be
dealing with Ezra,
00:35:07.74\00:35:09.24
you have your
Bible, Ezra Chapter 7,
00:35:09.27\00:35:10.84
we won't read
all the verses 11-28.
00:35:10.91\00:35:13.21
I know in future
lesson, we're gonna be looking,
00:35:13.24\00:35:15.14
when you're looking
at the 2300 day prophecy
00:35:15.18\00:35:18.05
and the thing, and you
try to cover in 10 minutes,
00:35:18.08\00:35:20.25
it being impossibility.
00:35:20.32\00:35:21.65
So everybody needs to praise.
00:35:21.68\00:35:23.02
We look at these things
00:35:23.05\00:35:24.39
as each one's
throwing things in,
00:35:24.42\00:35:25.75
we pray that
you're paying attention,
00:35:25.79\00:35:27.12
writing them down
00:35:27.16\00:35:28.49
because there's
so much information,
00:35:28.52\00:35:29.86
sometimes we
thinking not much information.
00:35:29.89\00:35:31.33
When you really begin to look,
00:35:31.36\00:35:32.69
there' a lot of,
lot of information here.
00:35:32.73\00:35:34.50
The decree, it
actually was made here,
00:35:34.56\00:35:37.77
the components and
ingredients consisted
00:35:37.80\00:35:40.80
are the very
most important things
00:35:40.84\00:35:43.14
especially the instruction
pertaining to Israel.
00:35:43.17\00:35:47.44
You mentioned,
someone mentioned that Ezra
00:35:47.48\00:35:49.41
was a descendent of
Aaron, we know that.
00:35:49.44\00:35:52.01
A priest, a scholar,
00:35:52.05\00:35:54.38
I like to say a
smart brain, quick-wit.
00:35:54.42\00:35:58.42
And I think you
have to be in ministry
00:35:58.45\00:36:00.49
and in work for cause of Christ.
00:36:00.52\00:36:01.92
I believe that there's times
00:36:01.96\00:36:03.29
you have to make
quick snap decisions,
00:36:03.32\00:36:05.43
and you're
praying that you've been,
00:36:05.46\00:36:07.03
as I said prayed up
and you got the Holy Spirit
00:36:07.03\00:36:08.96
leading and guiding
you make those decisions.
00:36:09.00\00:36:10.97
Because sometimes if
you do not that opportunity
00:36:11.00\00:36:13.03
will be lost and you
can never go back to there.
00:36:13.07\00:36:15.74
So God would gave
us that what we need.
00:36:15.77\00:36:17.77
Ezra as we find in
here is a man of God.
00:36:17.81\00:36:20.78
We're just beginning this lesson
00:36:20.81\00:36:22.14
so it's gonna go on
and on how these men
00:36:22.18\00:36:23.85
really love Jesus
with all their heart.
00:36:23.88\00:36:26.65
And as they love Jesus,
they elevated the law of God
00:36:26.72\00:36:30.19
and they elevated
about being obedient.
00:36:30.22\00:36:32.79
They won't worry too much
about what the human code was.
00:36:32.82\00:36:36.56
What man was going to do,
00:36:36.59\00:36:37.93
but what God
had asked them to do
00:36:37.96\00:36:39.66
or may be challenged them to do
00:36:39.69\00:36:41.36
because they
could make a decision
00:36:41.40\00:36:43.33
were they wanted to
go through this or not.
00:36:43.37\00:36:45.70
But you know, it's wonderful
to know that God is leading,
00:36:45.73\00:36:48.24
guiding and directing
00:36:48.27\00:36:49.60
and this is not just in
Ezra and Nehemiah's time.
00:36:49.64\00:36:51.81
I wanna us to look at
the opportunity we have here,
00:36:51.84\00:36:54.81
these are things
that's going on today
00:36:54.84\00:36:56.64
in the cause of Christ
00:36:56.71\00:36:58.31
and it's looking at those of you
00:36:58.35\00:36:59.68
who are leading
out, those of you
00:36:59.71\00:37:01.12
who are in ministries and so on,
00:37:01.15\00:37:02.48
pastoring church.
00:37:02.52\00:37:03.85
These are things that
you're faced with everyday
00:37:03.92\00:37:05.29
that will help us
if we just look at
00:37:05.32\00:37:07.52
and listen to these things
and go through this lesson.
00:37:07.59\00:37:09.79
You know, Ezra made a
good impression on the king,
00:37:09.82\00:37:12.29
we do know that.
00:37:12.33\00:37:13.66
And I think it's
so valuable to us
00:37:13.73\00:37:15.20
that we make a good impression
00:37:15.23\00:37:17.17
as we can on
those round about us.
00:37:17.20\00:37:20.34
Because again you
talked about unity
00:37:20.37\00:37:22.07
and working together
00:37:22.10\00:37:23.44
it's very, very
important that we do that.
00:37:23.51\00:37:25.24
And bottom line, he was
given of whatever was needed,
00:37:25.27\00:37:28.94
I like this in that decree.
00:37:28.98\00:37:30.38
Whatever was needed to restore
00:37:30.45\00:37:32.18
and to built the
city to beautify it,
00:37:32.21\00:37:34.62
to bring it back
as the house of God,
00:37:34.65\00:37:37.22
because people were little upset
00:37:37.29\00:37:39.59
because the house of God
00:37:39.62\00:37:40.96
had been deteriorated
then you know, broken down,
00:37:40.99\00:37:44.49
battered, and bruised
and need to be restored.
00:37:44.53\00:37:48.10
And that's Ezra
7:27, also there in 27,
00:37:48.13\00:37:52.10
Ezra also was quick to give,
00:37:52.13\00:37:54.10
I like this part
regards to how well
00:37:54.14\00:37:56.97
or how ministries
are going and helping.
00:37:57.01\00:37:59.57
Never ever, just, you know,
never just take it for granted,
00:37:59.61\00:38:03.88
stop and give God the praise.
00:38:03.91\00:38:06.01
Amen.
00:38:06.05\00:38:07.38
Always give God the
praise, quit elevating,
00:38:07.45\00:38:08.78
you know, I'd say
quit elevating man.
00:38:08.82\00:38:10.25
What is man?
00:38:10.32\00:38:11.65
He's clay, he's nothing.
00:38:11.69\00:38:13.02
We all have sinned
and come short, he's dirt.
00:38:13.05\00:38:14.76
God use us,
00:38:14.79\00:38:16.22
and so God's the one
that need to be elevated
00:38:16.26\00:38:18.03
and these men of
God we find in here.
00:38:18.06\00:38:21.16
When they were doing
what they should be doing,
00:38:21.20\00:38:23.03
they were elevating God,
it says there in verse 27,
00:38:23.06\00:38:26.03
"He blessed the
God of our fathers,
00:38:26.07\00:38:28.04
who has put such a
thing in the king's heart."
00:38:28.07\00:38:30.41
Amen.
00:38:30.44\00:38:31.77
So knowing that the
Holy Spirit was intervening
00:38:31.81\00:38:34.18
and as they were praying
about it, touching the king.
00:38:34.21\00:38:37.35
Because we realize
here that the king here
00:38:37.38\00:38:38.91
was not converted at this time.
00:38:38.95\00:38:41.35
You could not really
call him a Christian,
00:38:41.38\00:38:43.59
he was trying to
appease another God.
00:38:43.62\00:38:47.06
That's right. See.
00:38:47.09\00:38:48.42
And so, and again they
appease God by giving what?
00:38:48.46\00:38:50.86
Gifts and things to them
00:38:50.93\00:38:52.29
and trying to
make everybody happy.
00:38:52.33\00:38:54.73
So the king made
it easy for Israel
00:38:54.73\00:38:56.73
to restore their homeland.
00:38:56.77\00:38:59.57
So it had to be God in charge.
00:38:59.60\00:39:01.54
Amen.
00:39:01.57\00:39:02.90
Because you mentioned there,
it's gonna get more and more
00:39:02.94\00:39:04.41
as we're going in here in
depth of how much opposition
00:39:04.44\00:39:07.61
and how the opposition came,
00:39:07.64\00:39:09.54
and always in
the cause of Christ
00:39:09.58\00:39:11.15
when you move forward.
00:39:11.18\00:39:12.51
Because the enemy is when you,
God tells you to push forward,
00:39:12.55\00:39:14.72
the enemy will fight you tooth
00:39:14.75\00:39:16.12
and nail every
inch of the ground.
00:39:16.15\00:39:18.85
So you're talking about,
00:39:18.89\00:39:20.22
here we need to be
persuaded by the grace of God.
00:39:20.29\00:39:22.46
Know that God has
called us to do a certain work
00:39:22.49\00:39:24.86
and then depend upon God
to fight our battles for us.
00:39:24.89\00:39:27.96
And I found out, I
just need to show up
00:39:27.96\00:39:30.77
and then God can
certainly do the rest.
00:39:30.80\00:39:33.74
So we're to find the king here
00:39:33.77\00:39:35.37
as Miss Shelley said doing what.
00:39:35.40\00:39:36.74
I wanna give them everything
that they need to go ahead
00:39:36.81\00:39:38.61
to rebuilt their homeland.
00:39:38.64\00:39:40.31
And so he set the
people free, I love this,
00:39:40.38\00:39:43.21
every person that
could make the journey
00:39:43.24\00:39:46.92
was given the freedom to do it,
00:39:46.95\00:39:48.65
if they wanted
to make the journey.
00:39:48.68\00:39:50.29
And you think how
many would not want to,
00:39:50.32\00:39:52.52
it seems like, but
they had a pretty nice
00:39:52.55\00:39:55.26
where they were at too
00:39:55.29\00:39:56.62
and to start all
over and lot of things,
00:39:56.66\00:39:57.99
I'm sure went
through their mind.
00:39:58.03\00:39:59.53
But, king said go ahead,
00:39:59.56\00:40:01.10
everyone you
take, make the trip.
00:40:01.13\00:40:03.53
And they began to make the trip
00:40:03.57\00:40:05.03
and I think it was March
of 457 like you mentioned trip
00:40:05.07\00:40:09.07
would last about
4 months and so on.
00:40:09.10\00:40:11.91
I mean that's quite a...
00:40:11.94\00:40:13.27
We think about that today,
00:40:13.34\00:40:14.68
when we think about
driving two-three hours,
00:40:14.71\00:40:16.28
we say, "It's just too far."
00:40:16.31\00:40:17.75
But think about on foot
to travel for in this mess
00:40:17.78\00:40:20.12
that they were in
for over four months.
00:40:20.18\00:40:21.85
And they arrive sometime,
00:40:21.88\00:40:23.45
I think they talk
about in July 457.
00:40:23.49\00:40:26.62
Those are big
dates and we'll look
00:40:26.65\00:40:28.36
at that more and more
as we get into our study.
00:40:28.39\00:40:30.89
They would describe
Ezra's scribe of the laws
00:40:30.93\00:40:32.86
being mentioned here,
the God of the heaven.
00:40:32.89\00:40:34.76
Probably, I'm
looking at my study
00:40:34.83\00:40:37.43
that Ezra was probably
00:40:37.50\00:40:38.83
the most influential
Jew of his time there.
00:40:38.87\00:40:42.07
Ezra 7:12, you can
look at that in Babylon
00:40:42.10\00:40:45.67
and his decree,
00:40:45.71\00:40:47.04
it is interesting to
know Ezra is called a priest.
00:40:47.11\00:40:50.38
And so that just
kinda something going on,
00:40:50.41\00:40:52.11
they had the
pagan priest, all right.
00:40:52.15\00:40:53.98
Then they had
also the God's priest,
00:40:54.05\00:40:56.85
but they used different words
in Aramaic and in the Hebrew.
00:40:56.92\00:41:01.19
One that would signify God's men
00:41:01.22\00:41:03.83
and the other word
signify a pagan priest.
00:41:03.86\00:41:06.29
I thought it's very interesting,
00:41:06.33\00:41:07.66
it boiled down to
it seems that the one
00:41:07.66\00:41:10.43
who was making out this
decree was writing it up.
00:41:10.47\00:41:12.87
You know, you find
very few and let us be true
00:41:12.90\00:41:14.87
that may be the king
wrote out the decree himself.
00:41:14.90\00:41:18.24
He always has his
counsels, he had his helpers,
00:41:18.27\00:41:20.24
he had the people would do
it for him and he would sign it.
00:41:20.28\00:41:23.11
It seems though that
may be there was a Jew
00:41:23.14\00:41:25.71
that was in high
position in the king service,
00:41:25.75\00:41:29.42
that wrote out this decree
00:41:29.45\00:41:31.72
with all the good things in mind
00:41:31.75\00:41:33.19
that needed to have
00:41:33.22\00:41:34.56
and so in there
because of the wording
00:41:34.59\00:41:36.06
and the way that he
pronounced his words.
00:41:36.09\00:41:38.09
It was kinda just
an interesting thought,
00:41:38.13\00:41:39.96
you know, that
true priest of God.
00:41:40.00\00:41:41.83
The king commissioned
Ezra to notice this to ensure
00:41:41.86\00:41:44.93
proper
observance of the law of God
00:41:44.97\00:41:47.20
as well as the law of the land.
00:41:47.27\00:41:49.40
That was, I thought was awesome,
00:41:49.44\00:41:51.47
when the king says here...
00:41:51.51\00:41:52.84
But yeah, there could
be some issues there too.
00:41:52.87\00:41:55.54
Because he said you
must observe the laws.
00:41:55.58\00:41:58.81
Listen everybody,
nowadays we're living
00:41:58.85\00:42:00.62
in the laws of the
land, things as going on.
00:42:00.65\00:42:03.12
But also you're going to
have to observe the law...
00:42:03.15\00:42:06.12
I wanna you to
observe the law of your God.
00:42:06.15\00:42:08.89
So in order to do that,
00:42:08.92\00:42:10.26
is it possible
there could be conflict.
00:42:10.33\00:42:13.33
Could there be?
00:42:13.40\00:42:14.73
We know there will be,
there always has been conflict,
00:42:14.73\00:42:17.03
you know, there comes
a time and then we have
00:42:17.07\00:42:18.80
to certainly
choose God, don't we?
00:42:18.83\00:42:20.40
When you're making
a decision right now.
00:42:20.44\00:42:22.57
So if the king said
set up a judicial system
00:42:22.60\00:42:25.61
and they set it up.
00:42:25.64\00:42:26.98
Decree gave Ezra
the right to use money
00:42:27.04\00:42:29.08
that you talked about here.
00:42:29.11\00:42:30.45
I think of one
time it's like, wow,
00:42:30.51\00:42:32.35
was it three tons of silver?
00:42:32.38\00:42:34.18
There's a lot.
00:42:34.22\00:42:35.55
There's a lot of it
there, you know, 600 barrels,
00:42:35.58\00:42:37.55
you know, of corn and
so on and wine and oil.
00:42:37.59\00:42:41.12
Gave him everything
that they needed to go
00:42:41.16\00:42:43.53
to do the job that
was the repair work
00:42:43.59\00:42:46.26
and the temple
rebuilt and built the wall,
00:42:46.29\00:42:48.53
I thought was very, very good.
00:42:48.56\00:42:50.53
He gave them religious freedom.
00:42:50.60\00:42:52.30
So in the 457 we'll
look at that I'm sure
00:42:52.33\00:42:54.77
later on the two
main points is there
00:42:54.80\00:42:57.04
in Daniel 9:24-25-26-27,
00:42:57.07\00:43:00.28
as you read all
those down till there
00:43:00.31\00:43:02.14
that we need to realize
00:43:02.18\00:43:03.55
is to restore and
to build Jerusalem.
00:43:03.58\00:43:06.48
This is very important
where I see a lot of people
00:43:06.51\00:43:08.52
seem like get a little confused,
00:43:08.55\00:43:10.89
you know, in
their theology today
00:43:10.92\00:43:12.82
because they want to take
out that one week in the middle,
00:43:12.85\00:43:15.62
you know, and put it at
the end of the prophecy.
00:43:15.66\00:43:17.86
And certainly we do
not want to do that.
00:43:17.89\00:43:20.13
You know, history reveals
that from the time that decree
00:43:20.20\00:43:23.00
in 457 BC, I thought
this was interesting.
00:43:23.03\00:43:26.84
When that decree was finally,
00:43:26.90\00:43:28.37
everybody began
to work together.
00:43:28.40\00:43:29.80
See, there were
problems and issue.
00:43:29.84\00:43:31.17
That's why I said
there's gonna be some problems
00:43:31.21\00:43:32.64
when you're
building the wall and so on,
00:43:32.67\00:43:34.18
because we realized
that there was problems
00:43:34.24\00:43:35.98
there with Egypt
and the Persians.
00:43:36.01\00:43:38.75
But after they
signed this decree
00:43:38.78\00:43:41.38
to let God's people have
00:43:41.42\00:43:42.75
what they needed to
restore and to rebuild,
00:43:42.78\00:43:45.89
there was a time of peace.
00:43:45.92\00:43:48.19
It was kind of
settled and time of peace,
00:43:48.22\00:43:49.99
where God's people could
do what they needed to do.
00:43:50.03\00:43:53.36
Because God set that piece up
00:43:53.40\00:43:55.10
because they
needed that, you see.
00:43:55.13\00:43:56.80
That's true.
Yeah, they needed that.
00:43:56.83\00:43:58.23
So and Artaxerxes,
at least we realize,
00:43:58.27\00:44:01.10
I believe that God used him.
00:44:01.14\00:44:02.84
God used
Artaxerxes in a marvelous way.
00:44:02.87\00:44:05.07
God can use you, He can use me,
00:44:05.11\00:44:06.81
He can use
anybody He wants to use
00:44:06.88\00:44:08.51
for His honor and for His glory.
00:44:08.54\00:44:10.18
And He will do it and
He will bring it to pass.
00:44:10.25\00:44:13.05
Amen and amen.
00:44:13.08\00:44:14.42
Thank you, Pastor Kenny.
00:44:14.45\00:44:15.78
Well, I have got Thursday,
00:44:15.82\00:44:17.42
and Thursday looks at
the importance of education.
00:44:17.49\00:44:20.96
Now, do we all agree
that education is important?
00:44:20.99\00:44:25.13
I can just speak for myself.
00:44:25.16\00:44:27.00
I wish that my mind
was like a computer.
00:44:27.03\00:44:30.67
Don't you all?
00:44:30.73\00:44:32.07
I have educated
myself in so many things
00:44:32.10\00:44:34.40
that are so totally unimportant.
00:44:34.44\00:44:37.47
If I could just go in
and delete the bad stuff,
00:44:37.51\00:44:40.38
wouldn't that just be amazing?
00:44:40.44\00:44:44.11
But I wish I had been
like Ezra, when I was young.
00:44:44.15\00:44:50.15
I've got us in Ezra
and we're in Chapter 7.
00:44:50.19\00:44:54.12
And I'm going to
repeat a verse of scripture
00:44:54.16\00:44:57.29
that we've
already read a few times.
00:44:57.33\00:44:59.76
Ezra 7:6, " This
Ezra came up from Babylon,
00:44:59.79\00:45:05.10
and he was a skilled
scribe in the Law of Moses."
00:45:05.13\00:45:08.97
Now let me ask you,
00:45:09.00\00:45:10.34
how did he become a skilled
scribe in the Law of Moses?
00:45:10.41\00:45:14.48
Did it just drop on him?
00:45:14.51\00:45:16.11
No.
00:45:16.14\00:45:17.48
Honey, he had studied.
00:45:17.55\00:45:18.88
Studying is called
educating yourself.
00:45:18.91\00:45:22.48
He had educated
himself in the Law of Moses,
00:45:22.52\00:45:25.72
which the Lord God
of Israel had given.
00:45:25.75\00:45:29.06
The king granted
him all his request,
00:45:29.09\00:45:32.26
according the hand
of the Lord upon him.
00:45:32.29\00:45:35.13
Now, Ezra 7:10,
"For Ezra had..."
00:45:35.16\00:45:39.93
And here are the things,
oh, that I wished I had done
00:45:40.00\00:45:44.21
when I was young.
00:45:44.27\00:45:45.61
"Prepared his heart to
seek the Law of the Lord."
00:45:45.64\00:45:50.65
Now, let me make this relevant.
00:45:50.71\00:45:53.28
I think all of our lessons
need to be relevant to us
00:45:53.31\00:45:56.32
right here today.
00:45:56.35\00:45:57.69
What can we
take from this, Jill?
00:45:57.72\00:45:59.19
That's something Jill,
what can we take out of this?
00:45:59.22\00:46:01.86
So I am going to
liken Pastor Lomacang
00:46:01.89\00:46:04.39
to Ezra here for just a moment.
00:46:04.43\00:46:06.49
So Pastor Lomacang
has prepared his heart
00:46:06.53\00:46:10.77
to study the Word of God.
00:46:10.80\00:46:12.37
Pastor Lomacang, have
you prepared your heart
00:46:12.40\00:46:14.40
to study the Word of God?
00:46:14.44\00:46:15.77
By God's grace.
00:46:15.80\00:46:18.57
And not just to study it,
00:46:18.61\00:46:21.41
but to do it,
not just to study it,
00:46:21.44\00:46:24.35
and to do it, but
to go one step further,
00:46:24.38\00:46:27.35
to teach
statutes and ordinances.
00:46:27.42\00:46:30.59
And this was Ezra, it
says to the nation of Israel,
00:46:30.62\00:46:34.32
to all the children of
Israel, so he made a decision
00:46:34.36\00:46:38.69
just as at some point,
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.80
each one of us
make the decision.
00:46:40.83\00:46:42.60
I'm using Pastor
Lomacang as an example
00:46:42.63\00:46:45.47
because we've all seen him
00:46:45.50\00:46:47.40
stand before the people on 3ABN
and pour out the Word of God,
00:46:47.44\00:46:51.97
sitting here on
this Sabbath School panel
00:46:52.01\00:46:54.78
and let that Word of God
00:46:54.81\00:46:56.38
that he has educated himself on,
00:46:56.41\00:47:00.08
as has each one
of you done if that,
00:47:00.15\00:47:03.35
that word would
come forward, okay.
00:47:03.42\00:47:05.75
Ezra had wholehearted,
what kind of hearted?
00:47:05.79\00:47:10.56
Wholehearted devotion
and his decision to practice
00:47:10.59\00:47:15.56
and teach the Word of God
prepared him for something,
00:47:15.60\00:47:19.20
prepared him for
greater ministry,
00:47:19.23\00:47:22.90
Ezra made a decision, by
an act of Ezra's own will,
00:47:22.94\00:47:29.41
by act of Pastor Lomacang's
own will, he made a choice.
00:47:29.44\00:47:33.11
By an act of Shelley's own will,
00:47:33.15\00:47:35.58
she has made a
choice to give herself
00:47:35.62\00:47:38.75
to the study of the Word of God.
00:47:38.79\00:47:41.19
As rabbi an act of on
his own will made a choice.
00:47:41.22\00:47:44.73
That's a decision.
00:47:44.76\00:47:47.00
We're all every one of
us sitting on this panel
00:47:47.03\00:47:50.13
and every one of
you that are listening.
00:47:50.17\00:47:52.90
They are right now
00:47:52.93\00:47:55.40
in the
condition or the situation
00:47:55.44\00:47:58.51
we're in as a result
of decisions and choices
00:47:58.54\00:48:03.51
we've made in our past.
00:48:03.58\00:48:06.78
By an act of our
will we made decisions,
00:48:06.85\00:48:09.58
and they are what
has designed our future.
00:48:09.62\00:48:13.42
The Bible literally
states that Ezra devoted him,
00:48:13.49\00:48:18.29
devoted himself
to studying and doing
00:48:18.33\00:48:22.40
and teaching the law of God,
00:48:22.43\00:48:24.60
that is the Word of God.
00:48:24.63\00:48:27.77
If you aren't happy,
00:48:27.80\00:48:29.27
let me just speak
to you for a moment.
00:48:29.30\00:48:31.24
If you aren't
happy with yourself,
00:48:31.27\00:48:34.01
make a decision to change.
00:48:34.08\00:48:38.01
Choose a better way.
00:48:38.05\00:48:41.15
And as an act of your
will, you make a choice.
00:48:41.18\00:48:46.86
And so we...
00:48:46.89\00:48:48.32
How many of you
have ever had made up
00:48:48.36\00:48:51.59
by an act of your
will you have chosen
00:48:51.63\00:48:54.20
to make a better
choice, you're gonna do it.
00:48:54.20\00:48:57.47
As soon as you get
home, you're gonna do it.
00:48:57.53\00:49:00.30
As soon as it's summer,
00:49:00.37\00:49:04.04
you're gonna do it as
so you make the choice,
00:49:04.07\00:49:07.01
but you put it off.
00:49:07.04\00:49:08.68
And I want you to
just tell you this.
00:49:08.71\00:49:11.15
Change doesn't change
00:49:11.18\00:49:12.75
just because you
decide to change.
00:49:12.78\00:49:15.28
Change doesn't
change until you change.
00:49:15.32\00:49:18.59
And if you don't
step change directions,
00:49:18.62\00:49:21.02
you're going to wind
up where you're headed.
00:49:21.06\00:49:23.36
Now, I know I've
said this before.
00:49:23.39\00:49:26.43
But if you want
to make a change,
00:49:26.46\00:49:29.70
you have to take
that a step further
00:49:29.73\00:49:31.43
and actually make the change.
00:49:31.47\00:49:33.34
Okay.
00:49:33.37\00:49:34.70
What was Ezra doing
00:49:37.67\00:49:39.67
when he was studying,
and doing, and teaching.
00:49:39.71\00:49:43.65
What was Ezra doing?
00:49:43.68\00:49:45.45
He was educating himself.
00:49:45.48\00:49:48.15
Ezra made a decision
to be educated or to be
00:49:48.18\00:49:52.95
in the Word of
God to educate himself
00:49:52.99\00:49:55.32
in the word of God.
00:49:55.36\00:49:56.73
Now, I want to talk
about ignorance for a moment.
00:49:56.76\00:50:00.50
Ignorance, okay, there,
00:50:00.53\00:50:02.50
you know, there is nothing wrong
00:50:02.53\00:50:04.03
with being ignorant, do
you all of you know that.
00:50:04.07\00:50:06.13
Nothing wrong
with being ignorant
00:50:06.17\00:50:07.84
if you're willing to be educated
00:50:07.87\00:50:09.64
out of that ignorance.
00:50:09.67\00:50:11.11
Ignorance is just
a lack of knowledge.
00:50:11.14\00:50:13.54
So you can be
educated out of any area
00:50:13.58\00:50:16.34
that you're ignorant in.
00:50:16.38\00:50:17.71
And I'm going to just
use myself in this example.
00:50:17.75\00:50:20.88
I couldn't bake a
loaf of bread if I tried.
00:50:20.92\00:50:24.55
I've never
baked a loaf of bread.
00:50:24.59\00:50:26.72
I will never
bake a loaf of bread,
00:50:26.76\00:50:28.56
as long as there are
good people in our church
00:50:28.59\00:50:31.16
that make the
best, love supporting it.
00:50:31.19\00:50:33.23
So I'm ignorant in that area.
00:50:33.26\00:50:35.26
Now, how could I change
being ignorant in that area?
00:50:35.30\00:50:39.00
Kenny, I could get
one of those recipes
00:50:39.03\00:50:41.17
and try to follow it.
00:50:41.20\00:50:42.54
You know, I could
be educated out of fad.
00:50:42.57\00:50:45.24
So, if you are
ignorant in an area,
00:50:45.27\00:50:50.21
don't let that concern you,
00:50:50.28\00:50:52.11
make a decision to
educate yourself out of it.
00:50:52.15\00:50:55.65
I dare say in this
study of Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:50:55.68\00:50:59.45
I've read both books.
00:50:59.49\00:51:01.42
I thought they were great books.
00:51:01.46\00:51:03.06
But do you know when I got down
00:51:03.09\00:51:04.73
and was studying these
books, they are amazing.
00:51:04.76\00:51:08.46
They have just come alive.
00:51:08.50\00:51:09.93
Why?
00:51:09.96\00:51:11.30
Because I set
myself to study to be
00:51:11.33\00:51:13.90
educated out of my ignorance.
00:51:13.94\00:51:16.34
Now here is what
Sister White says about Ezra
00:51:16.37\00:51:20.34
in Prophets and Kings.
00:51:20.38\00:51:21.94
"He was born of
the sons of Aaron,
00:51:21.98\00:51:24.65
Ezra has been
given priestly training
00:51:24.68\00:51:27.28
and addition to this, he
had acquired a familiarity
00:51:27.32\00:51:30.85
with the
writings of the musicians,
00:51:30.89\00:51:32.72
the astrologers,
00:51:32.75\00:51:34.12
and the wise men
of Medo-Persia realm."
00:51:34.16\00:51:36.69
Now that was worldly education.
00:51:36.73\00:51:39.53
She goes on to say,
"But he was not satisfied
00:51:39.56\00:51:42.73
with his spiritual condition.
00:51:42.76\00:51:45.70
He longed to be in
full harmony with God.
00:51:45.73\00:51:49.27
He longed for wisdom to
carry out the divine will.
00:51:49.30\00:51:53.07
And so he prepared his
heart to seek this wall of God.
00:51:53.11\00:51:58.88
And to do it,
not just to seek it,
00:51:58.91\00:52:02.05
but then to go one
step further to do it.
00:52:02.08\00:52:05.05
This led him to apply
to apply himself diligently
00:52:05.09\00:52:08.66
to a study of the
history of God's people
00:52:08.69\00:52:11.43
as recorded in the
writings of Prophets and Kings.
00:52:11.46\00:52:14.40
He searched the
historical and prophetic
00:52:14.46\00:52:16.73
books of the Bible to learn
00:52:16.77\00:52:18.30
why the Lord had permitted
Jerusalem to be destroyed,
00:52:18.33\00:52:22.04
and his people carried
away captive to a heathen land.
00:52:22.07\00:52:26.64
Now what did he
give himself to study to?
00:52:26.68\00:52:28.94
He wanted to go to
the root of the problem,
00:52:28.98\00:52:31.81
not just superficial, he
went to the root of the problem.
00:52:31.85\00:52:34.95
Now what was the
root of the problem?
00:52:34.98\00:52:37.05
The root of the
problem was that God's people
00:52:37.09\00:52:40.22
had given
themselves to idolatry,
00:52:40.26\00:52:43.12
they had apostatized,
00:52:43.16\00:52:44.79
they had
disregarded the things of God.
00:52:44.83\00:52:48.03
So that was the
root of the problem
00:52:48.06\00:52:50.00
that led them into the condition
00:52:50.03\00:52:51.37
they were in right now.
00:52:51.40\00:52:53.13
And he was dealing with people
00:52:53.17\00:52:55.27
that had been in
captivity for how long?
00:52:55.30\00:52:58.37
For 70 years.
00:52:58.41\00:53:00.51
So had these people
that had, the majority,
00:53:00.58\00:53:03.45
so many of them
were born in captivity,
00:53:03.48\00:53:06.41
they had not been
educated in the things of God.
00:53:06.45\00:53:10.09
Ezra set about not only
to learn the Word of God,
00:53:10.12\00:53:14.66
and to know the Word of God,
00:53:14.69\00:53:16.46
but he set about to go
to the root of the problem,
00:53:16.49\00:53:19.73
which was to educate the
people out of their ignorance,
00:53:19.76\00:53:24.80
to teach them the Word of God.
00:53:24.83\00:53:27.14
As we study this pure
Word and learn of the plans
00:53:27.20\00:53:31.27
that God has for him, his
faithfulness, and goodness
00:53:31.31\00:53:36.04
will dispel the
ignorance that's in us.
00:53:36.08\00:53:38.58
Is that amazing?
00:53:38.61\00:53:40.28
And this is what
we found, it happened.
00:53:40.32\00:53:42.92
As Ezra opened
up the Word of God,
00:53:42.95\00:53:45.52
as he had the word
written and distributed
00:53:45.55\00:53:51.49
into the hands of the people,
00:53:51.53\00:53:53.36
they, their hearts were changed,
00:53:53.40\00:53:55.86
and they had a
heart to serve God.
00:53:55.90\00:53:58.27
Why?
00:53:58.30\00:53:59.63
Because they were educated.
00:53:59.67\00:54:01.07
Remember, you can overcome
your ignorance so easily,
00:54:01.10\00:54:04.61
and it's about education.
00:54:04.64\00:54:06.11
That's good. Amen.
00:54:06.14\00:54:07.48
Thank you, Mollie.
Thank you, everyone.
00:54:07.51\00:54:09.71
We have just a
couple of moments left.
00:54:09.74\00:54:11.81
I'd like to give you each
00:54:11.85\00:54:13.18
a few seconds to recap your day.
00:54:13.21\00:54:16.79
Well, when we go back to Monday,
00:54:16.82\00:54:18.29
which is about the
overview of kings in events,
00:54:18.32\00:54:21.69
I can conclude that whenever
the Lord calls us to a project,
00:54:21.72\00:54:27.10
it's important that we abandon
our thought of the project
00:54:27.13\00:54:30.33
and embrace His
thought of the project.
00:54:30.37\00:54:33.13
The example is in Isaiah 55:8-9,
00:54:33.17\00:54:36.00
my thoughts are
not your thoughts,
00:54:36.04\00:54:38.81
nor are my ways, nor
are your ways my ways,
00:54:38.84\00:54:43.21
says the Lord for us,
00:54:43.24\00:54:44.58
the heavens are
higher than the earth.
00:54:44.61\00:54:46.58
So are my ways
higher than your ways,
00:54:46.61\00:54:49.32
and my thoughts
than your thoughts.
00:54:49.35\00:54:51.55
Abandon your thoughts, in
preference to His thoughts,
00:54:51.59\00:54:56.56
and your ways
will always be higher.
00:54:56.59\00:54:58.59
Amen.
00:54:58.63\00:54:59.96
I want to quote the
verse you quoted Mollie,
00:55:00.06\00:55:02.63
Ezra 7:10, "For Ezra
had prepared his heart,
00:55:02.66\00:55:06.63
to seek the law of
the Lord and to do it,
00:55:06.67\00:55:09.84
and to teach statutes
and ordinances in Israel."
00:55:09.87\00:55:12.44
And I think, at home, no matter
what God has called you to do,
00:55:12.47\00:55:16.95
prepare your
heart to seek the Lord,
00:55:16.98\00:55:19.61
and not just to seek Him,
00:55:19.65\00:55:21.25
but to walk in obedience to
what He's calling you to do.
00:55:21.28\00:55:24.75
Amen. Amen.
00:55:24.79\00:55:26.19
You know, I thought
through this lesson right here
00:55:26.22\00:55:27.99
that God calls people to
carry some special burdens.
00:55:28.02\00:55:33.40
And then we need to
make sure by the grace of God
00:55:33.43\00:55:35.63
that we fulfill that
which God has called us to do,
00:55:35.66\00:55:39.07
you know, be
like Ezra and Nehemiah
00:55:39.10\00:55:40.74
that we're
learning from this quarter,
00:55:40.80\00:55:42.17
it's going to just
absolutely be awesome.
00:55:42.20\00:55:44.27
Because the Lord
knows we need to reform,
00:55:44.31\00:55:47.08
we need to reform
probably all would say,
00:55:47.14\00:55:49.04
we need reform in our life.
00:55:49.08\00:55:50.41
We'd like to have
reform in the church,
00:55:50.45\00:55:51.78
we'd like to have it.
00:55:51.81\00:55:53.15
But you know
where does it start?
00:55:53.18\00:55:54.52
It starts with me,
it starts with you.
00:55:54.55\00:55:56.95
So why not today, set
that reform, let's fight,
00:55:56.99\00:55:59.59
let's start be positive,
let's be, you know, true,
00:55:59.62\00:56:02.16
let's come to God and say,
00:56:02.19\00:56:03.56
listen, this
needs to take place,
00:56:03.59\00:56:04.93
needs to take place
now, and today's the day
00:56:04.96\00:56:06.86
that we need to do it.
00:56:06.93\00:56:08.23
And you know, I'm thinking about
00:56:08.26\00:56:09.86
anyone in our society today,
00:56:09.90\00:56:13.10
do we see our whole
society crumbling around us.
00:56:13.13\00:56:16.07
If you don't have a
knowledge of the Word of God,
00:56:16.10\00:56:18.07
then you think there is no hope.
00:56:18.11\00:56:20.28
But if you're
educated in the things of God,
00:56:20.31\00:56:22.58
if you have a
knowledge of God's Word,
00:56:22.61\00:56:25.31
and what's in store for us,
00:56:25.35\00:56:27.85
if we made a choice
to study as Ezra did,
00:56:27.88\00:56:31.55
to educate ourselves,
00:56:31.59\00:56:33.19
then you know what we're
going to find in God's work,
00:56:33.22\00:56:35.52
we've got a future and hope,
no matter how bad it gets, hey,
00:56:35.56\00:56:39.66
if you're connected to God,
if you've made Jesus Christ,
00:56:39.69\00:56:43.13
the Lord of your life,
you've got a future and a hope.
00:56:43.16\00:56:45.97
Amen. That's right.
00:56:46.00\00:56:47.44
You know, this is, what
I'm sitting here thinking,
00:56:47.50\00:56:49.84
and I hope I can
make sense of this
00:56:49.87\00:56:51.97
is that we have
three godly men here
00:56:52.01\00:56:55.28
that we see
00:56:55.31\00:56:56.64
in Ezra
Chapters 1-6, Zerubbabel,
00:56:56.71\00:56:59.71
then we have Ezra
and then Nehemiah.
00:56:59.75\00:57:03.45
And all of them were
concerned about God's temple.
00:57:03.52\00:57:07.92
You know, the Bible says
00:57:07.96\00:57:09.56
that you are the
temple of the Lord.
00:57:09.59\00:57:11.76
We are the temple of the Lord.
00:57:11.79\00:57:13.29
And I think that
as we go through this,
00:57:13.33\00:57:15.83
we're going to find things
that we can apply to our self
00:57:15.86\00:57:20.37
to help rebuild
the temple in us.
00:57:20.44\00:57:22.40
All of us need to be mending.
00:57:22.44\00:57:24.54
And then you think
about the wall that,
00:57:24.57\00:57:27.38
that they built around Jerusalem
00:57:27.41\00:57:29.68
to keep out the bad influences.
00:57:29.71\00:57:31.78
That's something else
that every word of the Lord
00:57:31.81\00:57:36.79
has been given to us
00:57:36.82\00:57:38.72
by inspiration
of the Holy Spirit,
00:57:38.75\00:57:41.26
and certainly can be
applied to your life.
00:57:41.29\00:57:43.96
So we encourage you
00:57:44.03\00:57:45.49
to get your
Sabbath School quarterly.
00:57:45.53\00:57:47.76
Join us next time,
00:57:47.83\00:57:49.90
we will be studying
lesson two, Nehemiah.
00:57:49.93\00:57:52.90
And we're so glad
that you take this time
00:57:52.93\00:57:56.17
to be in the Word with us.
00:57:56.20\00:57:58.64
It's certainly fun for us
00:57:58.67\00:58:00.21
to break from our
normal duties and dig in,
00:58:00.24\00:58:03.71
and we invite you
to join us next time.
00:58:03.78\00:58:06.11