Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Ezra. Now, find Psalms and start going
back toward the front. Psalms and Job before that, and
you'll see Nehemiah, and you'll come to Ezra. I was just thinking, Brother
Gary was leading those songs. I thank our God and Savior that
concerning our Lord's good pleasure to choose a people, to redeem
them, to call them, keep them, all according to His merit, who
was made poor for this unworthy sinner. I thank God that He has
given me a heart not to mock that. This morning I'd like to look unto the praise and honor of
Him who is worthy, and He who worketh The Scripture says, all
things after the counsel of His own will. I'd like to look at
a passage of Scripture here in the book of Ezra chapter 7. Ezra chapter 7. I want to read verses 11 to 22. But I want to tell you
what we're about to read. We're going to read a letter.
that was written and given to the scribe, the priest, Ezra. And as we read this letter, it
was written at the dictation of a king named Artaxerxes. And Artaxerxes was going to give
Ezra. kind of some gifts so that Ezra
could take these gifts and take them to Jerusalem. And Artaxerxes
was going to give out of the treasuries, out of the storehouses
that he had there in the land, he was going to give Ezra a certain
amount of stuff. But as I was reading over this
letter, I want you to listen to the wording of this king. And as I read it, I saw two things. Number one, I saw the mercy,
grace, and the provision of Almighty God to provide for His people. But even as I read the letter,
I saw the arrogance and pride of carnal man, thinking that
he can do something for God. Kind of providing himself a little
security. I'm going to do something for
the Lord. And all the while, it was the hand of God Almighty
that was moving on this wicked king. to do what he did. Now,
with that in mind, let's look at Ezra 7, verses 11-22. Now, this is the copy of the
letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the
scribe, even a scribe, of the words of the commandments of
the Lord and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, king of
kings, unto Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God
of heaven, perfect peace. And at such a time I make a decree
that all they of the people of Israel and of his priests and
Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own free will,
to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee, forasmuch as thou art sent
of the king." and of his seven counselors to inquire concerning
Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God which is
in thine hand, and to carry the silver and gold which the king
and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of Israel
whose habitation is in Jerusalem. And all the silver and gold that
thou canst find in all the province of Babylon with the freewill
offering of the people and of the priest, offering willingly
of the house of their God which is in Jerusalem, that thou mayest
buy speedily with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, with their
meat offerings, their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar
of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever
shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest
of the silver and gold that do after the will of your God, the
vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house
of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy
God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the
king's treasure house. And I, even I, Artus Xerxes the
king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond
the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the
law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it shall be done
speedily unto." a hundred pallets of silver, to a hundred measures
of wheat, to a hundred baths of wine, to a hundred baths of
oil and salt, without prescribing how much. Oh, how wonderful and magnificent
it is to behold the hand of our God as he moves upon the hearts
of even the wicked unregenerate to do as he will in the providing for his people.
Proverbs 21 says, the king's heart. And did you pick up when
Artaxerxes was kind of flowering himself? Aye, Artaxerxes. King of kings. I and my counselors, we've decided
that we're going to give to Ezra. We're going to give out of the
storehouse of my blessings some things. But I'm going to limit
just exactly how much you have. That's basically what he was
saying. Proverbs 21 says, The king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth
it, whithersoever he will. I love what Brother Scott said
numerous times. Who's running this show anyway?
Who's in charge here? Daniel 4.35. How many times have
we read this? But oh, what a blessing. All
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or
say unto him, What doest thou? Do you know what men are going
to do? They are going to do exactly what Almighty God has eternally
decreed. That's exactly what they're going
to do. Concerning the Lord's death. Look at Acts 2. Hold your
finger right there. Acts 2. Remember, Peter was preaching
the day of Pentecost. Acts 2.22. Concerning our Lord's
death. You men of Israel, hear these
words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.
Him being delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain
whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that he should behold another. Did men crucify
our Lord because they wanted to? Yes. Yes, they did. That's what they wanted to do.
They wanted to be glad at His calamities. They were glad. And said in their hearts, you
deserve this. You deserve it. But they did just exactly what
Almighty God determined beforehand should be done. and the redemption
of his people. Let this truth be established,
Psalm 115, verse 3. But our God is in the heavens,
he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Now back in Ezra chapter
7, all the instruction that was willingly given by Artaxerxes
under the absolute decree of God I want us to consider that last
verse that we read, verse 22. And really, the heart of this
message is going to be the last verse, the last part of that
verse. Here's what he said. Unto a hundred talents of silver,
to a hundred measures of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred
baths of oil, but when it came to salt, It says in salt, without prescribing,
how much? Here's what you can have. You can have up to 100 talents of silver. I've tried
to look that up, just to find out how much is that. hundred
talents of silver, about 450 pounds of sterling. To a hundred measures of wheat,
a measure as closely as I could tell, came to this 75 gallons,
a measure. A hundred measures, 75 gallons. And what that was, that wheat,
it was the fine flour That they made the meat offering. Now the
meat offering was the bloodless offering. It was cake. It was
like bread. Fine flour. And what it did was
it set forth the glory, the purity of our Lord's humanity. The meat
offering. I know it sounds like something
that would have blood in it, but it had no blood. The meat
offering. Up to a hundred baths of wine. A bath, seven gallons and five
pints. And that was for the drink offering.
And a hundred baths of oil. That oil, the picture of God's
Spirit, kind of reminds me of whenever Pharaoh was going to
He said, I'm going to let the people go out of Egypt. No, I'm
not going to let them go. Okay, I'll let them go. But you
just can't go very far. Moses said, no. We're going to
go wherever our Lord leads us. That's how far. God sent another
plague. Then Pharaoh said, okay, I'll
tell you what you can do. You can go, but you can't take the
kids with you. No, we're going to take the kids
too. God sent another plague. They said, okay, okay, okay.
You can go, but you can't bring the animals with you. Trying
to set limits on God. That's man by nature. Man. And so Artaxerxes said, you have
all these things, but remember, this man was doing exactly what
he wanted to do, but who was determining the amounts that
were given? God. God was determining. He worketh all things. Here's
an evil king thinking he's going to do somehow, he's going to
do something for the God of Israel. Their God. He goes, serve your
God. And he set limits. And did that setting of limits
to his own demise. But it was according to God's
will and God's purpose. Those limits were set by God. I'm going to show you the mercy
of God in this. But when it came to salt, no limit there. No prescribing
of how much. In this passage, we're going
to behold The mercy of God Almighty in the blessing of His people.
Salt. Salt. No limit how much salt. Leviticus 2.13 says this, and
every oblation, that is every sacrificial present that was
to be offered. Every oblation. Every oblation
of the meat offering. Every oblation concerning perfect
setting forth of the humanity, the purity of Christ. Shalt thou
season with salt, neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant
of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering. With all thine
offerings thou shalt offer salt. The meat offering had to have
salt. Don't offer a meat offering.
Don't set forth that offering setting forth the glory, the
humanity, the perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ who was made
flesh. Don't give an offering without
it being savored with salt. Now obviously, according to the
Old Testament, salt set forth our Lord Jesus Christ in His
substitutionary work for His people. The Scripture speaks
of the salt of the covenant. God does everything according
to covenant. David said, this is all my salvation? This is it right here. God hath
made with me. He made with me. I didn't have
anything to do with it. He hath made with me. An everlasting
covenant. Ordered in all things, ensure. Here's the everlasting covenant
summed up when Moses asked the Lord, Lord, show me your glory. And he said, here it is. Here's
the basis of my glory. Here's the foundation of my glory.
I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So whenever we see that the salt
had to be mixed with that meat offering, that fine flour. Salt
could not be absent. That savor setting forth the
glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, He who was made sin. The just and holy God. Salt in the meat offering. Reveals the virtue of His sacrifice. The preserver. The keeper. The saver of His substitution,
life, death, salt. When it's spoken of as a blessing,
it is of the preserver from corruption. Listen to this, Jude 1.1, of Jesus Christ and brother of
James, to them that are sanctified by the Father." Sanctified means
set apart. Set apart. Set apart for God. Sanctified. Here is out of the
same lump. Here's two people, Jacob and
Esau. Came from the same mom and daddy.
Born moments apart. Two boys. And God said, I sanctify
Jacob. I set him apart. He's mine. He's
mine to be holy and without blame before me in love. And Esau,
God left to himself. Does God have the right to do
that? Yes, He does. Yes, He does. Sanctified. Set apart for God. Set apart
to be holy in Christ. Now listen to this. Jude, the
servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to them that are sanctified
by God the Father. And preserved in Jesus Christ
and called. Named and called in time. Preserved. In Christ, salt. Salt. Whenever a believer's speech
is spoken of, Colossians 4, 6, it says, Let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt. Speaking of Him, speaking of
His honor, of His glory, of His mercy and kindness, in love toward
Him and towards people? Well, that gossip of that which
is injurious to another's character. Grace is to speech what salt
is to meat. You know, I may just take you
something, just the savor of salt. You try something, man,
I tell you what, for a long time I tried to get better. A long
time. I used to salt it before I ever tasted it. Just go ahead
and, you know, I know it's not going to happen now. Salt. The savor. Whenever the apostles
were told that they, as all believers are, you're the salt of the earth. You know what our Lord was saying?
He said, concerning the savor, of himself, in their speech,
in the gospel that they set forth, are the mouthpieces of life himself,
that which exalted him and magnified his grace to his people. So salt
making reference to God's dealing with His people, always spoke
of God's mercy and grace and sufficiency. Salt. He alone is the saving, preserving
savor of life. And no man comes to the Father
but by Him. Salt. So in closing, Let's consider
again Ezra 7, verse 22, in the light of God's grace to His people. And you remember, any provision
to God's people, no matter the means, is from the Lord. Artaxerxes said to Ezra, you
can have this much silver, this much flour, this much oil, this
much wine, You can have all the salt you want. No limit to the
amount of salt that you can have. Paul said in Philippians 4.19,
My God shall supply all your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus. Let me give you two examples
of what was set forth right here in God Almighty mercifully limiting
certain things. But then when it came to salt,
no limit. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12. The Apostle Paul related something
that truly happened. He also set forth his inability
to completely explain it all, but look at 2 Corinthians 12,
1-10. 2 Corinthians 12, it is not expedient
for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations
of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above
14 years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell, whether out
of the body I cannot tell, God knoweth. such in one caught up
to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell. God knoweth how
he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful, not possible for a man to utter. Of such in
one will I glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine
infirmities. For though I would desire to
glory, I shall not be a fool. For I will say the truth, but
now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which
he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me, and lest I should
be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations
that was given to me of thorn in the flesh, the messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For
this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that He might depart
from me, and He said unto me, My grace. is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect
in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I
strong." Now here was Artaxerxes, he said
to Ezra, you can have this much, this much, this much, this much
down here, no limit on salt. Paul the Apostle caught up to
the third heaven. Artaxerxes said, you can have
so much, Paul caught up Paul was given that great blessing. Given the wheat, the wine, the
oil of being found in the body or out of the body, he didn't
know. God knew. He was in paradise and heard
unspeakable words which is not lawful to utter. Oh, the blessing
upon God's people. But Paul was in danger. of being exalted above measure. And the Lord saw fit to set limits
upon the apostle. According to the wisdom of God
Almighty that Paul served, the Lord sent him in limiting him. A thorn in the flesh. The messenger
of Satan to buffet him. Why? Why did Paul have to have
limits set on him? Because he was a frail creature. Lest he should be exalted above
measure through the abundance of the revelations given him.
Paul said thrice, I besought the Lord that this thorn in the
flesh might be removed. And the Lord said, and I'm just
paraphrasing, it's good. It's good that I limit what I've
given you. It's good, it was good for Ezra
that he have so much silver, and so much oil, and so much
wine, and so much wheat. because of the frailty of this
flesh, but there was no limit to the grace of God to keep him. No limit on how much salt he
could have. Three times Paul said, I besought
the Lord. It's either three times or it's
over and over and over. I don't know what it meant. But
he kept asking. And the Lord said, my grace is
enough. My grace is sufficient. The salt
of my grace will keep you, Paul. It's good that I limit things
to you. Old Job, a man greatly blessed
of God, chosen, called, taught of God, feared the Lord, the
Scripture said, and Eshuti, he hated evil. He has seven sons
and three daughters and 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels and 500
she-asses and a very great household. And he was considered the greatest
of all men in the East. Oh my. Set up, if left to himself,
to a fall. Pride. It comes before a fall. And God was pleased in His mercy
and grace to limit those things. The Lord was pleased to remove
everything but His sustaining grace. His kids were taken. His animals. Household. Almighty God removed
all of it. except the salt. Salt without setting forth the
requirements on how much. Let me tell you the evidence
of it. It was evidenced in Job's speech. Let his speech be savored,
set forth with salt. He said, out of my mother's womb,
naked shall I return thither." Now, here's mercy. Here's the
sustaining grace of God. My kids are gone. My animals
are gone. My land is gone. My health is
gone. But God's not. God's not gone. The Lord gave and the Lord has
taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
My brethren, remember, the Lord in mercy. Why are there limits
put on us today? Why are there limits put on our
health? Why are there limits put on our honor in this world? Why are there limits put on anything
that we have except for His grace? I will never leave you. I'll
never leave you. When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee." They're not. You're going to suffer. You're going to go through this
world. Trials and tribulations. But concerning the salt of His
grace, there'll be no limit on prescribing
how much. Lord, if You keep me, I'm kept. Lord, You sustain me, I'm sustained. And all is well. And a believer
will leave this world saying, His grace is sufficient. Bless
these words to our heart, for Christ's sake.