Turn with me to the book of Ezra
chapter 10, the last chapter of the book of Ezra. While I'm thinking about it,
I'd just like to remind everyone that over the Easter weekend,
that particular weekend this year, Lord willing, each year
we'll have our little conference. Brother Rupert Reichenbach and
Brother Tim James will be here to preach for us over that weekend. I'll be looking forward to those
fellows coming. Ezra chapter 10. Throughout the book of Ezra, We've seen on the part of the
people brought out of Babylon that were brought out by the
Lord Himself to actually rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. We've
seen great rebellion in those people. Therefore, there's been
great trial toward the people. on the Lord God's part toward
that same group, we've seen great deliverance because of His great
mercy toward them. How often the regenerate mind
is reminded of Malachi 3, 6 where the Lord said, I am the I change
not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." It is of great
comfort in knowing and hearing, being reminded of that He doesn't
change. Nothing else stays the same,
only Almighty God and His mercy and grace toward His people. never changes. It is not that
there was not reason to consume the people who were sons of Jacob. These that God Almighty had shown
mercy to were referred to in Ezra chapter 9 in verse 2 as
the Holy Seed. They were the recipients of God's
mercy. Those who in Ezra 1.5 that we
had looked at previously, whose spirit God had raised up to build
the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. Now remember, the
book of Ezra is a historical book. There is no doubt about
that. But, as we've said before, if it's only just history, if
that is all that there is to it, then what does it have for
me or you this morning? But this book sets forth the
glory of Almighty God in the calling out, in the keeping of
His people, in the building of His spiritual temple, the people
of God. Now these people, the Scripture
says, and I'm just kind of bringing you up because, Lord willing,
this will be the last message in this book this time, and I'd
like to sum it up, this book of Ezra this morning. The Scripture
reveals concerning these people, holy seed called out by Almighty
God. that they had not separated themselves,
according to Ezra 9-1, from the people of the lands. Now the
problem with this was that they had disobeyed God specifically. In Deuteronomy 7, verses 1 to
3, the Lord had given instruction concerning His people, keeping
themselves separate. from the garden, man has not
been ignorant for disobedience before Almighty God. Turn with
me to Genesis 2.15 and let's just look. Lord willing, I pray
the Lord would just truly bless this message to my heart and
to your heart that we perceive the mercy, the grace, of Almighty
God. Genesis 2 verse 15, And the Lord
God took the man, put him into the garden of Eden to dress it
and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the
man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely
eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not
eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die. after the Lord had told Adam
of the penalty for disobedience. After that, God made Eve. She was a help that was meet
or fit for Him. And this woman, Eve, the Scripture
says, being beguiled, deceived. The Scripture says she took of
the fruit and did eat, and also gave it unto her husband with
her, and he did eat according to Genesis 3, 7. And the eyes
of them both, it said after Adam ate, the Lord God had told Adam,
He said, in the day you eat, you are going to die. And the
Scripture says, and he did eat, and the eyes of them both were
opened, and they knew that they were naked. That is to say that
they had no righteous covering. And they sewed fig leaves together
and made themselves aprons. They knew this. They knew they
needed a covering. They knew that or they would
have never sewn fig leaves together. They knew they needed a covering.
But the Scripture reveals that man, according to Romans 10.3,
is not ignorant of needing a covering. He is ignorant of God's covering. Romans 10.3 says, For they, being
ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law. for righteousness to every one
that believeth." Even at this moment, my mind is made to be
reminded, oh, if He be not my righteousness, if He be not my
covering, I have no hope. But how merciful Almighty God
was to Adam and Eve to reveal to them His covering, His atonement,
Genesis 3.21 says, Unto Adam also and to his wife did the
Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them. There had to
be a sacrifice. They had disobeyed God. The soul
that sinned must die. Wages of sin is death. So there
had to be death. The sacrifice was because of
rebellion. The sacrifice for Adam's guilt,
Adam's sin, an animal, a type, a picture of the sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus Christ for Adam and Eve to be covered. That animal
had to die. A picture of our atonement by
the Lord Jesus Christ. The skin that covered Adam was
something that Adam couldn't produce and that God provided. and accept it. Picture knowing
then the way that God justifies a guilty sinner. Let us consider
this last chapter of Ezra in light of the glorious mercy of
Almighty God in the person of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the One in whom a man alone approaches God Almighty,
the Lord had been merciful to His people. And those to whom
God has shown mercy, now listen, this morning, you that believe,
here is the bottom line, if you have any hope, your hope is in
Christ alone. By Him, in honor of Almighty
God, Those to whom God has shown mercy, they have some spiritual
blessings. And that is what I want to look
at in this last chapter for just a few minutes. Those to whom God has been merciful,
this is what I know. Here is a blessing. Here is the
blessing. They have an advocate before
God. Here are guilty rebels, sinners,
holy seed, those whom God has called out by His Spirit. How
shall they approach Him when in Leviticus 10.3 we are told
Moses quoting the word of the Lord to him. It says, This is
it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them
that come nigh Me. These people in the book of Ezra,
this is a picture of God's people, those that the Lord is mercifully
keeping. In Ezra chapter 10 verse 1 it
says, Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping
and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled
unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and
women and children. For the people wept sore. Here we see Ezra as a type of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the intercessor. And as we considered in chapter
9, we also again consider in chapter 10 that though he was
innocent of the crime of disobedience of the taking of the daughters
of the lands and marrying them, he associated himself with the
people and ran his garment, chapter 9 says, his mantle plucked off
the hair of his head and stoned it until the evening sacrifice. Do we not see again in the person
of Ezra the type of our blessed Lord who, in all things, it behooved
Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God and
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people?" Here was
Ezra. He was praying for them, interceding
for them. There is no mention of the people
coming to their senses, that is, by their own will or desire,
and they were doing just exactly what they wanted to do. And that
is just exactly the way we are. But just as when Ezra had prayed,
when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before
the house of God The Scripture says in that first verse, they
are assembled unto Him out of Israel, a very great congregation
of men and women and children, do we not see? In the assembling
of the people before Ezra, our Lord Himself, when He said in
John 12, 32, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto Me. of whom Christ spoke when He
said, I will draw all men unto Me, were the ones given Him out
of the world, elect, chosen, called personally, those whose
names were written in the book of life before the foundation
of the world. The very ones for whom Ezra prayed
were named specifically back in the last part of the tenth
chapter of the book of Ezra from verse 18 to the end of the chapter,
all of those names that I won't read this morning, all of those people, those are
the ones that Ezra was praying for, interceding for, a picture
of Christ. A hundred and thirteen people
are named in those last verses, 18 to the end of the chapter.
some of whom, all we know about them were their names, but they
were known to Almighty God. Sin had extended all the classes. You go back and you look at the
sons of the priests and the Levites and the singers, and all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. Do we not see the
Lord Jesus as Ezra prayed for the people who had transgressed
in the Father's ear toward the lips of Christ, the only begotten
Son, the Lord Jesus, back in the book of John, chapter 11,
verse 41. Here we find the Lord at the
tomb of Lazarus, John 11, 41. Then they took away the stone
from the place where the dead was laid, and Jesus lifted up
His eyes and said, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me, and
I knew that Thou hearest me always. But because of the people which
stand by, I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent
me." If He prays, if He intercedes for me, I have my hope. He is my hope, Christ. So I know this. Back in Ezra
chapter 10, I know this is the first great blessing. These people
were guilty. They were rebels against God. Sinners. Sin in them. And Ezra
prayed for them. Think about Peter. When the Lord
told Peter, He said, Satan hath desired to have you and sift
you as wheat. But I prayed for you that your
faith fail not. Here is the first thing. We have
an advocate. Secondly, those for whom God
provides Christ an advocate, those He shall regenerate, draw,
teach, and keep. A man left to himself in trespasses
and sins evidences it this way. He is ignorant of God's righteousness.
That's the evidence of it. And he will go back continually
trying to establish his own righteousness. That's what we read in Romans
10. The dead heart thinks that it
can be reformed. A dead man Spiritually dead,
he thinks, I can rebirth myself by exercising my own free will. In John chapter 3, verse 5 and
6, Jesus speaking to Nicodemus said, Verily, verily, truly,
truly, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, of the
Spirit he cannot. enter into the kingdom of God."
That which is born of the flesh, listen, is flesh. That which
is born of the Spirit is Spirit. It takes God Almighty to rebirth
a man. You must be born again, but flesh
doesn't rebirth itself, doesn't clean itself up. A man must be
born from above. Ephesians chapter 2, Ephesians
2 and verse 1, the Scripture says, And you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. He quickened you. Man doesn't quicken himself.
This new birth. The scripture says, I want you
to turn to this one, turn to Romans 6. Romans chapter 6, verse
1 and 2. Romans 6, 1 and 2. This new birth, a man is dead to sin. What shall we, Romans 6, 1 and
2, what shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace
may abound? God forbid. that are dead to
sin live any longer therein." Dead to sin. Now, let me ask
you this. Now, Paul says in Romans 6, that
how shall we anymore be dead? How shall we that are dead to
sin live any longer therein? How is it said that a man is
dead to sin. Well, I know this, that a man
that is dead to sin is not dead to its influence. I know that. Romans chapter 7 and verse 15,
the Scripture says, ìFor that which I do, I allow, or know
not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. So I know this, a man that's
dead to sin is not dead to its influence. Romans chapter 7 and
verse 21 says we're not dead to its presence. Romans 7 verse
21, I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present
with me. I know we're not dead to its
effects. Romans 7 verse 24. O wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? So I know that
we are not dead to its influence, its presence, or its effects."
What are we dead to? We are dead to its penalty and
its guilt. That is what we are dead to.
Romans 8, 33, 34 says this, "...who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's It is God that justifies. Who
is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall lay anything
to the charge of those that God has justified? Who can lay any
charge to you, Brother Scott? Nobody. You can talk about Him. Make fun of him, you laugh at
him, you do whatever, but you can't lay a charge to him. God
justified him. We're dead to sin as our Master. It's not looked upon anymore
by the believer. It's not his friend. Before conversion,
a dead man looks at sin as if it's no big deal. And Paul looked at it and said,
O wretched man, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I see then a law that when I would do good, evil, sin, present with
me. It is looked upon as an enemy.
Those that came out with a heart for God's honor are drawn effectually
to honor Him. John 10.27 says, hear my voice and I know them
and they follow me. Here's the evidence of those
that Almighty God has regenerated by His grace. They see the presence
of sin in them. They see the influence of that
sin upon them. And they hate it. Now, I'm going
to tell you something. I'm not sitting here and you
know, you've heard me long enough to know that I'm not sitting
here and telling you that we're justified by our works. I'm not
saying that, and you know I'm not. But I will tell you this,
there is within a believer, there is evidence of a man that hungers
and thirsts after Christ and a longing to follow Him, be obedient
to Him. The Scripture says that there
is some consistency in a believer. And he struggles. He fights. There's a war going on. There's
a battle that's going on within him. And he knows it. And these
people right here, they knew they were guilty. Those that
had been drawn by the Spirit of God to come out, they knew
something of their guilt. That's what verse 2 says, "...And
Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered
and said unto Ezra, We've transgressed against our God and have taken
strange wives of the people of the land, yet now there's hope
in Israel concerning this thing. I'm telling you, there is nothing
that will grieve a believer anymore than him realizing, I've disobeyed
God. I've sinned. He does not look
at that as a light thing. He doesn't look at it as something
that's just insignificant. He does not just say, well, it's
just no big deal. I'm just a sinner, you know.
Well, I'm just a sinner, so what else do you expect? No, he doesn't. He grieves over it. We have transgressed
against God. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.
I really am. I wouldn't hurt your feelings.
for anything in the world. I don't think I would. I hope
I wouldn't. But I'll tell you this, I just get outdone with
myself when I realize I've transgressed against God. This is an obvious effect of regeneration. A man knows something of his
guilt. He knows something of the presence
of it. The guilt of it, the penalty
of it, has been put away by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
but he sees the presence of it. He sees the influence of it.
He sees the effect of it. And we've transgressed God, against
God. Job 13.23 says this, He says, How many are mine iniquities
and sins? Make me to know my transgressions
and my sins. Oh, wretched man that I am! But that regenerated sinner,
one that has seen, caused by the grace of God to see something
of the effect of guilt on him, this is what he says. This is
what he knows too. He knows he is a sinner. But
he knows this. I just read it, the last part
of verse 2. Yet now there is hope in Israel
concerning this thing. Man convinced by the Spirit of
God of his guilt has a hope. 1 Timothy 1.15 says, Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners of whom I am cheap. Only a sinner,
that is one regenerated by the Spirit of God, knows something
of mercy." You know, mercy is truly seen to be mercy when God
allows a man to see something of his need of mercy. Oh, in
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ found in the pit of his hopeless
and helplessness, The hope, the confidence of a believer is found
in Christ. And it's twofold. He said, there's
hope in Israel. Twofold hope. There's the hope
or the confidence that his guilt has been thoroughly dealt with
in his substitute. That's the hope that he has.
A man, he does not look at himself and just excuse it. All my hope,
this is all, David says, this is all my salvation. He made
with me an everlasting covenant. Sure. Settled. Settled. This Pope and his guilt has been
dealt with in his substitute in verse 13. 14, 15, it states, but the people are
many. That's what they were saying.
It's time of much rain. We're not able to stand without,
neither is this a work of one day or two, for we are many that
have transgressed in this thing. They know this. But let us now,
let now our rulers of all the congregations stand, and let
all them that have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed
times, and with them the elders of every city and the judges
thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be
turned from us. I need this sin in me. I need this to be turned from
me. I need the Lord Himself to put
it away. There was a fair judgment of
the sin. It was done by the proper authorities. That's what they said. Let the
rulers of the congregation stand. David said in Psalm 51, against
thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Nothing was left unturned as
to the guilt of their people. That's what they said. Ezra interceded
for them. Shechaniah stood up and told
them, he said, we've transgressed against our God. But there's
hope. There's hope in Israel. And their
hope was founded in that there was nothing left. In verse 16
it says, the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the
priest, with certain men of the fathers, after the house of their
Father, and all of them by their names were separated. They sat
down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. They looked into it. This thing
had to be looked into. They sat down. And verse 17 says,
And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange
wives by the first day of the first month. There's another truth that's
set forth in their hope. Here's the hope that we've got.
First of all, that this thing has thoroughly been dealt with
in a substitute. They looked into that matter
and they said, let's examine this thing. But secondly, there's
the hope of a righteousness that God Himself accepts. And it is
not one that's based on my ability or my chance to be able to perform. It's based on the Lord Jesus
Christ. By God's will, God's purpose,
God's wisdom, it's based on the promise of God to show mercy. Back in verse 3, when Shekinah
was telling the people, the spokesman for the people, he said, we've
transgressed against God. We've taken strange wives of
the people of the land, yet now there's hope in Israel concerning
this thing. And then he says, Now therefore
let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives
such are born of them according to the counsel of my Lord and
of those that tremble at the commandment of our God, and let
it be done according to the law. Let me tell you what God's people
are thankful for, that this thing of sin and guilt and rebellion
against God has been justly dealt with. Let it be done. We have
sinned against God. Let us make a covenant with our
God. Let those that tremble at the
commandment of our God, let it be done according to the law. I want to know that this thing
of my guilt has been justly dealt with. in the Lord Jesus Christ. That my guilt, that He Himself
who was made sin, that Almighty God has dealt with it according
to the law. That He is the end of the law
for righteousness to those that believe. Here we find that this
man said, let's make a covenant. with our God a covenant, an agreement
between two or more people either to do or to not to do a certain
thing and establishes in that covenant the rules for the benefits
or the penalties for breaking it. Benefits for keeping it and
penalties for not keeping it. It is done according to the law. I was reading a scripture here
In Proverbs 23, 26, when this man said, let's make a covenant
with our God. Put away our wives, such as are
born to them according to the counsel of the Lord. Let it be
done according to the law. I was reminded in Proverbs 23,
26, where the Lord says, My son, He said, give me thine heart. and let thine eyes observe my
ways." Now, I'm not talking, and you know this, about the
wicked heart, but the affections of the new heart. The Scripture
says a broken and contrite heart is not despised by the Lord.
He binds it up. On it is written His law, a heart
that loves Him. A new heart. A live heart. One that believes Him and fears
Him and knows Him. This was all David's, as I said
a moment ago. This was all of his salvation.
God made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things,
ensured. But for a covenant, this man
says, let us make a covenant with God for a covenant to be
valid and profitable. All of the stipulations of that
covenant have got to be kept according to the law or the rules
of the covenant. And here I see my need of a surety. I can't do it. I can't do it. I long after Him, but I cannot
satisfy Him in myself. My hope is found in the One who
is my surety, the One who has covenanted the answer on my behalf,
the One who has put away the debt I owe obeyed perfectly for
me and has imputed His righteous to me, being made a curse for
me." This is not a matter that can be handled by a frail creature. Shekinah said in verse 4, and
he was speaking to Ezra. Remember, Ezra is a picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, Arise for this matter,
Belongeth unto thee. For we also will be with thee,
be of good courage, but do it." He knew. Here's a picture of
our blessed Lord. This matter belongs to you. This
matter is in your hands. This is not something that we
could do. Luke 17, 10 says we're unprofitable servants. That means
that we add nothing to His honor. Unprofitable servants. Servants,
yes. but servants that are not able
to add anything to His glory. I'm telling you, for the privilege
to be able to meet together, to stand here, to proclaim, to
hear the unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ, it
adds nothing. In the study and the preparation,
it adds nothing to the glory of Almighty God. I've done that,
which was my duty to do. is unto him. But also, as God
Himself regenerates, draws, teaches, He also keeps. Ezra, a picture
of our blessed intercessor and advocate praying for the people,
the people pictured by Shekinah, the spokesman, says, We've sinned
against God. This is what we've done. I've
rebelled. We've rebelled against Him. Let's make a covenant. Our
wives, let it be done according to the law. And he looked at
Ezra and he says, Arise, this matter belongs to you. You pray for us. Remember when
Moses was going to go up and meet with God, people said, You
go up, we'll stay here. This matter belongs unto you. The Lord keeps His people too.
1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter 1 verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is incorruptible, that is
undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who
are kept. by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time. And the evidence of being
kept? What's the evidence of being
kept? I know this. I know this, that if He has shown
me mercy, that Christ is my Advocate. He's my Intercessor. I know that
if He's shown me mercy, He's going to reveal what I am by
nature. That's what Sheck and I said. We rebelled against God.
I know if He's shown me mercy, He's going to reveal this to
me. We've got to hope. I know if He's shown mercy to
me, He's going to reveal this to me. This matter belongs to
Him. This is a matter that belongs
and can handle by and is handled by the Lord Jesus Christ. And the evidence of being kept
is faithfulness. I'll tell you this. They are
kept. They don't keep themselves. It
says in verse 5 of Ezra 10, Then arose Ezra, and made the chief
priests, and the Levites, and all Israel to swear that they
should do according to this word. And they swore. They did. They
swore. Being convinced of their guilt,
the believer confesses his need of his substitute. And hates,
according to Jude 23, even the garments spotted by the flesh."
The believer hates what he sees within. But as we've seen in
verses 7 to 14, the demand of obedience and the confession,
the separation, of putting away the strange wives, it says they
came out, verse 7, I mean, they made proclamation through Judah.
Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should
gather themselves together unto Jerusalem, and that whosoever
would not come within three days according to the counsel of the
princes and the elders and all his substance," and look at this,
"...should be forfeited," or that word is in your margin there.
You may notice it says devoted. It says that he should be forfeited
and himself separated from the congregation of those that had
been carried away. Now here was what happened. Up
to this point, Ezra had interceded, Sheck and I had stood up, and
he said, we've rebelled against God. There's hope in Israel. And he said, let us make a covenant
with our God. Let us turn from our evil ways. But this is a matter that must
be dealt with by another. He looked at Ezra, a picture
of Christ, and he said to the people, and Ezra did, he said,
I swear that they should do according to this Word." And they swore. And then they made this proclamation.
They said in verse 7, they said, this is what we're going to do.
We're going to gather ourselves unto Jerusalem. Verse 8, "...whosoever
should not come within three days..." This is what was going
to happen. "...all of our substance should
be forfeited and himself separated from the congregation of those
that have been carried away." Now, if anyone wouldn't come,
that's what we're going to do now. We're going to make this
rule. We're going to make this proclamation. Everybody come
here, anybody that doesn't come. The Lord says, My sheep hear
My voice, and they come. They come to Me. But anybody
that wouldn't come here within three days, all of his substance
was going to be lost, forfeited, or as the word there in the margin
is, Now, let me just show you something, the seriousness of
what was just said. Turn with me to Leviticus chapter
27. That word forfeited back in Ezra,
or devoted, this is what it actually means. Leviticus 27 verse 29. None devoted which shall be devoted
of men shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death."
Okay? You see that? None devoted which
shall be devoted of men shall be redeemed, but shall surely
be put to death. This is what it means back in
Ezra. And here's the picture, here's
the type that set forth. Ezra made a proclamation. Pat
said, anybody that don't come, now we rebelled against God.
We've disobeyed. Let's come together. Let's have
this thing settled. Whosoever shall not come within
three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the
elders, all of his stuff, all of his substance shall be forfeited,
that is, devoted and Himself separated from the congregation
of those that have been carried away, if any wouldn't come. That word devoted there means
this, all that God has purposed to appoint to destruction shall
not be redeemed. That's exactly what it means. That which has been devoted,
the word there interpreted, forfeited, given up. In Romans chapter 9
verse 22, Paul says this, ìWhat if God, willing to show His wrath
and to make His power known endured with much longsuffering, the
vessels of wrath thicket, or made up, to destruction." Back
in Ezra chapter 10 and verse 8, whosoever would not come,
whosoever will not come within three days, his substance, every
bit of it, is going to be forfeited. Friend, this is what it is saying
in time. that come not to Christ. All
His substance is going to be devoted, forfeited, destroyed. Only by the grace of God does
a man come to Christ. Leave a man to himself and he
will not come. Salvation is of the Lord. Verse 9 says that all the men
of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem
within three days. It was the ninth month on the
twentieth day of the month, and all the people sat in the street
of the house of God trembling because of this matter and for
the great rain. Everyone showed up. I am going
to show you in just a minute, and with this I am going to have
to close. Everybody showed up, some out of fear of the Lord
and respect toward Him because of their disobedience. And some,
according to verse 15, I'll show you in a moment, came in their
rebellion, but they all showed up. We'll all stand. That text may indicate in verse
15 the standing against what God had purposed. And if this
be the case, here we see the tares among the wheat, but they
all showed up trembling. in verse 9, because of this matter
and for the great rain, because of the showers. The rain here
probably was a reminder of the great wickedness of their rebellion. Turn with me to 1 Samuel 12.
1 Samuel chapter 12, verse 16 to 19. Now, therefore, stand. 1 Samuel. Now therefore, stand and see
this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. Is
it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the Lord, and
He shall send thunder and rain that you may perceive and see
that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight
of the Lord in asking you a king." So Samuel called unto the Lord,
and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people
greatly feared. the Lord and Samuel, and all
the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the
Lord thy God that we die not, for we have added unto our sins
this evil to ask us a king." These showers back in Ezra were
extraordinary and probably, I say that because I do realize that
this is a book of great types, just like Song of Solomon, but
probably. A means of the chastening of
those that he loved, whom the Lord loves. He chastens, brings
them back. But in the midst of the people's
confession, they said this in verse 13, the people are many.
It's a time of much rain. We're not able to stand without,
neither is this a work of a day or two, for we're many. We've
transgressed in this thing. There was one that was used by
the Lord for their correction and their admonition. Verse 10
says, And Ezra the priest stood up and said unto them, Ye have
transgressed, and ye have taken strange wives, to increase the
trespass in Israel. Now therefore make confession
of the Lord God of your fathers, and do His pleasure, and separate
yourselves from the people of the land, from the strange wives. Here we see again our great High
Priest who ever liveth to make intercession. And then in closing,
those to whom God has shown mercy, they're justified before God. We just read verse 14 a moment
ago. It says, Now let our rulers of
all the congregations stand, and let all them that have taken
strange wives in our cities come in appointed times, and with
them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof until
the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us."
There was a realization that this matter demanded careful
scrutiny in its examination. And after the careful judgment
of every man's case, verse 17 says, And they made an end with
all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the
first month. And when our Lord laid down His life made sin for
us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him." Divine scrutiny. Let's examine this matter. That's what it says in verse
16. It says that the Lord Himself
saw the travail of His soul. Scrutiny was made. He was bruised
for our iniquities, all of them. And as they made an end with
all the men in Ezra chapter 10 verse 17, Christ, as I said a
moment ago, is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. He's the end of the law for us
as our attempting or as our trying to be justifying ourselves by
keeping the law. He's the end. He is the end of
the law in that the law who was our schoolmaster to bring us
to Christ brought us to Him. He revealed to us. So ends the
book of Ezra. A picture in ten chapters of
this life that we go through in the Lord God Himself showing
mercy to a people, calling them out, bringing them out, coming
back to Jerusalem to build a physical temple in this book, for we are
lively stones. He is building habitation, a
temple, God Himself revealing to us in the types of the struggles
that we go through in this life, but the mercy of Almighty God
that kept us and keeps us still kept by the power of God whose
salvation, grace, mercy, unto Him be honor and glory forever
and ever. Amen. Alright, Gary.