That's one song that you just
can't over sing. You can't over read the scripture
and you can't over sing that song. All right, turn with me if you
would to Ezra chapter four now. Ezra chapter 4. Let's read this
story and see what happened. Let's just understand the account
that took place. And then I want us to see a spiritual
truth in this that is very clearly set forth. And then I would like
for us to see a physical application that I pray will bring much comfort
and much peace to our hearts, okay? Let's backtrack just a
little bit and begin reading in chapter three. Israel has
been brought out of captivity, and they have, according to the
commandment of God, taken in hand the work of rebuilding Jerusalem. And especially, first and foremost,
the temple in Jerusalem, God's temple. And it says in chapter
three, verse nine, then stood Jeshua with his sons and his
brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah together to
set forward the workmen in the house of God, the sons of Hinnadad
with their sons and their brethren, the Levites. And when the builders
laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, They set the priests
in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of
Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord after the ordinance
of David, king of Israel. And they sang together by course
in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, because he is
good, for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all
the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord,
because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But
many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who
were ancient men that had seen the first house, when the foundation
of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud
voice, and many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could
not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of
the weeping of the people. For the people shouted with a
loud shout, And the noise was heard afar off. That still gets
me when I read that. It's just precious to me. Now,
chapter four, verse one, it says, now when the adversaries of Judah
and Benjamin, the adversaries, those who were not with Israel, those who worshiped and bowed
before another God, which there is not another God. But when
those who were the enemies of the true and living God, verse
one says, when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that
the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord
God of Israel, then they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief
of the fathers and said unto them, let us build with you,
for we seek your God as you do. And we do sacrifice unto him
since the days of Asarhaddon, king of Assur, which brought
us up hither." They said, we're all worshiping the same God.
That's what they came to him and said, we're all worshiping
the same God. You know, the God who can't save you unless you
let him. You know who I'm talking about.
Same God, the God who didn't finish the work and needs your
help. You know the God who died for
everybody and wants everybody to be saved but the devil just
keeps messing it up and man just keeps messing it up. You know
the God who has put the offer of salvation out there if you
will accept it. We worship the same God. We'll help you build this thing.
We'll just all come together and we'll sacrifice to the weak,
impotent, unsuccessful God. Verse two. Then they came to
Zerubbabel and to the chief of the fathers and said unto them,
let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do. And
we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon, king
of Asser, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua
and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said unto
them, you have nothing to do with us to build and house unto
our God. But we ourselves together will
build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus, who represents
the Lord Jesus Christ. As King Cyrus, the king of Persia,
has commanded us. They said, we're going to take
a stand for the glory and for the ability and for the honor
of the true and living God. Verse four, then the people of
the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled
them in building. They didn't like hearing that.
They didn't like that at all. Verse 5, And they hired counselors
against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus
king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign,
wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah
in Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes
wrote Bishlam, Mithridath, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions
unto Artaxerxes, king of Persia. And the writing of the letter
was written in the Syrian tongue and interpreted in the Syrian
tongue. Rehom, the chancellor in Shimshah,
the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes, the
king in this sort. Then wrote Rehum, the chancellor,
and Shemshi, the scribe, and the rest of their companions,
the Dinaites, and the Apharsithokites, and the Tarpilites, and the Apharsites,
and the Archivites, and the Babylonians, and the Seussinkites, and the
Dehavites, and the Elamites. and the rest of the nations whom
the great and noble Asnapar brought over and set in the cities of
Samaria and the rest that are on this side of the river. And
at such a time, this is the copy of the letter that they sent
unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king." All of these people
got together and wrote a letter to the king against Jerusalem. They said, you're not going to
build with us. We have nothing to do with you.
And they didn't like that, and so they wrote a letter to the
king. This is the letter they wrote, the middle of verse 11.
Thy servants, the men on this side of the river, and at such
a time, be it known unto the king that the Jews, which came
up from thee to us, are come unto Jerusalem, building the
rebellious and the bad city, and have set up walls thereof,
and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king
that if this city be builded and the walls set up again, then
will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt
endamage the revenue of the kings." They said, we know they're not
going to pay us. Verse 14, now because we have maintenance from
the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's
dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified the king. That
search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers,
so shalt thou find in the book of the records and know that
this city is a rebellious city, hurtful unto kings and provinces
and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time for
which cause this city was destroyed." They said you don't have to take
our word for it. Check the record. It's on record. It's the whole reason this city
was destroyed in the first place. Verse 16, we certify the king
that if this city be built again, and the walls thereof set up,
by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side of the
river. Then sent the king an answer unto Rehom the chancellor,
and to Shemshi the scribe, and to the rest of their companions
that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river. This
was the king's response, peace. And at such a time, The letter
which you sent unto us hath been plainly read before me, and I
commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this
city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion
and sedition have been made therein. There have been mighty kings
also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond
the river, and toll, tribute, and custom was paid unto them.
Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease and that this
city be not builded until another commandment shall be given from
me. Take heed now that you fail not
to do this, why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Now, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehom
and Shemshi the scribe and their companions, they went up in haste
to Jerusalem unto the Jews and made them to cease by force and
power. Then ceased the work of the house
of God, which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second
year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia. Do we understand
what's going on? This is the spiritual significance
of this conflict. Spiritually speaking, it all
comes down to works and grace. All right, here's the problem.
Works and grace, you can't mix the two. You cannot mix the two. The idol worshipers of works
came to the children of grace and they said, let's just mix
all this together. It happens all the time. It happens
all the time. Let's just mix all this together.
We're all working for the same end goal anyway. If you look
at verse two again, it said, Then they came to Zerubbabel
and to the chief of the fathers and said unto them, let us build
with you. That's what sinful man says to
God. Let us build with you. Let's make this a cooperative
effort. But God's holiness and God's
justice and God's word, God's gospel, And God's true men who
preach his gospel cry, absolutely not. Absolutely not. We are not going to mix works
and grace. We're not going to do it. We're
not going to do it because you can't mix works and grace. Either it's works or it's grace. Either it costs something or
it's free. Either we're saved through the
ordinance of the law or we're saved through the blood of Jesus
Christ. But it's one or the other. You
cannot mix the two. You cannot. This is what the
promises of God in His grace, His free, His sovereign grace.
This is what God's promises cry to the works of man's flesh.
Verse 3, but Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the chief of
the fathers of Israel said unto them, you have nothing to do
with us to build and house unto our God. Zerubbabel and Joshua,
their names mean sown in sin and he shall save. And they said,
you have nothing to do with us to build and house unto our God. But we ourselves together will
build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the King of Persia
hath commanded us. Cyrus represents the Lord Jesus
Christ as he has commanded. That's how it's gonna be. By grace are you saved. Through faith and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man
should boast, period. It is God which worketh in you,
both to will and do of his good pleasure, period. Not by works
of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
he saved us, period. That's not a cooperative effort.
It is not a cooperative effort. The purpose and the will of God
and the blood and the work of Christ cry to sinful man and
to his sinful attempts at keeping the law. This is what they cry.
You have no business working with us. No business. You cannot take part in the building
of our house. That's what God in all of his
work and all of his glory cries. Father, Son, and Spirit, they
said, we ourselves together will build the house. We will build
the house. Hold your place right there and
turn with me to Psalm 127. Psalm 127 verse 1 says, except
the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up
early. to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so
he giveth his beloved sleep." What that means is, it's God's
grace alone. Without one work from man. It cannot be mixed in. It just cannot. Hebrews 11 says,
all of God's people are looking for a city which hath foundations,
whose builder And maker is God. That means grace alone. Grace
alone. When the final headstone of the
temple was being laid, it says that Zerubbabel was shouting,
as it was being laid, he was shouting, grace, grace. Grace, all capped with grace. It's grace alone. All right, now, for every soul
that God the Father, Son, and Spirit has built up in grace,
built up with grace, by grace, as Ephesians 2 says at the end
of that chapter, it says, built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in
whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy
temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together for a
habitation of God through the Spirit. For every soul that God
has accomplished that work for, this is what that soul can expect
to endure as a result of God's grace, all right? For every soul
that he's done that for, this is what that soul needs to expect.
Go with me back to Ezra chapter four. After this stand for grace was
made, verse four says, then the people of the land weakened
the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose
all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even until the reign
of Darius, king of Persia." And again, Cyrus represents the Lord
Jesus Christ. All the days of Cyrus. Our Lord
said, if they persecuted me, they're going to persecute you.
Being a child of God is, we're not promised easy street. We
need to honestly enter into that. He said, if they persecuted me,
they're gonna persecute you. He said, they hated me. Expect
the world of false religion to hate you also. For the truth's sake, enemies
of the truth, for Christ's sake, for his glory's sake, He said,
count on it, in the world you shall have tribulation. But he
said, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. I've overcome the world, though
everything may be against us. The letter of the law is against
us. Our own conscience for breaking
the law is against us. Everything is against us. This
is what the law has to say about us, all right? This is what the
law declares us to be. Look at verse 11. This is the
copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even to Artaxerxes
the king. Thy servants, the men on this
side of the river, and at such a time be it known unto the king
that the Jews which came up from thee to us are coming to Jerusalem,
building the rebellious and the bad city. and have set up the
walls thereof and joined the foundations, be it known now
unto the king that if this city be built and the walls set up
again, they will not pay toll, tribute, and custom. So shalt
thou endamage the revenue of the kings. Search the record,
they said. They're a wicked people. They
are a wicked people. That's what the law has to say
to us. They are nothing but rebels. That's the record against us.
They cannot pay their debt, and even if they could, they wouldn't.
They wouldn't pay. Verse 18, the letter which you
sent unto us hath been plainly read before me, and I commanded
in search hath been made, and it is found that this city of
old time hath made insurrection against kings. and that rebellion
and sedition have been made therein. There have been mighty kings
also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond
the river, and toll, tribute, and custom was paid to them.
Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, that this
city be not builded until another commandment shall be given from
me." Yep, it's official, they're sinners. We searched the record. and they are sinners, and you
tell them to stop, you tell them they can't build the city. Tell every one of them, you cannot
build the city. That's what the law of Christ.
Cannot, may not, because of your sin. Verse 24 says, then ceased
the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem, So it
ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, king of
Persia. The name Darius means Lord. Everything ceased until the Lord. That means but God, that's what
it means. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins. You walked according to the course
of this world, in the lust of the flesh, the children of wrath,
even as others, but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, quickened
us together with the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. By grace,
you are saved. By grace, you are. Now, more
opposition comes. We're gonna see that as we go
through the book. More opposition comes. But I
want us to enter into a physical application. This is a physical
truth for us now, today. I believe this will bring great
comfort to us. And I believe this will help us and bring peace
to us. when those who oppose the gospel and oppose the ministry
of the gospel and the glory of God, when they bring persecution
our way. Turn with me if you would to
Zechariah chapter four, that's the second to the last book in
the Old Testament. Zechariah 4 verse 6, Then he answered and spake unto
me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel,
saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith
the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, thou shalt
become a plain. And he shall bring forth the
headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, Grace unto it. The Lord said, He started the
work. He is going to finish the work.
Who do you think Zerubbabel represents? God said, This is going to be
built. I said, Build it. It is going to be built. My work,
whatever I have purpose to do, it's going to be done. If I am
for you, nobody can be against you. All right? Now, they had
hindrances in the work, and the hindrances kept coming. But the
Lord's promise is, if I am for you, Nobody can be against you. He said, who are you mountain?
Standing before Zerubbabel. Oh man, how are we gonna move
that mountain? He said, you're gonna be a plane. I'm gonna knock
it down. He said, you remember this is
not by might. It is not by power. It is by
my spirit. Everything that is gonna happen
concerning my people is by my Spirit. And in all of this opposition,
they may mean it for evil, I mean it for good. Every time. My hand cannot be stopped. I will work and who shall let
it? Everything they do, is according
to what I have predetermined to be done. Everything, that's
how it was on the cross of Calvary. That's how it is in every circumstance. The Lord purposed for his heel
to be bruised and for the adversary's head to be crushed. It was all
predetermined and it's gonna be that way with everything that
involves his people, his ministry, His gospel, His glory for all
of eternity. All of our days here and all
of eternity. They threw Paul in prison. Here Paul is in the
work of the ministry. These Israelites were in the
work of the ministry. And they're doing everything
they can do to stop them and stop them and stop them. Paul
is out preaching the gospel. They throw him in prison. This
is what he said. That was for the furtherance of the gospel.
They thought they had stopped him. All they did was gave him
the time he needed to start writing letters to the churches. How
has the gospel spread through the letters to the churches?
All things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are called according to his purpose. All things are
in his hands. And all things will redound to
His glory. All things. The end of verse
seven right here says, grace, grace unto it. That's what it's
gonna be. If it's from God, it's gonna
be grace, grace unto it. Grace from Him. Grace to Him. Blessing to Him. His work, His
glory, it's all unto Him. All right, let's all stand together.