in the book of Ezra. We're going
to be in the book of Ezra chapter 9, and Brother Craig read my
text on purpose. Ezra chapter 9, and I'm only
going to be looking at that first verse this morning. I'm somewhat like Mike. We may
be here a while. I did not time Brother Craig
as he read that, but I listened to that very same passage through
my computer And it took just a little over two minutes to
read 419 words. That is the length of this prayer. And in fact, out of all the prayers
in scripture that are recorded, this is one of the longer prayers
that's recorded. Most of them are very, very short. And we're going to read a few
of those this morning. We are permitted in this passage
of scripture to overhear someone who never would have intended
to have his prayer listened to by anybody but by God. He was
not praying this prayer to be shown unto men or to be heard
by men. But we are so thankful, as oftentimes
we find in scripture, that we are permitted by the Holy Spirit
to overhear what this person said or what other people said
in their prayers. The Lord Jesus shares with us,
and we've mentioned this a number of times over in the book of
Matthew, it shares with us there, when you pray, don't be as, but
enter into your closet. Would you just turn over there
to the book of Matthew chapter 6 for this quick reading of God's
instructions through the Lord Jesus Christ with regard to our
prayers. Now there are often times we
find recorded in the Old Testament that there were outside prayers. Solomon has one of those at the
dedication of the temple and many, many people heard it. But
the outline of it is much like those that had no audience. Here in the book of Matthew chapter
6 and it shares beginning with verse 5 as the Lord instructs
concerning the three most valuable or valued, excuse me, the three
most valued areas of a person's life in religion. And he just
breaks it down and says these things are not to be shown off
but they are to be kept to yourself and they're between you and God.
But in this fifth verse it says, and when thou prayest, now the
Lord insinuating in that passage of scripture that God's people
are going to pray. It is a normal thing for God's
people to pray. It may be a normal thing for
God's people to pray only short prayers too, but we find that
oftentimes that is what it is. Here it tells us in the book
of Matthew chapter six and verse five, when you pray, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing
in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they
may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have
their reward. But thou, when thou prayest,
enter into thy closet. And I am convinced at the moment,
as we read this prayer of Ezra, that this for the moment was
his closet. because he entered into a truly
heart poured out soul before Almighty God on the behalf of
God's people there in Jerusalem and there in Judah. There were
some of those that had come back that had no idea what it was
to know this God personally, that God had never revealed the
truth to them and those are the guys that got most of the people
in trouble. But there were some that were caught up, as we found,
we hear read in the scriptures, beware, beware. Well, in verse
6 it says, but when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when
thou hast shut thy door. That just goes on to say that
this prayer is between you and God, and it is, generally speaking,
not for anybody else to hear. Pray to thy father, which is
in secret, and thy father, which is in secret, shall shall reward
thee openly. But when thou pray, use not vain
repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall
be heard for their much speaking." And then it goes on with some
more information, but we wanted to share that as we look at this
passage of scripture in Ezra chapter 9. Ezra raises the point
of who prayer is made to. Notice with me in verse 6 of
Ezra chapter 9, in verse 6 there, and he said, and said, now this
is after he come before the Lord, he's in his prayer closet, he
has shut the door, and yet there are people around him, and we're
here to listen to him pray. He says, and said, oh my God. Now he is sharing with us, as
every believer will share with us, that true prayer is to my
God. My Father which art in heaven
is that model prayer that the Lord shares with us. Now this
particular word God is Elohim, and it's found so often in the
Old Testament. It's a Hebrew word, and it's
found over 2,600 times. But it's interesting that this
particular word for God is found in Genesis chapter 1. That's
where we're introduced to this God. Would you hold your finger
here for just a moment and join me in Genesis chapter 1? For
in Genesis chapter 1 alone, this name is used 32 times. He is
intending for His people to understand where all power comes from and
where everything that ever happens spiritually is because of this
God because He holds all power in His hands. He is the God of
power. He is the Lord God Almighty. And we, by reading this, can
capture only just a small amount of what it was for God to say
what He said and to have come into this world what happened. I am just caught off guard because
I, in this condition that I'm in, due to the fall, have a hard
time grasping these words and grasping this power of God. We think of a strong wind. Just
recently, in fact, a wind came along and knocked a power, one
of these big power items over and powers out for a block around
our house. The wind did that. What? Oh,
that was really powerful. I cannot get around this great
monstrous redwood of the power of God. But notice here, in the
beginning, God, and that's the same name, that Ezra is addressing
there in Ezra chapter 9 and verse 6. Oh my God! He is sharing with us that the
God that did these very deeds is the God that he sees as his
own God. No doubt, like so many others,
he had other gods before somewhere, sometime, God brought to him
the glorious gospel of God's free grace in Christ Jesus, the
Messiah. Somewhere along the line, God
brought to him the message of grace, and it was because of
that that God worked in him to do what we have almost described
here in Genesis chapter 1. Our beginnings spiritually begin
with this God. We have no other beginnings.
We cannot go back to another place. We cannot go back to another
experience. We cannot go back anywhere, but
our spiritual beginning begins with this God. In the beginning,
God created. Out of nothing, and that's what
he does for his people. There's nothing that's in us
that he uses to produce that spiritual life that we know as
able to call upon him as the true and the living God, to call
upon him as my God. In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth. And in almost every verse found
in Genesis chapter 1, do we find this name mentioned, and in every
time it's mentioned, there is some powerful act that God has
performed that no one else can do. We cannot bring it to fruition. Here, I can't even get my mind
wrapped around it, not alone trying to bring it in my own
life. How careless we are. in our unsafe condition to think
that we can do what it took Elhim, my God, to do. In verse 2, the
earth was without form and void, and truly as we look at our life
before salvation, how it was out of kilter. how without form
and void it was, how unsound it was when it came to spiritual
things, how unsound it was in how to figure out how all of
this happened. We may have said, I believe in
creation, I believe in the creating God. But when it boiled down
to it, we didn't carry it any farther than the physical world.
And when it comes to spiritual things, it takes the same almighty
power it took for God to create the heavens and the earth as
it does to create new life in someone that is without form
and void. The earth was without form and
void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. How that speaks
of our own condition and the spirit of God. moved upon the
face of the waters. Somewhere along the line, the
Spirit of God moved on Ezra. Someone brought him the gospel.
It doesn't tell us who, that is not necessarily important.
But it is the what was brought to him. He had grown up. in Judaistic religion. He had
grown up with the thought about the temple and all of God's act
towards Israel throughout the Old Testament. And as so many
that grew up in that condition, they were trusting in that relationship,
physical relationship, that Israel had with God to take them over
to the spiritual relationship, and that's just not happening.
It takes an act of God. And then in verse 3 it says,
and God said, let there be light. Oh, that wonderful light that
God turns on and allows us to see the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. What glory that is. That's this
God. And that's this God that Ezra was praying to. Oh my God. As he could remember Genesis
chapter 1. as it was brought to his attention,
as it was brought to his thoughts, as it was brought to him, how
God acted in this great day of creation, and how by his wonderful
and marvelous grace, he created a place for humanity to be, and
he created it in such a manner that there was no fault in it.
In fact, God looked upon it and says, everything was good about
this. That's the work of God. Everything
God does is good. Everything that he does is good. There is no error with God. And then it tells us, and God
saw the light and it was good, and God divided the light from
the darkness. And God called the light day
and the darkness he called night. In the evening and the morning
were the first day. From there on through this chapter,
this name God is used every time there is something important,
valuable, powerful done. It's this God. This God that
we find over in Ezra chapter 9 and verse 6. Oh my God. This wonderful name. This one is all powerful. He can do all things. This one
is all-knowing. He knows all things. And this
one is always present. He is ever present with his people
and throughout wherever. That's another thing about God
I cannot comprehend. I can't be in two places at once.
And God is in everywhere at the same time. I cannot comprehend
all powerful because I grow weaker every day and I cannot comprehend
knowing all things because I find myself going into the living
room wondering why am I looking for the refrigerator here. He laughs, I believe he laughs
at this hymn that is so popular today. It's been popular for
a long time. While on others thou art calling,
do not pass me by. What a statement about the inability
of God being in all places at the same time. He's always taking
care of all His people, all the time, everywhere around the world. He is the one that is near them. He is their paraclete. He is
the one that walks beside them. He has all knowledge, all power,
and all presence with all His people, all the time. And that's
why Ezra could pray this prayer, knowing that he would be heard
by the Most High God. I am convinced If we have ever
prayed a prayer, it was prompted, it was pushed out of us by the
Holy Spirit. We cannot come up with the words.
We cannot come up with the thoughts. This prayer of Ezra's is a prayer
that the Holy Spirit gave him and gave him with great power. Once Ezra knows the one to pray
to, Almighty God, he is able to pray and his prayer is individually
inspired. We know that about this prayer
because it's in the Word of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God. This is an inspired prayer, and
I am convinced that if we have ever truly prayed, it was inspired
of God and ushered out of our heart by Almighty God into His
presence. We realize we don't know how
to pray as we ought, that's what the scriptures teach us. And
sometimes we simply go over, I have found myself, am I cheating?
Going over to the Psalms and saying, I wish I had prayed this.
Some of those Psalms are prayers, there's many prayers in the Psalms.
And sometimes I just go there and say, Lord, this is what I
wish I could say. And yet we find, turn with me
to the book of Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, and I'm
convinced that Ezra is dependent upon this as everything else
spiritual. And that is in Romans chapter
8 and verse 26. The scriptures share with us
the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God moved on the
deep. The Spirit of God moved on his people. The Spirit of
God continues to move in his people. Oh, never underestimate
the power of the Holy Spirit. He is also all-powerful. He is also all-able, all-knowing,
omniscient. He is one of the members of the
Godhead. Something I don't completely
understand is found in that word Elohim. It's not just a plural
plural. To make up that plurality, there
has to be three or more. That's what that word comes from. It's used a lot of times in the
Old Testament to talk about false gods, but when it's talking about
the God, it is capitalized, and it declares to us He is the Creator
God. He is all-powerful. There is
nothing lacking with this God. Well, there is the Father, and
there is the Son, and there is the Holy Spirit, declared in
the Scriptures as being one. three separate Manifestations
and ministries that they perform and this one tells us in the
book of Romans chapter 8 and there in verse 26 Likewise the
spirit also help us our infirmities and every believer says thank
you Lord when you fall Would you like someone to help you
get up? Well, I would if it wasn't so embarrassed and falling When The Spirit also helpeth
our infirmities. And Lord only knows how many
of those we have. For we know not what we should
pray for as we ought. And we've been there, haven't
we? I just don't know how to pray
about this. I don't know what to pray about this. And I'm sure
that that went through Ezra's mind as the news came to him
brought to him about the condition that was happening right there
in Jerusalem and right there in Judah at that time. He didn't
quite know what to say and it says he sat there astonished. In other words, he was silent
before God and then God gave him this wonderful prayer that's
recorded in Ezra chapter 9. Notice here with me again in
Romans chapter 8. And verse 26, we know not how
to pray. We know not what we should pray
for as we ought, but the spirit itself make an intercession for
us with groanings which cannot be uttered. They become divinely
inspired in his presence. He is the one that ushers the
motion. He's the one that ushers the
words from our heart. He's the one that presses us
to pray as we should. We don't have the words for it,
but thanks be to God that that helper that we have, the Holy
Spirit is the one that is able and it tells us we know not how
to pray as we should. There is a reality that every
believer has the idea that prayer is a satisfactory thing and that
God is well pleased when we pray. In fact, calls on us to pray,
to come before Him in prayer. Pray without ceasing. And then
I will give you the utterance to pray. Thank you Lord. Sometimes one of the Psalms becomes
my prayer. And as so many of the sheep of
God prayed in the recorded scripture, Ezra starts from the very beginning. I remember, you remember, we
read this often. The natural man's prayer is found
in Luke chapter 18 and verse 11, where a Pharisee went down
to the temple to pray and he prayed thusly to himself, God,
I thank thee that I'm not like other men. That's the natural
man's prayer. Now let's go back to the book
of Ezra and see what a believer prays. Oh my God, I know you as my God. You've revealed that to me, that
I belong to you. I am a sheep of your pasture.
You've loved me with an everlasting love. You came upon me when I
was not seeking you. You came upon me when I had no
interest in you. And by your free grace, by your
sovereign grace, you turned me so that I would be turned to
you. And as a result of that, he loved the word of God as he
tells us he was a ready scribe of the word of God. And he loved
his God, and he knew that this God was all-powerful, all-sovereign,
that he was all-knowing, and that he was ever-present, and
that there wasn't a moment in his spiritual life or physical
life that God was not acquainted with him. It says here in Ezra
chapter 9 and verse 6, Oh my God, I am. ashamed and blushed
to lift up my face to thee, my God." Ezra is like every other believer
when it comes to this great tragedy that took place in the Garden
of Eden by our first parents, by our first father. Adam when
he sinned. No believer will ever try to
get out from under that. All believers will deal with
this just as Ezra did, I'm in the mix. I'm part of this. Ezra, as far as we know, and
as far as he knows, never had done any of those things that
those other folks had done, and that was intermarrying with the
enemy. He had not done that from a physical standpoint, but everybody
has committed that from a spiritual standpoint. He was as guilty
as the Apostle Paul was when the Apostle Paul confesses, I
am the chiefest of sinners. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came to die for
sinners of whom I am chief. You know who could have also
said that? Ezra. And every believer will be right
in the mix too because we will not blame it on someone else. Our own is our own. We will not put it on someone
else. We will not. We cannot. Say, as the Pharisee did, I thank
you that I'm not like other men are. Isaiah, would you turn with me
to the book of Isaiah chapter 6? What a statement is found here
in Isaiah chapter 6. In the year, verse 1, the year
that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. Though I read a commentator
that said that probably Isaiah had great value and importance
in King Uzziah and it wasn't until he died that the Lord revealed
himself in such this capacity. I don't know, but I like what's
found here because that's the words of Ezra as he brings out
this very thought about what was going on in Jerusalem and
in Judah as he puts himself under the same cloud that he mentions
with regard to everyone else. Isaiah 6, and if you'd read with
me verse 5, then said I, woe is me, for I am undone. Isaiah says that. When he saw
the Lord, I lifted up. Isaiah says this. Woe is me. You know, to many people these
Isaiah and Jeremiah and Peter and James and John, they're a
notch above in Christianity above everyone else. Not according
to them. All we have to do is read their
words and we find out they're in the same group that we're
in. Sinners saved by grace. Same group. Isaiah says here,
then said I, woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips. You know, God did not even put in there, I live among a
people with unclean lips, therefore I have unclean lips. Notice what
it says, I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell among the people
of unclean lips. I'm in the same group. I am a man that descended from
Adam just like the rest of the folks did. I cannot blame anybody
else for what is happening here but myself. And we are all together. I'm reminded one more time of
those folks who came to the cities of refuge. Every one of them
knew why they were there. They were there because someone
was after them. I am a man of unclean lips and
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have
seen the Lord, the Lord of hosts. Oh my goodness. Isaiah got to
see somebody. He got to see the God that Ezra
addressed. He got to see the God that created
the heavens and the earth. He got to see the God that created
light. The God that moved upon the face
of the waters. The God that does all things
after the counsel of His own will. That's how people are saved. After the counsel of His own
will. He performs it according to the counsel of his own will.
And then it tells us there in Ezra, I saw the king. The king. What did we have in
verse 1? The king Uzziah. Now, I saw the
king. I saw the real authority. I saw the real powerful one. I saw the one that created heavens
and earth. I saw him. And then it goes on
to tell us that he declares the Lord of hosts. and we've mentioned
in the past in several messages and several lessons, the Lord
of Hosts. There is one passage of scripture
in the Book of Daniel that probably does a definition to that, that
we find everywhere else, but it's so succinct there. When
Nebuchadnezzar came to his right mind, he said, he rules in the
armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and
none can stay his hand or say, what doest thou? That's the Lord
of Hosts. He rules in his armies, heaven
and earth. Ezra is with the host of the
folks and they are all sinners. You know, there was a lot of
consternation mentioned in the time of the Lord Jesus Christ
because it says there that he went and ate with publicans and sinners. He had an affinity with sinners. Well, the Lord Jesus sums this
up in Mark chapter 2. Would you join me there? Mark
chapter 2 and verse 17. In Mark chapter 2 and verse 17,
the Lord Jesus sums the whole thing up. It's a great thing
We find in scripture it's a great thing to be in the group of sinners. That's a wonderful place to find
ourself. Because of what the Lord has
to say a number of times in scripture. In the book of Mark chapter 2,
and there in verse 17 it says, and when Jesus heard it, he saith
unto them, they that are whole have no need of a physician.
He puts it into our kind of life. I don't go to the doctor when
I'm not sick. I remember being up at emergency
room one time, visiting someone that was in there, and there
was a young lady that Nancy and I both had had as a student,
and she was there in the emergency room because of hay fever. I thought to myself, that's not
where I'm going to be when I have hay fever. They that are whole have no need
of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It's a wonderful
place to find ourselves in the group that Jesus Christ died
for, and every one of them is sinners. Those who are righteous
in themselves, oh yeah, yeah, I've committed some bad things
in my life, but I never committed them bad enough to deserve what
I hear about in the Bible, bad people go to. That rich man that
lifted up his eyes being in torment. I just don't deserve that. Well,
I've never met a believer yet that wouldn't say, I deserve
that but I'm thankful for grace. I deserve that but I'm thankful
for mercy. I deserve that but I'm thankful
for the God of heaven that saved me out of the pit. Many publicans
and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples, is
what we find in the scriptures. This man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them, is the attitude that religious people had about
the Lord Jesus Christ. While we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. And as I mentioned already, the
Apostle Paul said that it's a faithful scene and worthy of all acceptation
that Jesus Christ came to die for sinners of whom I am chief.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, all of those Old Testament writers,
those used of God to give us this wonderful book we call the
Bible and all the prayers that are in there and all the spiritual
activity of Almighty God as He declared it through these prophets,
every one of them would attest to the fact That they were sinners
before God and He saved them, called them out of darkness to
His marvelous light, and brought them to the knowledge that God
is God and beside Him there is none else. That He truly is the
Savior. Would you look with me in the
book of Matthew chapter 8. In Matthew chapter 8, there's
a wonderful prayer recorded. I didn't count this, I let someone
else do it for me, but in this prayer there's nine words. Ezra's
prayer is 461 words long or 490, I didn't count that either, I
let someone else do it. But here in the book of Matthew, chapter
eight, Matthew chapter eight and verse two, here is a leper. Leprosy was a terrible disease
and so often it is associated with our very nature. that were sinners in the fall
and altogether sinners. Not one part was left out. I
remember reading about one of those Greek or Roman gods who
his mother said she wanted to make him so he's protected so
she dipped him down into some water or something but she didn't
get his ankle. He was covered by everything
but the ankle and he got shot in the ankle and he died. You
know, we don't even have the ankle that's out altogether. But here in the book of Matthew,
chapter 8, verse 2, and behold, there came a leper and worshipped
him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst cleanse me. What a
prayer, nine words long. Turn with me to verse 25 of that
same chapter. The disciples are out on the
sea with the Lord Jesus and He's down in the hole of the boat
asleep. And notice this prayer, five words long. Matthew chapter
8 and verse 25. And His disciples came to Him
and woke Him saying, Lord save us. We perish. What a prayer. Succinct, right
to the point. Matthew chapter 9, would you
look there with me in Matthew chapter 9 and verse 27. As we
continue through Ezra and look at those words that are there,
Matthew chapter 9 and verse 27, the scripture says, and when
Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying and
saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. eight words, and
probably the greatest prayer of all the scriptures is found
in John chapter 17. John chapter 17, 638 words in
this prayer, the Lord Jesus prayed on the behalf of the church.
I'm not going to read it all, but let's just begin that John
chapter 17 for just a moment, and with this we'll close. as
we consider the prayer of Ezra. John chapter 17, these words
spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father,
the hour has come, glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify
thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. And then there's 500 and some
odd words left. Oh, my friends. To pray as Ezra
prayed. Oh, my God. I'm in the muddle with everyone
else. Brother Mike.