Chapter 9 and 10. I'd like to read a couple of verses
in each of those chapters. To preface it though, I brought
with me a show and tell. I have a very old Leopold and
Stevens compass that I keep in my office. I don't know what
it's worth and I don't know what it cost to begin with but it
probably was pretty expensive at the time that it was made.
But it was a liar from the beginning. It never has ever given good
report. And I say that because every
compass points to magnetic north and never to true north. In our area, right here in the
Dalles, true north and magnetic north are 14 degrees plus off. That's a lot. In Boise, it's
13 degrees off, and in New Orleans, it is one degree off, and in
London, it's only 18 minutes off, but it is always off. It will point to magnetic north
and never to true north. So if you're really serious about
finding true north, you have to add that angle of declination
and that will direct you. But you have to do it. The compass
won't do it for you. Now I've said all of that to
say what we're going to say today as we look into the book of Ezra
chapter 9 and chapter 10. We as human beings never ever
will go to true north. We will never ever go to Christ. We might be really close but
we're gonna be off because we have a great angle of declination
by nature and we must be worked on to face true north. We must be drawn and we're gonna
be studying in this passage of scripture about Ezra's prayer.
Ezra's prayer is brought up here and Ezra is caused to pray because
of some great things that had gone on there in Jerusalem and
in Judah. It was brought to him at a time
just after he had arrived from Babylon. He's glad to be home. He's in that second group that
comes and he is so thankful that he has been chosen of God to
go to Jerusalem. Just as every believer in Christ
Jesus is thankful for God working in us both to will and to do
of his good pleasure, which we could not do on our own. We don't
have the impetus to do that. Well, the problem is brought
to Ezra and instead of walking off in a fit or throwing up his
arms and saying, what's the use? He does what God's prophet did,
he prayed. Now, he was sometime in shock
about what news had been brought to him. When that was over, as
we looked last week, He spread out his hands before the Lord,
got on his knees and spread out his hands, and we looked at that
subject of open hands before God. Now, I wish I had gone one
step further and said that when the Lord's hands were nailed
to that cross, He didn't go with Clint's fists. He went submissive
to the requirements that the Word of God had laid out, and
he opened up his hands for that. His palms were graven with the
names of his people, and he opened up willingly, accepting the judgment
of God to pay for their sin. Well, in this passage of Scripture,
we find out in Ezra chapter Chapter 9 there in verse 5 Ezra chapter
9 in verse 5 and at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my
heaviness and having rent my Mantle my garment in my mantle
I fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord my
God now beginning with verse 6 and all the way through the
rest of that chapter is Ezra's prayer and we'll be looking at
that verse by verse and in the future but I want to jump ahead
to one verse in Ezra chapter 10 and verse 1. It is important
we know what Ezra was doing with that. It is important for us
to know what Ezra was doing when he came before the Lord with
those words that are recorded there. Prayer is not for show. Ezra never intended for that
and yet we find out that the Lord was pleased to have that
prayer recorded for us. in Ezra chapter 10 and verse
1, now when Ezra had prayed, when Ezra had prayed, we know
that this was true prayer because God declared it in his word that
Ezra had prayed. Now I could ask probably everyone
that has ever lived in this world have you prayed and almost everyone
would say, yes, at one time I did. I had a very dear friend when
I was going to college down in Klamath Falls in 1968, that was
in World War I. I enjoyed visiting with him a
great deal. He was an old man, but he told
me of his one prayer in his life, and that was he was in the thick
of it in France, and he was in a foxhole, and his prayer was,
Lord, if you ever get me out of this, I'll never bother you
again. And he told me he never had. But I know he prayed at
one time. He prayed. He went through that
motion of praying at least. Almost everyone that has ever
lived upon this earth has had some time when they use words
toward some God. But we know here that Ezra truly
had prayed. Now I have to ask this question.
What is prayer? Ezra did it we have the record
of it, and we have the words of it, and we'll examine it as
we go time permits Verse 6 through the verse 15 of chapter 9 is
his prayer But in chapter 10 and verse 1 God tells us that
he prayed now I have to look at Ezra as any other person that
has ever lived upon the face of the earth, and we heard about
it in our lesson this morning about the consequences of the
fall, and that it has affected everyone. I brought this compass
up here this morning because someone built it down in Beaverton,
Oregon many years ago. When I was a kid, I was given
one about this big around, probably cost a quarter. It was given
to me for Christmas, and I was fascinated by it because that
needle always moved or stayed put on one place. I thought it
was pointing to the truth, and then I found out it couldn't. It doesn't have the capacity
to point to the truth. And left to himself, Ezra would
never have had the capacity to have these words written about
him, Ezra prayed. Because true prayer is between
someone God has worked on so they can face true north, to
face Christ. They have a relationship with
the Christ of God, the Savior of that person, and God. And in order to have true prayer,
we must be worked upon by God Almighty in order for us to turn
to the person who we need to pray to. All the rest of the
time, we're on an angle of declination. We're on an angle that never,
and you know the mysterious thing about Magnetic North from where
we are right here? It changes every year. It's just like someone else comes
along and says, we got this for you. We say, well, that sounds
great. We don't even realize that we're
on an angle of declination. We cannot point to true north. We have to figure it in and place
it in the compass, and then we can head north. Someone has to
act on it outside of its own capability. Ezra uses a thought here, it's
used here, this Hebrew word found here in Ezra chapter 10 and verse
9. It means to intervene, to interpose,
to entreat, to make supplication. Now this word is used a number
of times in one of my favorite Old Testament books. Someday
we'll go through it. And that is the book of 1 Samuel.
Would you turn with me to the book of 1 Samuel for just a moment?
There is a dear, dear, dear mother in Israel. A dear, dear saint. Someone she admits herself that
God had to work on her. That God had to deal in her life.
He had to straighten her from magnetic north to true north.
He had to bring her around. And it tells us here in the book
of 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel, and it's in chapter one and chapter two.
So we'd like to read four or five verses in these two chapters. In 1 Samuel chapter one and verse
10, the same word is used that we have read here with regard
to Ezra in Ezra chapter 10 and verse one. And we have what he
had to say translated for us there in Ezra chapter nine. But
in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 1, it tells us here in verse
10, Ezra chapter 1 and verse 10, Hannah is her name. She is a saint. I mean a true
saint. She's a born-again believer in
Christ Jesus. She knows something that's been
revealed to her. She has some understanding that
she can go to Jehovah God. She can approach Jehovah. She
can approach God. She can approach the throne of
grace boldly because of what God has done for her. Somewhere
along the line, she heard the gospel of God's grace in Christ
Jesus or in the Messiah. They didn't know him as Jesus
at that time, but they did know him as the Messiah, as Christ.
They knew him as the God of heaven, and God revealed himself to people
in the Messiah. We know him as the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Messiah. Well, here in 1 Samuel 1 and
verse 10, it tells us, and she was in bitterness of soul, and
prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. Now that word LORD there,
we notice it's all caps, and that's Jehovah. She prayed unto
Jehovah. Nobody will pray to Jehovah without
God, first of all, working on them. We will pray to a little
J-O-H-V, however you spell Jehovah. I'm going to say a little L-O-R-D. We'll pray to him, but it's an
angle of declination. We just can't get directed to
the right one unless he has moved that in us. He has drawn us to
worship the true and the living God, and that only can happen
in the new birth. We will only recognize God. That's why there's a great difficulty,
a great gulf between religion and Christ. That is why there
is a great difficulty that people have with this word. When God
reveals the word of God to people, reveals Christ, the word of God
is not a problem. Before then it is a great difficulty. We can't face the scriptures
as they come out, as they're written, because our line of
declination doesn't head in that direction. We'll take anything
else but. It tells us here with regard
to Hannah there in 1st Samuel 1 and verse 10, and she was in
bitterness of soul and prayed unto Jehovah and wept sore. This is heart communication between
one of God's children and God. That is true prayer and that
can only happen after God has moved us from magnetic and a
facsimile, a representation unto the truth that is found in the
gospel. All right, in 1 Samuel again,
we have this dear sister, verse 12 of that same chapter, it says,
And it came to pass as she continued praying before the Lord that
Eli marked her mouth. Now, Eli was the prophet, and
Eli was the pastor, and Eli was the preacher. And he noticed
something about her, and he accused her of something that wasn't
true. He accused her of being drunk in church. And she says,
no, no, no, Lord. No, no. And it tells us there
in 1 Samuel chapter 1 and verse 26. She said, ''Oh, my Lord, as thy
soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here
praying unto the Lord.'' She comes back and she's, ''Oh, I
was here praying.'' Now, we know the Bible teaches this, that
prayer is not a place. Do you remember going to prayer
meeting and you're asked to get down on your knees? to show a
little humility before God, and it showed false humility before
God. It's not a position. It's not
a place. It's not words. Because Hannah
shares with us, as we're going to read with regard to Ezra,
that this was from the heart. Oh, to get over that the vocal
cords are the organ of prayer. The heart is the organ of prayer,
and only a heart that has been regenerated, only one that's
been raised from the dead has the ability of actually praying
to God, having communication with their Father. As we read
there this morning, I heard read in the book of Luke there, Our
Father, say this, that word say doesn't say just repeat this
and you'll be okay. It means along this line, here's
a pattern, yes, but everyone that truly prays as Ezra is an
example and as Hannah is an example, recognizes the fact that all
of their spiritual life is dependent upon the Father. He's the one that brought the
word. He's the one that brought the
seed. He's the responsible one for
our birth. He's the one that causes us to
see ourselves as we are, and we see that after he has brought
us life. Nobody that is dead can say a
word to God with the heart, because the heart is deceitful above
all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? There's no response. from someone that is just religious
to God. There's no feeling towards God.
There's no heartfelt communication with God. There's nothing there
because we're at least 14 degrees off and we'll never be there
right until he changes us. In 1 Samuel 1 and verse 27, the
scriptures share this. For this child I prayed, and
the Lord hath given me my petition, which I ask of him." What a confession
she says here. The Lord has given me this child. Well, every believer recognizes
that any part that God has ever given us, whether physically
or spiritually, is because of the Father. God works in his
people to both will and to do of his good pleasure, and they
all are from God. We recognize that he is the father
of spiritual blessings, but he's also the one that sets over us
every physical blessing that we have. God is a great God,
and he deals with great sinners, even as Hannah here, and then
it tells us, in 1st Samuel chapter 2 and verse 1, and Hannah prayed
and said, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, my horn is exalted
in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice
in thy salvation. What a confession she makes here
with regard to how she can pray in the previous chapter. I rejoice
in my salvation. I rejoice in Jehovah, my Savior."
That's the truth about where true prayer comes from, true
communication with God comes from. Remember what Jonah said
in that great vicious belly? Jonah prayed unto the Lord his
God out of the fish's belly. Jonah chapter two and verse one.
Jonah prayed unto the Lord Jehovah his God. He had some inkling,
understanding of who must be prayed to. And the only people
that could actually offer that prayer is the one who had Jehovah
as their God. And that only comes in regeneration. True prayers between a person
that knows the only true God and the true God. In Hebrews
chapter 11, would you join me over there as we think about
Ezra prayed. Over here in the book of Hebrews,
we find some truth about the matter when it comes to anything
spiritual. And particularly as we talk about
the subject this morning, a prayer. In Hebrews chapter 11 and verse
6, it talks about faith. In Hebrews chapter 6 and verse
11, it says, but without faith. Hebrews 11, verse 6, but without
faith, it is impossible. Why? Because we're at least 14 degrees
off. We might live in New Orleans,
and they're just about 60 or 50 minutes off, which is a fraction
of a degree. But you know what? Still off.
I might find myself in a sovereign grace church. I know a number
of people that have been in sovereign grace churches and at this very
moment are preaching a lie. It made no difference. I appreciate
what Brother Henry said one time. He said, the first generation
knows God, the second generation knows the doctrine, and the third
generation knows nothing. Well, if it isn't for God's grace,
that's where we end up. I'm thankful. I had a pastor
tell me one time, if this certain religion had people through the
age 12, they were that for the rest of their life. And you know
I believed it until I was saved. Then I found out it doesn't matter,
God's going to get his sheep out of any corral he finds them. It doesn't matter what religion
they've been raised up in. By God's grace, we're washed
in the blood of the lamb and given a right respect towards
the true and the living God, and he brings us out of that
mess. Doesn't matter how long we spend
in it. I was in it for 35 years, 34
years, and I'm thankful that God saw fit in His grace to bring
me out and point me to Christ. Because it wasn't there. It was
about 90 degrees off. No, it was 180 degrees off. The line of declination there
was a terrible place. Well, in Hebrews chapter 11 and
verse 6, it says, but without faith it is impossible to please
him. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. Now, how do we know about who
he is? The stars don't tell us even
though it declares the glory of God. The preacher can't tell
us even though he may know the truth. The Bible class teacher
can't do it. Our parents can't do it. How
do we know that he is? It's only as the word of God
is revealed to his people. That's why this is so important
to us. The word of God. The disciple
said, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal
life. Where will we go? We can't leave
you. It's impossible to be taken away
from you because you have the words of eternal life. So how
do we know that he is? He that cometh to him must believe
that he is. How do we know that? because
he reveals it to his people that he is God and that he has all
of the attributes that the Bible declares about him. We will not
argue about his attributes. We will thank him for them. I
am thankful for his eternality. We can't go back there far enough,
and we can't go ahead far enough, but God's people are thankful
that He is an eternal God. We're thankful that He's a holy
God. We're thankful that He's a sovereign
God. We're thankful that He's a saving God. We're thankful
that He has done all that He said He would do. He is a truthful
God. And that only comes as he reveals
himself to us as he did to Ezra, as he did to Hannah, and as he
does to every believer. And all of his lost sheep sometime
will come to the fact that they believe that he is because it's
been revealed to him. And when we read through the
book of Ezra, or the book of Genesis, or the book of Romans,
we will be in compliance. but because he's taken the angle
of declination out of our religion and pointed us wholly upon him. What did Paul say? I press towards
the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. In other words,
we have to put in there, all that the Father giveth me shall
come unto me, and he that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast
out. He draws us to him. Boy, you know, some compasses,
you can set up the angle of declination. You adjust it. The magnet never
will. The compass never will. But we
can. And thank God, he takes us and
moves us to Christ. He moves us to Christ. He sets
our angle of declination to zero. Now, left to ourself, we'd go
right back where we were. But he said, I give unto them
eternal life. The one coming must not barely
believe his existence or just slightly believe his eternality. or just slightly believe in his
holiness, or just slightly believe in his sovereignty, or slightly
believe in his ability to save his people from their sin, but
they are convinced wholeheartedly on those things. Ezra could pray
because he wholeheartedly believed that God had called him to the
throne of grace boldly to lay out his petition. Hannah did
the same thing. So then, faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. How can we believe that he is?
Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6, for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him. Now it's not a reward that we came. You know, we woke up one morning
and decided to come to Jesus. That's not what he's saying.
He's saying, all that the Father giveth me shall come unto me,
and he that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. All that
the Father giveth me. In Hebrews chapter 3, would you
back up there with me for just a moment? Hebrews chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 18, to
whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest. There were many that prayed in
the Old Testament and most of the time their prayer was directed
to Moses. Lord, Moses, please appear before
God for us because we have sinned. And what they're really saying
is, we got caught, so would you help us out? Well, as it says
here in Hebrews 3, verse 18, it says, but to whom swear he
that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believe
not. What are they? They're still
on the angle of declination. Their compass just can't read
it. It can't swing around. It can't
be made in their own person to do this. So they must be acted
upon by Almighty God. In Hebrews chapter 4, verse 2,
it says, for unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto
them. But the word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith to them that heard
it. Three, for we which have believed
do enter into rest as he said. Now, what does that mean? Have entered into rest. Well, Hannah summed it up when
she said, he is my savior. I've entered into rest. I quit
working. The works are over. Ezra could say that because he
prayed. He must have necessity had this very act upon him. The gospel was preached unto
them. in the Old Testament, just like
it is unto us. But say of the scriptures, Abraham
believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. And
what did Abraham do, share with those men as he's headed up to
Mount Moriah with his son, with some fire and some wood? Because God said, go up there
to the mount and offer up your son. Why did he do that? Not why God did it, because he's
sovereign. Why did Abraham do it? because he believed God. And it tells us over there, he
told those young men, we are going up to worship. Worship, prayer are tied together
in one thing. And that is in the person Christ
Jesus. He that believeth on him is not
condemned. He that believeth not is condemned
already. Abraham trusted God's word. Therefore, he could go up on
the mountain and go through the form of offering his own son
because he told those young men, he says, we will be back. Why? Because God showed him that. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but
is passed from death unto life. John chapter 5 and verse 24. John chapter 6 and verse 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. Oh, to grab a hold of that, to
be shown that means that we have had our angle of declination
corrected. To actually believe that the
flesh profiteth nothing. No, there was nothing between
God and Ezra or God and Hannah or any of God's children that
would offend God because all had been taken care of by Almighty
God at the cross in the blood of Jesus Christ the Lord and
therefore they could come and say, our Father who art in heaven,
holy is your name. and lay out the petition that
they did recorded in Ezra chapter 9 verse 6 through 15 or in 1
Samuel chapter 1 and 2 by Hannah. I come before you honestly, I
come before you knowing that you are Jehovah my God, my Savior. I come to you knowing that all
things work together for the good of them that love God to
those who are called according to his purpose. I come to you
knowing that you will do your perfect everlasting eternal will
and please make me conform to it. Prayer never has asked God
to change his mind about one thing. Honest, true prayer has
never asked God to change his ability, never ask him to change
his purpose, never ask him to do any of those things. It has
always been pleasing to pray before a God with all that host
of attributes that the Bible declares about Him, and we're
just weaklings before Him, but He is great and powerful to deal
with our prayer and to conform us to His will. Be it unto me
according to thy word, O God. is what we find in the scripture.
Ezra could have this written about him only because he believed
God's word and at the same time believed God. He could only come
before him and have those words recorded about him about he prayed. Ezra believed the word of God,
believed God, because God gave him the resurrection of life. You know, I thought that only
the New Testament talked about the resurrection of life, but
would you turn with me to the book of the Psalms, Psalm 119.
In Psalm 119. Longest Psalm. Every section starts with a different
letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In the original, every verse
started with that letter of the alphabet. A poem. Psalm 119 and verse 50. This is my comfort in my affliction. Oh, to be comforted. And that's
what Ezra is seeking. That's what Hannah was seeking,
comfort in her affliction. She was barren. Ezra, as the
pastor of that group of folks there, oh, he's afflicted by
what's going on. He wanted to be comforted in
his affliction. And it tells us there in Psalm
119 and verse 50, it says, for thy word hath quickened me, hath
given me life. Your word, I now believe your
word. It's an honest report. And that
man who brought it to me was just an honest reporter. He just
didn't make up the story. He didn't share some nonsense,
but he's just honestly reporting the report. What is to hear the honest report? Ruined by the fall. Ruined by the fall. Well, isn't
there more? Oh yes, there is. Redeemed by
Jesus Christ. Well, that's not quite enough.
Oh, regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Now we got it. The truth of the
matter of the fall and the truth of the matter of redemption will
not be ours until it is revealed in regeneration by the Spirit
of God. And then the argument is over. We will rest in Him. Now our flesh sometimes rises
up, but our spirit rests in Him. In Psalm 119 again and verse
93, I will never forget thy precepts,
thy word, for with them thou hast quickened me. It was faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That's how
God works. God works through the preaching
of the gospel. Somewhere down there in Babylon,
someone came along one day, not just because Ezra was a Jew.
Now, that wasn't enough. But someone who knew something
about the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ came by and Ezra
heard it. That's just the way it is. Hearing
the word is necessary, and then God quickens through the word. He gives us life, a dead. corpse cannot speak, a dead corpse
cannot walk, a dead corpse cannot hear, a dead corpse cannot see. So it's required and only God
can do that just like this. If I'm going to change this to
true north, I have to calculate it. This will not do it. I bet
this cost $50 when it was brand new. I don't think I'd take $200
for it right now, but it's still a liar. Religion is a liar. It can't get us close enough. But the Lord Jesus Christ in
his purpose of grace did that for Ezra and for Hannah and for
Paul and the disciples even though they were all rascals. He did
it for them and as we read here in Psalm 119 and verse 93 again
it says there, I will never forget thy precepts. Why? because you've
quickened me. I go to the word of God. What
does the word of God say about God? He's God and beside him
there is none else. I am God. I rule. I reign. I've had my prophets. I've had kings. I've had people
who didn't know a thing declare that about me. I find no fault in him. A pagan
said that. Don't put up on the cross that
he is King of the Jews, put up he said, what I've written, I've
written. That's God. Ephesians chapter 2 says, even
when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ
by grace you are saved. Ezra could worship God, pray
to God for only one reason, he believed God and that belief
was given to him by God. False religion makes a merit
of prayer. So it's by much speaking and
vain repetitions, could atone for a dead heart. Jesus spoke
out against this in Matthew chapter 6. But when you pray, use not
vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think they shall
be heard by much speaking. The object of prayer is God alone
through Jesus Christ. All prayer to people or angels
is blasphemous, and worship of the creature is idolatry. Nature
of prayer is not a voice, not a posture, not a form. Not a place or words. It's a heart crying out to their
maker. And that's what Ezra did in chapter
9, verses 6 through 15, which we'll go through verse by verse. That's what we hear from Hannah
as she pleaded to God for a son. And you know what? She gave that
son up. just like she promised. She believed the word of God.
It is offering up our heart to God. I've probably done my best
prayer at the steering wheel of my car. Jesus said, when you enter into
your closet, A place alone, that's where real prayer is. So as we
look through Ezra's prayer, he brings up himself as a sinner
just like everyone else. And said, our sins are us all
over our head. But God, you've been more merciful
to us than we ever could deserve. He brings up all the right things.
Why? Because he's prompted by the Holy Spirit to bring this
prayer up and we have the privilege of getting to read it and study
it and see the hand of God in Ezra praying for himself and
the people of God and he could only do that because God worked
a work of grace. Brother Mike, if you'll come.