Good morning and welcome back
to our study of the book of Ezra, the gospel according to Ezra.
What a wonderful passage of scripture we found ourselves in. We went
through this briefly and now we're going back through and
looking at Ezra as a type of Christ. And last week we looked
at some verses here in the book of Ezra chapter seven and we
were looking in our closing at verse 14. forasmuch as thou art
sent of the king, sent of the king, as it tells us in Ezra
chapter 7 and verse 14, forasmuch as thou art sent of the king.
And we notice that as Ezra is a shadow, our Lord is the substance. And we find that Jesus said,
just as he had been sent by the Father, he sends his disciples,
his people out. Well today we'd like to start
our study of Ezra as a type of Christ with verse 15 of this
seventh chapter and that verse says and to carry the silver
and gold which the king and his counselors had freely offered
unto the God of Israel whose habitation is in Jerusalem. How much this The pagan king,
Artaxerxes, understood what he was saying. We do know who is
overriding all of this. We know that it's the God of
heaven, it's God Almighty, it's the Lord God Almighty that is
overriding all of this, and it is by his decree that these things
are falling out. So, King Artaxerxes is saying
some things, whether he believed them in his heart or not, they
are a blessing to the church because it is the truth of the
gospel that we find here. He is truly the God of spiritual
Israel, and his habitation is in that heavenly Jerusalem, the
church. Well, we notice here to carry the silver and gold. This is what Ezra was called
on to do by this king, and we find that gold, our Lord carried
this wondrous symbols in his person when he came to the earth. He carried the gold, his glory. He was, he is, and always shall
be the glorious God and the God-man, the king in his glory. He carried this so wonderfully
during his earthly ministry. He carried his glory. He was
glorious in all of his activities. He was glorious in all of his
words. He was glorious in His ministry.
He was glorious in those He healed. He was glorious in those He raised
from the dead. He was glorious when He declared
unto those folks the gospel that had been declared since the very
beginning of the earth after Adam and Eve had been created.
He carried the gold. In the book of Isaiah, chapter
63, would you turn there with me? I encourage you to read this
verse of scripture with me over here in the book of Isaiah, and
I wish we had more time to read more of the book of Isaiah along
this, but I'm just going to read verse 1 of Isaiah 63, and trust
that you'll read some more about this. Isaiah 63 and verse 1,
who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from
Basra? This that is glorious in his
apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength, I that speak
in righteousness, mighty to save. He identifies himself as the
Lord. He identifies himself as the
Redeemer. He identifies himself as the
messenger of the covenant. And he comes dressed in glorious
apparel. His being was glorious. His person
was glorious. It is so glorious that we find
He had no sin in His person. He never took upon sin in that
way. He was not part of the human
race in that way. That is why it is absolutely
essential, it is necessary that Jesus Christ be born of a virgin,
that man would not participate in the bringing in of the Lord
Jesus into this world. And that's why God determined
it so in the Council Halls of Eternity, in the covenant of
grace, that he would be brought into this world, born of a virgin.
He is the glorious Son of God. In the book of the Psalms, just
back up there just a little bit in the book of the Psalms, Psalm
72, if you'd stop there with me in Psalm 72, and there in
verse 19, we have these wonderful words about the Lord again. Blessed
be his glorious name forever Psalm 72 and verse 19 and blessed
be his glorious Name forever and let the whole earth be filled
with his glory. Amen and amen Oh, every time
the Lord saves someone by His grace, as the gospel is preached,
the Holy Spirit gives them regeneration. The glory of God is declared
that He would save by His grace and not by works, that He would
do it on His own, and He would do it without help, and He would
do it so completely. It is a glorious salvation by
a glorious God that is filled with all glory. The gold that
shines off of the very person of the Lord Jesus is declared
here as Ezra was to carry the gold And he's also it tells us
there in the book of Ezra chapter 7 and verse 15 the scriptures
share this about that and we mentioned the gold first but
it says in verse 15 shall carry the silver and the gold now The
Bible declares that the Lord Jesus came in all his glory and
yet restored to me the glory that I had with thee before the
world was. So it was a glorious activity that he was in. It was
glorious for God in his purpose of grace to save some from their
sins. We know it as a number no man
can number, but unto God it is a number that he knows exact.
It is glorious. But we also find in this verse
of scripture, first of all, there was silver. The Lord carried
silver. Ezra, as a type of Christ, was
to carry back silver and gold, which the king and his counselors
have freely offered unto the God of Israel. God of heaven
freely gave this glory to his son as he come to this earth
He was on a divine mission, but he is also given rich blessings
of silver Silver is associated with the subject of redemption
the redemptive work of Jesus Christ this work that he performs
as a Redeemer and Is an actual redemption. He never makes anybody
in a position that they could be redeemed. He always redeems
his people from their sin. He was never, he was ever the
redeemer that would actually redeem his people. In the book
of Leviticus chapter 27, there is some statements made here
with regard to redemption. Leviticus chapter 27 and this
has a lot to do with what we find in the New Testament with
the Lord Jesus and his experience with one of his disciples Judas
so bear with me a little bit here in the book of Leviticus
chapter 27 and I'd like you to read with me verse 3 through
7 and thy estimation shall be of the male from 20 years old
even into 60 years old even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels
of silver." Fifty shekels of silver after the shekel of the
sanctuary. Now, when a person vowed himself
or another person to the Lord, the priest shall declare the
amount at which that person's vow is to be redeemed. Now, here,
if you're between twenty years of age and sixty years of age
and you're a male, then there is fifty shekels of silver for
redemption. And if be a female, then thy
estimation shall be 30 shekels. Now, let's be careful. We're
not talking about inequity here. We're not talking about the two
sexes being unequal. The church is the only place
we find there is actual equality among men and women. Whatever
men in this world may do, whatever situations may arise, in the
church, There is absolute equality between males and females, and
God is not bringing out any inequality here in this passage of scripture.
Let us go on and look here. it be from five years old into
twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be a male twenty shekels,
and a female ten shekels. And if it be from the month old
even into five years old, then thy estimation shall be a male
of five shekels silver, and the female an estimation shall be
three shekels of silver. And if it be from sixty years
old and above, if it be a male, then the estimation shall be
fifteen shekels, and a female ten shekels. Well we're going
to stop right there. As we look at this that declaration
made here in the book of Leviticus that when a person vowed himself
or another person to the Lord the priest shall declare the
amount at which the person vowed is to be redeemed. Now we're
talking about redemption here and the redemption price here
is brought out is silver. Now we're going to find out that
that's a picture and a type and a shadow. We will never Find
anybody spiritually redeemed by money and we're going to look
at a verse of scripture That's often quoted over in the New
Testament along that line There is not any inequality here
we find that God knows exactly what he is doing and he is presenting
a glorious picture for us here in this silver redemptive price
a glorious picture In the Old Testament, here in the Old Testament,
in the book of Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 11. Let me just say we're
beginning our study of the book of Zechariah, and for those of
you that are present, most of you are hearing that on Wednesday
night, and for those of you not present, if you take a look and
listen to some of those messages, I'm sure you'd receive a blessing
here in the book of Zechariah. Now we're not gone very far,
but we've mentioned passage of scripture over here in our opening
remarks with regard to Zechariah because it is so full of Thoughts
and blessings about the Messiah in the book of Zechariah chapter
11 and there in verse 12 Zechariah 11 verse 12 and I said unto them
if ye think good give me my price and if not forbear so they weighed
for my price thirty pieces of silver and the Lord said unto
me cast it unto the potter a goodly price remember that a goodly
price that I was prized at Them and I took the 30 pieces of silver
and cast them to the potter's house of the Lord now all that
took place there Surrounding the betrayal by Judas and the
price that was made and what happened with the money afterwards
is all Determined all decreed all in God's purpose. There was
nothing going on here that God had not purpose It's not just
enough that he knew about it but he also purposed it. Let's
remember that about God's purpose. It is purpose. He has more knowledge
about it than just knowing about it. Well, here it tells us that
it's prophesied that Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of
silver, a goodly price that he was prized, a goodly price. Well, we get over to the New
Testament in Matthew chapter 26, and we find that this passage
of scripture in the book of Zechariah is being played out is going
exactly according to plan. There is no discrepancy in the
plan of God. He makes no mistakes. He does
not have to lay out a sheepskin like we find one of the judges
did. He has a purpose He has a purpose
from the foundation of the world, and He is carrying out that purpose,
and we see it before us. We don't know the future, but
we know His purpose in the past. We can look back and see it.
Well, here in the book of Matthew chapter 26 and verse 15, the
Bible says, and said unto them, what will, this is Judas Iscariot,
he's before the priest there in verse 14, one of the 12, he
said unto them, what will you give me? I will deliver him unto
you and They covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver and
from that time he sought opportunity to betray him 30 pieces of silver
Zechariah said that's a goodly price and In the book of Matthew
chapter 27, and there in verse 3, as we think about this silver,
we're working with redemption. In Matthew chapter 27 and verse
3, then Judas, which had betrayed him when he saw that he was condemned,
repented himself and brought again, here we have it again,
the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. And then in verse 9 of that chapter
it says, Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy. I
don't know what happened here, but it could have been Zechariah. That's what we have. There's
nothing in the book of Jeremiah that I could find. But anyway,
if you do, you let me know. By Jeremiah the prophet saying,
And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of which
that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value. Alright, thirty pieces of silver
again are mentioned here. We read over there in the book
of Leviticus, we read that if you're 20 to 60 and a male, your
price was to be 50 pieces of silver. Christ was about 33 and
a half years old when he was crucified. The value of a male
servant was set at 50 pieces of silver. Then you might, as
I did, ask why was he sold for 30 pieces of silver according
to the words of Jeremiah, Then the words in Matthew recorded
with regard to Judas. The Lord said that the price
was a goodly price. Why was it a goodly price? This
is the answer that I found. The Lord came to redeem his bride. The value of his bride in bondage
as a servant would have been thirty pieces of silver. Jesus
did not come to redeem himself as he was in no need of redemption. Remember that, friends. The Lord
Jesus Christ was in no need of redemption. They didn't pay 50
pieces of silver because it was determined by God that the bride,
the woman, would be redeemed with 30 pieces of silver. He
came to redeem his elect, his bride. She was the one who was
sold into bondage of sin and required redemption. My friends,
you and I, those who know Christ as Savior, those who have been
born again, that He has evidenced His redemptive work in us, these,
us, are the ones that were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ on the
cross. Money was not paid. for our redemption though it
was pictorial of our redemption money was not paid it was only
a type it was only a shadow it was only a picture this is the
redemptive price of a female in bondage thirty pieces of silver
now would you turn with me over to the book of first peter chapter
one first peter chapter one and in verse seventeen we have these
wonderful words recorded it helped me a lot as i was studying this
When I came upon this passage of Scripture, what we often read,
we often read this, 1 Peter 1 and verse 17. It helped me with this
verse of Scripture. It says, And if ye call on the
Father, who without respect to persons judges according to every
man's work? past the time of your sojourning
here in fear. For as much as ye know that ye
were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, now
they may use it as a picture in the Old Testament of redemption,
this silver would have been used as a picture. And from a physical
standpoint, no doubt people were actually redeemed by that price. Started from birth, went up to
the past 60 years of age. That was the redemptive price
to take someone out of that position. And yet here we find with regard
to our souls, with regard to the elect, we're not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold. We wouldn't think that
that's corruptible, but according to the scriptures, that is. It
is not a valid price to pay the required price for our redemption. It's not a valid price. Silver
and gold, it's corruptible. it's of the earth, earthly for
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers this
vain manner of life but notice in verse 19 this is what Christ
actually paid though it was pictured that he is redeeming his bride
he's redeeming this woman he's redeeming a woman in bondage
of sin and every believer all of God's elect will readily admit
upon the new birth that they are sinners and they have sinned
as David said against thee and thee only have I sinned. We've
sinned against many people. We've sinned against our family.
We've sinned against others. We've sinned, but in actuality,
sin is against Almighty God. So here, but this is the redemptive
price. We've been redeemed. with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot, who verily was ordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead
and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. We're not redeemed with silver
or gold. were redeemed by the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Ezra was requested by the
king to carry the silver and gold, he is sharing with us,
as a type of Christ, the glory of God Almighty in Christ Jesus,
glorious in his apparel, glorious in his righteousness, glorious
in his work, Glorious in his redemption. Everything that the
Lord Jesus Christ did, said, or went, he was glorious. And, to notice the silver, he
bore the silver. He's the redeemer. He bore the
redemptive price. It was by his shed blood that
we are redeemed. Well, let's go back and look
at the next verse over here. in the book of Ezra chapter 7. As we move through this passage
of scripture and look at Ezra as a type of Christ, here in
the book of Ezra chapter 7 and verse 16 and all the silver and
gold that thou can find in all the province of Babylon With
the free will offering of the people and of the priests offering
willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem Verse
17 Ezra chapter 7 verse 17 that thou mayest buy speedily with
this money Bullocks rams lambs with their meat offering and
with their drink offerings Offer them upon the altar of the house
the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. Now notice here
in verse 18. And whatsoever shall seem good
to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver
and gold that do after the will of your God. Whatsoever shall
seem good. Now, turn with me over to the
book of Matthew. It's one verse, verse 18. Let's
go over and read one passage of scripture in the book of Matthew
that shows us again how this passage of scripture in Ezra
is a picture, is a type, is a shadow, only a shadow. The Lord is the
reality. He's only a shadow of good things
to come. The Lord Jesus is the good thing
to come. In the book of Matthew chapter
11 verse 25, the book of Matthew chapter 11 verse 25, At that
time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, even
so, Father, for it seem good in thy sight. Did you read that
over there in the book of Ezra with me? There in chapter 7 of
verse 18, for whatsoever shall seem good to thee. Even so father
for so it seemed good in thy sight. This is what God has determined
to do It was good in his sight. Did you know election is good
in his sight? Grace is good in His sight. Salvation without
works on our part is good in His sight. And any distortion
of that is not good in His sight. It reflects very ill in His sight. It substitutes blood for works. It is terrible to think about
that we can add to the salvation that God has. He did not make
anybody savable, but His very name Now shall call his name
Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. God is
going to be involved in that. So even so, Father, so it seemed
good in thy sight. Verse 27 of Matthew chapter 11,
All things are delivered unto me of my Father. And no man knoweth
the Son, but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father save
the Son. And he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart,
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and
my burden is light. What a wonderful thing the Lord
said to those, everyone, that God reveals the Son to, and everyone
the Son reveals the Father to. Flesh and blood did not reveal
the Son to you, but my Father, which is in heaven. It's a glorious
salvation, because it's from a glorious God. It's from the
glorious Lord Jesus Christ. It is His glory that we're talking
about, the glory of redemption, the glory of salvation. Then,
if you'll travel back with me to the book of Ezra chapter 7
and there in verse 19, we have these words. We like to spend
a little time on these words found in Ezra chapter 7 and verse
19. It says, the vessels also that
are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those
deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. That verse is just
full and running over with the glory that we have in Christ
Jesus The vessels also that are given thee Ezra there are some
vessels that have been given thee For the service of the house
of thy God Deliver those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
There's several things in that verse of Scripture There are
some vessels that are given. They are given for the service
of the house of thy God. Deliver them to the God of Jerusalem. My goodness. The vessels also
that are given thee. Now, let's just spend a little
time on that very subject. Oh, how it takes a much greater
meaning when we see this as vessels given to Christ. Vessels given
to Christ. Vessels of honor. Now, no one
in themselves has any ability of doing anything about their
vesselship. We find here that in the book
of Ezra, just think about this, going back just a little bit
there in the book of Ezra chapter 5, Ezra chapter 5 and verse 14,
Ezra chapter 5 and verse 14, and the vessels also of gold
and silver of the house of God, that's where they started, which
Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem
They were in the temple at Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple
of Babylon. Those did Cyrus the king take
out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto
one, whose name is Sheshnebar Abazar, whom he had made governor."
Now notice that. Did you see that? They were vessels
at Jerusalem. They were taken out. Oh, it just
speaks so highly of what we find in the Bible with regard to our
place by nature. We were there in Adam, innocent. No sin was committed. We fell
in Adam. Sin was imputed to us. We fell
in Adam. And then we find out that our
sin was imputed to Christ. Well, vessels. Let's look at
these vessels. Over in the book of Romans, chapter
9, we look at these vessels. Romans, chapter 9. There's much
said in the book of Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11. When I spent just
a short time in a Bible school, I was informed that Romans chapter
9, 10, and 11 are a parenthetical phrase and that it's not necessary
that we have them. They're just there to supply
a little information, but don't pay much attention to them. My
goodness, the Apostle Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to write
this book and send it to the Romans and this is most important
information that God wrote to the Romans. Much unpopular. But very important notice here
with me in Romans chapter 9 verse 22 Romans chapter 9 in verse
22 the scripture says what if God willing to show his wrath
and to make his power known Endured with much long-suffering the
vessels of wrath fitted to destruction now God is very patient with
the worst of people God is very patient with the very worst of
people we We can go back through history and see that he was very
patient with the worst of people. But he is long-suffering, but
he's also had unfitted for destruction, that he might make known the
riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy. The vessels of mercy. Did you notice that? Vessels
of mercy. God would prevent them receiving
what they actually deserved. God would prevent them from being
thrown back into the muck. God would prevent them from being
broken into shivers. God would prevent them from being
thrown out into a potter's field. God would prevent that. They're
vessels of mercy. He's going to demonstrate His
mercy. And His mercy to His church, His mercy to His elect, endureth
forever, anew, every day. which he had aforeprepared unto
glory. Election has taken care of this.
The elective grace of God. The vessels of mercy which he
had before prepared for glory. As these vessels are going back
to Jerusalem by Ezra, a type of Christ, he speaks in shadow
form Through a glass darkly, if you please, he's speaking
of the glory of Christ and the vessels that were given to him.
Even us, whom he hath called, not the Jews only, but also the
Gentiles, the secession of national Israel. God brought it about. He finished it. The church is
made up of Jews and Gentiles. That's the church. That's the
Israel today. That's spiritual Israel. That's
the one God pays attention to. As he saith also in Osi, I will
call them my people which were not my people, and my beloved
which are not beloved. So the Lord Jesus here is telling
us through his prophet, through his preacher, through his apostle,
through the writer of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul,
there's vessels of wrath and God has already made them vessels
of wrath fitted for destruction. But he has vessels also that
bring glory as they demonstrate what God does with a piece of
clay of the same lump. He made vessels of honor of the
same human race. He makes vessels of honor. These
vessels that are brought back in another passage that is so
wonderful. is for us to contemplate and
think about is over here in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 2nd Corinthians
chapter 4 as we think about Ezra taking those vessels that once
had been there have been taken back to Babylon and some of them
have already gone back here's some more that are going to be
taken back this second group of people are going to take some
vessels and here in the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 4
and verse 7 there's a treasure Oh, our Savior is such a treasure.
He's a pearl of great price. He's a treasure. He's glorious. But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels. Now do you remember him talking
to the Pharisees and said, you cleaned up the outside of the
platter, but the inside is still filthy. You whitewashed the tombs,
but the inside is still filled with dead man's bones. Well,
here is the opposite of that. We have this treasure in earthen
vessels that the excellency of the power might be of God and
not of us. God has placed this treasure. The Holy Spirit has come into
all His elect ones that have been given the new birth. The Holy Spirit, that treasure,
the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit, the Holy
Spirit. And here, He says, we have this
treasure in earthen vessels. We still carry around the flesh.
God did not save the flesh, but he's taking care of the most
important and he will take care of the least important later.
He'll take care of this flesh. We shall have a body like unto
his body, a glorious body. So we have this treasure in earthen
vessels. Oh, as Ezra took them back, they
were gold and silver. as the Lord deals with us he
put a treasure in earthen vessels but the time will come we will
see his righteousness and redemption upon us in such a way such a
glorious way we shall rejoice in that for eternity rejoice
in his righteousness rejoicing his glorious salvation for eternity
and the book of second timothy again talks about these vessels
second timothy chapter 2, 2 Timothy chapter 2, and there in verse
20, Paul again, writing by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had this
to say, But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and silver, but also of wood and earth, and some to honor
and some to dishonor, you know, in the local body. in the local
body, in the local church. There's vessels of honor, gold
and silver, precious. But there's also, always has
been, always will be, even among 12 people that Jesus Christ chose
to be his apostles, to be specially taught, to be specially instructed,
to see special things. There was one, and that one was
there on purpose. Here we find, as Paul writes
to Timothy, a pastor, in verse 20, he just says that, 2 Timothy
2, and verse 20, he says, in a great house there are not only
vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earth. And some
of honor, some to honor, and some to dishonor. They're amongst
the whole group. You know, it's amazing. As I
think about the pastor who brought me the gospel, he was in a local
body and lost. Talk about myself, I was in a
local body and lost. I was just one of the guys that
was going along for the ride. And sometimes I wonder how many
in that church were actually new Christ. You know, you have
to hear the gospel. You have to hear the gospel.
You have to hear good seed before God will save it. He doesn't
grow corn by sowing candy corn. So I just wonder if there was
anybody in that group. And sometimes you look among
churches and see that. But here in the Dalles, we've
had several come. and said, I didn't know the gospel
until I heard the gospel and I need to be baptized. Well,
we rejoice in that, that God would do that. He takes us out
of the mess we're in and gives us the Holy Spirit in regeneration
and we rejoice in that and then we find a place where we can
actually hear the gospel. Well, those vessels, those vessels
of gold and silver that Ezra was to take from Babylon to Jerusalem. Well, let's go back over there
to the book of Ezra for just a few more minutes. Ezra chapter
7. Just a couple more verses we'll
look at and then we'll call to a halt this study and we'll pick
it up next time. Ezra 7, verse 20. Would you look at that verse
with me? Ezra 7, verse 20. The scripture says, And whatsoever
more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou
shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure
house. Can you imagine a pagan king
telling this Jew, this priest, this ready scribe of the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ, telling this whatever else you need.
for the house of thy God, he's not my God, he's thy God, which
thou shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure
house. Isn't it interesting how God
provides for his people and for the church out of this world?
He uses the strangest things and the strangest people to fulfill
the needs of the body of Christ, the church of the living God.
how he blesses in mighty ways. It's such a blessing for God
to lower the blessings instead of us trying to raise them. And
here we have that subject matter. Well, in verse 20, whatever more,
what else there is. The church rejoices that the
rich treasures of the king take care of not past sins or just
present sins, but all sin. The church rejoices in that,
that rich treasure of the king to take care of all sin. Whatever there is that has been
chargeable to the messenger of the covenant and his blood cleanseth
from all sin. Whatever there was has been made
chargeable to the messenger of the covenant, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the father put our sin upon him. And every day the church
is poured upon by the rich spiritual blessings that are in Christ.
These are new every morning. Oh my goodness, we don't wear
them out. They don't run out. Our fuel
tank doesn't get lower and lower and lower and lower and lower.
It is always filled every morning. Before we get out of bed, we
find that they are new to us. One more day, we can use all
there is of His rich grace, all of the mercy, all the forgiveness. It's all been put, all our sins
has been put under the blood of Christ. Turn with me to the
prophet Jeremiah's lamentation. Lamentations chapter 3. Lamentations
chapter 3. We have this wonderful passage
of scripture among this guy crying over Israel and the sin of Israel
and the position of Israel. Well here in the book of Lamentations
chapter 3 beginning with verse 22 the scripture says It is of
the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions
fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. Oh my goodness, the Lord taking
care of his people, taking care of all their sin, all their sin
under the blood. How can someone put our past
sin and our present sin and all our future sin under the blood.
It's not just someone, it's God. God Almighty in His purpose of
grace is able to do that. Question it not. He has taken
care of all our sin. He has taken care of every last
one. And if someone tells a believer
that they are going to have to answer for something they did,
the person who said that doesn't know the gospel because they
wouldn't be saying that. God has taken care of it. God
has taken care of it by putting it upon his own son. And God
is not going to charge us after he's charged the son with our
sin. God is not going to do that.
He doesn't do that. He's taken care of it fully and
completely. In Isaiah chapter 33, would you
look back just a little bit there in the book of Isaiah chapter
33 and verse 2, Isaiah chapter 33 and verse 2, we have this
wonderful passage of scripture, how glorious is the grace of
God, how glorious is His mercy as we find whatever more shall
be needful for the house of thy God, whatever more Everything. And where does it come from?
It doesn't come from a pagan king. And it doesn't come from
a preacher. It doesn't come from a scribe. It doesn't come from
Ezra. It comes from the king's treasure house. It comes from
God's grace. It comes from God's mercy. It
comes from God. He's the one that can take care
of it completely and totally. He's put away all our sin. Put
it away, as far as the east is from the west. Here in Isaiah
33, and there in verse 2, the scripture says, Oh Lord, be gracious
unto us, for we have waited for thee. Be thou their arm every
morning. Be thou our arm every, what's
an arm? Protects us. My goodness, the
protective grace of God to His people to keep us from falling. Though we stumble, we'll not
be utterly cast down. Though we fall, we'll not be
utterly cast down. Oh, some would say, look at Peter,
he lost his salvation. Which time? When he denied Christ
the first time, the second time, or the third time? Or, when Paul
had to charge him openly about becoming a Judaizer when Jews
came around him. What time? Well, we find out
He's not chargeable for any of that. God has forgiven him. Forgave
him in the blood of Jesus Christ. Verse 2, there it says, Oh Lord.
Isaiah 33 verse 2. Oh Lord be gracious unto us.
We have waited for thee Be thou their arm every morning our salvation
also in thy time of trouble What a wonderful blessing what a wonderful
blessing and then we find that there's an ongoing pouring out
of blessings by the Lord on his people as is mentioned over by
again as Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to write to the Ephesians
and The church at Ephesus there, a local body, no doubt had some
vessels of honor and some vessels of dishonor like most local bodies
have. And yet the message is to the
vessels of honor, and we pray that some of those who appear
to us to be vessels of dishonor, I've tried to make it a point. to always treat people as Jacob's. We just don't know. Prime example
is Saul of Tarsus. I can just imagine that there
was a whole host of people in that church of Jerusalem that
said, God, kill him. Take him out of here. He's nothing
but trouble to us. And the same could be said about
me. I'm thankful in God's purpose. He had salvation planned for
me. Here in the book of Ephesians,
chapter 1 and verse 3, we have these wonderful words that the
apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church, the saints at Ephesus. And he mentions in chapter one
of verse three, chapter one is such a blessing, the whole chapter
is such a blessing. And my friends, you'll not be
able to even appreciate, enjoy to the very minimal, the second
chapter of the book of Ephesians if you do not hold to the first
chapter. If you don't believe that God
chose the people in Christ before the foundation of the world,
stay away from chapter two, it doesn't belong to you. It's not
yours. You cannot have grace without
God declaring the first part. He is the first part of salvation. He chose his people in Christ
before the foundation of the world. And in that we hear him
say, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sin. And for by grace are you saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves, it's a gift of God, not of works, lest any
man should boast. Which he has given us before
the world began those works Well, so don't claim chapters 2 if
you don't believe chapter 1 you you are you're a false believer
You don't understand the gospel pray to God that he would give
you the grace to believe the Word of God Ephesians chapter
1 Verse 3 it says blessed be the God and father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. What a statement
is made there. I who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places." Now, one of the things that I see in that
passage of Scripture is spiritual blessings are from above. They're
not from down here. We cannot... I've had preachers
say that, oh my goodness, look at that spiritual growth that
that person has made. He's out there in the garden.
He's pulling the weeds in the garden around the church. Isn't
that something? My goodness, does a pastor that says that
say that? Does he even know the gospel?
The spiritual blessings are spiritual blessings and they're from above.
They're from God. They are mentioned here, a number
of them are mentioned here in the first chapter of the book
of Ephesians and that's why I said it. You don't go to chapter 2
if you don't believe chapter 1. What's it say here? spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ according as he has
chosen us in him predestinated us and on and on it goes so if
you don't have that you don't have any of it but those who
have it they have been blessed with All spiritual blessings
whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of God, which thou
shalt have occasion to bestow. Bestow it out of the king's treasure. Don't pull it out of your hat.
Don't pull it out of your pocketbook. Don't pull it out of your rotten
heart. But it's from God. It reminds
me of a passage of scripture over there in the book of Luke.
There was a man that fell among thieves. Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10, would you turn
there with me? Luke chapter 10, our time is about out, but I
want to read this passage of scripture. Luke chapter 10, verse
30. It says there, Luke chapter 10,
verse 30, and Jesus answered, he said, a certain man went down
from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, which stripped
him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him
half dead. Really, that's what we are. We,
as human beings, We died in Adam, so we're really half dead. Dead
in spiritual things, dead in trespasses and sin, but animated
by our heart and our lungs and so forth. And by chance, there
came a certain priest, oh, we got help coming. And when he
saw him, he passed by on the other side. Did you know the
law can't help you? There's nothing in the law that can pull you
out of the mess you're in. Likewise, the Levite, when he was at the
place, the Levite can't help you. The priest can't help you. Nobody can help you in this earth.
Looked on him and passed by on the other side. But a certain
Samaritan, a Samaritan was a person that was part Jewish and part
Gentile. They'd been imported. When one
of the kings took the people out of Jerusalem, he brought
a bunch of people from another place in there and put it in
Samaria. That's why it's interesting that the woman at the well said,
how you being a Jew talk to us Samaritans. Came where he was,
and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. Went to him bound up
his wounds hallelujah pouring in oil and wine the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ by the oil of the Holy Spirit and set
him on his own beast he carried him and brought him to an inn
and took care of him that in is such a picture of of the local
body of where believers are. It is essential that we meet
together. It is essential that we have a place. And here it
is, and he's still broken. And we have shipwreck every day
almost. And it's through the blessing
of brothers and sisters in Christ that we have comfort given to
us through God. And on the morrow when he departed,
he took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto
him, take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, When I come
again, I will repay thee. Now, do not trouble him for the
reckoning. I will repay. All our sins are
chargeable to God. All of them are chargeable to
Christ. Don't charge him. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. The
unfortunate man is not to have the claim made on him. The unfortunate
man. We do not have the claim made
on us. The claim is made on Christ. So whatsoever, whatsoever. What
did we read there? Whatsoever else you need. Whatsoever else you need. Whatever
more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou
shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure
house. It's of God and not of men. It's from God and not of men.
We can't create it. So we have all these rich blessings.
And once again, as we come to the conclusion of this lesson,
this message, we're thankful that the Holy Spirit left to
us in the book of Ezra, some pictures some types and shadows
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Lord willing we'll
pick up here again at the next appointed time and we'll go on
from verse 20 to the end of this chapter Ezra chapter 7 verse
21 and we have a few verses left if we don't make it through we'll
have another lesson if we do we'll go on and to another section
of Ezra. Oh God, bless us for Jesus' sake
we pray. Amen.