The Lord Had Made them Joyful

Q: What does the Bible say about joy in the Lord?

The Bible teaches that true joy comes from the Lord, as seen in Ezra 6:22, where the Lord made His people joyful. In Ezra 6:22, we find that the joy of the Israelites arose from acknowledging God's provision and their completion of the Temple. The joy that the Lord gives is not manufactured or superficial; rather, it stems from His presence and assurance of salvation. When we understand that 'it is finished' refers to Christ's completed work, we can experience genuine joy that encompasses our hearts and lives. This joy is rooted in the sovereign grace of God, affirming that no external circumstances can diminish the deep-seated joy that comes from Him.

Q: How do we know Christ's atonement is limited to the elect?

Christ's atonement is limited to the elect, as indicated by the specific sacrifices made for the Israelites, not for all nations. The doctrine of limited atonement is often misunderstood. It asserts that Christ's atoning work was specifically designed for those whom the Father has chosen, the elect. In the sermon, it is explained that the Passover lamb was offered for the children of Israel, signifying that the atonement was effective and intentional for God’s chosen people. Although some may question this limitation, it emphasizes that God’s purpose in redemption is successful. Those who come for mercy and grace will find that the atonement applies to them. Romans 8:29-30 speaks to this purpose, showing the assurance that every chosen one will be justified and glorified.

Q: Why is the phrase 'it is finished' important for Christians?

'It is finished' signifies the completion of Christ's sacrificial work, providing assurance of salvation to believers. The phrase 'it is finished' declares the full and complete nature of Christ’s work on the cross. As presented in the message, this phrase encapsulates the gospel promise that salvation is not based on human effort but on the finished work of Jesus. Understanding 'it is finished' brings immense comfort and joy, as it assures believers that all requirements for salvation have been met. This truth leads to a life characterized by true joy and peace, knowing that believers stand accepted before God, not through works, but solely through the grace of God evidenced in Christ’s completed sacrifice. The joy found in this assurance is profound as Romans 15:13 highlights the connection between believing and experiencing joy and peace.

Q: How should Christians respond to the sovereignty of God?

Christians should rest in God's sovereignty, understanding that He controls all circumstances for His glory and the good of His people. Acknowledging God's sovereignty is foundational for a believer’s faith. The sermon emphasizes the reassurance that 'the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord', demonstrating that He is in control over all rulers and events. This understanding helps Christians to not only acknowledge that God’s will is always accomplished but also to find comfort and joy in the midst of challenges. Believers can confidently approach their daily lives with the assurance that God orchestrates all things for their good, as stated in Romans 8:28. Such a perspective fosters a heart of gratitude and humility, as we trust in His perfect plan, knowing that His control extends over every aspect of our lives.

Ezra chapter six, verse 22, and they kept the feast of unleavened bread, speaking of the Passover feast. Leaven in the scripture represents works. A little leaven leavens the whole lot. And in the Passover, all human works were to be purged out, the feast of unleavened bread, for the Lord had made them joyful. I'm interested in this. I want the Lord to make me joyful. I don't want some kind of manufactured joy. I want the Lord himself to make me joyful. That's why they kept the feast for seven days with joy.

The Lord had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them. Artaxerxes, this heathen king, his heart was turned toward the children of Israel. Why? Because the Lord turned his heart. Remember, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth it whether so ever he will. And the Lord is in control of everyone at all times. The king of Syria, me, and you.

The Lord had turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. Now, it's pointed out, first of all, in verse 14, and the elders of the Jews built it. And they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. And they built it and finished. completed. And they did so according to the commandment of the God of Israel. Why was this building finished and completed? Because of the commandment of the God of Israel. He purposed it, it took place.

And he did so through turning the heart of these three heathen kings during this time of captivity, Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia, and this house was finished on the third day. The Lord was raised on the third day. Salvation accomplished. Salvation finished. The house was finished on the third day of the month, Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.

All of my hope and all of my joy is found in it is finished. I have a great hope that I'll stand before God accepted for this one reason, the Lord said, it is finished. It rejoices my heart to know that everything God requires of me, I have. In that glorious statement the Lord made, it is finished.

The house was finished. And the gospel message is it is finished, not due, but done. I love to say that. I'm not giving you anything to do. It is done. It is finished, completed. That is the gospel message. were calling upon men to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that he finished the work the Father gave him to do, and to trust him who said, it is finished. Verse 16, and the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy. This house represents Christ crucified. where the sacrifices were made. They finished it, and they were dedicated to this. I hope I'm dedicated to it is finished, are you? All my hope is found in it is finished. All my joy is found in it is finished.

And offered at the dedication of this house of God, 100 bullocks, 200 rams, 400 lambs, For a sin offering for all Israel, 12 he goats according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Now this is all about the sin offering, 100 bullocks, 200 rams, 400 lambs for a sin offering. Now once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin. My sin. has been put away.

We sing that song, my sins of the bliss of this glorious thought, my sins, not in part, but the whole, have been nailed to the cross and I bear them no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. The joy of that. Romans 15, 13 speaks of the joy and the peace of believing. Do you believe it's finished? If you do, that rejoices your heart and you feel peace. God's at peace with you because of what Christ did on your behalf. It's finished. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink. It's not do's and don'ts. It's not rules and regulations.

It's righteousness. peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, how they rejoiced in this dedication. They dedicated this house of God with joy. They offered these sin offerings and noticed 12 goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Now, it's pointed out in the scripture continually that The atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ is for his people.

It's for the elect. It's for those who believe. And this is pointed out, this atonement was not for the Amalekites. It was not for the Hittites. It was not for the Jebusites. It was for the children of Israel, the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. Now, the point behind, some people call it limited atonement. And I've heard people say, well, I don't like the term limited. If it simply means his purpose was limited to the elect, what's wrong with that? I like anything that defines the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ that lets me know it's successful. That's the point. It's successful. And this doesn't keep anybody from being saved.

Well, are you saying he didn't die for everybody? Well, he didn't. But that doesn't mean anybody who comes from mercy will be turned away. If you come for mercy, you will not be turned away. You can't say the atonement keeps you from being saved because it wasn't for everybody. It's for everybody who needs him. He healed them that had need of healing. Are you one of those people? Then the atonement's for you. It was for the 12 tribes, those 12 goats that were slain.

Verse 18, and they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses for the service of God which is in Jerusalem, as it's written in the book of Moses. They did everything exactly as it was written in the book of Moses. When they were observing the Passover, they were doing it as it was written in the book of Moses. If it's not as it's written, it's not true. Amen? If it's not as it is written, it's not true.

Verse 19, and the children of the captivity who'd been banished from Israel and they've returned after that 70-year period, and this is some years after that, the children of the captivity kept the Passover upon the 14th day of the first month, exactly as Moses said it was to be kept. On the 14th day of the first month, for the priests and the Levites were purified together. All of them were pure. Now, do you remember how that On the Day of Atonement, the priest had to offer a sacrifice for himself before he could offer a sacrifice for the children of Israel.

You see, he was a sinful man, and a sinful man can't be accepted by God, and that sacrifice he offered for himself made him ceremonially, however you say that, pure. And he couldn't offer a sacrifice for them until he'd offered a sacrifice first for himself. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ had no sin. He can offer himself without spot before God, but this priest, he couldn't. So they were purified together. They killed the Passover, first they had to sacrifice for themselves, and killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves.

Now let's turn back to Exodus chapter 11, if you would. And as a matter of fact, there had not been a Passover kept since the days of Josiah, over a hundred years since they had kept a Passover. Verse four, Moses said, thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt. Exodus 11, verse 4, verse 5.

And all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that's behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it anymore. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast, that you may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

Now this is what Paul is quoting when he says, who maketh you to differ? And what do you have that you did not receive? And isn't it an amazing thing to think the Lord made me to differ? That he made a difference between me and somebody who doesn't believe? I know this, that's the grace of God.

Verse eight, Moses is speaking to Pharaoh and all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bow down themselves unto me saying, get thee out and all the people that follow thee. After that, I'll go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months.

Now what that tells me is spiritual life begins when God gives me the grace to understand the Passover. I'm not just talking about intellectual understanding, I'm talking about believing the gospel. That's when spiritual life begins and not before then. This is the beginning of life, when you understand the Passover, this glorious type of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is when you begin.

It should be the first month of the year to you, verse three, speaking unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house. And if the household be too little for a lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls. Every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb." Now, the lamb is described. Your lamb shall be without blemish. Speaking of the perfect life of the Lord Jesus Christ, he never sinned without blemish. A male of the first year, you shall take it out from the sheep and from the goats and you shall keep it into the 14th day of the same month. They were to watch that lamb for 14 days. And if we think, well, why 14 days? Well, 14 is two sevens. The perfection of Christ's two natures. The perfection of deity, 100% God. The perfection of humanity, 100% man. Not a blending of the two. 100% God, just as if He were not man at all. Isn't He glorious? 100% man, just as if He were not God at all. 14 days, two sevens.

And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. That's why we take the Lord's table during the evening. When they were observing the Passover, they were doing it in the evening. The Lord said, do it in the evening. And they shall take, verse seven, of the blood and strike it on two side posts and upon the upper door posts of the house, wherein they shall eat it." Now look at this description of the eating of the Passover.

This is such a wonderful and simple illustration of what faith in Christ is. So as the Lord enables you, pray for me that I say this as it ought to be said and that you hear it as it ought to be said. This is such a clear illustration of what faith in Christ is. and they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire." Christ crucified, roasted under the wrath of God, bearing my sins, taking what I deserve. Roast with fire and unleavened bread. Remember how they were to purge the house of leaven? You can't have any works here. He by himself purged our sins. No works are allowed. Leaven was to be purged from the house. It was to be observed with unleavened bread.

I love that scripture in Romans 4 and 5, to him that worketh not. Have you understood that works won't work for you Have you understood that? To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. And with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Even in my joy in the gospel, I can't leave the bitterness of sin. I'm not going to be dismissive of the sins I've committed. Sin is a bitter thing. And you know, even in believing the gospel, that sin is a bitter thing.

And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleaven bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, It's only Christ crucified. The only hope I have is in a crucified Savior, what he accomplished by that crucifixion.

Don't eat it raw. It's to be roast with fire, nor sodden at all with water. Don't let it become watered down. Oh, don't you hate it when people water down the work of Christ, make it less than it is? Well, a watered down gospel never saved anybody. Don't water it down. Don't water down the truths of the gospel. Don't take the edge off. Don't water it down. But roast with fire his head, with his legs, with the pertinence thereof, all of it. You shall let nothing of it remain into the morning.

Every truth of the gospel is to be believed and received and rejoiced in. There isn't One part that's real important, one part that's maybe not all that important, and one that's not important at all. No, he said, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you. Every aspect of the gospel is to be rejoiced in, believed, received. You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning, you shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it with your loins, girded your shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand.

That's a traveling posture. This world's not my home. And you know it's not. I'm traveling through. I'm thankful for the blessings of this life, but this world's not my home. I'm traveling through waiting for that heavenly city wherein dwelleth righteousness. and I'm looking forward to come there, and I'm just traveling through in a traveling posture, and I love what he says next. He says, eat it in haste.

You know what that means? That means don't wait for anything. Don't wait till you get better. Don't wait till you understand more. Don't wait for that moment of feeling. We just read, feelings come, feelings go, feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God. Nought else is worth believing. Well, I feel saved. Does that mean you're saved? No. Well, I don't feel saved. Does that mean you're not saved? No. Forget the feelings.

Eat it in haste. This is the command of God. Am I to eat it? Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Eat it in haste. Don't wait till you get better. Don't wait for anything. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right now. Today is the day of salvation. Eat it in haste. Don't wait for anything. It's the Lord's Passover. Aren't you thankful for that?

Verse 12, will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I'll execute judgment. You know, I've read where all 10 of those plagues represented some different god they worshiped. They had a bunch of different gods. He judged them all. He destroyed them all.

Against the gods of Egypt, I'll execute judgment. I am the Lord and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are." Now remember what they were to do? They were to take a hyssop branch, dip it in that blood, put the blood on the doorpost. And God says, when I see the blood, I will. Passover. You.

He did not say when I see your faith. He did not say when I see your sincerity. He did not say when I see the depth of your repentance. He did not say when I see how you're handling sin in your life and getting rid of it. He said when I see the blood. That's the one thing God was looking for. He didn't say when you see the blood.

As a matter of fact, anybody in those houses, they didn't see it. If you're in the house, you couldn't see it. You believed it. You were in the house because you believed in the efficacy of that blood and what it would do, but you couldn't see it while you were in the house. He didn't say when you see the blood. He said, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. That is the one thing God was looking for, the blood of his blessed son. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. I touched on this this morning. I love to think of all the different people that were in the houses. I guarantee you they had so many different thoughts. There's some body in one of those houses that thought, I know the Lord's gonna get me anyway. But he didn't, because of the blood. There are other people who felt such confidence, where they weren't any more secure than the people that were feeling afraid, because the blood. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial. And you shall keep it a feast of the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever." Now, like I said, they've gone over a hundred years without keeping this feast.

Now, back to our text. in Ezra chapter six. And the priests and the Levites, verse 20, were purified together. All of them were pure. A sacrifice had been offered for them. And they killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity and for their brethren, the priests, and for themselves. and the children of Israel which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land." A separation from anything that's not it is finished. Now do you hear that? A complete separation from anything that is not, it is finished."

It's nothing but the filthiness of the heathen of the land is all that's in that message. I love when Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5 about the unleavened bread, he called it the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Anything that is not, it is finished. I'm resting the whole of my salvation on what he accomplished. Anything that is not, it is finished, is insincere.

The person who believes that way has no true sincerity before God. And it's just not the truth. It is finished. And they separated themselves from the filthiness of the heathen of the land to seek the Lord of God of Israel. They did eat and kept the feast of the unleavened bread seven days with joy. For the Lord had made them joyful.

Now, I say once again, I don't want to manufacture some kind of joy that makes me think, oh, I've got joy. I've had people say to me before, I've got joy in my life. Well, do you have to tell me if you do? I don't want a manufactured joy. I want the joy that He makes me to have. And that's what they had.

The Lord made them joyful. I don't have any confidence in any joy that I manufacturer. But I have confidence in this, the joy that he made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. Three things that they rejoiced in all of which are one, They rejoiced in the finished work. Do you rejoice in that?

The finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, having faith in His blood that you had no hand in. He did it all, and you're trusting only what He did, the finished work. And how they rejoiced in the Passover. I don't know of a verse of scripture that gives me more confidence than this. God saying, when I see the blood, I will pass over you. What confidence there is in that. It's what he says. He doesn't say anything about when I see how you're doing. He says, when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

And how we rejoice in his absolute sovereignty. The heart, he turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. We really don't have anything to worry about or to fret about. God is in control of everything and everybody and his will is always going to be done and we can rest and rejoice in that. Now that gives this sinner joy. a finished work. God giving me this assurance, when I see the blood, I will pass over you and his absolute sovereignty over everybody. Let's pray.

Lord, how we thank you for the Words of your son, our Redeemer from the cross, it is finished. Lord, it makes our hearts joyful to know that all you require of us has already been finished. And we stand complete in thy son. And how we thank you for the gospel promise that when you see the blood of your son, That's all you need to pass over us in mercy and grace.

And how we thank you that you're in control of everybody and everything and every thought, every movement. It's all under your glorious sovereign control. And for that, we give thanks. Now, Lord, bless this message for the Lord's sake. In his name we pray, amen.

The Lord Had Made them Joyful

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about joy in the Lord?

How do we know Christ's atonement is limited to the elect?

Why is the phrase 'it is finished' important for Christians?

How should Christians respond to the sovereignty of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

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The Lord Had Made them Joyful

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about joy in the Lord?

How do we know Christ's atonement is limited to the elect?

Why is the phrase 'it is finished' important for Christians?

How should Christians respond to the sovereignty of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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