The Help

It is so important when we read the scripture, particularly reading the Old Testament, we think of our Lord's words in John chapter five, verse 39. You search the scriptures. In them, you think you have eternal life. Listen real carefully. They are they. All Old Testament scripture. They are they which testify of me. And included in that is Ezra chapter seven, verses one through 10. Now we get a glorious view of our Lord Jesus Christ from this passage of scripture. And that makes it exciting. Ezra's name means help. Who's a help like the Lord Jesus Christ?

If you look at his life, his character seems almost flawless as we read about him. Now, quite often in the scriptures, the warts, the sins, the ugliness of God's people are shown to teach us what we are. But sometimes he'll use somebody like Daniel, somebody like Joseph, who no doubt they were flawed men because they were men. But as far as what is revealed about their character, They seem just above reproach.

And this is Ezra. Another reason that I am quite sure Ezra is such a type of Christ is if you read, go on reading ahead in Ezra chapter nine, you're going to find out where Ezra finds out that the children of Israel have stayed just the way they were. They were intermarrying with people of heathen nations, and he sat down astonished, weeping, and he confessed their sins as his. And is that not what the Lord Jesus Christ has done? He has taken ownership of my sin and called it his sin. That's why he died on the cross. He didn't die as an innocent victim. He died guilty as charged.

And when you read that prayer in Ezra chapter 9 that Ezra prays in behalf of the children of Israel, what a glorious type of the Lord Jesus Christ he is. Help. I need help. You need help. And what a name for Ezra. Help. The Lord is our refuge, a very present help in time of trouble. The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do unto me. Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. Ezra's father means Jehovah is ruler. Now we read those first five verses with regard to this man, Ezra.

He was in a direct line to the Aaronic priesthood. You notice that Aaron was the last name mentioned. Now that's just the way the Lord Jesus Christ is the direct descendant of the son of David. For him to be a proper priest, he had to be the son of Aaron. He had to have a direct line or he wouldn't be a priest. And this typifies the Lord Jesus Christ as the son of David, a direct descendant of David.

And we have the priesthood of Christ in Ezra, Christ, my great high priest. Turn to Hebrews chapter four. Hold your, put a mark in Ezra chapter seven and turn to Hebrews chapter four. Verse 14. Now remember Ezra is in the direct line of the great high priest as the Lord is our great high priest. But look at this in verse 14.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest that's passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. But was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Now I've known for many years, I would read that verse of scripture, and I would think, how could he be touched with the feeling of my infirmities if he never sinned? I have feelings of shame. I have feelings of guilt. I have feelings of being far from God.

If he never sinned, How could it be that he is touched by the feeling of my infirmities, feeling forsaken, feeling abandoned, feeling guilty, feeling shame because of my sin? How could he be touched by that if he's never sinned? Because he was made to sin. And all those feelings you and I have, abandonment, separation because of our sin, he felt much more acutely when he was made sin. He's touched, moved to sympathy. When I sigh over my mountains of sin laying on me, he's touched by the feeling of our infirmities.

Let's go on reading. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. What a high priest. Let's go on reading chapter five, verse one. For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God. that he may offer both gifts and sacrifice for sins, who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way.

And that word out of the way is they've gone astray. You know how easily sheep go astray. You know how easily you will go astray if the Lord doesn't prevent it. But he has compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way, for that he himself also is encompassed with infirmity."

Now this great high priest that represents the Lord Jesus Christ, he found himself to be encompassed with infirmity. He realized he was a sinful person, therefore he couldn't look down on anybody else. He was moved to compassion with these people. Verse four, and no man No, verse three, and by reason hereof, he ought for the people, so also for himself to offer for sins. You know, before the high priest could make an offering for me or you, he had to make an offering for himself first. Now that pictures the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had to be ceremonially clean before he could offer a sacrifice for us.

Verse four, no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that's called of God. As was Aaron, so also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him, thou art my son, today have I begotten thee. As he said also in another place, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Turn to chapter seven of Hebrews, verse 25.

Wherefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, our great high priest, He is able. Stay right there for a second. He is able. He is able to save you completely with no contribution, no work you must first perform. That's his ability. He is able to save them to the uttermost. That's almost an undefinable word. How far is the uttermost? Far. He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Turn to Hebrews 10. Now, Ezra was first of all, whose name is help, the great high priest. Verse 11, and every priest standeth.

There were no chairs in the tabernacle because his work was never done. Once he finished, he had to start over and over again because there was no true saving efficacy in what he did. He had no chair. Every priest standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down. on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting to his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. That is our great high priest.

Now go back to Ezra chapter seven. His name means help. His pedigree as a great High priest, verse six, this Ezra went up from Babylon and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses. The Lord Jesus Christ is more than the ready scribe of the law of Moses. He's the author of the book. He wrote the book.

He's that ready scribe in the law of Moses, and he's the only one who can really tell us what the Bible means. I love it in the Sermon on the Mount when he introduced himself publicly. He said, you've heard it said by them of old, and then he gives a thou shalt or thou shalt not, giving some law. Then he says, but I say unto you, he is the only one who can tell us what the word of God actually means. He's the ready scribe in the law of Moses and how he demonstrates his reverence for his own word. I love that statement the psalmist made, thou has magnified thy word above all thy name.

Is he talking about the scriptures? Yes. Is he talking about the living word? Yes. Is he talking about the word that is preached? Yes. Timothy, preach the word. Thou has magnified thy word above all thy name. You know, if you understand the scriptures, if you do, if you have any spiritual understanding of the scriptures, listen to this scripture. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. Thus it's written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and rise again the third day that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name.

And I love this beginning of Jerusalem. Well, these are the people who murdered him. Where does this gospel preaching begin? Beginning at Jerusalem, the very place of the people who killed him. You know, John Bunyan once preached a sermon entitled, The Jerusalem Sinner Saved.

Oh, he's that ready scribe in the law of Moses that teaches us the meaning of the scriptures. Verse six, then Ezra went up from Babylon, he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given, and the king granted him all his requests. The king grants his son all his requests. Whatever he asked the father, he has.

When he said, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. Do you know everybody he prayed for was forgiven? There wasn't anybody he prayed for that wasn't forgiven. He was praying for all of his people at that time. Father, forgive them. And every one of them were forgiven.

In John chapter 17, we have all of his requests. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me, for they are thine. Oh, I want the Lord praying for me, don't you? Because whatever he prays, the Father gives him. He gives him all of his requests. Remember what he said with regard to Peter. I have prayed for you. Do you know if you're a believer, he has prayed for you. Now I'm wanting to learn something about prayer. I want to be a man of prayer. I know you want to be a man of prayer, but this is the prayer I'm most concerned about. Him praying for me.

He said to Peter, Peter, Satan has desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat. And indeed, Satan did sift Peter as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith fail not. Now, Peter failed miserably, and he needed it. All the grand Thoughts he had of himself and the bold proclamations he made of himself.

Although these guys will deny you, not me. I'll never do it. Peter's fall was for his good. But I'll tell you one thing that never happened, his faith didn't fail. His faith didn't fail because he never quit believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. And let me remind you, faith isn't what you believe about yourself, it's what you believe about him. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the God's Christ, the Son of the living God? Do you believe that? That's faith. Peter never quit believing that.

He said, keep through thine own name those thou hast given me that they may be one as we are one. You know what? The father kept them through his own name, that they might be one. He said, I pray not that thou should take them out of the world, but that thou should deliver them from evil.

And that's exactly what he has done. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. The deed is done. Whatever he asked the Father, he has. I pray that they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us. We are. One. Both he that sanctifies and they are sanctified are all of one. I'm one with Christ. I'm one with God. Somebody says, how can you make a statement like that? Because that's what the Lord prayed for. That's why we know that so. The Lord prayed for this in behalf of his people. God gave him all of his requests.

What? Help. He said, Father, I will that they whom you've given me, be with me where I am that they may behold my glory. And listen to me, I'm with him where he is right now. You know, he's seated at the right hand of the Father. I'm there in him right now. That's how secure my salvation is. I'm there in him and that's true of every believer. Whatever he prays for, he gets. The King grants him all of his requests and what a help That is to think that whatever he asks in my behalf, I have, and all he has for every believer is good. Now, let's go on reading verse six. Then Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given, and the king granted all his requests according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

Now, who could that describe like the Lord Jesus Christ, who had the hand of the Lord his God upon him? God said, I've laid help on one that is mighty. He is mighty to save according to the hand of God upon him. God gave not the spirit by measure unto him. Now, for God's hand to be upon him means God's favor is on him. God's delight is upon Him. God's power is upon Him. He's equal to the Father. That's how much. His hand's upon Him. He is indeed the great help, God's Spirit resting upon Him.

And I love the way the scripture represents this simple yet profound concept. God's hand is on Him to this extent. Be ye kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. He didn't have to have a reason you to do it. He did it for Christ's sake. That's how much the hand of his father is upon him. He is mighty to save so that we can boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. what man can do unto me. Look in verse seven.

And there went up some, and notice some is in italics, it's put there by the translators, and we can leave it out, and there went up the children of Israel. When he went up, they went up. Why did they go up? Because he went up. More on this in a moment.

And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the nephemims, the tabernacle servants unto Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. When he came up, they came up. Verse nine, for upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon.

And in my marginal reading for began, it says he was the foundation of the going up. You know, this is the only time this word is found in the scriptures. He was the foundation of them going up. Literally, he was the foundation of their ascent to Jerusalem from exile. Now who is the foundation of our ascent to God? He only is the foundation of my ascent to God.

Turn to Psalm 24. Hold your finger there in Ezra 7 and turn to Psalm 24. Verse three. Who shall ascend, and this is what this is about, remember ascending. He ascended to Jerusalem. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul into vanity, nor sworn deceitfully, He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Now, who is able to ascend up?

He that has clean hands. He can't have any sin. He's got a pure heart, a heart without sin. And what about his actions? He's never lifted up his soul into vanity. Not once. He's never sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord. Now, we know that describes the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also know that describes everybody in Him. I come into His presence with clean hands, sinless hands, a pure heart. I've never lifted up my soul to vanity. I've never sworn deceitfully. Somebody says, well, I'm guilty of all those things. In Christ, you're not. He is your righteousness. His obedience is your obedience. His clean hands are your clean hands. His pure heart are your pure heart. He never lifted up his soul to vanity. You did neither in him. He never swore deceitfully. You never did either in him.

Now, if you don't understand the gospel, you can read that verse of scripture and become utterly despairing. Well, I don't have clean hands. I don't have a pure heart. I've lifted up my soul to vanity every minute I've ever lived, and I've certainly sworn deceitfully.

Yes, you have. But in Christ, you have not. His righteousness is literally your personal righteousness before God. It's not simply imputed to you, although it is, it's yours. It's yours. His obedience is your obedience. And what a help. Here's my foundation. Christ Jesus, the Lord. And back to our text.

Ezra 7, verse 8, and he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon. He was the foundation of the ascent. And on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem according to the good hand of his God upon him.

Here we have it again. He did everything according to the good hand of his God upon him. What a help our Lord Jesus Christ is. The good hand of God is upon him for our good. Now look in verse 10. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Ezra prepared his heart. The Lord said, I sanctify myself. that they also might be sanctified through the truth. He prepared His heart for the great work of the salvation of His people and for the glory of His Father. In what earnestness He prepared His heart for this work. He said in John chapter 4 verse 36, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me. and finish his work and how he prepared his heart for this. This was his meat and his drink. Turn to Psalm 40. Hold your finger and turn to Psalm 40. Verse 6. Sacrifice, let's start in verse one.

I waited patiently for the Lord. And he inclined unto me and heard my cry. Now who's the only one who ever could say that? Have you ever waited patiently for the Lord? No unbelief, no worry. He did. He waited patiently. for the Lord, and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings, and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God.

Many shall see and fear and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward.

They cannot be reckoned. I love when the Lord prays. He didn't say your thoughts which are to me, but to usward. He's speaking of all of his people. They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee. If I would declare and speak of them, there more than can be numbered. Now listen to his words. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. Mine ears hast thou opened burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required? Then said I, lo, I come.

In the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will. O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. Ezra prepared himself for this great work. And every day the Lord lived, it was in preparation for the great work of salvation. which he would accomplish. Now back to our text, look what it says, verse 10. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and commandments. He prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach it.

Now, I think of Luke's word in Acts chapter one, verse one. He said that this former treatise have I written to thee, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. Now, isn't that everything we preach? all that Jesus began to do and to teach. You remember when the Lord said in the Sermon on the Mount, it's in Matthew chapter five, verse 19, he said, with regard to the commandments of God, but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same should be great in the kingdom of heaven.

That's one man. the Lord Jesus Christ, and I thank God for his doing and his teaching what he did. Everybody in him did what he did. I did. He perfectly kept the law of God. I perfectly kept the law of God. Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. He honored the laws Condemnation for disobedience.

And this is an overwhelming thing to think about. But the Lord would rather die on a cross than his father's law be dishonored. That is his esteem to his father. He would rather die on a cross than his father's law be dishonored. When he looked at the contents of that cup that was passed before him, and that was the sins of his people. That's what was in that cup. When he said, Oh, Father, if it be possible, let this cap pass before me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. His soul shrank back in horror, looking at the contents of drinking that cup. But he said, Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And he drank that cup.

And what a help that is to me. He was delivered for our offenses. He was raised again for our justification. And what a help he was when he was raised from the dead. What a help that Paul triumphantly cried, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who can condemn us? It's Christ that died, yea, rather than risen again, who's even at the right hand of God. Don't you love the doings of the Lord Jesus Christ? For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it. He honored it completely and to teach in Israel. And here's the content of his teaching.

Statutes and judgments. And these words are important. Statutes and judgments. The word statutes, let me give you the definition. It means the limit. the prescribed limit, the boundary, the specific decree. It's every word that comes out of God's mouth that we live by. When God speaks, it's His decree, and nothing can surpass the boundary of what He says. He taught statutes, the Word, the decree of God, and He taught judgments. To teach in Israel, statutes and judgments.

Understand, may God enable us to enter into the glory of this. Everything about the gospel is judgment. My salvation, God judges me worthy of his presence because Christ put away my sins. And I stand before God, and this is true of every believer, we stand before God justified.

It's a just thing, it's a righteous thing. Don't you love it when that poor old publican that had been crying, beating on his breast, God be merciful to me, the sinner. And Christ said, I say unto you, that man went down to his house, what? Justified. The law of God demands his salvation. The law of God demands every believer's salvation because we stand before God justified. I love it when the Lord said to that woman taken in adultery, in the very act, there was no doubt about her guilt in this matter.

He said, woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, no man, Lord. He said, neither do I condemn thee. Now wait a minute, she was guilty. Yes, but her sin had been put away and she stood before God without guilt justified. He teaches the statutes, the prescribed limit, you can't go past this word. Exactly. And judgments, the justice of God and the salvation of sinners, how God can be just and justify the ungodly, Ezra, help. He's the one who will lead them and return from the exile, and he's doing it today.

And when we're getting ready to take the Lord's table, like we're getting ready to do, the Lord's our help. When we take this bread and this wine, we're saying the Lord's my help. His shed blood, His perfect righteousness, His broken body is why I'll be in heaven. And it's a celebration. Help.

What help, what justice, what judgment is seen in the Lord's table, we're showing forth the Lord's death. And isn't that our only hope? Showing forth the Lord's death. until they come. I love the way he didn't say we're showing forth the Lord's life, and we do, we love his life, but what we're showing forth is the Lord's death.

What is my hope of being saved? Jesus Christ died for me. Well, how do you know he died for you? Because I look to him only as everything in my salvation. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Now, if you're a sinner, and Christ is your only hope, the Lord's table is for you. You're not taking it unworthily, you're taking it worthily in looking to Christ only.

Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the help of the Lord Jesus Christ. How we thank you that he's the ready scribe, that he's our great high priest, how we thank you for all he did, how we thank you for his ascent and our ascent into your presence in him, how we thank you that you grant all of his requests. Now, Lord, we ask that you would enable us as we, in obedience to your command, take this bread and this wine. We ask that you would enable us to do so worthily. by looking to the death of Christ as everything in our salvation. And Lord, it would be meaningless without his resurrection. We know it, but how thankful we are for his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Bless our time together for Christ's sake. In his name we pray, amen.

The Help

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