A Letter From The King

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty in the hearts of kings?

The Bible teaches that the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, guiding it as He wills (Proverbs 21:1). Scripture clearly articulates God's sovereignty over all creation, including the hearts of rulers, as demonstrated in Proverbs 21:1, which states, 'The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever he will.' This underscores the Reformed understanding that even the decisions of earthly kings are ultimately directed by God's sovereign will. Historical events, such as King Artaxerxes' decree to support the rebuilding of the temple, exemplify how God works through non-believers to fulfill His purposes. This is a profound demonstration of God's complete control over human affairs, reaffirming the doctrine of His divine sovereignty.

Q: How do we know that God's decrees cannot be altered?

God's decrees are absolute and unchangeable, as seen in His sovereign commands (Ezra 7:12-26). In the biblical narrative, the unalterable nature of God's decrees is exemplified by King Artaxerxes' command that could not be rescinded once issued. This reflects a deep theological principle in Reformed thought: God's decrees are eternal and immutable, embodying His sovereign plan for creation. In Ezra 7:12-26, we observe that once Artaxerxes made a decree concerning the support of the temple and its worship, that decision remained in effect. Similarly, God's decrees govern all aspects of life and salvation, as illustrated in Acts 2:23, wherein Peter refers to Christ's crucifixion as being 'delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.' These passages affirm the understanding that God's decrees are not only purposeful but also enduring, thus providing comfort that His plans will ultimately prevail.

Q: Why is sacrifice important for Christians?

Sacrifice is crucial as it underscores the holiness of God and the need for atonement through Christ (Hebrews 9:22). The necessity of sacrifice is central to the Christian faith, as it encapsulates God's holiness and humanity's sinful nature. The sermon outlines that without sacrifice, there can be no fellowship with God. Romans 3:23 affirms that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, necessitating a means of atonement for sin. The blood of Christ is presented as the ultimate sacrifice that satisfies God's justice and allows for redemption (Hebrews 9:22, 'without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins'). Furthermore, the type of sacrifice foreshadowed in the Old Testament culminates in Christ's sacrificial death, which provides believers with access to God. Therefore, understanding the significance of sacrifice enriches the believer's comprehension of grace and encourages a deep appreciation for God's redemptive work through Jesus.

Q: How does God's control over human decisions reflect His sovereignty?

God's sovereignty allows Him to control human decisions without negating human will (Ezra 7:14). The relationship between God's sovereignty and human will is a challenging yet fundamental aspect of Reformed theology. In Ezra 7:14, we see Ezra being commissioned to lead God's people, illustrating that God actively involves Himself in guiding human decisions. While humans make choices freely, these decisions align with God's sovereign plan because He orchestrates the hearts and actions of individuals to fulfill His purposes. This dual aspect is supported by Proverbs 19:21, which states, 'Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.' Hence, God's ultimate control over all things demonstrates a profound assurance; believers can rest in the knowledge that no action can thwart God’s overarching will while remaining accountable for their responses and actions.

What a wonderful savior he is. Now would you turn back to Ezra 7. This is a very remarkable letter from the king. And Ezra tells us in verse 27 of Ezra chapter 7, blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart to beautify or glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. Now among the things he put in the heart of Artaxerxes, look at verse 16 of this chapter. He says to Ezra, all the silver and gold that thou can find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offerings of the people and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem. All the gold, all the silver is yours.

Now the only way he would say something like that is because God put it in his heart. Now let's read this letter together and then we'll go back and make some comments on it. Verse 12. Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest The scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord and of his statutes to Israel.

Artaxerxes, king of kings. Now we know that title only belongs to the king of kings, but Artaxerxes takes it for himself. He is at this time the most powerful man in the world. And all other kingdoms were tributaries of his. Artaxerxes, the king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace.

And at such a time I make a decree that all they of the people of Israel and of his priests and Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. For as much as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand, and to carry the silver and the gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem.

And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offerings of the people and of the priest, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem, that thou mayest buy speedily with the money, bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren, do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. The vessels also that are given unto thee for the service of the house of thy God, these deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 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.

Even I, Artaxerxes, the king, do make a decree to all the treasures which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven shall require of you, it be done speedily, unto a hundred pounds of silver, unto a hundred measures of wheat, unto a hundred bags of wine, unto a hundred bags of oil, and salt, without prescribing how much. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done. for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? He had some kind of understanding that if he didn't do this, there would be wrath against him.

Also, we certify you that touching any of the priests and the Levites, singers, porters, nephemims, or ministers of the house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom upon them. They don't pay taxes. And thou, Ezra, After the wisdom of thy God that's in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river. All such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

That's the end of the letter. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. Now, this is as amazing as the Egyptians giving the children of Israel all their money when they left. The Lord put this in his heart, and he opens up all the treasures of Babylon. And he says, if there's anything else you need, bring it out of the king's treasury.

It's yours. he had some kind of understanding and some kind of fear of the Lord. Now, in this remarkable narrative, 50 or 60 years have passed between chapter six and chapter seven. And Artaxerxes, who calls himself the king of kings, takes a special interest in the God of Israel and the temple and the sacrifice.

And he had some understanding of and respect for the law of God. He called it the perfect law of God. And he called God the God of heaven. By saying that, he's saying, I know he's the only living and true God. And he says in verse 13, I make a decree.

Now remember the decrees of the kings of Persia And Babylon could not be altered. Once that decree was in place, it was there for good, and it could not be changed. And that's such a beautiful picture of the decree of our God. He decrees, He's made one decree, and in that decree, everything takes place. And it cannot be changed.

I love the God of decree. That means he's in control of everything. I make a decree that all they of the people of Israel and of his priests and his Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Now we know why he made that decree. God put it in his heart.

Isn't it wonderful to think that we're living in a world that God exercises absolute control, even of the thoughts of men? He is sovereign over everything. You can't take that too far. This king, this heathen king, this self-exalted king who calls himself the king of kings, still he knows that God truly is king. And he's only king by God's decree.

And I love the way he says, if people don't do what you tell them to do, let their goods be confiscated, let them be put into prison, let them be put into death. He said, why should there be wrath against me? If I don't follow out, I know I'm in trouble. Why should there be wrath against me? That's why he's doing these things.

Now, the scripture says the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth it whether so ever he will. Now I love the way he says, I make a decree that everybody that wants to do this of their own free will. The sovereign God is completely sovereign over the free and uncoerced actions of men. Complete sovereign control. Yes, what we do, we do freely. We do what we want to do. We act according to our will. But the reason we do it is because God controls everything. Now somebody says, how can both of those be true? That we do what we do freely, yet God exercises absolute sovereign control over even our thoughts. How can that be? I don't know. But it's so. Turn with me for a moment to Proverbs chapter 19. This is a proverb we don't use a lot.

Always quote, the king's heart's in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water, he turneth it so ever he will. And the proverb, the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. But look in Proverbs 19, verse 21. There are many devices, purposes, intentions, plans. There are many plans, devices in a man's heart. Nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, his decree, his counsel, that shall stand.

Don't you love singing when you understand this? This is my father's world. This is my father's world. And he controls Everything. Verse 13, I make a decree that all they of the people of Israel, of his priests and Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

For as much as thou art sent of the king. He's saying, I'm the one sending you. Now, God was the one that was sending him. But he, as God's, the one God uses, he says, I'm sending you, the one who has the authority to do so. For as much as thou art, sent of the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God, which is in thy hand." He had some kind of respect for the scriptures, didn't he?

He said, to carry the silver and the gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of Israel. whose habitation is in Jerusalem. And all the silver and gold that thou can find in all the province of Babylon with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem, what's all this money for? That thou mayest speedily with this money buy bullocks, rams, lambs with their meat offerings and their drink offerings and offerings them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. Now this is what this money was for.

This man understood something about the necessity of the sacrifice. And he opens up all the treasures of Persia, Babylon, for the sacrifice. Now how much did he understand about the sacrifice? I don't know. I know he appointed all this money to buy all the animals that were needed for all these sacrifices. He appointed this.

I don't know how much he understood about this, but I know how much I understand about it. I cannot be saved apart from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I know that. I know no sinner could approach God apart from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree. That's the only way God can be approached.

Somebody says, why is that? Let me give you two reasons. Number one, because he's holy. He's other. He's of two pure eyes to behold iniquity. And here's the second reason, me and you are sinful. Sinful. I think that's the most appropriate description of every man, boy, girl, woman in this universe. They are sin full, full of sin. And for God to accept me, sacrifice must first be made. Now that's who God is. That's his character, that's his holy character.

And I believe that the passage in Genesis chapter 22 teaches us perhaps more than any other passage, the necessity of sacrifice. So would you turn with me there for a moment? We'll come back to Ezra chapter seven, but you'll notice the money he spent for the sacrificial animals. Genesis 22.

Abraham's an old man at this time. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him, Abraham. And he said, behold, here I am. And God didn't speak very often out of heaven. Abraham heard him speak three or four times in all these years. And every time God called his name, it was before some great trial. And I can imagine Abraham wincing when he heard his name. Abraham, behold, I'm here. Here I am. And he said, take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac. What about Ishmael? The product of works. He's not acknowledged to be a son. Cast out the bondwoman and her son. Only Isaac is acknowledged to be a son. Take now thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I will tell thee of.

And Abram rose up early in the morning. He didn't delay his obedience. He saddled his ass and took two of his young men with him and Isaac, his son, and claimed the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went into the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes, this has been a three day journey, and he saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said to his young men, abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. Now don't miss that. That boy was already dead in his heart. But he said, after I slay him, me and him are gonna come back to you.

He knew that God would raise him from the dead. Hebrews 11 says that, no in certain terms. He knew God would raise him from the dead. Now, somebody says, I don't know if I could obey God like that. Well, if you knew God was gonna raise your child from the dead, you'd do it. Him giving you the grace, you'd do it. Abraham believed. He was going to come back with his son. You see, God had promised the Messiah is going to come through Isaac. And he knew God cannot lie. God's word must take place.

So he says to these young men, y'all stay here. And I have no doubt that he wanted them to stay here because if they would have been here, they would have probably tried to prevent him from killing his son. Y'all stay here. We're going to go yonder and worship and come again to you.

Somebody says, what's involved in worship? The sacrifice of Christ. There is no worship apart from Christ on the cross putting away sin. Well, our obedience, our, don't even talk about anything about you. Worship is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Me and the lad will go yonder and worship and will come again to you. Verse six.

And Abram took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son and took the fire in his hand and a knife and they went both of them together. What a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaac's carrying the wood. that he's going to be used for his sacrifice. Christ carrying the wood for his own sacrifice. And Isaac, verse 7, speaking to Abraham, his father, and said, my father?

And he said, here am I, my son. And what was going on in his mind? That was his son. He knew he was going to slay him. He knew he was going to cut his throat. How painful. every step must have been. And Isaac spake unto Abraham and his father and said, my father. And he said, here am I, my son.

He said, behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? We've got the fire. We've got the wood. Where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Isaac knew God could not be approached or worshipped apart from the sacrificial lamb that pointed to the Lamb of God. He knew that. We've got the fire. We've got the wood. Where's the lamb? Verse 8, And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they went both of them together. Now, I love Abraham's reply. God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.

Do you know there's nothing that you or I can provide? Not that God could accept. God's holy. Anything I bring in and of myself is defiled by my sin. Everything. God is holy. I can't provide anything that God could accept. God will provide. He's the one who does the providing. Aren't you thankful for that? God will provide for himself.

For God to do something for me, he's first got to do something for himself. He's got to satisfy his own dishonored law. He's got to punish sin. He's got to make a way that he could be just and justify somebody like me. God's got to do something for himself before he can do something for me.

And that's what the cross is all about, where God was doing something for himself so he could do something for me or you. God will provide himself. He is the Lamb. The Lamb of God is God the Lamb. And this is where we get this wonderful title of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jehovah-Jireh. God will provide. That's where this name comes from. God will provide.

Now how much did Artaxerxes know about all this? I don't know, maybe he knew it all, but I know he was having all this money sent to Jerusalem for the rebuilding of the temple so the sacrifice could be instituted and he spared nothing. All the silver and gold of Babylon is at your disposal to go to Have this done. Now turn back to Ezra chapter 7. Verse 17, that thou mayest buy speedily with this money, bullets, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem. And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold." He knew he was giving him vast amounts. That due after the will of your God. He trusted Ezra, didn't he? You're going to be given a whole lot more money than you need. Do whatever God would have you do. He trusted him.

Verse 19, 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's talking about the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar years before had carried away. He said, bring them back to the house of God in Jerusalem. I think it's amazing that they were intact. They weren't melted to make new gods. They were all intact. He says, bring them back to the temple.

Verse 20, and whatsoever more shall be needed for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house. Whatever you need, take it out of my treasure house. And I, even I, art exerts as the king to make a decree to all the treasures which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law, the God of heaven. I love the way he calls him the law of the God of heaven. shall require of you, it be done speedily. It be done right now, no hesitation.

Unto a hundred talons of silver, to a hundred measures of wheat, to a hundred baths of wine, to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much." Now he gives these figures of what he thought could be needed, but he said don't put any limit on the salt.

The salt has something to do with the sacrifice. Every sacrifice was to be salted with salt. Salt purges. It kills whatever's wrong in the meat that could make it rot. The sacrifice of Christ kills our sin, makes them not to be to where there's no more salt preserved. Salt makes it taste good. Salt represents the grace of God. There's no measure on His grace. It's always, He giveth more grace.

No limitation on the salt. Verse 23, whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? He knew if it's not diligently done, there'll be wrath against me. Also, we certify you that touching any of the priests and the Levites, singers, porters, nephemims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom upon them. No taxes on them. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free. There's no taxes you need to pay. You're complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't it amazing?

This powerful king has this care for this insignificant nation. The Lord put it in his heart to do all this. He said, you make sure you don't tax them. And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that's in thine hand, said magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God, and teach ye them that know them not. He's commissioned as a preacher. You make sure your God is preached, this book is preached. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, Let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

And here is Ezra's conclusion. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart. to beautify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, to glorify the house of the Lord. Now remember the temple. The temple is the Lord Jesus Christ.

You had the altar where the sacrifice was slain, burned. You had the laver that You would wash your hands in before you could enter into the holy place, and that's talking about, this is so important, that's talking about the continual cleansing of the blood of Christ. It's not something separate from the altar. It's the continual cleansing of the blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin.

In the temple, you had the candlestick, Christ our light. brazen altar of incense, Christ our intercessor. You had the table of showbread, Christ our sustenance. In the holy of holies, you had the ark. And in the ark, there were three things in the ark of the covenant. There was Aaron's rod that budded. You know that? It was just a rod, but yet life came from it.

It didn't need anything to sustain life. This is Christ's independence. He has no needs. He wasn't dependent upon anything for life to remain. You have the law. Christ our righteousness. You have a pot of manna. Christ our food. You have the mercy seat over it.

That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the temple of God. He is the dwelling place of God. In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And don't miss this. Every believer is His temple. You're the temple of Christ, the body of Christ. Every believer. What an awesome thing to think that we're members of His body.

I wish I knew how to say that as I should. but oh, the temple, the significance of this temple, that God has put it in the heart of this king to beautify the temple. Now, in closing, here's what we have. We begin with the word of God. Look in verse 12.

Now, this is the copy of the letter that the king of Artaxerxes gave unto Israel. The priest, the scribe, he was a scribe of the words of the commandments, the words of the commandments of the Lord. This is talking about scripture and of his statutes to Israel. And our deserts is king of kings unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven.

And we got to begin with the word of God. The Bible is our beginning place. We don't go to the Bible to prove what we believe. We go to the Bible to find out what the truth is. Cursed is the man that manipulates scriptures and uses scriptures to prove his corrupt doctrine. That's handling the word of God deceitfully. We go to the Bible to find out what God says in his word.

Thou hast magnified thy word above all by name. And from this word, we hear of the decree of God. Yes, Artaxerxes made this decree, but salvation begins with the decree of God, the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. That's the way Peter opened up that great sermon on the day of Pentecost. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

You have taken him with wicked hands, have crucified and slain. He wasn't in your hands. You're in his hands. All this was according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. And then we have the money sent for what? The sacrifice. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ is everything in salvation. Paul said, I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

That must be behind everything said. I love what Isaac said. Here's the fire. Here's the wood. Where's the lamb for the burnt offering? Now that is how every sermon is to be judged without exception. Where's the lamb? Now, you may not hear certain words, but that's the foundation of every message. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, I've determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I love the way the gospel here is a command.

If you don't believe, confiscate his goods. Imprison him. Put him to death. Now somebody says, Al, that doesn't sound much like grace. Aren't you thankful to believe the gospel's a command to you? If it was just an invitation, you'd figure out a way. Either you weren't invited, or you wouldn't do it. And it's not all that bad. But thank God, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, or you'll be put to death.

That gives us a desire. Oh, I want to believe right now. Lord, give me grace to believe, to trust your son. It's a command. You don't have to worry about whether or not it's really given to you. It is. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right now, and thou shalt be saved. And Ezra was commissioned to do all this. Let's read these last two verses.

Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart to beautify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, and hath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counselors, before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that the king's heart is in your hand. And as the rivers of water, you turn it with or so ever you will. And Lord, we ask that our heart, our hearts might be in thy hand, that you would turn our hearts to look to thy son only. Turn our hearts to preach him only. Lord, bless us for Christ's sake. We're so thankful for him. We're so thankful for his sacrifice. May we be found in him. In his name we pray. Amen.

A Letter From The King

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty in the hearts of kings?

How do we know that God's decrees cannot be altered?

Why is sacrifice important for Christians?

How does God's control over human decisions reflect His sovereignty?

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A Letter From The King

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty in the hearts of kings?

How do we know that God's decrees cannot be altered?

Why is sacrifice important for Christians?

How does God's control over human decisions reflect His sovereignty?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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