this evening. My wife, Abby, doesn't get off
work till five, so she wasn't able to travel with me, but she
sends her greetings as well. I'd ask you to open your Bibles
with me to the book of Ezra. Ezra. Not a book we commonly turn to,
but if you started to Psalm and just go back a few books, You'll
find it. Back home, I teach our kids'
Sunday school class, our high school kids. And we have started
a study, go through the books of the Bible, and trying to find
a lesson in each book of the Bible. And we look at a few things. We try to look at when it was
written. The Book of Ezra, the writers say it was written around
400 BC. We'll look at the author, try
to figure out who wrote it, which in this case bears the author's
name. Most believe that Ezra had written
that. But that's all good information. But what is most critical, regardless
of what book of the Bible it is, those details are nice to
know, but we've got to see Christ. That's our desire, that's our
aim, that's our hope. Whatever book we find ourselves
in, where's Christ? To see Him. Look at Ezra chapter three. We're willing to get to chapter
nine, but I just want to look at a few verses here. Ezra chapter three, verse 11. And they sang together by course
in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, because he who
the Lord is good, his mercy endureth forever toward Israel, toward
his church, toward his chosen people. I'm just constantly fascinated
by God's Word. 400 years before our Lord walked
this earth, these praises were sung. And all the people shouted
with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the
foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Now much, much
of the book of Ezra points to the Lord Jesus Christ. And as
we often see in the Old Testament scriptures, men and air, I don't, well I
do know, I do know because there was a time and probably we all
know that there was a time when we couldn't see Christ on any
page in this book. But some see this Old Testament
as nothing but a history book. There are those who all they
have is Matthew through Revelation. They don't even have the Old
Testament in their Bible. But the gospel, the gospel is
clearly present in the Old and the New Testament. Our Lord said
this, just listen to a few of these passages. In John chapter
five, verse 46, he said, had you believed Moses, Moses wrote
those first five books of the Bible, didn't he? He said, had
you believed Moses, you would have believed me. Why is it? Because Moses wrote of me. In Luke chapter 24, AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, THESE
ARE THE WORDS WHICH I SPAKE UNTO YOU, THAT ALL THINGS MUST BE
FULFILLED WHICH WERE WRITTEN, WHERE, JUST IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
NO, THE NEW TESTAMENT HADN'T EVEN BEEN WRITTEN YET, HAD IT?
WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES AND IN THE PROPHETS AND IN THE PSALMS
CONCERNING ME. concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. He's seen. He's seen. If the Lord is pleased to open
our eyes, he is revealed throughout the scriptures. Old and New Testament. But I've got to tell you, I love
these Old Testament pictures. They're just so clear. Brother
Todd, I remember him saying that. He said, we can't even begin
to come up with illustrations. We might think we come up with
some good ones every now and then, but there's none that are
so clear as what's written in the Old Testament. In the book
of Genesis, he's pictured throughout Genesis,
but that ark, there was one way of deliverance. The whole earth,
the entire earth was destroyed, and yet deliverance was provided
by Almighty God. The world perished, but eight
souls, oh just a few, but eight souls were saved. In Exodus,
we read of the Passover lamb. That lamb slain. In Egypt, listen,
there was death. There was a cry that went up
like had never been heard before. Can you imagine? Those folks
woke up that next morning. I mean, the firstborn in every
house, dead. But the children of Israel, there
was death, but it was that lamb. There was a substitute. That
lamb had been slain and that blood had been applied. And then
they just went in the house. And God said to him, he said,
when I see the blood, I'll pass. I will pass over you. And he passed over him in mercy
and grace. How? By the blood. And he continues
to do that for his people today. By the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, he passes over his people. No wrath, no judgment. It was all on his son. The Lord
Jesus Christ bore the sins of his people. In the book of Leviticus,
we read of the blood before the Lord. That blood before the Lord,
Oh, we read of man's sin. We read of a sacrifice, that
perfect sacrifice without spot and without blemish. Can that
point to any, any but the Lord Jesus Christ? That blood was brought before
the Lord. a blood sacrifice pointing to
Christ, our Redeemer, Christ, our substitute. Listen, he must suffer. The Lord
Jesus Christ must suffer unto death. The only way God can honor
his holy law, the only way in which he can satisfy his perfect
justice, The only way he can fulfill his righteous sentence
and still justify a guilty sinner was for the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God man, for him to come to this earth, robe himself in
human flesh to come into this world and suffer unto death. In the book of Numbers, that
brazen serpent, Children of Israel, they had murmured. Isn't that
us? Isn't that a clear picture of
us? How he's blessed us, how he's
provided for us and yet we continually murmur and complain and find
fault. The people had murmured. God
sent judgment on the people. He sent those fiery serpents
and they bit the people and we read that much people died. When people went to Moses, they
said, intercede. Can you intercede on our behalf?
And he went to God and God said, make a serpent of brass, lift
it up on a pole. And what happened? Everybody
that looked at that brazen serpent lived. The Lord Jesus Christ,
he was lifted up, wasn't he? And isn't that the command? Look.
Such a simple command. Look and live. In Deuteronomy, we read of the
cities of refuge. There were strict directions
about those, weren't there? And a man could flee there. The
roads were to be kept clear. It would be well marked. If a
man killed his brother unaware, he could flee to that city. That was the one place of safety. You know, to know some historical
facts about that city and be able to recite them, I guess
that would probably impress your friends, but it wouldn't have
done a fella any good, would it? You had to be in the city. You had to remain in the city. Again, pointing to the Lord Jesus
Christ. And judges, that scarlet line. You ever wonder, you ever wonder,
of all the collars that rope could have been, it was a scarlet
line. Again, pointing to the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, I want us this evening,
I pray the Lord would enable us this evening to look here
in the book of Ezra and see just a glimpse, that he would enable
us to worship him and see just a glimpse of our Savior. Now look at chapter seven of
Ezra, verse six. It says here that 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 him all his requests according to the hand
of the Lord his God upon him." Now, a couple things here. Israel, it says he was a ready
scribe. And the hand of God was upon him. Peter, in the New Testament,
it's 1 Peter 1, but prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man, okay? But holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Spirit. They wrote, Ezra and all these
other fellas, they wrote what God gave them to write. SECOND TIMOTHY 3, ALL SCRIPTURE,
OLD TESTAMENT, NEW TESTAMENT, ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION
OF GOD AND IS PROFITABLE. IT'S HELPFUL FOR DOCTRINE, FOR
REPROVE, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS,
THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE PERFECT, COMPLETE, THOROUGHLY FURNISHED,
unto all good work. It's God's, think about that,
what we hold in our hands, this is God's word. It's the inspired word of God.
And I know your pastor is faithful to this, and I know that any
man that stands in this place is faithful to this. If he's
not, he won't be standing here for very long. What we preach, what we declare
is God's Word. Not, listen, not man's opinion. We have no interest in that,
do we? Not man's revelation. Not man's thoughts. Definitely not man's thoughts.
He said that. He said, my thoughts, your thoughts aren't my thoughts,
are they? Neither are your ways my ways. No, we preach the word. God's holy, we interpret scripture
with scripture. His word. That was, listen, that
was Paul's instruction to young Timothy, wasn't it? What did
he tell him? He said, preach the word. Preach
the word, be instant in season, reprove, rebuke, right? Preach
the word. And the same thing is said back
in the Old Testament. Back there in Isaiah 8 verse
20, to the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to
this word, it's because there is no light in them. We must
hear, we must hear a message. If it doesn't come from God's
word, it's not, it's not a message. Paul writing to the Galatians,
he said this, he said, Though we, think about that. This is Paul speaking. He said,
Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached, let him be accursed. Well, that's
strong, isn't it? This is a serious, serious matter. It says he was a ready scribe. He was ready, he was diligent. Again, Paul, he writes in Romans,
he said, as much as is in me, I am ready. Ready to what? Ready to preach the gospel to
you. Now still in verse six, The hand
of the Lord was upon Ezra. He was called of God. Turn to verse 10, Ezra 7. Ezra had prepared his heart to
seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel
statutes and judgments. Ezra had prepared to seek the
law of the Lord. He didn't just wake up one morning
and think, well, I'll just read a few verses here and make some
comments. No, he prepared. Aaron, you prepare, don't you?
When the Lord calls you to preach somewhere, you spend time, you
men that do this, you spend time in God's word. And I pray, I
pray the Lord has prepared me this evening to preach to you. And in like manner, I pray the
Lord has prepared us to receive that word, to hear that word,
to rejoice in that word, to worship Him, that He would give us that
he'd give us a teachable spirit. I don't know about you all, but
there are times I've been told things I needed to know, and
I've probably said, I don't need to hear that. You'll be working
on something and somebody tries to help you. I'm probably the
only one in here that that ever happens to, right? I think about
that Ethiopian eunuch. Remember when he was coming back
from whatever kind of religious meeting that was and the Lord
sent Philip to him? And Philip asked him, he said,
do you understand what you're reading? I've approached people before
on a multitude of things. And what do we typically say?
I've got it. I'm good, right? What did that
eunuch say? How can I? How can I accept some
man should guide me? How can I accept some man should
teach me? Oh, I pray he'd give us each
of us. And anything I'm telling you,
I promise you, I'm telling myself, give me a teachable, give me
a teachable spirit, a desire to hear his word, the ability
to hear his word. Seeing eye, hearing ear, they're
both of the Lord, aren't they? Well, let's read on here. Turn to chapter 8, Ezra chapter
8, verse 21. Then I proclaimed a fast there
at the river of Ahava that we might afflict ourselves before
our God to seek of him a right way for us, our little ones,
for all our substance. Ezra proclaimed a fast. He said that we might afflict
ourselves. Now, that word afflict, it means to humble, to be humbled.
It means to submit, that we might submit. And boy, this prayer,
he says to seek of him a right way, a right way. That word, a right way, it means
straight. A straight way. It means a correct
way. It means a righteous way. A right way for us. That was Moses' prayer. Remember,
he said, show me now thy way. Pray he'd give me a desire to
know his way. He said a right way for us. A right way in this world as
we walk through this world. Don't we pray the Lord would
direct our steps and he would show us his way? A right way
in matters like this church, as we gather together to worship,
that he would show us a right way. But listen, that he would
show us a right way in salvation, not give us over to error. A
right way for us. Isn't that your desire for yourself,
for your wife? A right way for us. Who else? Oh, a right way for
our little ones. I tell you, I think before they're
even born, it isn't that hard. I mean, above
all things, I mean, we want our kids to be successful. We want
them to be healthy. We want so many things. But is
there anything that we could ask for more important than the
salvation of their souls? A right way for our little ones. A right way for all our substance. Let me ask you this. What is
that way? Let me rephrase that question.
Who? Who is that way? The Lord Jesus Christ said this.
You don't have to take, this is my word, right? The Lord Jesus
Christ said, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the light. No man comes to the Father but
by me. Show us. Show us thy way. the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the way. Turn to Ezra 9. I want us to, with what time
we've got left here, look beginning with verse five. And we'll look
down through verse 15. At the evening sacrifice, the evening sacrifice. In the
New Testament, that's the ninth hour, that evening sacrifice. Listen, that's the same hour
in which our Lord gave up the ghost. That's the same hour when that
veil was rent into. from the top to the bottom. No confusion about who did that,
is there? He rent that veil in two. What
did that signify? The way to God, an opening. For the longest time, that was
only the priest could enter in. The vilest of sinners can now
enter in to the presence of God. in the Lord Jesus, in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Let's read, let's read on here.
At the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my heaviness, having
rent my garment, my mantle, I fell upon my knees, I spread out my
hands unto the Lord, my God, and I said, oh my God, Now, sadly, we hear that phrase
often, don't we? Huh? Well, I tell you, when Ezra
spoke it, it wasn't in blasphemy, was it? It wasn't in taking the
Lord's name in vain. No, he said, oh my God, I am
ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God. For our iniquities are increased
over our head, and our trespass is grown up into the heavens.
Since the days of our fathers, we've been in a great trespass
unto this day. And for our iniquities, have
we, our kings, our priests, been delivered into the hand of the
kings of the lands? to the sword, to captivity, and
to a spoil, and to a confusion of face, as it is this day. Ezra, now he speaks for the people,
but he's speaking of himself. And you see that, huh? I am ashamed. I blush to lift up my face to
thee, my God. What's he saying there? I'm a
sinner. I am a sinner. I can't even stand in your presence. Isn't that the same prayer of
that publican when he beat on his chest and he wouldn't even
raise his eyes to the heaven and he said, God be merciful
to me, the sinner? Doesn't end there, does it? Look
at verse 8. for a little space, for a little,
little space. This building's not a huge building,
is it? In the grand scheme of things,
it's just a little space. In this big city, it's just a
little space, isn't it? But the gospel, think about that.
The gospel is faithfully preached here week after week after week. Grace. Grace has been shown from
the Lord our God to leave us a remnant to escape. This little space, grace has
been given. Grace has been showed from the
Lord our God. And to give us a nail in this
holy place that God may lighten our eyes and give us a little
reviving in our bondage for we were bondmen. They'd been brought
out of bondage and yet our God, even in their bondage, even in
their bondage, he said, God hath not forsaken us. Isn't that what he promised?
He said, I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. but hath extended
mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give
us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair
the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and
in Jerusalem. And now, O our God, what shall
we say after this? For we have forsaken thy commandments."
We don't have anything to say, do we? I can just cover my own
mouth, right? My own mouth would condemn me.
We've forsaken thy commandments, which thou hast commanded by
thy servants, the prophets say, the land which you go to possess
it. It's an unclean land with the
filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations
which have filled it from one end to the other, with their
uncleanness, Now therefore give not your daughters unto their
sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their
peace or their wealth forever, that you may be strong and eat
the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your
children forever. I believe there's a word of caution
here. They had told them, don't, don't,
don't. The people described, and it's
a description of us, Early on there in verse 1 and 2, he said,
verse 1 of chapter 9, now these things were done, the prince
came to me saying the people of Israel and the priests and
the Levites, they've not separated themselves from the people of
the lands, doing according to their abominations. Even the Canaanites, the Hittites,
the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites,
the Egyptians, these were all godless people. These were heathen
nations. We're in this world, but we're
not to be of this world. We're told, love not the world,
nor the things in it. And he said, you've given your
sons to marry their daughters, you've given their daughters
to marry their sons. Again, I believe there's a word
of caution in that. How often, how often do we see, and I believe it's when, just
like they said, doing according to their abominations, a young
fellow starts maybe dating a girl. And what happens? He kind of
follows her and he drifts away from the gospel. Now, it says
they went out from us because they were never among us. to
continue in his word, a desire to hear his word and insistence
upon sitting under the gospel for our children. Well, let's
read on here. Verse 13, and after all that
has come upon us for our evil deeds and our great trespasses,
seeing that thou art God, listen to this, Our God has punished
us less than our iniquities deserve and has given us such a deliverance
as this. He's punished us less than our
iniquities deserve. What do we deserve? What have
we earned? The wages of sin is death. Has he punished us less than
our iniquities deserve? We're deserving of death, destruction,
and yet he's given us grace. He's given his people mercy. He's given his people forgiveness. Oh, he's given us less than our
iniquities deserve. And has given us such a deliverance
as this, should we again break thy commandments and join in
affinity with the people of these abominations, wouldest not thou
be angry with us till thou had consumed us so that there should
be no remnant or no escaping? Verse 15. O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous. For we remain yet escaped as
it is this day. Behold, we are before thee in
our trespasses and we can't stand before thee because of this. We can't stand before God. Not outside of Christ. The Lord God of Israel. I got
just three points here. Three points. The Lord God of
Israel is righteous. He's just and he is righteous
in all that he does. He doesn't need to explain anything
to us, does he? Now, in all that he does, he
is just and he is righteous. And his people are a sinful people. Yet, his people are found righteous. Scripture declares this, that
we that God's people are made the very righteousness of God. Isn't that just too good to be
true? Noah, go all the way back there
to Genesis, what does it say? Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. And then just a little later
in Genesis 71, 7 verse 1, the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou
and all thy house into the ark, for I have found you, Noah. Noah was a scoundrel just like
the rest of us. I have found you, Noah, to be
righteous. Righteous before me. Second Corinthians 521, we love
this scripture, don't we? For He hath made Him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the very righteousness
of God in Him. There's the key to it. In Christ
Jesus and only in Him. We read here, we remain escaped
as it is this day. Escaped. A remnant, a small number
that has been delivered. Isaiah 4520 says, assemble yourselves
and come. Draw near unto me, who? Ye that are escaped. of the nations, a remnant according
to the election of grace. Escaped. That word means, sometimes
we hear that word escaped and we think of somebody just taking
off running trying to get away. And it can mean that, but here,
listen, it means delivered. called out of darkness into his
marvelous light, the light of the gospel, the light of his
son, called out of ignorance, called out of idols, called out
of will worship, called out of all that into his glorious gospel. A righteous people, made righteous,
a delivered people. We're a delivered people throughout
scripture. You reckon when they took Daniel
and they cast him into that den of lions, you think anybody thought
they would come back the next day and see anything but a carcass? God delivered him. delivered
him out of the mouth of the lion. How about Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego? Out of that fiery furnace. Could they be delivered? How's that possible? Remember what was said? I thought
we cast three men into that furnace. I see four, and one of them is
like the Son of God. Delivered. So completely delivered
that the smell of smoke, that is impossible. That is impossible
to stand by a fire. and not smell like smoke. They come out of that fiery furnace
and the smell of smoke wasn't even upon them. The children
of Israel, despite their murmuring and complaining, he delivered
them out of Egypt. Ezra writes, delivered us. We're escaped. Delivered from
wicked men. Delivered from the power of darkness. Delivered from the wrath to come. You sang this song. You led us
in this. "'Tis the grandest theme through the ages run. "'Tis the
grandest theme for the mortal tongue. "'Tis the grandest theme
that the world ever sung. "'Our God is able to deliver
thee.'" "'Tis the grandest theme, let the tidings roll. "'Tis to
the guilty heart, to the sinful soul. "'Look to God in faith. "'He'll make thee whole. "'Our God is able to deliver
thee.'" That just thrilled my heart when you led us in that
song. A righteous people. A delivered
people. And last point here. an undeserving
people. You still have verse 15 of Ezra
9. He said, We are before thee in
our trespasses, for we cannot stand before thee because of
this. Oh, I'm guilty. I'm a sinner. I can't even plead ignorance. I guess I could, but it's not
going to do me any good, is it? I can't say anything in defense
of my actions. I can give no reason that judgment
should not pass on me. We can do nothing but fall at
his feet. I'm in his hands. I need mercy. Lamentations 322. It's of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed. His compassions fail not. In fact, we read on there, it
says this, His mercies are new every morning. We need that, don't we? New mercies
each day. We need Him. We need the Lord
Jesus Christ. Aren't we thankful? Aren't we
thankful that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to
save sinners? And he did it all for his glory. A remnant, a peculiar people
set apart for himself, made to be his own, Purchased. Purchased people. Purchased by
his own blood. A people that were not a people,
yet are now the people of God. A people that have not obtained
mercy, but now have obtained mercy. A chosen generation. A royal priesthood. a holy nation,
a peculiar people, a sinful people made righteous. Scripture says He saved us. He. Who did that? He did. He saved
us and He called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works. Aren't
we thankful for that? We don't have any. Not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace given in Christ Jesus
before the world began. All right. I pray God would be
pleased to bless his word.