If you will, let us open our
Bibles again tonight to the book of Ezra. And let's turn this
evening to chapter five. Ezra chapter five. Ezra chapter five, reading the
first two verses. Then the prophets, Haggai, the
prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the
Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel,
even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel, the
son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Josedach, and began
to build the house of God, which is at Jerusalem. And with them
were the prophets of God helping them. In the last two messages,
the last two Wednesday evenings, we have seen how that after the
Jews began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, that
they ceased to work. They ceased to build the temple.
And about 15 years passed before they began building again. And it was especially through
the ministries of these two men, these two prophets, Haggai and
Zechariah, that they began to work building the house of the
Lord in Jerusalem after those many years of letting it lie
barren. I want to read, if you will,
listen to these words from Haggai. I won't have you turn there.
But these are verses 13 and 14 of chapter 1 of Haggai. Then
spoke Haggai, the Lord's messenger, in the Lord's message unto the
people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. And the Lord
stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and the
spirit of Joshua, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant
of the people. And they came and did work in
the house of the Lord of hosts their God." And this should remind
us again of how the Lord has chosen to use his word, his written
word, in accomplishing his purpose. The Lord Jesus said this in the
Gospel of John. He said, it is the spirit that
quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit and they are life. When God the Holy
Spirit works through his word, he causes his word to be quick
and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword. To the church
at Carth, I would just remind us, Paul said, I planted, Apollos
watered, but God gave the increase. Why doesn't the Lord just give
the increase without any planting and without any watering? That's
not God's way. That's not God's purpose. This
is how he has chosen to work. It's not a question of what can
do, what God can do, rather. It is what he has chosen to do.
And he has chosen to use the written word of God in calling
out and saving his people and building his people up in the
faith. God has blessed his word, his
written word, and God the Holy Spirit uses it in saving his
people. We might say tonight Haggai planted,
Zechariah watered, but God gave the increase. God is the one
who stirred up the spirits of the governor, the high priest,
and the remnant of the people, so that they came and did work
in the house of the Lord of Hosts, their God." Tonight, I have basically
one lesson that I would like for us to take away. One lesson
for us, and it is a lesson that certainly brings glory to God,
and it is a lesson that certainly comforts God's children. What
is that lesson? The lesson I want to bring to
us is this. God, the God of the Bible, the
God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is able to bring
good out of evil. I want to be clear when I say
that. that God is able to bring good out of evil. I'm not saying let us do evil
that God may bring good. That's what some evidently accuse
the Apostle Paul of teaching. You know, in Romans, after he
had said where sin abounded, grace did much more abound than
some said. Well, the Apostle is teaching
us that we ought to sin, that we ought to sin. The more we
sin, the more the grace of God abounds. No, that's not what
Paul, how did he answer that? God forbid, God forbid. And I'd say the same thing tonight.
God forbid, when I say that God is able to bring good out of
evil, I want to make it clear. I'm not saying let us do evil. Let us do evil that God may bring
good out of it. What I mean by this is that when
men attempt to do, When men attempt to do and when they do evil,
when they attempt to do and when they attempt to injure God's
people, he's able to bring good out of it. He's able to turn
it around so that God's people, instead of being injured, are
actually blessed. He's able to bring good out of
evil. We always think of the example
of Joseph, don't we? Keep your places here, but back
in Genesis chapter 50. We always think of this example
especially, the example of Joseph and what he told his brothers.
Genesis chapter 50 and verse 20. After his brothers had sold
him, they meant evil, didn't they? I'm not talking about moral
evil, I'm talking about they meant evil. Their desire was
to hurt Joseph, to rid themselves once and forever of Joseph. To hurt him, to injure him, to
sell him off into slavery. That's what they meant to do.
But Joseph tells them years later that though they had meant evil,
God had meant it for good. God is able to bring good out
of evil. Look in verse 20. These are the
words of Joseph. But as for you, what was your
motive? He's talking to his 11 brothers. What was your motive in what
you did? As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant
it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much
people alive. God brought good out of their
evil. The greatest example of all,
of course, is the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
death of Christ on the cross. The Jewish leaders, what was
their intention? What was their motive? to do
harm, to do evil to the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet God, out
of their evil deeds, their wicked hands, they took and crucified
the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of life. But
God brought the greatest good out of that, the saving of his
people, his church. God is able. You know, there's
a verse in Psalm 76 in verse 10. I'm sure you've noticed this
before. But the psalmist said, surely the wrath of man shall
praise thee. The wrath of man shall praise
thee. The remainder of wrath shalt
thou restrain. The wrath that is in man and
comes out of man God will use that ultimately for His praise,
for His glory. John Gill commented, the wrath
that is in man comes forth from Him and has Him for its subject
which though it does not work the righteousness of God, yet
the righteousness of God is glorified both in checking and punishing
it. Now I want us, if you've turned
back here to our text in Ezra chapter five, I want us to see
the evil intended first of all, the evil intended. The several
rulers would again, Now remember, they had stopped working on the
temple, and after so many years, these prophets began to prophesy,
and God stirred up the spirits, and they began to work to build
the temple again. Now, these civil rulers come
once again, and their intention is to cause the work on the house
of the Lord to cease. They intend evil. Look at this, they come in verse
three here in chapter five. These are the civil rulers on
this side of the river, the river Euphrates. The Persian monarchy
was on the other side, and now it's a long distance. But anyway,
these civil rulers, they come, and the first thing they do,
if you notice in the last part of verse three, who hath commanded
you to build this house? I hear they're out there working,
they're out there laboring, building the house of the Lord, and these
rulers, they're not just any person, but these are people
of authority, civil authority, and they come and they ask these
workers, who commanded you? In other words, where did you
get the authority to build this building? Who commanded you to
build this house and to make up this wall? Who told you to
do that? Don't you see that their intention
is to do them evil? It's to cause the work of the
Lord to cease once again. Then, if you notice in verse
4, the end of verse 4, they ask for their names. First of all,
who told you? Who gave you the command to build
this building? And secondly, what are the names? In other words, we want to know
who's out here working on this building. We want to know their
names. What are the names of the men that make this building?
All trying to intimidate the workers, trying to do them harm,
trying to do them evil. And then we notice that these
civil rulers, they write a letter and send this letter to King
Darius. Look in verse 6. The copy of
the letter that Tantani, governor of this side of the river, and
Shethor Bosni and his companions, the Aphorites, which are on this
side of the river, sent Darius the king. They sent a letter
unto him wherein was written thus, unto Darius the king, all
peace, be it known unto the king that we went into the province
of Judea to the house of the great God, which is built with
great stones and timbers laid in the walls, and this work goeth
fast on and prospereth in their hands, then ask we those elders
and said unto them thus who commanded you to build this house and to
make up these walls. We ask their names also to certify
thee that we might write the names of the men that were the
chief of them. In other words, they send a letter
to the king. Now this had worked before. This
had worked before. That's the reason the work on
the house of the Lord had stopped before. Look back in chapter
4. Now, not the same rulers, not
the same rulers, but still those that were enemies to the Jews,
they sent a letter to Ahasuerus or to Xerxes. Notice that in
chapter 4, verse 8. Rahim, the chancellor, and Shemshai,
the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes, the
king of this sard, after this sard. Now, the king, we've seen this,
if you look down to verse 23 in chapter 4, they send a letter
to the king, and he sends a letter back And we see what was accomplished
by this. Verse 23. Now, when the copy
of King Artaxerxes letter was read before Rahom and Shemshi
the scribe and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem
unto the Jews and made them to cease by force and power, then
cease the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem. So. This had worked before, sending
a letter to the king of Persia. This had worked before, it accomplished
evil. It had caused them to stop building
the house of the Lord. And we have to see tonight, once
again, the same tactic and the same intention, the same intention,
writing a letter to the king of Persia to do evil to these
people, to cause them to stop building the city, the house
of God. So we see the evil intended,
but now notice the second thing. I want us to see the good, the
good that God brought out of this evil. That's my point. That's the lesson that the God
that we serve the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
He is able to bring good out of evil. We see the evil they intended,
writing that letter. Now, let's see how God brought
good out of this evil. If you look in chapter 6, beginning
in verse 1. Now, they sent the letter to
King Darius. We read here, then Darius the
king made a decree and search was made in the house of the
rolls where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there
was found at Akmetha in the palace that is in the province of the
Medes a roll and therein was a record thus written. In the
first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made
a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem. Let the
house be builded, let the house be builded, the place where they
offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly
laid, the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof
threescore cubits." So they sent the letter to the king. Darius,
and he commands that search be made in the historical records,
the rolls. And sure enough, they found where
Cyrus had made this decree, given this decree years before for
this house to be built. Now, these people that are trying
to hinder it, trying to cause the Jews evil, they're asking,
who commanded you to build this building? What are the names
of the people who are working on this building, and they send
this letter off, but King Darius causes search to be made in the
records, and they find out, sure enough, Cyrus had given this
decree. He had commanded that this house
be built. Now, if you look in verse seven
at the end, or verse 7 rather, they, he sends
a letter back and this is what he says, this is a good, let
the work of this house of God alone, let the governor of the
Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his
place. And then notice the next verse,
moreover, moreover, He not only commands that they not hinder
in the building of this house, but moreover, he's going to furnish
some supplies. He's going to give commandment
that materials be given to build the house. And not only that
materials be given to build the house, but the offerings, the
sacrifices which should be offered there, He's going to provide. You see the good? We see the
evil, and now we see the good. Look in verse 8. Moreover, I make a decree what
you shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of
this house of God. that of the king's goods, even
of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto
these men. Not only don't hinder them, but
pay for the work." Do you see that? That's good,
isn't it? That's good. The evil they intended. It's good. forthwith expenses be given unto
these men, that they be not hindered, and that which they have need
of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt offerings
of the God of heaven, wheat, that's that bread offering, that
meal offering, salt, every offering, every sacrifice had to be offered
with salt, much salt, Wine, that's a drink offering. Oil, that was
part of the offering also, sacrifice. According to the appointment
of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day
without fail that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors unto
the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and of his
sons. Also, I have made a decree that
whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from
his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and
let his house be made a dunghill of this." When I was looking
at this, I looked at that word moreover. Don't only, he says,
don't only not hinder the work, but moreover. I want you to help
them. I want you to supply their needs.
I want you to give unto them. But when I looked at that word,
moreover, I thought that, that reminds me of the apostle Paul's
two words in Romans chapter five, those two words, much more, much
more over, much more, much more. Paul says much more than being
now justified by his blood. we shall be saved from wrath
through him. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more, much more, they which receive abundance
of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound. Much more. Moreover, now, I began
the message by saying that I had one lesson for us, and this lesson
should do two things for all of us. The lesson, I think I've
repeated that maybe too many times, but the lesson is that
God is able to bring good out of evil. And I believe we've
seen an example here where he did that in the case of these
Jews in the construction of the temple. But there are two lessons,
I believe, from this one lesson. There's two lessons that we should
take or two things we should take from this. Number one, It
should cause us to glorify God. It should cause us to glorify
and worship our God. Do we not see in this how great
the Lord God is? How that He is able to turn what
is meant for evil, meant for evil of His people,
God's able to turn that around for their good, for your good.
for my good. He's able to do that. He's a
great God. That's not an easy thing to do,
is it? It's just another confirmation
of that scripture which says, and we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. If God was not as powerful as
he is, as great as he is, if he could not make even evil work
for our good, then that verse wouldn't be true. If God could
not bring good out of evil, then that verse that promises us that
all things work together. And that's so important, isn't
it, that we see that? It's not one isolated thing by
itself, but it's all these things together. All these things work
together for our good. And I read this verse out of
Haggai first, which says, they came and did work in the house
of the Lord of Hosts, their God. The Lord of Hosts. The word host
means armies, doesn't it? The Lord of Hosts, the Lord of
Armies. Reminds us of what Nebuchadnezzar
confessed. After God sent him to school
for a while, he came back and his mind was returned to him,
his wits were returned to him, and he said this about the Lord
God. He doeth according to his will
in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth,
and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? God is absolutely sovereign,
all powerful. He's the Lord of hosts, the Lord
of armies. And we usually think of those
armies as a host of the angels. We don't know how many there
are, but we know there are many. There are many. He's the Lord. He's the King. He's the God,
the Lord of hosts. So it should cause us, number
one, this truth, this lesson should cause us to glorify God,
to worship God, to praise God, our God. You know, he's our God through
Jesus Christ. If you know Jesus Christ, that's
what he said, I send unto my God and your God unto my father
and your father. And the only way he becomes your
father and your God, my God, my father, is through Jesus Christ,
through knowing him, we know that. But the second lesson should
be, it should comfort and it should encourage us, all of us
tonight. Now, the fact that God is able
to bring good out of evil should not cause presumption. Oh, well,
if God's able to do that, then we'll just set down on our laurels
and let him work. I would remind us tonight that
there were two letters sent. The first letter was sent and
it caused the work to cease. The second letter was sent and
God brought good out of that. Why do I bring this out? Because
we must not be guilty of presumption. Prayer has its place in the life
of every child of God. He said, ask, and it shall be
given unto you. Knock, and it shall be opened.
Seek, and you shall find. And Luke, the Lord Jesus, told
that parable, men ought always to pray. and not to feign. It's easy to feign, isn't it?
I mean, it's so easy to feign, to give up, to throw in the towel. But no, men are always to pray
and not to feign. God is able to bring good out
of what seemingly is intended for evil. It should encourage
all of us to patience. Now we all, all believers have
patience. Every child of God, that's one
of the fruit of the Spirit, patience. And every child of God has patience,
but we all grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord and we
grow in patience. You know that scripture says,
wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Patience, patience. And it should encourage us to
be kind, even to those who intend us evil, to be kind. Our Lord, well, the Apostle Paul
wrote this in Romans, but he told us, bless them that persecute
you. Those that persecute you, those
who intend evil, bless them. God's able to bring good out
of that. Bless them that persecute you.
Bless and curse not. And then he said, recompense
no man evil for evil. They intend evil, they do you
evil. Well, what are we to do? Turn
the other cheek. Isn't that what the Lord said?
We're not to recompense evil for evil. An eye for an eye,
tooth for a tooth. And then that last exhortation,
if it be possible, if it be possible, as much as life in you live peaceably
with all men. May the Lord bless us in helping
us to, I know, you know this already, but reaffirm, affirm
once again, this wonderful truth that God is able to bring good
out of evil. And when men intend to injure
us or to do us evil, God is able to take that, just like He did
in the life of Joseph, and bring good out of it for His glory
and for our good, for the good of His church. We'll sing a verse
of a hymn.