tonight to the Book of Ezra. Last Wednesday evening I brought
what I hope will be the first of several messages from Ezra,
which will also include Nehemiah and Haggai and Zechariah, because
these were all contemporary men. And last time I pointed out three
truths, and I just remind us of them once again. First of
all, fulfilled prophecy. Verse one of chapter one, now
in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the
Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled." Fulfilled
prophecy. We saw that this also fulfilled
a prophecy that was given by Isaiah. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah
spoke of the deliverance of the children of Israel from Babylon
after 70 years. Jeremiah told when it would take
place after 70 years of captivity. Isaiah told who God would use
in delivering them. Cyrus, his servant. And then
I also made the point that though Cyrus was a great king, there's
no question about that. He ruled over 127 provinces. He was a great king, a mighty
monarch. He was a sovereign, but he wasn't
the sovereign. There's only one sovereign who
reigns over all peoples, over all places. And then third, I
mentioned the fact that both the prophets Haggai and Zechariah
were helpers to Ezra and Nehemiah in building the temple and the
walls of Jerusalem when they came back out of captivity. Tonight, we will look at a few
verses in chapters one and two, and we look at this book like
all Old Testament books. We don't want to just look at
it as a history book or history books. They do contain the history. There's no doubt about that,
but we're looking for spiritual truths for us tonight. And tonight
I have four thoughts. Four thoughts I want to bring
to us. First of all, thoughts about the king's proclamation. Notice again in verse one, now
in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the
Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord
stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, and here it is
that he made a proclamation. He made a proclamation throughout
all his kingdom and put it also in writing saying. We see, what
I want us to see is that more than a proclamation was needed. More than a proclamation was
needed. He made the proclamation and
he issued it, sent it out far and wide as we just read in verse
one. And what was the proclamation?
Well, basically the proclamation was, whosoever will, let him
go to Jerusalem. That was a proclamation. If you
notice in verse three, who is there among you of all his people,
his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is
in Judah. Basically that was a proclamation
and it was issued. It was sent out far and wide.
And it was whosoever will in all of his territory, in all
of his countries that he ruled over where the Jews were in captivity. Whoever wanted to, you're free
to go. That was the proclamation. You
can go to Jerusalem and help build the temple. Now, do you
see the spiritual parallel? The proclamation. The preaching
of the gospel is to be preached in all the world. That's what
we are commanded to do, to go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature, to make disciples of all nations. And the message is almost the
same as it here, whosoever will, let him take. the water of life
freely, just like the proclamation of Cyrus, whosoever will, let
him go, let him return to Jerusalem. So as we preach the gospel far
and wide, the message is whosoever will, let him take of the water
of life freely. The proclamation is necessary. No question about that. because
God is chosen by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. The proclamation, the preaching
is necessary, but something more is needed. Something more is
necessary, and that is the work of God, the Holy Spirit. As you look in verse three again,
you see that Who is there among you of all his people? His God
be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah,
and build the house of the Lord God of Israel. He is the God
which is in Jerusalem. And then down in verse five,
then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah, and Benjamin,
and the priest, and the Levites. Now notice, with all whose spirit
God had raised. You see the spiritual parallel,
don't you? It's very obvious to me. The
message was clear. The message was plain. Whosoever
will, let him go to Jerusalem. But who went? Who heard and obeyed
the proclamation? Those whom God, the Spirit of
the Lord, raised up. And that word raised there is
very important. With all that went, with all
them whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the house of
the Lord, which is in Jerusalem. The word raised tells us that
God must do, or what God must do, rather, because men are spiritually
dead, because men are dead in trespasses and sins. Yes, the
message is necessary, to preach the message, but apart from the
work of God the Holy Spirit, raising sinners, calling sinners
out of deadness into life, no one will respond to the proclamation. Our Lord said it like this in
John 5. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself. Man by nature, spiritually dead. Yes, we are to preach to everyone,
but we recognize that God the Holy Spirit must work in the
heart of a sinner, calling him out of deadness, that he might
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he might turn from his sins
and turn to Christ. God must quicken. The word quicken,
of course, is to be made alive, to be raised. You must be raised
to life. Keep your places here, but look
at this passage in 1 Corinthians chapter 4. How many times have you heard
me say that the doctrine of election, which is clearly taught in the
word of God, there's no question about it. The doctrine of election has
never kept anyone from being saved. Never has and never will. It does assure the salvation
of those God has chosen. But if it were not for election,
if it were not for the elect in grace of God and the work
of God, the Holy Spirit in the hearts of his elect, no one would
heed the proclamation. God must do a work in the heart. First Corinthians chapter four,
the apostle said, let a man so account of us as of the ministers
of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it
is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. But
with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you
or of man's judgment. Yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself,
yet am I not hereby justified. But he that judgeth me is the
Lord. Therefore judge nothing before
the time until the Lord come, who both will bring to light
the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels
of the hearts. And then shall every man Then
shall every man have praise of God, and these things, brethren,
I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for
your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think of men above
that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one
against another. For who maketh thee to differ
from another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hast not received it? Who makes
one to differ from another? And also I wanted to look in
chapter three of first Corinthians. Let's begin in verse four. For
while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos,
are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is
Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed? Yes, as we've said,
the proclamation, the preaching of the gospel is important. Faith
cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. But what is
a preacher? He's the man by whom others believe. Even as the Lord gave to every
man, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. God gave the increase. Cyrus can make his proclamation. Whosoever will, let him return
to Jerusalem, but only those whose spirit the Lord raised,
returned. And the same is true in preaching
the gospel. For he that planteth and he that
watereth are one, and every man shall receive his own reward
according to his own labor. For we are laborers together
with God. You're God's husbandry, you're
God's building. God's husbandry, God's building,
he's the one who effectually does the work. And that's what
we see here, what I see at least. We speak of a general call and
an effectual call. The general call is sent out
to everyone. Ho, everyone that thirsteth.
Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.
That's the general call, and it's preached it far and wide
to everyone. But it takes more, doesn't it?
It takes the work of God, the Holy Spirit, and that we call
an effectual call. Men not only can, but will always
resist a general call. They will not bow to Christ if
that's the only call that a man hears, a general call. He may
make a profession, but in his heart to bow to Christ, it takes
the work of God, the Holy Spirit. Our Lord gave a parable. gave
a parable about a man that made a great supper. And our Lord
said he invited many to come and to partake of it. Many, not
just a few, but he invited many to come and partake of that great
supper. But then our Lord said that at
the first, none did. None did. They all, A-L-L, they
all with one consent began to make excuse. They had something
more important than coming to this man's supper. The gospel
feast, the message is come, and yet only God the Holy Spirit
can make that message effectual. And so in our Lord's parable
there, he sent the man in the parable, he sent his servant,
it's singular, in the Gospel of Luke. He sent his servant,
and we believe that is, of course, God, the Holy Spirit, who went
out to bring in, and this is important, who did he bring in?
Who did he bring in? He brought in the poor, those
who are spiritually poor. A person who's proud and doesn't
see himself as needing a savior, he's not going to come to the
supper. He brought in the poor, he brought in the maimed. People
who've been crippled and not able to walk in the way of God,
and we realize that. The law commands our perfect
obedience, but we can't render that perfect obedience. As much
as we want to, as much as we try, we fail. We're maimed. Bring in the poor, the maimed,
and the blind. Spiritually, that is, we're blind. We can't even see our own need,
much less see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
So that's one thought, first of all, tonight. Now, here's
a second thought, if you turn back. I said I had four thoughts. That's one thought. Here's a
second thought. Thoughts about provision. Thoughts about provision. Now there's two areas that I
see here. There's two areas in which those
who obey, those who heard the proclamation, God raised up their
spirits and they are returning to Jerusalem to build the temple. There are two areas in which
they are going to need provisions. First of all, they would have
expenses for the journey. It would cost something to make
a long journey. And then when they got there
to labor, to build the temple. Notice in verse six of chapter
one. And all they that were about
them strengthened their hands. They strengthened their hands.
In other words, they gave. They gave to the needs of those
who were returning to Jerusalem. They gave to support the work.
And the second area, I said there's two areas where they would need
support. That is, first of all, to make
the journey and to work when they got there to build the temple. But number two, another area,
they would need utensils. They would need that to worship
the Lord, the worship of God, as it was laid out to Moses in
the the tabernacle and then transferred to the temple, of course. There
was instruments that were needed. Well, notice here the last part
of verse 6. They strengthened their hands
with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts,
and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the
Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem,
and had put them in the house of his gods, even those did Cyrus,
king of Persia, bring forth by the hand of Mithradath, the treasurer,
and numbered them unto Shasbazar, the prince of Judah. So their
needs were met, and this is something that that we know and something
we need to be reminded of, when God calls a person to a work,
God will supply. He will supply the needs. When we see people today, and
it's such a shame, and not only in our country, but missionary
work, where people are begging for money. Just begging, you
know, God's called me to do this. And now if you don't send me
your offerings, your tithes, your money, we're going to have
to close this down. We're not going to be able to
go on with this. When God calls men to work, he will supply the
needs. He will supply the monetary needs. He will. It's a shame, isn't
it, when people are begging out in the world. so-called Christians
begging the world to support the ministry of God. Our God
is able. He's not only able, but he's
willing. He will supply. And I'm telling you, looking
back in church history, reading over the years, men and women
in days gone by, they would never write these letters and ask for
money like you see people doing today. They just wouldn't do
it. God called them, they looked to the Lord, they trusted in
God, and God supplied the needs. Same thing here. It's a great
work. It's a great work that they're
called to do, to build the temple. God supplied. God raised up those
of their countrymen who were not going themselves. They were
not going to return to Judah, but they gave to support those
who were. And even the king, and I would
imagine this hasn't happened many times in history, when a
conquering nation later, just out of the goodness of their
hearts, returned the spoils of battle to the countries they
had conquered. I doubt that that has taken place
many times, but you see Cyrus, that's what he did. He took all
the golden vessels, silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar, king of
Babylon, had taken from Jerusalem and put into the houses of his
gods. Cyrus just opened the door and
said, send them back, send them back to me. That's a blessing
to see. Once again, to be reminded, God
will provide when he calls a people to a work. Here's the third thought. If you look in chapter two, thoughts
about those named who came to Jerusalem. Now these are, of
course, are just the leaders. In chapter two and verse two,
which came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Saraiah, Realiah, Mordecai,
Bilshan, Mishpur, Bigvai, Reum, Baana, the number of the men
of the people of Israel. Now, there were 11 men that are
named there in that verse, and we know nothing of five of them. And There's just a few, the other,
or we know nothing of six of them, rather. There's just a
few that we know something about. Notice the first one named was
Zerubbabel. Now he was a descendant of Judah. In other words, he was a descendant
of David. He's a royal. He's a king. When they come back, he won't
be called a king again. Judah would never have a king
again, but he's called the governor, but it does show that the scepter
had not departed from Judah and would not until Shiloh came. That was Jacob's prophecy years
and years before. And so Zerubbabel, we know about
him. He was of the tribe of Judah. And then this Jeshua, as you
read through Ezra and Nehemiah, you're going to come across the
name Joshua. Joshua. And it's the same man. Sometimes he's called Jeshua
and other times he's called Joshua and he's a high priest. So we
know about those two. And then we believe that this
Nehemiah and Mordecai are the ones that follow. The book of
Nehemiah follows Ezra. And of course, Mordecai was the
uncle of Esther, and raised her. So these two men, they come,
but they returned, and Ezra will return to Persia, and then come
again, as you go through the books. This one man, if you notice
that name, Saraiah, I guess that's the right way to pronounce that,
Saraiah, in chapter seven, And verse 7, this list is given again
of the men who came with Zerubbabel. And there, instead of Zariah,
is Azariah, which the scholars believe is Ezra. So Ezra is one
of the men named, we believe at least, Ezra is one of the
men. Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, Nehemiah. And Mordecai, we know something
about these men. Now the fourth thought. Thoughts about the number of
those who retire. Now I wouldn't dare try to read
through the rest of this chapter two, beginning with verse three,
but if you do and you read down to verse 64, you see in every
verse, various numbers are given according to families. And I
went through these, and if I added correctly, the total is 42,360. And then the number of their
servants is given, 7,337. If you combine those two numbers,
the numbers of the Israelites who returned and their servants,
it comes to almost 50,000 people. Now the point is, in Numbers
chapter one, when they came out of Egypt, God commanded Moses
to take a census, and he was to count all of the men from
20 years up to the time they were able to go out to war. None
of the men below 20, and none of those, I guess, if they got
so old, they couldn't go out to war, were counted. And of
course, the women and children were not counted. But the census
that they came up with, and none of the tribe of Levi, none of
the tribe of Levi was counted, but just those men, 843,550 people. So we know that this nation,
my point is, this once great, great, prosperous nation of way
over a million way over a million, maybe three million people, is
now reduced down to less than 50,000 people. And the lesson of course is,
and we saw this last Sunday, what had brought this about?
Well, we know it was sin. And the sin which was especially
mentioned is the sin of idolatry. The sin of idolatry. They were
guilty of? And this nation was reduced down
to such a meager amount of people. No wonder, and we looked through
the letter of 1 John on Wednesday nights recently, but you remember
that apostle, he ends that letter With these words, little children,
keep yourselves from idols. Idolatry, that's what was the
sin that had caused such ruin upon the nation of Israel. And
John tells us, New Testament believers, keep yourself from
idols. The Apostle Paul said, covetousness
is idolatry. Anything that we love more than
God is idolatry. Anything that comes between us
and God is idolatry. John Gill, his comment was, eras
and false doctrines, which are the figments of men's minds and
what they are fond of may be called idols and should be guarded
against. And so I close tonight with that
admonition of John. And we see the result of idolatry
there in the history of the nation of Israel. Little children, keep
yourselves from idols. May the Lord be first and foremost
in our lives, in our hearts, in our love, in our obedience
first to him above everyone else, everything else. May the Lord
make it to be so. May the Lord make this message
a blessing to all of us here this evening. Brother Bill.