The Return of God's People to Rebuild part 2

All right, well take your Bible tonight please and turn with me to Ezra chapter one. Ezra chapter one you should know your way around by now to know where Ezra is. You know your books of the Bible, you know it's first, second Kings, first, second Chronicles, and then Ezra. And Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, those books are all from the same time period and if you read those, study those, know those, you'll know that that's all part of this work when God is bringing his people out of Babylonian captivity. And like I said this morning we'll be in chapter one and we'll be in chapter two and then we'll move on from those chapters as we continue.

Now last night we, last Sunday night, excuse me, we started this series that I have titled Reform and Renewal in God's People. Now I've said this, this is not a true verse by verse study. Our study in John is verse by verse. We're taking our time and we're taking our time so that we can get every verse, every word, because there's a time for that type of study. But this is, I won't say just a chapter by chapter because I don't want you to think that we will just be one message per chapter.

We'll see how many messages might come out of that chapter, but we're going to take it chapter by chapter following this story of God bringing his people back to Jerusalem, back to Israel, back to form them and reform them and rebuild them into that people. Now I said to you before the theme that runs all through this book is reform and renewal and rebuilding God's people. It's really a sad story. It's really a sad story of the people of God disobeying God and God ultimately judging them. But there is redemption. Christ has made a way for sinners, has he not? And God did the same thing then that he does now.

Now a question that I want to pose for you that I will answer. What is our goal here? Our goal is this. I want us to see the work of God in the people of God in this particular set of circumstances. This is a desperate situation and I believe that we can learn here. I'll repeat some of this background information and then we'll move on from it, but you should know that they are coming out of 70 years of captivity there in Babylon.

Now they did lead more of a prosperous life in Babylon, but it was devastating and very destructive for the people as a nation because it was King Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and hauled away all of the people. Now that's a little deceptive because all of the people were not hauled away. They took away the best, the choice they left some of the lower classes behind, but the nation itself was destroyed and I want us to see how God leads them to rebuild. They're going to rebuild the nation and they're going to be rebuilt as the people because they really were decimated as a people.

Now within this rebuilding they are not only rebuilding their homes, we will get into that later in the book, but they are rebuilding the temple so that they could rebuild worship. Now we will see later that they do begin to build authors and make sacrifices, but we must see that the temple was central to their worship. So that's why rebuilding the temple was high on their priority list. They were reforming. They were reforming their lives and their worship. Now notice to God's Word.

It was men like Ezra and Hagia and Zechariah who were the men of God who taught them the Word so that they could reform their lives and their worship to the Word. They were engaged in renewal. They were renewing their relationship to God and their covenant with God. So the theme in this book, reform and renewal, physical and spiritual reform, and physical and spiritual renewal. Now I want to give you some more information about Ezra as a man. Last week I shared that Ezra was the author of this book and that he is one of the key leaders in the book.

I won't say he is the key leader because there's too many people that God used in a big way within the book, but I want to give you a little bit more information about the man. First he was a man who was trusted by the Persian officials. You might not know that. According to both Ezra and Nehemiah he had access to the archives of the Empire. Just a few scripture references from Ezra not even mentioning Nehemiahs. Chapter 1 verses 2 through 4. Chapter 4 verses 9 through 22. Chapter 5 verses 7 through 17. In chapter 6 verses 3 through 12 all show us that he had access to the archives of the king.

So he was a man trusted by the Persian officials. Second we know that he is or was a scribe. Chapter 7 verse 10 says that for Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Now there were two roles or two roles for a scribe. In secular work scribes in that they were employed to take care of correspondence and to keep accounts. Now we don't know a lot about Ezra's role there with the Persians. We do know that Daniel was used in a secular way, in a good way. Maybe, just maybe that he was used in this type of a function. We don't know.

But in Judaism the scribes were students of the law and they were interpreters of the law. Isn't that what we saw in Ezra 7-10? We see this also in Nehemiah 8 verses 1 through 13. So Ezra was a scribe. Third, Jewish tradition tells us that he was the founder of the synagogue and the synagogue system. And tradition tells us that Old Testament canon work was done within the synagogue. Some of my resources say that he was even one who compiled some of the Psalms. So we see his work there in the synagogues, in the synagogue system. And last we do know that he was used greatly of God to lead the people to return back to their homeland.

We'll see that about halfway through the book. So Ezra himself was a reformer. He was a rebuilder and he led the people in this spiritual renewal. Although he was not again the single leader. And not only is this the theme of the book, but this is the theme of Ezra's life. This is the theme of his life. He is one who is used in a great way and it is because this was his life. Now an interesting side note. This type of work, this work of reform and rebuilding was really in his blood. Second Kings chapter 22 verse 3 tells us that Ezra's ancestor was used during the during the reforms under King Josiah.

I don't know if you're familiar with Josiah, but Josiah was the last king to seek spiritual renewal before the downfall of the southern kingdom. During this time of repentance and renewal there was a renovation of the temple. And during this renovation the book of the law was recovered having been neglected for decades. And it is speculated that the wicked king Manasseh prior to Josiah Josiah had destroyed all of the existing copies of the law of God throughout the land. Thus making this discovery very important.

In first Kings chapter 22 verse 3 and Ezra chapter 7 verses 1 through 5 tell us that this was Ezra's ancestor who had discovered this copy of the law of God and he was part of those reforms. So reform and rebuilding and renewal is really in his blood. Now I read earlier and I said last week that the theme of chapter one is this, the return of God's people to reveal. And like I said we're gonna hold on to that even into tonight's message. Now last week we looked at two observations or truths or realities out of chapter one and that was the Word of God was central to his work and the revelation of God was central to this work.

Now we're gonna continue and we're gonna make two more observations. We're gonna explore two more realities from chapter one and chapter two and we're gonna continue with that same title. This is a part one and a part two. This is the return of God's people to rebuild and we will look at observe the provision of God in this work and their responsibility to God in this work. So last week we looked at the Word of God was central to this work. The revelation of God was central to this work and tonight we will look at the provision of God in this work and their responsibility to God in this work.

Now for the sake of time I'm not gonna read all of the chapter. Last week I read on down to verse 8 and I pause there. I'm going to refer to the different verses. I'll read several of these verses for the sake of time and when we're progressing through the message you can jot those notes down, those scripture references and go back and look at them on your own. So let's look at this first observation. Number one, the provision of God in this work. Look at the first three verses.

Now in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, in order to fulfill the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing saying, "Thus says King Cyrus of Persia, 'The Lord the God of heaven has given me all of the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah.'" And then verse 3, here's this invitation, "Whoever there is among you of all his people may his God be with him.

Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel." He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Now in these verses I want us to see this provision. Now last week we learned that God began this work according to his Word, which was the fulfillment of his divine plan. God said through Jeremiah that he would call his people back out of captivity to the promised land. I'll read you this verse in Jeremiah verses 11 through 12 of chapter 25. Now remember this is a prophecy spoken of quite a few years prior to this event.

"This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste and these nations shall serve the King of Babylon 70 years. Then after 70 years are completed I will punish the King of Babylon and that nation the land of the Chaldeans for their iniquity declares the Lord making the land an everlasting waste." All of those prophecies came through.

Then chapter 29 verses 10 through 11, "For thus says the Lord when 70 years are completed for Babylon I will visit you and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope." See that is the Word of God that was fulfilled but in this great fulfillment there is a provision and I want us to see the provision within that work. This is a sovereign God doing this in a seemingly out of control situation. First this provision was through King Cyrus. First this provision was through King Cyrus.

Verse 1 of chapter 1, "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia." Now several things about King Cyrus I want us to explore. First who was King Cyrus? Some of you probably have never heard of Cyrus until we started in Ezra. Cyrus was the Persian ruler who was used of God to judge Babylon for her sins. Didn't it say earlier that God would judge even Babylon and God used Babylon to judge Israel and Judah? But Cyrus was the one who judged Babylon. We see that in chapter 9 of Jeremiah verse 10. He was the first in a line of Persian kings.

I will give you these kings you might not want to write them down you might want to but we have first Cyrus and then we have Darius and then we have Erxes and then we have our artists Erxes and when we progress through the book you will notice those names. Now Cyrus entered or conquered Babylon in 539 BC and he presented himself as a liberator. Now believe it or not he was very kind to the people and he was very kind to the captive peoples. He allowed captive peoples to take back their gods to their cities and he even allowed these peoples to return to their homeland. Now we see evidence of this in our culture even today.

There is a famous archaeological find it's called the cylinder of Cyrus. It was discovered in the ruins of Babylon in 17 or 1879 and it is a written record that tells us that Cyrus was generous and it tells us of his generous actions towards captive peoples. As a matter of fact that archaeological find the cylinder of Cyrus is housed today in the British Museum in London. So that is secular archaeology telling us who King Cyrus was and then he was a generous, if I can use that term, conqueror. So that's a little bit of information that will help you with Cyrus. Second how was he involved in this? Now this really doesn't make sense to some.

A Persian conquering the Babylonians and yet he is used by God to fulfill God's plans. How was he involved? Cyprus was involved in this through the sovereign work of God. Remember the theme of God's sovereignty is all through this book and this was understood through the prophecies of God. We see this in Isaiah's prophecies. Isaiah chapter 44 verses 24 through 28. I'll read you these. I don't want to be too laborious but I want you to hear these these scriptures. "Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer who formed you from the womb.

I am the Lord who made all things whom alone stretched out the heavens who spread out the earth by myself who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers who says to Jerusalem she shall be inhabited and of the cities of Judah they shall be built and I will raise up their ruins who says to the deep be dry I will dry your rivers who says to Cyrus he is my shepherd and he shall fulfill all my purpose saying of Jerusalem she shall be built and of the temple your foundation shall be laid." Now you must see that this was a prophecy spoken and written of years before Cyrus was ever born.

But what does this speak of? Cyrus, the king of Persia and that is how he is involved in this work. It is by the sovereign work of God. Now a question, how was Cyrus made aware or did he know of these prophecies? If you know your Old Testament scripture Daniel was in the court of Cyrus and Jewish tradition tells us that Daniel made Cyrus aware of Isaiah's prophecies. As a matter of fact the very famous first century Jewish historian Josephus tells us that Daniel does this work and I do not have a problem believing that. So this is how he was involved.

He knew these prophecies concerning him and that's how he was involved by the sovereign work of God. Then the third thing notice notice third there is an official declaration. Look at verse 1 again. Now in the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus king of Persia in order to fulfill the words of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing saying. What do we see? This declaration was made from the king in the land two ways. First this was proclaimed throughout all the land.

In that day there would have been official dispatches or heralds who would have carried the king's news all throughout the land. It would have been announced at the city gates or the city squares. This would have been places where official business would have been conducted. Second this was put in writing. This official document would have been placed in the king's treasury. As a matter of fact Ezra chapter 6 verse 1 in that verse we see that they searched the king's treasury for a document from who? From Cyrus and when they searched the king's treasury they found the documents of Cyrus. They were installed in the treasury.

So this declaration declaration was made publicly orally but it was also written down for the king's treasury. Now it is interesting to note the language that Cyrus uses in chapter 1 verse 2. Go back and look at it with me. This is the declaration. "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The Lord the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build him a house in Jerusalem which is in Judah.'" What do I want you to see? He acknowledges God as sovereign, the one who has given him his power, and the one who was appointed him or commanded him to build his temple.

This language in verse 2 shows us that he had a clear and accurate knowledge of who God was and his role. It is as if looking at verse 2 he has read the prophecies of Isaiah. That is very interesting to see because what are we looking at? This provision was brought about through this king. So we see who he was, we see how he was involved, and we see this very official declaration. Then second I want us to see the physical provisions. This is all part of the provision of God in this work. So second, the physical provision. Look back into chapter 1 and I want us to look at verses 4 and 6. Verse 3 we know that.

He says whoever wants to go back can go back. Then verse 4, "And every survivor at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and with cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem." Go on down to verse 6. "And all those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods and with cattle, and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering." I want us to see first, monies were given. Monies were given. Now if you look at the language, verse 4 seems to be aimed at the Jews who did not return.

We know that there were 50,000 who went in the first wave, 2,000 who went in the second wave. Those are plus or minus figures, but that was not, that didn't encompass all of the Jews. But it seems that there were a number who stayed and verse 4 is aimed at those who did not stay. Another word Cyrus is saying, "If you don't go back, help those who are going back by giving." They did give those, they did give to those who were returning. They gave monies, they gave goods, they gave animals for their journey and for worship. Now if you look at the language in verse 6, it seems to be aimed at the foreigners around them.

For even Cyrus is mentioned giving in verse 7. So what do we see? In this physical provision, first monies were given by the Jews and by the foreigners to those Jews who were returning. Then notice, second in this physical provision, the articles of worship were given. Look at verse 7. "Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods, little G." Here in this verse, Cyrus gives back to the Jews all of the articles from the temple that King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian, had taken away when he destroyed Jerusalem and when he destroyed the temple.

Now if you look on down in verse 9, verse 10, and verse 11, you will see that there are lists of what is given back. Verse 9 is really only a portion of what is listed, but verse 11 gives a detailed description of what was given. And all of these articles were entrusted to Shael's Bazaar, who was the prince or a prince from Judah. We see that in verse 8. It's interesting to note that him, this man being a prince of Judah, he would have been of the line in the house of David. Now what am I showing you here? It's interesting to notice that all of the physical provisions were made for their long journey home.

This was for reinstituting worship, rebuilding their lives. They were provided for. So what do we see here? It's important for us to see here that this provision, although it was through a non-Jewish Persian king, was part of the work of God, the sovereign work of God, to fulfill his purposes and his plans. We see this being a fulfillment of Jeremiah 25-29 and Isaiah 44. God's sovereign purposes were to take place through Cyrus and God provided, God gave, God provided for this work. Now I want to ask us a question in application. What can we learn here? Now remember the theme is God's sovereignty all through this book.

This provision through Cyrus, this provision through a pagan king and the physical provisions because Cyrus is the one who instigates this physical provision. What can we learn? We can learn that when we seek to accomplish God's work here on earth, God can provide for that work. Let me repeat that. We can take comfort. We can know based on God's work here that when we seek to do God's work, God's way. Now that's key. When we seek to do the work of the church, his way, God can supply all of our needs. We might not realize it but really we have been served an injustice.

What I'm saying is we have been blessed on one hand but yet we have been done an injustice on another hand. We have been blessed with great material possessions here in this country and in our land in our time. We do not know poverty. Now I'm not a world traveler but when I went to India I got to see poverty firsthand. I got to enjoy some third world conditions but I was able to meet Christians, administrators, pastors, church planners, and evangelists, those who took care of the needs of orphans. I was able to meet individuals who were very poor by our standards. Now our blessings, I say our possessions are a blessing.

They're given for us to use but they can be a curse because we can depend on them. What I'm trying to say is in many ways we have no need of provision but with this situation we see that this provision came through Cyrus. Cyrus opened the door according to God's will and made provision. And what I want to see show for us, I want to say to us, God will meet our needs and whatever we seek to accomplish as long as we are doing God's work, God's way, according to God's leadership for God's purposes. The very moment that we put self, self-interest or self-effort in the mix is when we can forfeit God's provision. So I wanted us to see that.

Let's continue. I want us to see number two, their responsibility to this work, their responsibility to this work. We saw last week through a revelation of God that Jews were called to this work. Verse 5 says that God stirred the spirits of the Jews. This was a mystical work, an experiential work. God was working in Cyrus, working according to his prophecies in his plan, and God at the same time was working in the hearts of the Jews. And we will see that they had a responsibility to this work. Now in this responsibility to this work I want us to notice a few things. First, they had an opportunity to return. They had an opportunity to return.

Verse 3, chapter 1, "Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah." And he goes on to say, "And rebuild, rebuild the house of God and rebuild the worship of God there in Jerusalem." Now here I want us to see two things about this opportunity. I want us to see two things about this opportunity. Notice King Cyrus was commanded to participate in God's work in verse 2. Go back to the verse. "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has appointed me." Now the new American reads appointed.

The King James and the English Standard Version reads charged. In the original this means commanded. This is a command by God to Cyrus. But also notice King Cyrus did not command the people to participate in this work. Go back to verse 3, "Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem." Cyrus stated that whoever may return can return to their homeland. It seems that from verse 3 and verse 4 that those who did not return were to make an offering to those who did return. So the people of God had an opportunity to return. God commanded Cyrus, but Cyrus did not command the people.

He seems to be giving them an option, an option. Second, I want us to notice they took a great risk in returning. They took a great risk in returning. Now we do know that some did return. The first wave was led by Zerubbabel. There were some 50,000 that returned. Sadly there were some who returned who could not prove their purity of their heritage. We see in chapter 2 verse 59 it gives us a list of those who could not find their family records. So they would have been excluded from certain aspects of Jewish life. As a matter of fact some of the priests could not even find their family records.

And if you go into chapter 2 you see list after list of the people who did return. But what we see here is this. This is the return led by Zerubbabel, some 50,000, and I want us to see they did journey back home under great risk. Three things here I want us to see. Notice they had a great distance to travel. A great distance to travel. If you go look at maps of the region, if you go look at the routes and the trade routes of the day, there were two routes coming out of Babylon to go back to Jerusalem. Both routes would have gone along the trade route to the north and on the west side of the Euphrates River.

One route would have cut across the northern tip of the Arabian Desert and then turned south and west. The second route would have continued further north then turned south and west. Now Bible scholars believe that it is most probable that the first group took the longer and the safer route. That would have been some thousand miles plus or minus. It took them some four months to travel this great distance. Notice also they had no military protection. In that day to travel without some type of military protection would have been very very hazardous. They had no military protection. It was just the Jews returning on their own.

Then also notice they returned to a hostile land. When returning home they found great hostility. First the walls of the cities were destroyed. You might not realize it but the walls surrounding the cities were very important. It would have protected them from outside invaders. So they would have been very vulnerable without walls for protection. Second there was a mixture of half breed Jews and foreigners living in the land. Later in Nehemiah chapter 4 and chapter 4 and on through the book of Nehemiah we see great hostility from these peoples against the Jews as they are rebuilding the city walls under Nehemiah's leadership.

Third there was not a temple to worship in. Ezra 3 tells us chapter 3 tells us that the Jews did reinstitute sacrifices. They built the altar but they did start in chapter 3 building or rebuilding the temple. Now this rebuilding of the temple took years. As a matter of fact there was a 15 year stop of in the work between Ezra chapter 4 and chapter 5 because of the opposition of the people in the land. So here we see that those that did return they did so at great risk. They made great sacrifices.

They left homes, they left businesses, they left possibly family, they left friends and Bible commentators, Bible theologians believe that they would have left a successful and somewhat comfortable life when they took this great risk. Now I want to ask us a question. Was it right for those who stayed behind to do so? Now remember I brought this out earlier. They were not commanded to go but were given the opportunity through King Cyrus. God commanded Cyrus but Cyrus did not commend the people. It seems that many had settled down and enjoyed life in Babylon.

Secular Jewish historians and traditions tell us that they were successful there in Babylon. Babylon was a very wealthy and luxurious place to live. Just as the Jews thrived in Egypt when they lived in Goshen in slavery, the Jews did do well in Babylon. And we do know that later during the time of Esther things were very rough on the Jews. Rough for the Jews. They were in fear for their lives if you study the book of Esther. So it appears that they had now listen a responsibility to leave rather than an opportunity to leave. What am I saying?

It appears if you study this as a whole that they had a responsibility to God in this work rather than a take it or leave it opportunity. Now we do know that Ezra stayed behind. He didn't go back in that first wave and he went back in that second wave. But what am I showing you? There were some who chose to stay behind and it seems that they had a window of opportunity, a window of freedom, a window of security to exercise their responsibility.

Now in application I want to draw from this and I want us to see that as children of God, part of the bride of Christ, part of the work of the church, it's not that we have an opportunity to serve, it's that we have a responsibility to serve. I'm afraid in most churches we have a minority that does most of the work. I'm thankful that we don't have that here. I think about events such as Vacation Bible School where it's really an all-hands-on-deck. Now I want to explain myself. I don't mean any of these comments to be to come out as a guilt trip by no means. I would never want anybody to do anything unless God was leading them.

But what I want to do is correct an erroneous mindset if it's crept in and that is we don't have opportunities, we have responsibilities. And if we view the work of the church and if we view the work within the body of Christ accurately and biblically according to the New Testament standard, we will see that we have a responsibility through this opportunity. I've said this before, it does not matter your talents, it does not matter your abilities, it does not matter your age. Whatever you do within the house of God, within the people of God, within the church, it is necessary.

You might say, "Pastor, all I can do is come up and maybe keep the nursery. All I can do is teach one class during Vacation Bible School. All I can do is just be part of crowd control during Vacation Bible School. All I can do, listen, if God has led you to do it and it is a necessary work, be responsible to that work. Just make sure that we do not have the wrong mindset." Think about it. Those who saw this as an opportunity rather than a responsibility, they missed out. They missed out on being a part of the fulfillment of God's sovereign plan. Oh, it was work. We will see as we continue.

They engaged in years of work and risk, but they had the wonderful joy of being a part and those Jews who stayed behind missed out on that. Now, in conclusion, just like last week, a couple of questions. What am I trying to say? What do I want us to see from this message? I believe we're at a place where we are building and we're growing. We will always keep the mind of reformers. I said this last week, we cannot get to a place where we quit reforming. There are many people who will call themselves reformed, but they are not reformers.

We should always have a reforming mindset, but we in the life of this church are building and we are growing and we are desiring a true church according to His Scriptures for His glory and His honor and for His purposes. We desire to be void of self, void of our desires, void of our expectations. So if we engage wholeheartedly in this responsibility, we will see that God will provide for His work. It might be just enough, but He will provide and there is a responsibility, not an opportunity. I'll speak just for a moment before we close in prayer about my own mindset, my own heart.

I'm speaking from a wife and I believe that I'm speaking for Brother Keith and Teresa as well. We view this work, the work of the Nola Baptist Church, as a wonderful opportunity, but a wonderful responsibility. As Brother Keith and I journey in this work together, we look at our responsibility to oversee this work, to shepherd you, to pastor you, to teach you, and listen, it weighs heavy on our minds. It weighs heavy on our hearts. We spend hours discussing the work. We spend great amounts of time praying and talking about and seeking to be led of God. Why? Because this is our work.

We do not take this work flippantly, casually, and it is an opportunity. We have an open door, but we step into that open door with a great sense of responsibility. We are responsible to you. We are responsible to your family. We are responsible to your children. We are responsible to the people in this community and those that we would reach around the world, but ultimately we are responsible to God because this is His work according to His sovereign plan. So the title of the message, "The Return of God's People to Rebuild." Last week we saw the Word of God was central to this work. The revelation of God was central to this work.

And tonight we have seen the provision of God in this work and their responsibility to God in this work. Lord, we love you and we praise you and we honor you that you have made a way for