1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,960 Father, we do ask you from the bottom of our hearts that You 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,280 would go before us as we begin a new journey in Your Word. 3 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:16,200 We also want to give you all our thanks that You have consecrated 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,960 these Friday nights in this ministry to be an Oasis for our 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,720 souls. That's so many times we've been 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,920 able to come and be refreshed and to be convicted and to be 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:30,320 comforted and to be equipped because your word here is 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,320 proclaimed and we are not ashamed of it Lord. 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,280 And so we ask now that you would provide an awareness of the 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,840 anointing that is promised in first John that anointing within 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:46,280 that teaches us the truth and the deep things of God. 12 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,720 We we come in faith. Oh God, and we pray that the 13 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:55,280 delivery of this introduction would be Spirit empowered and 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,560 that our hearts would be prepared to receive everything 15 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,400 that you have in store for us this night. 16 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,480 Lord, we pray that you would apprehend every wandering 17 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,640 thought, every renegade emotion, anything that is outside of your 18 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:10,920 will. We pray that it would come in 19 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,160 total alignment with your desire for each of us. 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,360 We bless you Lord, we give you thanks in advance for what you 21 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:23,480 have planned through your word in our midst, Jesus name, Amen. 22 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:32,640 In 586 BC the Babylonian Empire completely conquered the Kingdom 23 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:38,120 of Judah, and you and I are well aware of the Old Testament in 24 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:45,120 that many places have described to us just how swift and just 25 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,240 how dramatic the destruction of Jerusalem was. 26 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:57,000 We also learned a few weeks ago that Babylon completely remove 27 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,960 the remaining people in the Kingdom of Judah, with the 28 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:03,160 exception of a few poor people in the prophet Jeremiah. 29 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,759 And so we have realized at the closing of Second Kings that 30 00:02:08,759 --> 00:02:13,800 God's promise of an expulsion from the Promised Land indeed 31 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,680 came to pass, and even the Davidic dynasty was not exempt 32 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:25,080 from it. But along the promises and the 33 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:30,480 warnings of this exile were comforting words through the 34 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:35,920 same messengers of God who constantly reminded this people 35 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:41,400 who are now displaced that their exile into a foreign place was 36 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,920 not permanent. It would not remain that way. 37 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,200 In fact, the leading prophetic voice of that time, the prophet 38 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:57,160 Jeremiah, gave this wonderful assurance in the middle of his 39 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,680 prophetic book. In Jeremiah 29, verse 10, it 40 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:07,680 reads for Thus says the Lord, after the 70 years for Babylon 41 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:14,000 are completed, I will visit you, and I will fulfill my promise to 42 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:19,440 you and will bring you back to this place. 43 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,400 That was not the only time Jeremiah reminded the people 44 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:29,320 that this was an act of discipline, but it was not a 45 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,800 cancelling of God's covenant. And this prophecy in Jeremiah 46 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:38,000 2910 is ranked among the most precise and all of Holy 47 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,600 Scripture. It's a remarkable thing that we 48 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,840 find in our Bibles. And so paramount was it that 49 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:51,320 when it came to the fulfillment, God has given us two books in 50 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,640 great detail to tell us how it all came to pass. 51 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,440 And those books are Ezra and Nehemiah. 52 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,280 And it's going to be our great privilege to consecrate the next 53 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,520 few months to study these books with great attention and 54 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,280 excitement. So that's what we're here to do. 55 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,840 Now, some might be wondering why, after finishing Second 56 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,720 Kings, we're not going to 1st and Second Chronicles because 57 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,560 those books immediately follow Second Kings. 58 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,959 And the answer is quite simple, if you've been with us through 59 00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:25,280 1st and 2nd Kings, we have frequently visited the 60 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:29,640 Chronicles right in a way to help complete certain stories 61 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,040 and accounts. And so I think it'll be more 62 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,240 helpful to revisit First and Second Chronicles at a later 63 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:40,400 time as a series. But for now, we are going to 64 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:45,440 enjoy the book of Ezra. And I invite you to turn there 65 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:50,640 with me, Ezra, chapter 1, because we are going to read a 66 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,400 few verses in a moment. But allow me to offer a few 67 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:59,720 introductory thoughts and listen again, if you're here, this is a 68 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,400 great time to be at Bible study. It always is a great time, but 69 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,000 especially when we start a new book because you get to start 70 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:11,440 fresh and you get to be right at the beginning of a study where 71 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:13,640 you don't get lost if you come later on or you feel like you 72 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,920 have to catch up. So really absorb this time and I 73 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,200 want to encourage you to be faithful in the coming weeks to 74 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,880 actually remain in this journey so that you can fully benefit 75 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:29,560 from it. So a few things to review in 76 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,080 terms of background of this book. 77 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:38,000 Ezra and Nehemiah originally are considered a single unit. 78 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,160 In fact, that is still the case in the Tanakh, which is the 79 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,960 Hebrew Bible. And though in our Bibles they 80 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,560 are identified as separate books, they complement one 81 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:53,240 another so well because both of these books cover the return of 82 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:59,280 the Exiles to their country. And the record of this journey 83 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:03,800 back is done so in incredible fashion. 84 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:09,440 Does anyone remember how many deportations it took for the 85 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:15,280 people to be removed from Judah NO33? 86 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,680 And interestingly, what we're going to find in our study is 87 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:26,680 that it will actually be three cycles of return from exile back 88 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:34,120 to their homeland. And these waves of return will 89 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:40,040 actually serve as a general yet helpful outline for these texts. 90 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,840 So if you're taking notes, this is a good place to put this in 91 00:06:43,840 --> 00:06:46,480 your margins or wherever you put your thoughts. 92 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:52,000 The initial wave of return will happen between Ezra chapter 1 93 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:58,320 and Ezra chapter 6, and it will be through the leadership and 94 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:02,360 guidance of a man by the name of Zerubbabel, and we're going to 95 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,880 learn more about them in the coming weeks. 96 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:09,400 Zerubbabel, the second group of returnees, is described 97 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:15,120 described in Ezra 7 to Ezra chapter 10, under the direct 98 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:19,480 leadership of Ezra himself. Now here's what's interesting. 99 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,400 Ezra is mentioned and introduced to us for the first time in 100 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,680 Chapter 7. That's kind of strange, isn't 101 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,000 it, since the book is named after him. 102 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:35,960 So in the last three chapters of this book, do we see Ezra taking 103 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:41,280 center stage of the narrative? Now the final cycle, the final 104 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:46,280 round of Return is the entire book of Nehemiah, and it's going 105 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,320 to be through Nehemiah's leadership. 106 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,760 So the focus really of Ezra now as an overview is going to be 107 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:58,920 studying the first two significant recoveries of the 108 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,440 people as they make their way back to their home, rebuild 109 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:06,320 their community and more importantly, reestablish their 110 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:07,880 relationship with the living God. 111 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:11,000 Now let me make another mention here. 112 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,240 Those three waves are led by three distinct individuals. 113 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:21,040 And if you look carefully, they're they're all builders in 114 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,680 their own way. When Zerubbabel will lead the 115 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:29,400 people in the first wave, his primary responsibility is going 116 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,280 to be rebuilding the temple. He's going to lay the foundation 117 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:34,840 of the temple. We're going to look at that in 118 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:36,440 greater detail in the weeks to come. 119 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,320 Ezra follows. And when he comes back, he also 120 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,600 rebuilds something. Does anybody know what it is? 121 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:52,360 The people he's going to rebuild the people of God, he's going to 122 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,080 rebuild their faith. He's going to rebuild their 123 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,040 consecration. He's going to rebuild their 124 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:00,120 worship. And finally, Nehemiah will 125 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,080 arrive on the scene. And what will he rebuild? 126 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,720 The walls. And that observation alone is an 127 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:12,840 encouragement to us because God has his men and women who have 128 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,360 their distinct responsibility in building some part of God's 129 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,520 Kingdom. You don't have to be in 130 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,520 leadership. The leaders are very, very 131 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,440 paramount in this narrative. You don't have to be a leader to 132 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,840 play some part in contributing to the fortification, to the 133 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,720 sanctification, to the effectiveness of God's purposes 134 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:40,320 on the earth. Now, with this in mind, perhaps 135 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,040 you are wondering if Ezra is introduced to us in Chapter 7, 136 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,600 why is this book named after him? 137 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:52,720 And that's a good question. And the answer beyond Jewish 138 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,800 tradition attributing it to him, is that there is wonderful 139 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,280 internal evidence that shows us that he is indeed the author of 140 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,000 it. So generally, Ezra is written in 141 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,080 the third person, but a shift takes place once you come to 142 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:07,800 Chapter 7. Let's go there quickly. 143 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,160 Look at Chapter 7 and verse 27 with me. 144 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:17,240 I'll wait for you to turn there. Ezra 727. 145 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,120 Here's what we read. Blessed be the Lord, the God of 146 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:28,600 our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of 147 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,960 the king, to beautify the House of the Lord that is in 148 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:38,880 Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the 149 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:41,720 king and his counselors, and before all the King's mighty 150 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,600 officers. I took courage for the hand of 151 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:48,960 the Lord. My God was on me, and I gathered 152 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,280 leading men from Israel to go up with me. 153 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,440 So now we're we're seeing it in the first person. 154 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:57,920 And this isn't the only place where this happens. 155 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,000 It actually reappears. Excerpts in the first person 156 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:05,240 will show up following Chapter 7 all the way to chapter 10. 157 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,320 So we're left with only two options concerning the author of 158 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,520 this book. You either have an anonymous 159 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:16,520 author who is, you know, just telling and recording what took 160 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:20,560 place historically and then included Ezra's personal 161 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:25,120 memoirs, or you have Ezra, who is indeed the one who penned 162 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,720 this book. And once the narrative shifts to 163 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:31,800 his inclusion and his leadership in this return speaks in the 164 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:33,840 first person. And that's what we believe that 165 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:38,040 Ezra indeed wrote this. In fact, Ezra seems to have more 166 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,680 authorship real estate in the Bible than one might actually 167 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,040 think. If indeed we do conclude that 168 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,680 Ezra wrote this, then we can actually say that he penned 169 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:52,560 First and Second Chronicles. Why would we say that? 170 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,040 Because the way Second Chronicles ends the last verses 171 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:01,920 is virtually identical to how Ezra begins, almost word for 172 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,720 word. And that alone may showcase to 173 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,160 us that the same writer was involved in both works. 174 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,280 And I encourage you to compare those texts at your own time 175 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,600 later. Now, there's so much more that 176 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:15,440 we can say about the background of this book, but I want to 177 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,560 transition with this final question, and it's an important 178 00:12:18,560 --> 00:12:22,120 one. Is there an overarching theme to 179 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:26,040 the book of Ezra? There usually is with every 180 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:28,720 book, and there are more than one. 181 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,640 But I want to say that one of them jumps out at us at the very 182 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,440 opening of this book. The very first verse, actually. 183 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:40,840 So let's read it together in verse one, Ezra 1. 184 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:46,600 Verse one reads in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, 185 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:51,240 that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be 186 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,440 fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit 187 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,040 of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation 188 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:01,680 throughout all his Kingdom and also put it in writing. 189 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:06,520 Look at that sentence there, that the word of the Lord by the 190 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,840 mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. 191 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:13,160 That is a major emphasis in this remarkable historical account. 192 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,080 Whatever God says he will do, he will do. 193 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:23,640 So the fate, the faithfulness of God is, is very much a filter at 194 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,640 the outset of this text. And it's not only seen here in 195 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,720 God actually accomplishing the hopeful message that Jeremiah 196 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:32,680 proclaimed. You will be there for 70 years, 197 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,400 but you will come back. That's the word that's going to 198 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:39,080 be fulfilled. It is interwoven throughout this 199 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:43,440 book in micro testimonies where we see little stories and 200 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:46,920 anecdotes and we realize over and over it's compacted how God 201 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:52,040 is reliable, He is trustworthy, and what he says He will 202 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,640 actually do. And He's never late. 203 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,480 And I'm eager to discover these insights. 204 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:03,320 I'm, I'm so looking forward to see what every chapter has to 205 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:07,480 offer us. But with the plan tonight, we're 206 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:12,800 actually going to just stay in verse one, Ezra one, verse 1. 207 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,400 And I, I think and I hope and I pray really that by the end of 208 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,720 the study you will see why that is valuable not to rush. 209 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,040 I mean, it's only a few chapters. 210 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:24,920 This, this study is not going to be very long. 211 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,400 At least I don't anticipate it to be very long. 212 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:34,480 But we can't rush what we see here in the very first words of 213 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,840 this book. So here's what we're going to 214 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:38,320 do. Verse 1 is going to serve as a 215 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,000 launching pad to other Scriptures, but I want us to 216 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,400 read down to verse 4 just to get a more complete picture, and 217 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,240 then we will do what we are here to do. 218 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,840 Let's read again in verse one in the first year of Cyrus, king of 219 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:53,960 Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah 220 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,840 might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit 221 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,640 of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation 222 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,920 throughout all his Kingdom and also put it in writing. 223 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:07,240 Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven, has 224 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,800 given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to 225 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,520 build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 226 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,960 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, 227 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,880 and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild 228 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,760 the House of the Lord, the God of Israel. 229 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,040 He is the God who is in Jerusalem, and that each 230 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,280 survival in whatever place he soldiers be assisted by the men 231 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,760 of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with 232 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,200 beasts, besides free will offerings for the House of God 233 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,800 that is in Jerusalem. The first thing that should 234 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,320 strike you and I is this individual that we are 235 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,320 introduced to by the name of Cyrus, who is the king of 236 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:53,000 Persia. What does the Kingdom of Persia 237 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,720 and its ruler have to do with the people of God who are 238 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:03,920 supposedly trapped in Babylon? The answer should be clear to us 239 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:11,200 that while the people were in exile, the Kingdom of Persia 240 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,600 replaced Babylon as a superpower in the ancient Near East. 241 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:17,240 There's been a shift of governance. 242 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:19,760 There has been a transfer of power. 243 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:26,160 Babylon no longer is the dominating force, it is Persia. 244 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:30,440 In fact, all the events in Ezra and Nehemiah take place under 245 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,400 the Persian government. This is a significant change, 246 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,040 one that is detailed to us in the book of Daniel chapter 5. 247 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:42,320 You remember that is precisely where we see this shift taking 248 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:46,120 place and history accounts to the reality of this. 249 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,480 It's an actually amazing thing to compare what we find here in 250 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,720 the Bible and archaeological discoveries. 251 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:56,720 But there's something DP here for us. 252 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,520 Looking at Cyrus, king of Persia here in Ezra and Daniel and 253 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,880 other mentions offers more than just how the Bible is 254 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,640 historically accurate. Here's what I want to propose to 255 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,599 you tonight. If you and I actually gather 256 00:17:09,599 --> 00:17:14,400 everything the Bible has to say about Cyrus, then we will 257 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:17,839 actually come to the place of having one of the strongest 258 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:20,440 arguments for the divine authorship of the Bible. 259 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,880 In other words, if someone were to ask me why do you believe 260 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:31,240 that the Bible is divinely inspired, one of my answers 261 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,320 would be, and I don't say this was an exaggeration, I mean it. 262 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,320 I would respond with, have you ever considered what the Bible 263 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:43,120 has to say about one of Persia's most notable kings? 264 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,440 Here's what I mean. Long before Jeremiah prophesied, 265 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,480 when the people of God were returned to Babylon or or 266 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:59,640 Jerusalem, he actually had another prophet explain and 267 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,400 predict how it would happen. And that's where we need to go. 268 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,600 Isaiah, Isaiah 44. And look with me at the very 269 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:18,360 last verse, Isaiah 44, verse 28. You can't afford to miss this. 270 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,600 This has massive implications for the veracity of the Bible. 271 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:37,880 Isaiah 44, verse 28, Who says of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and he 272 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,440 shall fulfill all my purpose. This is God speaking, saying of 273 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:48,400 Jerusalem, she shall be built another temple, your foundation 274 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,680 shall be laid. The prophecy continues in 275 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:52,320 chapter 45. Let's look at verse one. 276 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:58,640 Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right 277 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:02,800 hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him, and to loose 278 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:07,600 the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may 279 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,320 not be closed. I will go before you and level 280 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,680 the exalted places. I will break in pieces the doors 281 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:17,520 of bronze and cut through the bars of iron. 282 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:21,200 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hordes in 283 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,520 secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God 284 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,840 of Israel, who call you by your name. 285 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:32,400 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I 286 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,240 call you by your name. I name you, though you do not 287 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:40,760 know me. To truly grasp how astounding 288 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:45,040 this prophecy is, you and I have to understand the timing of it. 289 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:51,240 There is no dispute that this was compiled. 290 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:57,040 This prophecy was given close to 200 years before Cyrus was even 291 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,120 born. Do you understand what we have 292 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:03,520 in our hands here? One of the most accurate and 293 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,880 robust prophecies in all of Scripture and all of Scripture. 294 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:14,240 Now let's try to let's try to understand the magnitude of 295 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,680 this. It would be like, just imagine 296 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,480 with me now, a pastor living in the days of George Washington 297 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,400 and this credible minister boldly proclaims on public 298 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:30,240 record for the whole nation to hear there is a president coming 299 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:35,720 by the name of George W Bush, who became president nearly 200 300 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:37,800 years after Washington. That's why I'm using it. 301 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:44,000 There is a new leader who will arise by the name of George W 302 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,520 Bush, and not only does he name him by name, but he actually 303 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:52,000 explains what he will accomplish in his administration that will 304 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,960 actually bring about historical significance, a shift in 305 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:02,440 nations. What would that sound like for 306 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,320 those who would hear such a prediction? 307 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,400 It would be astounding. It would be amazing. 308 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:17,000 And for such a thing then to come to pass, well, it's, it's 309 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,600 hard to imagine what would transpire after that. 310 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:24,200 But that is the kind of precision foresight we're 311 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:25,800 dealing with an Isaiah's prophecy here. 312 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:29,320 This is not vague at all. It's naming names. 313 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,840 It's actually foretelling what's going to happen on a global 314 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:39,440 scale. History to this day can't ignore 315 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:42,480 it. And this is something for us to 316 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,120 consider. And we have to look at this 317 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:47,760 prophecy more carefully because the more familiar we've become 318 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,600 with it, the more confidence that we will have concerning the 319 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,160 validity of the Word of God. And I'm sure the the greater 320 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,280 your boldness will be in your preaching to the lost. 321 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:01,040 So let's look at this. Let's come back to chapter 45 of 322 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:04,000 Isaiah. Look carefully, verse one thus 323 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,160 says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus. 324 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,080 So Isaiah's prophecy is not just about Cyrus, it's a message for 325 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:17,960 him. It's to Cyrus, it's to this man 326 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:19,720 who is anointed. Now think about that. 327 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:26,280 Who was anointed in Israel? Kings, prophets, priests. 328 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,560 It's very rare where you have somebody who's a Gentile outside 329 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,600 of the confines of Israel who is told to be anointed. 330 00:22:34,920 --> 00:22:39,360 Well, it's happening here. So this was something not just 331 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:40,680 for Israel to know about, though. 332 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,120 That's my main point. It's something for Cyrus somehow 333 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:48,400 to encounter. And it is widely believed that 334 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:53,800 Daniel was the prophet who exposed Cyrus to this prophecy. 335 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:56,800 That's what Jewish tradition claims. 336 00:22:57,560 --> 00:22:59,840 And it's not so far fetched because we learned in the book 337 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,040 of Daniel that he knew Cyrus personally. 338 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:07,400 And more than that, we know that Daniel had copies of the 339 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,240 Scriptures. He had prophecies at his 340 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:14,720 disposal, did he not? How do we know that in Daniel 91 341 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,120 and two, while Daniel is in exile, while Daniel lived 342 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:24,680 through these transfer of governance, he says, I Daniel 343 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,200 perceived in the books the number of years that according 344 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,880 to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet. 345 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,920 What is he saying? I perceived in the books He had 346 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:41,360 books he was studying. And we have great reason to 347 00:23:41,360 --> 00:23:45,720 believe that Daniel was very bold in the palace, that with 348 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,160 his great influence, he made known the truth of God. 349 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:55,760 And so it would not be a stretch to say that somehow, someway, 350 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:02,880 Cyrus was exposed to this scroll, to this message. 351 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,600 It came to him eventually. Now, whether or not Daniel was 352 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:10,200 the means by which Cyrus came to know this divine message, Ezra 353 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,000 confirms that he was aware of it. 354 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:14,440 We read that earlier. We'll see it again at the 355 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:18,880 closing of the study. What we do know for certain is 356 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,440 the essence of the message. Like Cyrus did What? 357 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:26,120 What's the summary of this? The whole purpose of this 358 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:33,800 prophecy is that once Cyrus is born, once he's raised up, once 359 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:40,280 he accomplishes amazing things, he would realize the God of 360 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:45,800 Israel has always known me, and He is the reason for my success 361 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:50,200 and my exaltation. This was to humble this man. 362 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:54,720 This was to move this man. This was for Cyrus to be 363 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,440 introduced to the true God. And I want you to imagine the 364 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,720 impact of coming across the writings of a prophet from a 365 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,720 different land who lived 180 to 200 years before you. 366 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:14,200 And in those records, your name shows up and your greatest 367 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,120 achievement in life has been predicted and fulfilled. 368 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,600 That's huge. That's massive. 369 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:27,640 And as personal as this account is, it conveys A broader truth, 370 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,920 one that would have challenged the hearts of the Jewish people 371 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,840 and stir the hearts of Gentiles at the same time. 372 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:40,800 What is it that God's compassion, God's power are not 373 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:46,880 limited to Israel. He works beyond those borders. 374 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:53,280 He actually can deal with the hearts of those who have no 375 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,960 understanding, no relation, no access to what Israel had. 376 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,560 And so yes, this, this prophecy, it profoundly displays the 377 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,960 sovereignty of God over kings and over lands. 378 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:11,120 But you can't miss the personal ambition in it. 379 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,320 Is God flexing His ultimate power over all things? 380 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,560 Is knowledge of all things? Yes. 381 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,560 But to what end? What's the goal? 382 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:26,640 Well, I want to make a case here so that people would not only be 383 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,960 introduced to including Cyrus, but that they would actually 384 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,440 know him, That they would be so moved by how this God has gone 385 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:38,080 out of his way to make himself real that they would then pursue 386 00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,640 him in an intimate way. Look back at Isaiah 45. 387 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:46,320 Let's look here at verse 5. The Lord continues in verse 388 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,600 five. I am the Lord, and there is no 389 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,640 other besides me. There is no God. 390 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:53,520 I equip you, though you do not know me. 391 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:56,720 He's still speaking to Cyrus, but notice what he says in verse 392 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:02,320 6, that people may know from the rising of the sun and from the 393 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,760 West that there is none besides me. 394 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:08,840 I am the Lord, and there is no other. 395 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,880 Highlight those words in the beginning of verse 6 that people 396 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:17,560 may know. I want people to know me, and 397 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,920 I'm going to call out a man who's not even born, that 398 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,480 doesn't even exist. I'm going to write out how he 399 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:30,040 actually is going to take over the world so that when those who 400 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:33,800 in his lifetime and beyond realize it, they would 401 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:35,480 understand that I am the true God. 402 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,640 No other deity can do this and that. 403 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:44,120 From that place they would know me in a real way, in a saving 404 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:46,840 way. Can it really be? 405 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:52,920 Can it really be that this God who has proven that He knows 406 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:56,680 every detail of the future, who can even tell us in advance 407 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:02,200 about it in writing, wants all people, no matter your 408 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,680 background, no matter your race, no matter your education level, 409 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:10,520 no matter anything, to know Him? And yes, it is true. 410 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:13,240 And in case you doubt that there is a personal element to this, 411 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,680 look down a little bit further than verse 9, Isaiah 45, verse 412 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:21,080 9. Woe to him who strives with him 413 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,320 who formed Him a pot among earthen pots. 414 00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:29,720 Does the clay say to him who forms it, What are you making? 415 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:35,040 Or your work has no handles. So what's happening here? 416 00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:38,520 This is the Lord's way of reminding the reader how futile 417 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:44,440 it is for anyone to resist the future predicting, nation 418 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:48,000 shifting God. Woe to you. 419 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,720 Woe to you if you actually try to raise your fist against this 420 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:53,880 God. That's what he's saying here. 421 00:28:53,880 --> 00:29:00,320 But there is an application contextually that speaks deeper 422 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,600 to the heart. It's almost as though this verse 423 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:08,640 is saying, why would you oppose this God who again, has gone out 424 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:13,760 of his way to provide a record of Him predicting the future 425 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:21,280 with specifics, and at the same time is inviting you to embrace 426 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,920 Him and to enjoy him and to walk with Him. 427 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:26,760 Why would you do that? And maybe that's a question for 428 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,760 some people here or who are going to listen to this in the 429 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,240 future. Can I ask you something, please? 430 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,160 If you're skeptic in this place, welcome. 431 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,480 But let me speak to your heart. What do you do with a prophecy 432 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,960 like this? What do you do about this actual 433 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,720 foretelling of a man named Cyrus 200 years before he existed? 434 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,640 What do you do with that? Do you just ignore it? 435 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,880 Do you just scoff at it? Are you not at least intrigued 436 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,880 to explore further? Like, do you, do you not 437 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:57,560 comprehend the potential ramifications, the consequences 438 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,880 if this conclusions is indeed true? 439 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,120 Where do you go with this? You just move on and grab a late 440 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,560 night snack After a study like this, what do you do? 441 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:12,520 I'll tell you what many have done because I wanted to know 442 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:17,360 what atheists and agnostics have done with this prophecy and I 443 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:21,200 wasn't surprised. Unfortunately, many refused to 444 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:27,960 believe that Isaiah appendix before the time of Cyrus and 445 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,280 doubters of the divine inspiration of God's word say 446 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:35,880 Isaiah must have wrote this after Cyrus came on the scene. 447 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:39,720 And you'll even have liberal theologians who will claim that 448 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:46,360 how convenient, how convenient. It's a sad thing what people 449 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,400 will do. And if that is you, this verse 450 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:54,040 in verse 9 is actually for you. Woe to him who strives with him, 451 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,720 who formed him. You were fighting against God. 452 00:30:57,560 --> 00:30:59,040 You were intentionally resisting Him. 453 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:05,840 You were suppressing the truth. What more does God need to do to 454 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,680 prove that this book is from heaven? 455 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,880 Well, there's one more thing I'd like for us to take away from 456 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,640 this prophecy, and it's something that concerns the 457 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,240 people of God specifically. Look again at verse 4 of Isaiah 458 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,720 45. God says for the sake of my 459 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:28,400 servant Jacob and Israel, my chosen, I call you by your name. 460 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,680 I name you, though you do not know me. 461 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,600 So OK, we we know that the Lord wants to reveal himself to all 462 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,200 people through this prophecy, but he actually now focuses in a 463 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:42,840 little bit more and he actually says Cyrus, the reason why I'm 464 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:46,600 doing this also is because I have my people in mind. 465 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:53,960 Here's a lesson God's sovereign governance over the rise and 466 00:31:53,960 --> 00:32:01,120 fall of nations, the promotion and demotion of rulers, even the 467 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:06,480 rewriting of laws according to this is always tied to the 468 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:11,520 growth and the formation of his own people always. 469 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,360 You know, history reveals that when Cyrus actually made this 470 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,840 edict, I'm talking about secular history, there's actually a 471 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,040 cylinder that's been discovered, it's in the British Museum 472 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,800 called the Cyrus Cylinder. It's this clay kind of vase 473 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:31,120 looking thing with inscriptions on it and actually speaks to and 474 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,000 speaks of what we find here in Ezra 1. 475 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:36,680 It's a different vantage point, but it confirms what we find 476 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,480 here. And what we discover there is 477 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:45,040 that Cyrus actually made a proclamation to many displaced 478 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,560 nations, and he actually makes an invitation for all peoples to 479 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,160 return back to their homeland. This was a political strategy. 480 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:55,720 It was for him to stabilize the region, to win favour within his 481 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,440 empire. And so to the natural eye, what 482 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:02,000 you would have seen is, you know, this is just a human 483 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,680 rights policy. This is just, you know, a king 484 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:09,040 who's just a rose to power. And he, he just wants to kind of 485 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,040 introduce himself on the right path, right footing. 486 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,280 And so he just says everybody can go back home. 487 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:16,920 You go back to your gods, you go back to your families, you go 488 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:19,920 back to your land. But what is God's word reveal? 489 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:25,640 Here's what it reveals. This looks like maybe just a 490 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:31,000 benevolent man, a shrewd man, you know, just implementing 491 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,920 political strategy. But instead, it was all guided 492 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:39,240 by God with his covenant people and focus. 493 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,960 All of this, all of this movement is orbiting around the 494 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:52,440 well-being of his own people. And you and I always have to 495 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:56,880 remember that as a Church of Jesus Christ beneath everything 496 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,080 that is happening. Listen, in this very city, in 497 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,480 this nation, across the globe, what you have to remember is 498 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:11,000 that God is orchestrating every piece in order to ultimately 499 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,760 listen to this position. His church in a manner where she 500 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,360 will be sanctified and most effective for His purpose. 501 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:24,719 I'm not sure if we believe that, but here's a text to remind us 502 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,679 of it. As followers of Jesus Christ, 503 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:30,840 God has not changed. Yes, this is the old covenant. 504 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:34,159 Israel was in focus. We are in the new covenant. 505 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,280 We are the Church of Jesus Christ, Jew and Gentile 506 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:40,520 combined. As one new man, has God changed? 507 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:45,719 No, he's not. In fact, what we learn here is 508 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,360 that the Lord will accomplish such purposes even through kings 509 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:55,880 like Cyrus who don't know God, and yet will use such a man to 510 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,840 display and shower favor towards his people. 511 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:05,360 But listen, that truth remains, even if governments are unjust 512 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:10,560 and cruel towards God's own. And one of my favorite examples 513 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,840 of this is something that we covered briefly a couple 514 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,480 conferences ago. It's in Acts 18. 515 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,160 Let's be reminded of that. I want you to see it again in 516 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,160 Acts 18, verse one. This is when Paul left Athens 517 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:25,880 and went to Corinth. Look at this example once again, 518 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:32,680 Acts 18, verse one and verse 2. Here's a New Testament example. 519 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:38,920 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, and he found a 520 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:45,080 Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy 521 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:50,440 with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the 522 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:54,720 Jews to leave Rome and he went to see them. 523 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,040 What if I'm fascinating about this tax is that the Holy Spirit 524 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:02,280 could have simply told us that Paul met this couple, but he 525 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,920 doesn't just do that. He chooses to inform us how he 526 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:07,640 met Aquila and Priscilla. How did it happen? 527 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,280 You know how it happened? It was through an anti-Semitic 528 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:14,360 law. It was through the ruler there 529 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,760 in Rome who banished all Jews from the country. 530 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,160 Now put yourself in their sandals for a second. 531 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,800 Imagine that one day you get a knock at your door from 532 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:28,680 officials saying you have to leave. 533 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,160 You have to leave your business, you have to walk away from your 534 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:33,280 family. You have to abandon your church 535 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:35,200 for something that you can't even control. 536 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,120 How disorienting is that? How? 537 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,880 How frustrating would that be? I mean, who are you going to 538 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:41,400 call? The police? 539 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:46,040 The police is escorting you out. So you can imagine the tension, 540 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:48,440 you can imagine the anger, you can imagine the sadness, you can 541 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:52,040 imagine the tears. They have no choice. 542 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:57,200 You're being uprooted. And yet it's this very edict 543 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,520 from a secular, God hating Pagan government that would serve as 544 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,720 the catalyst for this couple to meet the apostle Paul in Corinth 545 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:11,800 and from there to form a relationship that would bless 546 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:17,520 the early church. In fact, you know this very 547 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:18,920 well. This couple is one of the most 548 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:22,520 esteemed in all of the New Testament and they became one of 549 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,080 Paul's closest companions. Where did it all begin? 550 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:29,360 The Holy Spirit tells us, Claudia is saying, you Jews, 551 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:32,120 you're out of here. We don't want you here. 552 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:44,080 So whether it's a pro Jewish leader like Cyrus or an 553 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:48,320 anti-Semitic rule like Claudius, what do you have the same truth? 554 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,040 God is in control. God is in control. 555 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:54,880 He's moving, he's orchestrating, he's he has his people in mind 556 00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:59,160 with all of this change with favour or unfairness. 557 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,320 And that is something, listen, you have to believe for your own 558 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:04,840 life, especially if you are part of the Church of Jesus Christ. 559 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:09,960 So I really hope we got a taste here of just how significant 560 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,800 this man Cyrus was. And I want to encourage you to 561 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:19,080 never hesitate to reference him and to use him in your witness 562 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:23,720 to those who may challenge the reliability of the Bible. 563 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:30,120 Get more familiar with Isaiah 45, put it together with the 564 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,880 rest of history and ask somebody who would doubt who it's that 565 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,560 Bible is written by man. Yeah, we know that it was 566 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,240 written by man. But God moved by the Holy Spirit 567 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:42,040 through these men to give the message that he wanted to give 568 00:38:42,040 --> 00:38:45,240 for all humanity. And he moves in history and he's 569 00:38:45,240 --> 00:38:50,200 made prophecy about history made known to us so that what all 570 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,640 people would know him cyber listen to this. 571 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:56,880 Cyrus has been selected and inscribed in divine revelation 572 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,560 for that very purpose so that anybody who would learn about 573 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:03,600 him would realize God is real. God is real. 574 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,600 I don't remember the last time I've ever considered using Cyrus 575 00:39:07,600 --> 00:39:13,600 in my evangelistic efforts, but here we are now. 576 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,160 There's so much more that we can say, but we're going to come 577 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:19,000 back to Ezra one verse one and look at a final thought before 578 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:24,400 we close Ezra one verse one. Let's read it one more time. 579 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,760 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, we learn just a 580 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,680 little bit about him. Continues here to say that the 581 00:39:31,680 --> 00:39:34,360 word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. 582 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:41,680 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia so that 583 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,480 he made a proclamation throughout all his Kingdom and 584 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:48,000 also put it in writing. See that phrase there? 585 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,520 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. 586 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,600 That is very important in our understanding of this section of 587 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:59,760 God's story. As we continue in this series, 588 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:03,080 we're going to see a lot of stirring of spirits in the very 589 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:04,560 chapter. We're going to see in verse 5 590 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,000 that God is going to stir the spirits of some of the remnant 591 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,000 to return. When it comes to the building 592 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,920 project of the temple. God's going to stir the spirits 593 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,440 of the leaders of the leaders, including Zerubbabel and those 594 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,040 who have followed His lead into Jerusalem. 595 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:24,520 Now, what you can take from this at face value is the obvious, 596 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,320 that this just confirms once again that God can influence the 597 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:29,560 hearts of even kings and that he can miraculously work in and 598 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:31,720 through him to accomplish his own purpose, right? 599 00:40:31,720 --> 00:40:34,800 We know this, but there's a deeper truth. 600 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,480 It's as though Ezra by the Spirit wants us right away the 601 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:45,320 reader to understand that what's about to happen. 602 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,840 It's not because necessarily of the goodness of this Pagan king. 603 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:55,400 Cyrus in this moment will be an agent of Judah's renewal, of 604 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:59,800 Judah's healing, unless the people fall into the temptation 605 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:03,040 of giving the credit of their restoration to him. 606 00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:08,600 Ezra wants to let us know the true source, the true power at 607 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:15,400 work behind the man who is making it happen, God, the 608 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:21,720 Spirit of God influencing and impressing upon the conscience 609 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,280 and the deepest parts of this man. 610 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:30,400 Cyrus, for what reason? So that you and I, including the 611 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:35,320 people that Ezra immediately wrote to, would understand God 612 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:37,360 is the one who's ultimately restoring us. 613 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,200 What's the lesson? Here's the lesson. 614 00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:45,560 Another theme of Ezra really is about restoration. 615 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:50,000 What we can take from this? Is that true? 616 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:54,880 Restoration can only take place through a work of God. 617 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:02,720 Let me narrow it in. True restoration, that sense. 618 00:42:02,720 --> 00:42:06,280 Of contentment in your. Soul, that realization that you 619 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,080 actually, you actually can testify. 620 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:15,120 I feel complete. That can only happen. 621 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:21,560 Through God, only God and the. Sooner you and I. 622 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:27,360 Believe that and realize that the quicker we will enjoy and 623 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:34,960 capture the reason why we exist. And the more we doubt. 624 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:40,600 That and entertain other thrills and ideas, the more you'll be 625 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:44,880 disappointed the mending. Of your spirituality. 626 00:42:45,240 --> 00:42:48,840 Your identity, your purpose can only be found in him. 627 00:42:50,960 --> 00:42:52,880 It was the. Lord, who stirred up the. 628 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:57,640 Spirit of Cyrus, it was the Lord who ultimately is reeling his 629 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:03,920 people back to who they were created to be, you know? 630 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,080 What verse came to mind? And here is where we're going to 631 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:10,320 end. The last part of the book of. 632 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:13,080 Lamentations. Lamentations is rarely brought 633 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:16,480 up in churches. It's not an easy book to talk 634 00:43:16,480 --> 00:43:18,880 about. It's a book of lament, intense 635 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:21,240 lament. Most people believe it was 636 00:43:21,240 --> 00:43:23,400 Jeremiah who wrote it. Very likely so. 637 00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:27,400 Jeremiah wrote Lamentations as his personal response to the 638 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:29,440 tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem. 639 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:31,200 And he says something at the end. 640 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:34,280 It's a Lamentations 521. Notice it with me. 641 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:44,400 Restore us to yourself, O. Lord, that we may be restored, 642 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:48,040 Renew. Our days as of old. 643 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:53,480 You see this you? See how precious this text is? 644 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,640 Restore us to yourself. So what? 645 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:00,560 What? For what reason, O Lord, that we 646 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:06,360 may be restored? What's Jeremiah bringing up 647 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:08,520 here? What we're seeing here in Ezra 648 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:15,720 one true completion, healing, renewal, satisfaction, identity, 649 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:20,800 purpose can all be known on the path of reconciliation with God. 650 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:27,400 Reconciliation with God is the sole path to restoration of our 651 00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:29,640 true selves. And here's the thing you have to 652 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:31,640 understand. You can have your finances 653 00:44:31,640 --> 00:44:35,000 restored, your health restored, your relationships restored on a 654 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,800 horizontal level. But if everything is going well, 655 00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:40,280 if everything else is intact, if everything else is flourishing 656 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:44,400 but not your relationship with God, you will never be truly 657 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:48,280 restored. Restore us to yourself so that 658 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:52,760 we will be restored. It's exclusively and totally 659 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:55,600 found in God and how you engage with Him. 660 00:44:56,720 --> 00:45:02,080 You always be an empty shell, you always be broken, you always 661 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:08,720 be wandering as long as you are not connected to God. 662 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:11,960 This is what we. Find here in the beginning. 663 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:17,800 Of Ezra, true restoration at the very first verse comes from the 664 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:19,200 one who made you and died for you. 665 00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:23,480 Lord, we thank you for this brief introduction. 666 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:30,600 We bless your holy name. Lord, we have indeed tasted the 667 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:35,520 goodness of your truth, and we are longing to continue in it 668 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:37,280 until then. Lord, may these things that we 669 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:42,200 have heard marinate in our hearts, may seep the deepest 670 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:47,040 parts of who we are. And may truly translate into. 671 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:54,160 Transformation, Lord, we. Now respond to your voice. 672 00:45:55,240 --> 00:45:59,840 And we acknowledge that you, who know all things and can do all 673 00:45:59,840 --> 00:46:12,680 things, strangely desire us. You actually delight in us that 674 00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:14,480 for those who are broken hearted. 675 00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:17,320 Who are weary and heavy. Laden. 676 00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:21,960 You have the remedy for it, and you invite us to. 677 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:24,680 Yourself. So Lord for the person. 678 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:28,040 Here, who thinks that? That fantasy? 679 00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:33,480 Is going to satisfy. Them that those drugs and 680 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:37,840 supplements are going to soothe them that. 681 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:40,800 Buying the latest clothes? And putting on this kind of 682 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:45,040 makeup is going to make them feel fulfilled and beautiful. 683 00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:48,040 Lord, if you. Were not. 684 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:53,560 In the equation of us being saved and us being satisfied, 685 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:56,360 please rescue us from our own deception. 686 00:46:59,120 --> 00:47:03,080 And help us remain with you. Because true restoration. 687 00:47:03,080 --> 00:47:05,440 Is in you alone. We give you thanks for this 688 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:09,800 truth and these reminders. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 689 00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:14,400 Let's stand. Let's worship the God who called 690 00:47:14,400 --> 00:47:18,560 a man named Cyrus and knows your name and mine.