1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,560 And with the great anticipation now I invite you to turn with me 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,760 to Ezra chapter 10 as we meet together in God's holy and 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:11,040 precious word. Allow me to remind us tonight 4 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:16,680 that in the short book of Ezra, Ezra the author, the historian, 5 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:23,280 the theologian behind this account, places three large 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,800 lists of names in it. We've already examined the 1st 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,000 2:00. There is one in chapter 2 and 8 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,640 there's another one in chapter 8, and both of them have the 9 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,920 same purpose. They describe to us the people 10 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,840 and the families and those who represent certain towns who made 11 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,840 the courageous decision to leave behind the comforts and the 12 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:51,880 conveniences of Babylonia to go back and honor God in Jerusalem. 13 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,360 But there is 1/3 list, as I mentioned, and this is what we 14 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:01,120 are going to explore tonight. And unfortunately, this registry 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:06,240 is not as honorable as the former to if you look here at 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,800 verse 18 of chapter 10, there will be name after name after 17 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:15,200 name until the very last verse of this entire book. 18 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:21,520 It's how this book closes, and its purpose differs 19 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,760 significantly from Ezra's first two directories. 20 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:31,640 What you and I have before us in this list are the identities of 21 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,120 those who have committed the great sin of interfaith 22 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,880 marriage. That is plainly stated in the 23 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,800 beginning of this census, and we're going to see that in a 24 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:41,760 moment. But what may not be as clear is 25 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:47,120 the purpose of this list. We understand why it's your what 26 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:51,240 it's defining for us. But my question, and looking at 27 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:56,360 this over and over again, is why did the Holy Spirit feel and 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,440 sense and deem it necessary to publicly and permanently record 29 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,920 the names who are guilty of this grievous offense? 30 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:11,160 I understand the former lists. I understand inscribing the 31 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:16,520 names in a book that would last forever in order to honor those 32 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:22,800 who made the step of faith, of selfless sacrifice to worship 33 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,720 God and to build His house to the glory of His name. 34 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,640 But why also make known those who were involved in a national 35 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:36,120 scandal? And I believe there are at least 36 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,480 two reasons. The first one reminds us that 37 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:45,640 this is one of many examples in Holy Scripture that testified to 38 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:49,720 the transparency of Scripture, which lends weight to its 39 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:54,160 authenticity and its accuracy. You know, there are there are 40 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,480 people who claim that this book is a man made production. 41 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,120 You probably heard it. You probably believe that at one 42 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,400 point there are all these argumentations and thoughts 43 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,000 behind that. But that argument is weakened by 44 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,520 the fact that over and over again, the authors of these 45 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,960 books reveal the failures and the shortcomings of those who 46 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,800 belong to the community of faith in the one true God. 47 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,400 Now, if if these authors of these religious texts had a 48 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,000 personal agenda, then you would think that there would be much 49 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,080 more embellishment and a lot less embarrassing accounts. 50 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,320 But that's not what we find. Instead, we reminded, even in 51 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:38,280 this study in the Word of God, that this book called the Bible 52 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,880 is a remarkably objective and honest account of real people 53 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,440 throughout redemptive history. But there's a second reason for 54 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,240 this list at the end of Ezra, and it's much more practical. 55 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:58,200 This list of names is a sobering reminder to us that sin, even 56 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,840 when repented of, often carries unwanted consequences. 57 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,080 And the consequence that is before us tonight is how willful 58 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:16,920 disobedience can sometimes stain our names in the sight of men. 59 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,080 The book of Proverbs speaks to this reality, among other 60 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:29,280 passages, the reality of the importance of protecting our 61 00:04:29,280 --> 00:04:33,080 reputation. One verse that comes to mind is 62 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:39,560 Proverbs 22 verse one where the author states a good name. 63 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,800 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches and 64 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,640 favor is better than silver or gold. 65 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:50,600 What a thought provoking statement. 66 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,760 Here's the Holy Spirit is saying in that verse, if you have the 67 00:04:54,760 --> 00:05:00,480 choice between godly integrity and millions of dollars, choose 68 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,360 the former. And while it is possible to have 69 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,040 both, it is possible to have a good name with great riches. 70 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:14,240 The reason why this contrast is presented to us is because all 71 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:18,960 too often the pursuit of wealth comes at the expense of a good 72 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:25,400 name because of things and temptations like greed and 73 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,480 manipulation and pride, and the abandonment of godly ambition 74 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:39,040 often accompanies that pursuit. And we can say much more about 75 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:40,520 this. But the main reason why I bring 76 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:45,680 it up is to emphasize how the Lord highly values our 77 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:50,760 reputation of noble character and for exhibiting the fruit of 78 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,880 the Holy Spirit. A good name is to be chosen 79 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,280 rather than great riches. And when you and I are 80 00:05:59,280 --> 00:06:02,920 intentional about that, when we're not careless with our 81 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:10,040 testimonies, when we don't just think that we can do whatever we 82 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:15,320 want, say whatever we want, act however we want, and instead are 83 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:21,640 protective over our names, then we secure for ourselves greater 84 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,320 joy, deeper peace, more glory for God, and even greater 85 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:30,560 opportunities for our lives. Then even, for example, those 86 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:34,280 who may have great riches but lack a good name. 87 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,120 Here's one example that comes to comes to mind. 88 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,800 When you look at the list of qualifications for a pastor in 89 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,840 the New Testament, you will never find anything close to the 90 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:47,880 requirement for somebody to be wealthy. 91 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:51,960 If that is in your Bible, you have the wrong translation. 92 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:55,480 But you know what you do find of the qualifications for an elder 93 00:06:57,640 --> 00:06:59,760 being well thought of by outsiders? 94 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,880 Unfortunately, with this list of names in Ezra chapter 10, they 95 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:14,000 did not choose a good name. They chose their personal 96 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,160 preference and a wife. They chose perhaps security. 97 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:23,800 They chose perhaps to fulfill lust, and it polluted their 98 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:28,880 names. These are valuable lessons, but 99 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,880 this record contains even more for us to consider. 100 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:37,320 And a helpful place to begin is by trying to establish the 101 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,280 framework, the way Ezra organizes these names in this 102 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,280 census. And so let's just get a bird's 103 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,320 eye view of these verses. Look with me here in verse 18. 104 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,440 He begins with who. Now they were found some of the 105 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,840 sons of the priest who had married foreign women. 106 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:58,600 So he begins with the priest, but then he follows it with what 107 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:02,200 we find in verse 23. So between 18 and 22 he names 108 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,720 the priests. And verse 23, who we have of the 109 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,560 Levites. Who are the Levites? 110 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,440 They are the assistants to the priests. 111 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,240 And then in verse 24, very brief, but we have two other 112 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,520 categories of people. We have what of the singers and 113 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:21,240 right after of the gatekeepers, and lastly, verse 25 all the way 114 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,640 to the end of the book, we have and of Israel. 115 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:28,040 These are the common folk who do not hold any position, any 116 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,560 ministerial position, at least in Israel. 117 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,360 And so how we're going to go about this final study is to see 118 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,320 what we can learn from each of these groups. 119 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:41,600 We've done this with previous lists and we'll start by reading 120 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:47,160 Ezra 10/18 to 22, shall we? Now there were found some of the 121 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:51,840 sons of the priests who had married foreign woman Messiah, 122 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:58,920 Eliezer, Jereb and Gaddelaya, some of the sons of Joshua the 123 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,840 son of Josidac and his brothers. They pledged themselves to put 124 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:08,040 away their wives and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock 125 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:13,360 for their guilt of the sons of Imur, Hananiah and Zebediah, of 126 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,920 the sons of harem Messiah, Elijah, Shamaya, JAL and Uzziah, 127 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:24,520 of the sons of Pascher, Elionai, Messiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, 128 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,720 Josebad and Elisa. Let's pray. 129 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,880 Father, help us, please Lord, with these verses. 130 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,280 Make them come alive. Touch our hearts, move us, help 131 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:42,640 us, Lord, to ultimately choose a good name because our names and 132 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,280 our testimonies are attached to Christ's name. 133 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,520 This is why, Lord, we want to take these truths seriously, 134 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:54,000 because we are more concerned than anything else about 135 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,560 reflecting and representing our Master well. 136 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:03,920 May every truth, convicting, pressing, humbling be 137 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,400 accompanied with encouragement and hope. 138 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,040 In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 139 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:13,800 We're considering the first group tonight, and it may be 140 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:17,040 quite shocking to us to realize that among those who were 141 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,560 supposed to be the leading examples and the source of 142 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:21,520 guidance for the people and their holiness and their 143 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,760 godliness and their worship, we're guilty themselves of the 144 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,520 same crime. The priests, the priest married 145 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,720 idolaters. The priest married Pagan woman. 146 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,080 But it's even more staggering at that when you read carefully 147 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,840 because the first four names mentioned in verse 18 are no 148 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:45,000 ordinary priests. They are who some of the sons of 149 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,640 Joshua the son of Josidak. Does anybody remember who Joshua 150 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,040 the son of Josidak is? If you know, please answer. 151 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:57,560 Yes, very good. He's mentioned earlier in the 152 00:10:57,560 --> 00:10:59,240 book of Ezra. We have studied him before. 153 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,840 If you need a reference for Joshua that is very important, 154 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,320 it's Haggai 11. Haggai was a prophet, alive and 155 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:09,920 ministering the time of Joshua, who worked alongside Zerubbabel, 156 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,280 who led the first wave of exiles 80 years before Ezra's time. 157 00:11:13,560 --> 00:11:17,400 And Haggai 11 tells us that Joshua, also known as Joshua, 158 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:23,480 was the high priest at the time. Which tells us what, when we 159 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:26,280 come to this section of Scripture, that it wasn't just 160 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,120 the sons of priests who married for a woman, but the descendants 161 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:34,120 of the high priest himself. This is staggering. 162 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,800 This is sobering in many ways, but it's also very instructive. 163 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,560 Is it possible for the the children and the grandchildren 164 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:49,600 of a godly minister to walk in the opposite direction of their 165 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,920 spiritual heritage? A lot of heads are nodding, yes, 166 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,600 but we also have to remember that just because some may do so 167 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:02,080 does not indicate always that it's because of the poor example 168 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,280 of their guardians, of those who went before them. 169 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:09,600 Joshua, also known as Joshua, was not a compromiser. 170 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,440 Was he perfect? No, but he wasn't scandalous 171 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,280 either. In fact, Joshua was one of the 172 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:20,880 leaders who stood against the temptation and the invitation of 173 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,120 those who approached the first wave of exiles who returned to 174 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,440 Jerusalem that wanted to join them in building the House of 175 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:27,760 God. He was one of the voices that 176 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:31,760 said absolutely not. Do you remember this? 177 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,320 Go to Ezra 4. Let's look at these few verses 178 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:35,920 together to refresh our memories. 179 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,560 Ezra 4 Remember, we're looking now, we're rewinding 80 years 180 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,000 when Joshua the high priest, along with Zerubbel and other 181 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,240 leaders were ready to build the House of God. 182 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:52,000 But in that pursuit there was a great temptation in Ezra 4 verse 183 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,640 one. Now when the adversaries of 184 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,440 Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were 185 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,000 building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they 186 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,320 approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the father's houses and 187 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,800 said to them, let us build with you, for we worship your God as 188 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,440 you do, and we've been sacrificing to him ever since 189 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,480 the days of senior Haddon, king of Assyria, who brought us here. 190 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:18,040 But Zerubabel, Joshua, and the rest of the heads of Father's 191 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:22,000 houses in Israel said to them, You have nothing to do with us 192 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,960 in building a house to our God, but we alone will build to the 193 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,800 Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the King of Persia, has 194 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,360 commanded us. Who would have imagined that the 195 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:36,720 direct descendants of this man would walk in the exact opposite 196 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:41,040 direction that he paid a great high price to make? 197 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,320 Remember, this would unleash great persecution. 198 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,640 So this man who stood on the integrity of God's Word, who 199 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:54,400 fought for his consecration and who was persecuted because of 200 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,920 it, after a few short decades had some of his own descendants 201 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:05,960 squander that and partner with these idolaters and one of the 202 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,360 worst ways possible by marrying their woman. 203 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,640 It's shocking, but it's realistic. 204 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:17,840 You know, I'm aware that there may be fathers here, there may 205 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:21,280 be mothers here, maybe even older siblings perhaps. 206 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:28,760 And you may, you may be wondering and trying to come to 207 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:33,520 terms with why it is that those closest to you, maybe you're 208 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:38,320 even your own children or grandchildren, are rejecting and 209 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,840 chasing after everything that you stood against according to 210 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,520 God's Word that you taught them about, that you warned them 211 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,120 about. And I know that some parents 212 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:53,360 even wrestle with guilt. Did I have a part to play in the 213 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:59,160 foolishness of my son and the brazen rebellion of my younger 214 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:05,320 sibling? And if you do have that haunting 215 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:11,440 thought, remember Joshua and let your conscience be free, 216 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:17,240 especially if you are a man like him who has clearly walked with 217 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,640 Christ. Not perfectly, yes, none of us 218 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,840 are perfect, but clearly and consistently to the best of your 219 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:29,680 ability, by the grace of God. This is one example among many 220 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,600 that even the most exceptional examples of righteousness are 221 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:37,360 not always imitated by those the closest to them. 222 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,160 And they're not at fault for that because in the end, 223 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,040 devotion to God is a personal choice. 224 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,200 You can only do so much to influence. 225 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,480 You can do only so much to point them in the right direction. 226 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,600 But in the end, every single one of us will stand before God for 227 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:57,760 our own lives. Now, thankfully, the same sons 228 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,440 of the high priest, along with the other priests, repented. 229 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:02,200 How do we know that? Because verse 19 it says that 230 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:04,200 they pledged to put away these wives. 231 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:08,080 And more than just promising, they made a humbling sacrifice. 232 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:12,520 They offered a guilt offering to admit their sin and to seek 233 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,200 atonement for it. Now here's what here's what 234 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,000 intrigued me. This is the only time an 235 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,400 offering according to the biblical code is mentioned in 236 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,440 this list of names of those who have repented. 237 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,080 That is not to say that others did not make an offering at the 238 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:35,680 temple, but it's Ezra's way of highlighting the severity of the 239 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,040 sin of the priest because of their leadership. 240 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,480 Spiritual leadership are held to a higher standard because their 241 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,520 decisions have a greater impact, for good or for worse. 242 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,720 And so Ezra strategically emphasizes and highlights how 243 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,600 they made a sacrifice because of the necessity for it by virtue 244 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,440 of their position and their influence. 245 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,839 Now here's what's very moving to us. 246 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,920 There are total names, total number of names here mentioned. 247 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,960 If we count them, that lead to 1717 priests. 248 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,839 And out of the 17 names, three of them share the same one. 249 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,160 It's the first one mentioned in verse 18. 250 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,880 Messiah. It shows up again in verse 21, 251 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,079 shows up again in verse 22. Why do I under score this? 252 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:32,760 Because you find this name repeated more than once in the 253 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,520 book of Nehemiah among another list of priests. 254 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:41,080 Now Nehemiah comes unto the scene 13 years after Ezra, and 255 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:46,280 where when you see how this, this name Messiah shows up in 256 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:49,480 Nehemiah, it should flood your heart with encouragement because 257 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:52,920 of what they're doing. So turn with me to Nehemiah 258 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:54,800 chapter 12. Notice what happens here. 259 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,720 Nehemiah in this chapter is organizing the dedication of the 260 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,520 wall. Remember, his purpose was to 261 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:06,200 rebuild the security of the city of Jerusalem through the 262 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,240 erection of these physical walls. 263 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,080 And here's the dedication service. 264 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,160 And like any good dedication service, you're going to have 265 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,920 some singing and you're going to have some choirs. 266 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:19,480 So there was choirs even back then. 267 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:24,200 Look at verse 40 of Nehemiah 12. So both choirs of those who gave 268 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:25,720 thanks stood in the House of God. 269 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:30,440 And I and half of the officials with me and the priest Eliakim, 270 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:38,240 Messiah, many a men, Mikaya, Elionai, Zachariah and Hananiah 271 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:41,160 with trumpets and Messiah, there's another one of them. 272 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:47,800 And Shamaya, Eliezer, Uzi, Johanannan, Melchiah, Elam and 273 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,960 Ezra. And the singer sang with Jezriah 274 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:52,800 as their leader. And they offered great 275 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,640 sacrifices that day and rejoiced. 276 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:00,360 They offered great sacrifices on that day and rejoiced. 277 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:04,280 Now, we can't say conclusively that the maicides of Nehemiah 12 278 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,000 are the same ones who sinned and repented back in Ezra 10. 279 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,120 But if they are, and it's very possible that they are, then 280 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:13,600 what we have before us is yet another reminder of something 281 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:16,160 that we have seen over and over in our studies in the Old 282 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,080 Testament, that God is a God of restoration. 283 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:28,160 Here's these men who sinned so grossly, who have stained their 284 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:32,280 names and have brought disgrace to their community, and yet, as 285 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,600 severe as the sin was, it did not cut off hope. 286 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:43,400 It did not delete forever God's future plans and desires for 287 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,720 them. The same priests, these are just 288 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,840 three of them that show up clearly in the next book, are 289 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,640 actually now not offering a guilt offering for their sin, 290 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:56,040 but are offering sacrifices to serve the nation and to glorify 291 00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,120 God. God is rich in mercy. 292 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:05,480 God is incredibly kind, yes. So this list is not an honorable 293 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:09,160 one, but it it didn't mean that God did not restore them. 294 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,640 So let your heart be at rest that even though we may have 295 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,880 tarnished our testimony, that does not mean that God cannot do 296 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:23,160 something with our lives. In fact, all he asks of you is 297 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:28,560 what these men did, genuinely repent, because genuine 298 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,080 repentance is the key to a mercy so strong that it can restore 299 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:39,360 you in ways that you never knew would be possible and surely in 300 00:20:39,360 --> 00:20:43,240 ways that we don't deserve. So this is what we see with the 301 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:44,720 priests. But let's move on now to the 302 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:50,080 Levites. Ezra 10 in verse 23 of the 303 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:57,280 Levites, Joseph Bad, Shemia, Kalaya, that is Kalita, Pythia, 304 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:03,960 Judah, Eliezer, and that's it. Now the brief mention of the 305 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,280 Levites here brings to mind their peculiar history in the 306 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:11,480 book of Ezra. Again, they show up in Ezra 307 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,960 chapter 2 when the first returnees came back from 308 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:20,160 Babylonia into the holy city. The number of them around 74 309 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:24,400 Levites and then with the second sense is in Ezra chapter 8. 310 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:31,480 No Levites come initially, at least until Ezra organizes a 311 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,360 focus effort to recruit the Levites and then about 38 of 312 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:41,160 them join. And when you look at this from a 313 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,280 bird's eye view, when you consider these lists and 314 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,760 totality, you get the sense that the testimony of the Levites is 315 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,440 that there is very little interest in them to actually 316 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,280 walk in the fullness of their calling by going back to the 317 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,840 House of God and serving God the way they were called to. 318 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:00,840 And, and, and the reasons for that is because of, I'm sure, 319 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,240 the enticing environment that they became accustomed to in 320 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,720 Babylonia. We've discussed this many times 321 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:10,200 before. So we should applaud those who 322 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,240 did go. While many of them stayed back, 323 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:18,280 we can safely say thousands of them remained in a foreign land. 324 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,120 So we celebrate them, yes. At the same time we come to this 325 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:27,320 final list and we get a very telling insight of a handful of 326 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,520 them who did come back. And it is this. 327 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:33,720 Some of the Levites who made the right steps to return to 328 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,040 Jerusalem still struggled with an attraction to the world. 329 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,000 So yes, they left a foreign land, they left a foreign 330 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,200 people, they abandoned the attractions and the conveniences 331 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:51,960 of a foreign place. But their hearts, at least those 332 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,040 who are listed here, we're not completely consecrated. 333 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,760 How do we know that? Because they turned their backs 334 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:01,800 on Babylon, but they still ended up marrying foreign women. 335 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,560 This is very, very important for us to consider because what it 336 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:14,240 shows us is that as important as physical relocation is, right 337 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,400 walking away from bad places and bad environments and bad 338 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,200 atmospheres, as important as that is, as important as 339 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:24,600 partnering and participating in a faithful fellowship and even 340 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,520 serving in a certain ministry, as important as all of that is, 341 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,040 it is not enough to transform us. 342 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,760 None of that can provide the inner renewal that can only come 343 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,400 by way of God's miraculous power in the human heart. 344 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:46,920 Practically speaking, these Levites made all the right 345 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:52,000 choices, but evidently their hearts needed work. 346 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,440 And there are so many examples of this throughout the Bible, 347 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,160 and I want to bring to mind one from the New Testament. 348 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:06,000 Have you heard the name Dimas? Dimas is notorious for 349 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,000 abandoning the Apostle Paul in his greatest time of need. 350 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,760 He deserted Paul when he was imprisoned for the last time 351 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:15,200 before he would be ultimately executed. 352 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,840 But Dimas doesn't only appear in Paul's final letter. 353 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,440 He appears a total of three times in a New Testament. 354 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:23,080 Did you know that? And when you look at the two 355 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:27,760 other instances of Demas being mentioned in Scripture, it only 356 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,680 makes his abandonment that much more frightening. 357 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:35,120 It's only three. Can we look at it? 358 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:40,400 Let's go to find Lehman. This is a prison epistle. 359 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:44,840 It's a personal one. Paul writes to his friend And 360 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:49,680 when he gives them his final greetings, he mentions somebody 361 00:24:51,640 --> 00:25:02,540 and finally in verse 23, no chapters, verse 23 Epiphras, my 362 00:25:02,540 --> 00:25:06,860 fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus sends greetings to you and so do 363 00:25:06,860 --> 00:25:12,140 Mark Aristocratus Dimas and Luke, my fellow workers. 364 00:25:12,140 --> 00:25:14,540 There's Dimas and he's mentioned as to a fellow worker. 365 00:25:14,860 --> 00:25:21,400 He's, he's listed with Luke. Mark, you study Paul's life. 366 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,800 He didn't recruit just anybody into his ministry team. 367 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:25,760 He was very, very, very selective. 368 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:29,520 Dimas must have shown some kind of resolve, some kind of 369 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,880 faithfulness, some kind of seriousness. 370 00:25:34,480 --> 00:25:37,280 And he stuck around for a bit, I'm sure, because look at 371 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,960 Colossians now, another prison epistle. 372 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,720 And look what happens in chapter 4, verse 14 of Colossians, 373 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:50,760 Colossians 4, verse 14. Luke, the beloved physician 374 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:56,000 greets you, as does Dimas. He's there again. 375 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,360 And the final time, as you know, is in Second Timothy 410. 376 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,560 Now as you turn there, many people make the mistake of 377 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,680 claiming that the reason why Dimas turned his back on Paul 378 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,320 and ultimately on Christ and the cause of Christ and the gospel 379 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:15,320 of Jesus Christ is because of the intense persecution. 380 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,640 Paul was willing to pay for it. Dimas wasn't. 381 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:20,440 But that's not what Paul brings to the forefront. 382 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,920 Why did Dimas walk away? He tells us clearly in verse 10 383 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:29,280 of chapter 4. Look at Second Timothy 410. 384 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:37,160 For Dimas in love with this present world, not for fear, but 385 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:41,080 because he had a different love. For Dimas in love with this 386 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:44,240 present world has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 387 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:50,440 Demons had a heart problem. Now think about this. 388 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,280 What a privilege to serve alongside the great apostle 389 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,400 Paul. What kind of miracles did you 390 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,800 witness? What kind of example did you 391 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:06,840 have with you virtually 24/7? More than Paul. 392 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,360 Who are your comrades? Who are your associates? 393 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:18,760 Luke, the physician, Mark, other sold out believers, and yet with 394 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,880 with all of this fellowship, all of this opportunity, even this 395 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:28,040 accountability, because Dimas's heart, namely his affections 396 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,720 were not fixed and nurtured regularly for the Lord. 397 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:38,840 When the right opportunity arose, he took it because he was 398 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:42,000 in love with this world. This is a heart problem. 399 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:45,720 It's more than circumstance. It's more than environment. 400 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,880 It's going to, it's going to require much more than all of 401 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,920 that to transform us and to keep us where God wants us to be. 402 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,280 In fact, there's a contrast with Dimas's love. 403 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:02,360 Paul mentions another love 2 verses early. 404 00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:06,560 Look at Second Timothy 48. Henceforth there is laid up for 405 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,880 me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous 406 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,600 judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but 407 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,320 also to all who have loved his appearing. 408 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,320 So in this verse, Paul highlights a love that keeps you 409 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:26,560 faithful until the end. But the object of his love is 410 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:32,320 Christ, His appearing, not just His commands, not just His 411 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,160 instructions, not just His promises Himself. 412 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,640 Paul mentions a love that keeps you going until the end, and 413 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:45,480 then he mentions another love in verse 10 that will weaken your 414 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,240 faithfulness and draw you away from the one that you claim to 415 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:53,040 love. How do we respond to this truth? 416 00:28:53,040 --> 00:29:01,960 You know how I respond to it. Lord, help my heart, help my 417 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,720 heart. And the question you may have is 418 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,560 can God do anything with my heart? 419 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:08,520 Is the responsibility solely on me? 420 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,920 Do I got to maneuver and make things happen? 421 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:12,480 Do I got to hype myself up every. 422 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,880 How does this whole thing work for my heart's love to be on 423 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:21,760 Christ with no rival. So I I opened the service in 424 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,760 second Corinthians day because that's where I found myself this 425 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,040 morning. And there were so many verses. 426 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:25,960 I didn't know which one to choose. 427 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:27,600 And I thought, you know what, let me tuck this one into the 428 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:32,760 study. Paul speaks about his friend 429 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,600 Titus, who also served in the ministry, and he says something 430 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:40,560 about what happened to his heart that that so energized me this 431 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:44,600 morning. It became my prayer all day in 432 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:48,720 2nd Corinthians 816. Listen to what Paul says. 433 00:29:49,120 --> 00:29:54,120 But thanks be to God who put into the heart of Titus the same 434 00:29:54,120 --> 00:30:00,760 earnest care I have for you. Isn't that blow your mind saying 435 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,160 what about it? God put it in the heart of Titus 436 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:08,600 to have the same concern and care and compassion for the 437 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:15,920 Corinthians as Paul did. God can put it in your heart. 438 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,320 God can put in your heart a love for him, a love for God's 439 00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,520 people. I mean, if there is anybody who 440 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,880 is really, really difficult to love, it was the Corinthians. 441 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,360 You really need God to put a love in your heart for the 442 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:34,800 Corinthians, but He did it. He can do it in your heart and 443 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:42,360 mine too. Amazingly, like the priests in 444 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:47,200 Ezra 10, some of the names of the Levites reappear. 445 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:51,080 Nehemiah, but in a more redemptive light. 446 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,040 Nehemiah 95. Nehemiah 1010. 447 00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,160 Nehemiah 11/16. They are found serving alongside 448 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:04,360 Nehemiah by doing their part to advance God's purposes in a 449 00:31:04,360 --> 00:31:06,440 meaningful way. The Levites. 450 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,240 So again, it amplifies the truth of God's mercy. 451 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:13,680 God's restorative grace was not reserved for the priest. 452 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,360 It was also made available to the assistance of the priests. 453 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,600 So they repented in Ezra, attendees, Levites, and God did 454 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:30,960 a work in their hearts, so much so that they were reinstated in 455 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:36,480 service to the Lord. And that's good news for each of 456 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:45,520 us tonight, because you may come to this church regularly, but 457 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:51,760 recently your heart is not here. In fact, you're actually scared 458 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:56,040 about it. You may even serve here. 459 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:03,680 But because of an honesty on your part, you can admit 460 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:07,480 perhaps, that you are growing more and more infatuated with 461 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,080 the world and you don't know what to do. 462 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:15,600 Because the tide is pulling you and you find yourself emptier 463 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,120 and emptier and emptier as you go through the motions. 464 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,080 I want to give you a message of hope today. 465 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,720 God can change that. He can change that radically. 466 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,800 It comes back to what these Levites did, who did all the 467 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,640 right things. They left Babylonia, they 468 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:39,680 sacrificed so much to help restore the activity and the 469 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:41,320 service and the worship in the House of God. 470 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,880 But some of them, their hearts evidently were not totally to 471 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,400 the Lord. All we have to do is admit the 472 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,520 coldness of our heart and ask God to change it. 473 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,760 And He is willing to do that. This is what we learn from the 474 00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:58,760 Levites. Let's come to verse 24 now of 475 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:03,680 Ezra 10. Two groups of people in one 476 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:08,360 verse of the singers, Elijah, Ship of the gatekeepers, Shalom, 477 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:16,320 Tellem, and Uri. Instead of focusing directly on 478 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,760 the singers and the gatekeepers, I want to note that up to this 479 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:24,840 point, Ezra is drawing attention to the same categories of people 480 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,400 that he recorded in Ezra chapter 2. 481 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,200 So in Ezra chapter 2, that's the first list of names that we 482 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,000 encounter in this book. And we know what happens in Ezra 483 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,320 2, right? He begins by mentioning the 484 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:40,320 leaders who oversaw this expedition. 485 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:43,720 And then he goes on to mention the men of Israel from different 486 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,800 households and hometowns. And then after mentioning that 487 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:51,280 long list of refugees, he goes on to describe the the priests, 488 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:55,080 the Levites, the singers, and the sons of the gatekeepers. 489 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,720 But Ezra doesn't mention one group that is in Ezra 2IN Ezra 490 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,280 10. Does anybody know who I'm 491 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,840 referring to? We spent quite a bit of time 492 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:12,719 diving into who this particular group were. 493 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:17,480 The temple servants, remember? We spent time looking into the 494 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:18,960 potential history of the Temple servants. 495 00:34:19,159 --> 00:34:23,840 Why were they so intriguing? Because evidence seems to 496 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:26,960 indicate that the Temple servants were not of Jewish 497 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:29,800 descent. They were more likely 498 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:34,280 Gibeonites, a group of people that Joshua failed to destroy 499 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:37,520 upon entering into the Promised Land and instead made a covenant 500 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,040 with. And because of that covenant, 501 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:48,560 they were forever vowed and bound to serving in the House of 502 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:54,960 God with the most menial of tasks, and they became the 503 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:58,640 official group known as the temple servants who operated 504 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:03,000 this way generationally. Ezra actually hints to this. 505 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:09,280 Look at chapter 8 verse 20. In Ezra 820, he mentions the 506 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,600 temple servants in his second census and notice what he says 507 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:15,040 about them. Besides 220 of the temple 508 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:18,880 servants whom David and his officials had set apart to 509 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,480 attend the Levites, these were all mentioned by name. 510 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,480 So you notice the hierarchy here in the ministry positions within 511 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:28,400 the temple, you have the priests. 512 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,640 Then you had the Levites who were assigned to assist the 513 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,680 priest, but with the Levites, you had the temple servants who 514 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:40,560 served them. Here's my question. 515 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,080 The temple servants, they appear in Ezra chapter 2. 516 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:50,800 They show up in Ezra chapter 8, the second list. 517 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:53,960 Why are they not found in Ezra chapter 10? 518 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:58,240 Because after the gatekeepers, we're going to go to the men of 519 00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:01,000 Israel. So you skip over a category that 520 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:09,320 we've become familiar with. Some will say perhaps, well, it 521 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,800 wasn't necessary for Ezra to include them in this list 522 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:20,080 because of their origins. They were Gentiles, and what's 523 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,800 concerning to Ezra is those who are descendants of the holy race 524 00:36:24,880 --> 00:36:28,400 they excluded from that. Sure, they have an oath with the 525 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,920 people of God to God Himself, but would it really matter as 526 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,920 much for them to marry outsiders? 527 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:39,000 If that's the case, then their omission from this list would 528 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:41,400 mean that Ezra did not hold them responsible to the same 529 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:45,840 covenantal framework that the Levites and the priests and 530 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:51,000 other Israelites were held accountable to, right? 531 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:55,240 The the Gibeonites, the temple servants, they didn't have any 532 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:59,400 tribal inheritance. They were not representing 533 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,120 Israel in the same genealogical way. 534 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:07,120 So it's not important really what they do in this regard. 535 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:13,480 So I'm wrestling with this because the easy thing to do is 536 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:18,080 say that just move on. But I realized something about 537 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:22,400 the temple servants, they show up again, Nehemiah, and they 538 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:26,960 show up at a very critical point in Israel's history that says 539 00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:30,320 something about them and how they relate to the people of 540 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:35,360 Israel, ultimately to the law of God, which helps us understand 541 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:39,080 perhaps why they are not mentioned in Ezra chapter 10. 542 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:47,320 We're getting a workout here. Yes, Nehemiah in chapter 10, 543 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,160 this is when they make a renewed covenant with God. 544 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,080 Nehemiah with the other spiritual leaders want to 545 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:57,560 solidify their commitment to the God of Israel. 546 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:02,040 So there's this whole ceremony. Notice who shows up to the 547 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:05,280 ceremony and not just show up. I'll just read it. 548 00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:10,680 Nehemiah 10, verse 28, The rest of the people, the priest, the 549 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:14,600 Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, we've seen all these 550 00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:16,760 people before. Who else? 551 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:21,760 The temple servants, the temple servants, and all who have 552 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,840 separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law 553 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:28,000 of God. Their wives, their sons, their 554 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,320 daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, 555 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:35,160 join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse 556 00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:38,600 and an oath to walk in God's law that was given by Moses the 557 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,640 servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of 558 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:45,000 the Lord, our Lord and His rules and His statutes. 559 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,320 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or 560 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:52,280 take their daughters for our sons. 561 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:56,640 I understand the priest doing this. 562 00:38:56,640 --> 00:38:58,920 I understand the Levites, I understand the singers and the 563 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:07,120 gatekeepers, the temple servants submitting themselves to the law 564 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:11,680 of God, including the prohibition of having their 565 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:16,240 descendants marry foreign woman or men. 566 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:23,440 And they are welcome to do so. Saying that's that's a good 567 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:24,800 observation, but why does it matter? 568 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:26,880 Because they're not of Jewish lineage. 569 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:32,400 They don't share the same blood necessarily. 570 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:36,880 And yet, when you rewind and come back to Ezra chapter 10 571 00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:42,320 with what we just read in Nehemiah chapter 10, then the 572 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,000 most logical conclusion of why they are not included in this 573 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,040 indictment is because they were not guilty. 574 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,440 They took God's law seriously for themselves. 575 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:58,880 And why this is so amazing to me is because they have proven to 576 00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:03,640 be more steadfast and committed to God's demands than the Jews, 577 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,640 who are the direct inheritors of the law and God's commands. 578 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:18,720 Moreover, think about their position and their function. 579 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,640 The deal was between Joshua and them. 580 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:25,640 You make a covenant with us. We can't kill you anymore. 581 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:27,480 But that doesn't mean that you just get to do whatever you 582 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:29,880 want. You will forever and ever and 583 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,560 ever become servants in the House of God. 584 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:36,400 And Joshua 927 tells us exactly what their day-to-day look like. 585 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:39,360 They were cutters of wood and drawers of water. 586 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:44,080 It's not very glamorous, the priest. 587 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:49,320 Very elaborate, very attractive. The Levites, Same thing, temple 588 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:55,280 servants. But who in Ezra 10 has shown to 589 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:58,320 break God's heart? It wasn't a temple servants, it 590 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:03,640 was the priest. It was the Levites and humanly 591 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:08,120 speaking, the lowest of the low in terms of work. 592 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:13,560 Those who had no public platform, those who did not have 593 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:17,080 prominence, those who did The Dirty work. 594 00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:21,760 We're not guilty. You know, pleasing God is not 595 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:25,800 dependent upon your position. Bringing glory to God is not 596 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,280 dependent on who knows you or the accolades that you 597 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,600 accumulate for yourself. It's very simple to please God. 598 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:38,080 Just do what He says, live for Him, no matter what Providence 599 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:45,760 has put before you, no matter what limitations you feel are on 600 00:41:45,760 --> 00:41:49,840 you. The temple servants outshined 601 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:55,240 the priests and the Levites because God is not impressed by 602 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:58,200 all these things. He simply wants faithfulness and 603 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,240 it came from the most unlikely group of people. 604 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:06,320 I was already impressed with the temple servants because when 605 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,120 they were removed from Jerusalem to go to Babylonia, that's a 606 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:11,400 clean slate. You can say we're free. 607 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:16,280 We never have to cut wood again. We don't have to wash anything. 608 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:20,400 Let's just start fresh here in Babylonia. 609 00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:24,240 But when Cyrus made the call, so many of them said, let's go 610 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:27,040 back. We made a promise to the God of 611 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:31,160 Israel. And that covenant goes deeper 612 00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:32,880 than this. We come now to Ezra 10. 613 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,840 We realize that they were not found guilty, though the others 614 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:40,520 were. It's amazing how you can be 615 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:42,520 moved by such details in the Word of God. 616 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:45,440 Let's come to the final group of people. 617 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:50,640 We are going to attempt to read these names together because 618 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:52,200 every part of God's word matters. 619 00:42:54,800 --> 00:43:04,320 Verse 25 and of Israel, the sons of Perosh, Ramaya, Zia, Malkaja, 620 00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:10,320 Mejamin, Eliezer, Hashabaya and Binaya of the sons of Elam, 621 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:16,880 Matanaya, Zechariah, JEL, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah of the sons 622 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:22,520 of Zatu, Elionai, Elisha, Matanaya, Jeremoth, Zabad and 623 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:26,960 Aziza of the sons of Babai were Johananan, Hananiah, Zabaya. 624 00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:32,400 Athlea of the sons of Bani were Mushalam, Malukh, Adaya, Jashub, 625 00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:36,920 Sheal and Jeremiah of the sons of Pahad, Moab, Adna, Khalal, 626 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:42,320 Binaya, Mehsaya, Matanaya, Bazelal, Binuyai and Manasa of 627 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:46,800 the sons of Harem, Eliezer, Ishiya, Malchiya, Shamaya, 628 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:51,720 Shimmyon, Benjamin, Maluk and Jeremiah of the sons of Hashem, 629 00:43:51,720 --> 00:43:57,280 Matanaya, Matata, Zabid, Eliphelid, Jeremiah, Manasa and 630 00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:02,120 Shamaya of the sons of Bani. Mehdi, amram Uel, Binaya, 631 00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:06,640 Bedaya, Heluai, Vinaya, Miramoth, Eliyashev, Matanaya, 632 00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:11,040 Matanaya, Jayasu of the sons of Binuai, Shamaya, Shalamaya, 633 00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:15,960 Nathan, Adiya, Makhna, Dabai, Shashi, Shirai, Azarel, 634 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:20,280 Shilamaya, Sheremaya, Shalom, Amariah and Joseph of the sons 635 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:26,360 of Nebo GL, Mithya, Zabad, Zebanai, Jedai, Joel and Binaya. 636 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,680 All these had married foreign woman and some of the women had 637 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:36,400 even born children. So how do we approach this final 638 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:40,360 section of names listed without attempting to examine every 639 00:44:40,360 --> 00:44:46,920 family brought to our attention? I think one way we can do so 640 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:49,440 effectively in a way that edifies us is to consider the 641 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:53,520 first family that is at the top of the list, which seems to 642 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:55,760 indicate that they are of great prominence. 643 00:44:56,880 --> 00:45:00,720 And we can infer this because the same family shows up in Ezra 644 00:45:00,720 --> 00:45:02,480 chapter 2 at the top of the list. 645 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:06,400 So clearly they are important. Who am I Speaking of? 646 00:45:06,760 --> 00:45:10,680 Verse 25 and of Israel of the sons Pirosh. 647 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:25,040 Ezra 2 verse 3 reads The Sons of Pirosh 2172. 648 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:32,240 They are highlighted among the largest clans who chose to leave 649 00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:36,840 Babylon. Nearly 2200 members of their own 650 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:42,000 clan. That speaks to the faith of this 651 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:44,600 family. That speaks to the convictions 652 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:48,920 that they shared as one unit for for all of them to make this 653 00:45:48,920 --> 00:45:51,240 choice. We are going to turn our backs 654 00:45:51,240 --> 00:45:53,680 on Babylon and go back and rebuild the ruins. 655 00:45:55,920 --> 00:46:01,520 This is impressive. You can imagine then, how 656 00:46:01,520 --> 00:46:05,120 shocking it would be, especially for the original readers to 657 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:06,840 discover this about the family Parash. 658 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:11,280 I'm sure they knew of their history to some degree, only to 659 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:14,960 realize that they are mentioned first among those who are guilty 660 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:22,440 of this great sin. The same family that inspired 661 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:27,000 and showed how God's Spirit can stir the hearts of members of 662 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:34,040 one household, one clan, also show up in a place of being 663 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,240 among those who put the nation at an existential risk. 664 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:41,240 What? What are we supposed to do with 665 00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:44,440 this connection? Here's a lesson. 666 00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:46,320 None of us are spiritually untouchable. 667 00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:51,760 None of us. We must never become 668 00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:57,480 overconfident because of our moral history, past testimonies, 669 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:05,480 or present stability even. Instead, you and I have to 670 00:47:05,480 --> 00:47:11,440 remain vigilant always and depend on God day by day by day. 671 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:13,680 I've had people ask me, brother, I'm scared. 672 00:47:13,680 --> 00:47:15,080 I don't know who I'm going to be a year from now. 673 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:16,920 I don't know if I'm going to be faithful to Christ five years 674 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:18,880 from now, and my answer remains the same. 675 00:47:19,240 --> 00:47:22,320 Just take it day by day. Stop worrying about who you'll 676 00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:25,600 be decades from now, and just worry who you are tomorrow 677 00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:28,960 morning. His burden is light. 678 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:32,880 His yoke is easy. Don't add weight to it. 679 00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:40,960 So the sons of Prash remind us that though we may think we 680 00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:48,520 stand, take heed lest we fall. That's not to promote hysteria 681 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:53,160 or paranoia, but just this awesome awareness that I need 682 00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:58,000 thee, Oh, I need thee. Not just day by day, not just 683 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:01,120 hour by hour, but moment by moment, I need thee. 684 00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:07,080 Did you notice how the book ends? 685 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:12,760 Look at the last first. All these had married foreign 686 00:48:12,760 --> 00:48:16,240 women, and some of the women had even born children. 687 00:48:16,240 --> 00:48:19,600 Full stop. Book is done. 688 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:24,560 So it's a summary. But more than a summary, it's a 689 00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:28,000 strategic way Ezra chooses to end his account. 690 00:48:28,440 --> 00:48:32,000 And if we're honest, it seems a little abrupt, doesn't it? 691 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:35,680 It's not as polished as we would expect. 692 00:48:37,160 --> 00:48:41,400 It's not accidental. He didn't run out of parchment. 693 00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:52,800 He's led by the Holy Spirit and he deliberately mentions, 694 00:48:52,960 --> 00:48:58,480 briefly but deliberately, the consequence at least a 695 00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:02,960 significant one of these men's choices by bringing to surface 696 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:05,440 the fact that some of these women had children. 697 00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:13,800 And then he puts a veil over this reality so quickly. 698 00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:21,840 He doesn't give us too many details because the ambiguity 699 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:27,680 itself is intentional. It's meant to cause the reader 700 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:30,440 to ask and wonder. Oh, wait, wait, wait. 701 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:32,520 What? What now? 702 00:49:33,240 --> 00:49:35,360 Hold on, there's children involved in this. 703 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:42,040 Where are they going to go? What's going to happen to these 704 00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:44,000 families? How are they going to be 705 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:47,800 provided for? What's the emotional toll of 706 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:51,520 this reform? And So what Ezra does by the 707 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:54,920 Spirit ending, the way he ends, as he invites us into the 708 00:49:54,920 --> 00:50:01,200 tension of this whole scenario and he lets us sit there. 709 00:50:03,680 --> 00:50:05,200 He doesn't want us to gloss over it. 710 00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:09,120 He doesn't put makeup on the whole situation to try to clean 711 00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:17,800 it up. He provides silence for us to 712 00:50:17,800 --> 00:50:21,440 have to deal with something that we often don't think about when 713 00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:28,120 it comes to our sinful choices, The ramifications of it being 714 00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:34,840 much more painful than we had planned, impacting factors that 715 00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:37,880 we never hoped or thought or desired. 716 00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:47,000 And some of the women even born children, period. 717 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:54,400 So yes, there there is repentance in this final section 718 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:57,880 of this book and that provides a note of hope. 719 00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:08,840 But Ezra, the great teacher that he is, is honest and he wants to 720 00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:14,960 let the reader know repentance does not always erase the 721 00:51:14,960 --> 00:51:24,610 painful and lasting consequences of sin and this abrupt ending 722 00:51:24,610 --> 00:51:30,090 also the Ezra and Nehemiah are two separate books prepares us 723 00:51:30,090 --> 00:51:33,810 for the next major account that is connected to Ezra's story. 724 00:51:34,890 --> 00:51:38,440 You know, sometimes when it comes to texts like what we had 725 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:42,720 before, us preachers feel the need to try to change the tone 726 00:51:42,720 --> 00:51:49,560 of it so that we can end on a more happy thought. 727 00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:55,240 We have to honor the way the Holy Spirit penned His Word. 728 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:06,680 And what we find here is that Ezra wants us to wrestle and not 729 00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:08,960 just look at these names and these people, but then to look 730 00:52:08,960 --> 00:52:15,320 at our own lives and ask Lord to to help us prevent walking or 731 00:52:15,320 --> 00:52:20,880 making decisions that might create tension that we can avoid 732 00:52:20,880 --> 00:52:23,360 if we just trust him and take him at his word. 733 00:52:25,200 --> 00:52:28,280 So I invite you to do that with me as we end our study in the 734 00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:33,200 book of Ezra. Let's take a few moments to sit 735 00:52:33,280 --> 00:52:38,800 here, reflect, and ask the Lord to help us before we sing 736 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:42,320 another song. Bow your hearts with me. 737 00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:48,740 When we think about all the the studies in this book, the amount 738 00:53:48,740 --> 00:53:51,860 of times we have witnessed your Providence and your power over 739 00:53:51,900 --> 00:54:01,020 kings and governments and officials, and we also encounter 740 00:54:01,740 --> 00:54:07,020 how despite your goodness and your steadfastness, we blow it. 741 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:14,080 And we're reminded of that again at the end of this book. 742 00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:22,520 Thank you, Lord, that with the priest, the Levites, and even 743 00:54:23,240 --> 00:54:29,640 some of the men of Israel, they show up again in Nehemiah and 744 00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:32,680 they are serving and they are standing with leaders and they 745 00:54:32,680 --> 00:54:35,560 are helping the people of God. Thank You that you can rewrite 746 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:38,720 our stories even though we have tarnished our names. 747 00:54:41,840 --> 00:54:45,880 But Lord, we also thank you for the honesty of Your word when it 748 00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:50,160 comes to our choices. And we think about these 749 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:53,440 families that were torn apart, even though these marriages were 750 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:58,040 illegitimate to begin with, the children involved, and what 751 00:54:58,040 --> 00:55:02,800 those conversations must have been like and what those tears 752 00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:11,040 and the cries look like and sounded like and reminds us of 753 00:55:11,040 --> 00:55:14,160 the brokenness that we often bring into our own lives. 754 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:23,520 Help us, Lord, be agents of good and holiness and love and faith. 755 00:55:24,720 --> 00:55:26,080 Thank you that you're willing to forgive us. 756 00:55:26,080 --> 00:55:28,160 But Lord, we're praying for more than forgiveness. 757 00:55:28,920 --> 00:55:33,240 We want strength. We need power. 758 00:55:35,720 --> 00:55:39,800 You have not given us these studies in your word just to 759 00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:45,240 learn, but to be prepared. And so prepare us. 760 00:55:46,920 --> 00:55:51,240 Prepare us to face temptation. Lead us not into it, but should 761 00:55:51,240 --> 00:55:53,680 it come. Lord, give us the wisdom that 762 00:55:53,680 --> 00:55:56,520 we've accumulated over these past few weeks in this book to 763 00:55:56,520 --> 00:56:00,680 fight it well. Help us choose a good name more 764 00:56:00,680 --> 00:56:06,840 than great riches. Help us choose that that we will 765 00:56:06,840 --> 00:56:11,600 maintain and hold on to our integrity and our holiness and 766 00:56:11,600 --> 00:56:15,080 our trustworthiness, because ultimately we bear your name. 767 00:56:16,720 --> 00:56:20,000 And that is more important to us than anything else. 768 00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:23,840 More important to us than money, more important to us than woman, 769 00:56:23,840 --> 00:56:27,240 more important to us than men, more important to us than having 770 00:56:27,240 --> 00:56:32,000 children. Living according to Your Word is 771 00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:33,320 more important to us than any of that. 772 00:56:34,680 --> 00:56:36,960 Remind us of that when it becomes hard to believe it. 773 00:56:38,760 --> 00:56:45,400 Thank you Father, for guiding us so patiently, so insightfully in 774 00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:48,840 Ezra. Bring us again to Your Word 775 00:56:49,120 --> 00:56:52,440 wherever you take us next, with a great illumination and 776 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:55,160 inspiration. In Jesus name we pray. 777 00:56:55,560 --> 00:57:02,920 Amen. Another book down, a long way to 778 00:57:02,920 --> 00:57:09,880 go, but for now, let's celebrate progress and thank God for this 779 00:57:09,880 --> 00:57:13,440 chapter, for this church. Let's stand and worship the 780 00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:13,680 Lord.