So let's turn in our Bibles now to Ezra Chapter 7.
And if you're already there, place your finger at verse 11 of
that chapter. As you know, Ezra Chapter 7
introduces us for the first time, the man Ezra.
The man Ezra, we know that he's the author of this book, but we
are now seeing him in action for the first time in this section
of scripture. And we learn much about Ezra in
the 1st 10 verses of this chapter.
If you were there a couple of weeks ago, you will remember.
And one of the main things that are highlighted about this
significant individual redemptive history is that he is
from the line of Aaron. The Holy Spirit records for us
in great detail his ancestry. And the reason why we are
supposed to know his lineage is because the author wants us to
be certain that there is divine approval behind Ezra's spiritual
leadership, especially as he is now planning to make his way
back to Jerusalem and guide and instruct and inspire the remnant
who had preceded him. And so Ezra wants us to know
that God has called them to be a priest and that God has called
them and given the authority to operate as a spiritual leader
for this moment. But that is not the only
approval that Ezra wants us to know about for the remainder of
this chapter. He's about to inform us that he
also received commendation. He also received consent from
the king of the Persian Kingdom, who's known as Arctic Xerxes.
In fact, that's really what's going to be found here.
And the rest of these verses. It's going to be a decree, yet
another letter from a foreign king who is going to spell out
his significant support for this man, Ezra, as he is planning to
make his way back to the Holy Land.
Now here's a question I have. Why do we need to know about it?
Why is it important for us to see a copy of the letter that
King Art Exertes gave to Ezra the priest?
And I believe the answer is quite obvious.
The Holy Spirit, through Ezra, wants to show us, especially the
immediate audience, the extent of God's approval of this man's
mission and ministry. In other words, more than Ezra
informing us that he comes from the priestly line, he wants to
also show that the king of the Persian authorities is backing
him up as well. That.
God sovereignly working on behalf of Ezra to this extent.
And the result of that, at least the desired outcome, is that the
people of God would have greater confidence in Ezra's leadership
as they hear about this testimony.
Oh, not only is he coming from Aaron's line, but even
Artaxerxes is offering generous support and a grant and, and all
this backing for him to do exactly what he hopes to do.
And I'm aware that up to this point in our study, we've looked
at a couple of decrees from royal individuals, right?
We saw Cyrus's decree, the opening of the book of Ezra in
chapter 1, and then we saw Darius's edict in Chapter 6.
And so now we come to another one.
And the temptation is that this is quite similar as you're about
to read to what we've already discovered.
And so maybe we'll just skimp Passover it.
And you've been here at this Bible study long enough to
understand that you should never, ever do that, even with
texts that seem repetitive because there are unique
qualities in this specific charge.
And I want to highlight at least one major difference between
this one and the ones that we've already looked at.
So if you're there in Ezra 7, I told you to plant your finger at
verse 11, but scroll back to verse 6 for a moment.
We've already covered this couple of weeks ago, but let's
look at it again. Ezra 7, verse 6 reads this.
Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was ascribed, skilled in the
law of Moses, that the Lord the God of Israel had given, and the
king granted him all that he asked for.
The hand of the Lord his God was on him.
So this summary is extremely helpful in clarifying the
background of this edict. Unlike the decrees of Cyrus and
Darius, Artaxerxes letter is a response to the prompting of a
request by a man, namely Ezra. In other words, when it came to
Cyrus and Darius, what moved them to move favorably for and
on behalf of the people of God was a direct work of God.
God himself intervened, and he did something in their inner
being to move them into action, right?
It was a clear sovereign thing. But when we come to this point
and and this letter and this king, we see something a little
bit different. Not that God is not at work.
We're going to see that God is at work here, but more than
that, everything that it's about to unfold and be set into motion
is due to the courage and the conviction of a single
individual. In other words, Ezra approaches
Artaxerxes, and what Artaxerxes is going to give him permission
for is a response to this man's faith.
So here's what this means for us.
There are going to be moments for the church and for
individual believers where God will sovereignly intervene in a
situation apart from our initial involvement.
And in those moments we have to recognize that He is opening a
door and He is creating an opportunity to advance His
purposes. And we as believers have to
develop the alertness and the discernment to seize those
moments when they come right. We have to recognize that God at
times will pave a way, and we have to step on it and walk
ahead lest we forfeit an opportunity.
But then, on the other hand, there are times when the Lord
will only move when we move first.
That's exemplified by Ezra. His example reminds us that
there are certain things that will not happen unless we
initiate, initiate prayerful, scripture, informed and wise
actions that demonstrate what our faith that manifests what
our eagerness. So listen very carefully.
There are going to be times where you and I have to wait on
the Lord because there's nothing else you can do.
Like I've done everything. I've exhausted all my options.
And so God, you have to come through and they're going to be
other times where God is actually waiting for you and
things will not take place unless you understanding who God
is and what he asks of you. Step out.
In obedience, step out trusting the Lord.
And what we're about to witness in the rest of this chapter is
God honoring the faith of this priest who had a desire that was
awakened by his study of the Scriptures to play a part in
God's work in Jerusalem. So I hope that one observation,
we'll excite you to explore the rest of this letter.
And we're going to seek to do that by reading it in sections.
It's a fairly long 1. So what we're going to do is
just take it bit by bit, stop, meditate and reflect as we go
through. So let's begin in Ezra Chapter
7, verse 11 down to verse 16. Engage your minds, don't allow
yourself to be distracted at the reading of God's Word.
And let's see what the Lord will say to us.
Now this is a copy of the letter that King Arctic Xerxes gave to
Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the
commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel, Artaxerxes,
king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of
the God of heaven. Peace.
And now I make a decree that any one of the people of Israel or
their priests or Levites in my Kingdom, who freely offers to go
to Jerusalem, may go with you. For you were sent by the king
and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and
Jerusalem, according to the law of your God, which is in your
hand. And also to carry the silver and
gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered
to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.
With all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole
province of Babylonia and with the free will offerings of the
people and the priests vowed willingly for the House of their
God that is in Jerusalem. So we're going to learn that
Artaxerxes make several demands in the case of Ezra and the
people of God, and many of them are very familiar to the ones
that we've already explored in previous decrees.
But there is one that stands out from the verses that we just
read, and it's highlighted there in verse 14.
Look at it one more time, Artaxerxy says.
For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make
inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the law
of your God, which is in your hand.
Here's how this translate translates.
Ezra, I'm commissioning you and whoever wants to go with you to
go and investigate those who preceded you into Jerusalem.
And I want you to figure out their spiritual condition.
I want you to see if they are living up to the standard of
God's revealed will. Now we have to remember that Art
Exertes is giving permission and approval to what Ezra had
requested. Remember that, right?
Verse 6, That's how we're going to have to frame this letter
with that as our basis. This is Art Exertes responding
to a list of requests that Ezra himself made, which tells us
what is Ezra's top priority as he seeks to go back to Jerusalem
before anything else. What Ezra longs to do is to
determine that after all these years, if the people who went
ahead to Jerusalem are still abiding in God's law.
And this already tells us what Ezra's main mission is.
When we looked at Zerubbabel between chapters one and six,
who went with the first wave of people from Babylon back to
Jerusalem, He was called by God to focus on the rebuilding of
what? The temple.
Good. We're going to study Nehemiah
after we finish Ezraim, we're almost done.
What's Nehemiah's calling? What?
What was it laid upon his heart to focus on the rebuilding of
the walls? Ezra, the one in the middle, his
concern, his passion, his drive is to build the.
People, the people of God. And that shows here in this
letter. Go and inquire and see if the
people are still abiding by the law, if they're still observing
it. And this actually teaches us
what true spiritual leadership looks like.
There. There is a characteristic here
that reveals the heart of a true leader in God's house.
Conforming to Christ like this is not just a personal goal for
a leader. They also possess the ambition
for others to pursue it as well. They have this this drive,
desire, passion that those who are under their care would grow
consistently in Christ likeness. And with that concern there is a
commitment to help them pursue that.
And I was looking at this and thinking about Ezra, who not
just had a passion for God's Word, but had a passion for
others to love it. And I began to just survey the
New Testament especially. Is there any trace of that in
spiritual leadership found in the New Covenant?
And I mean Paul alone. And this verse sprung up in my
heart. Do you remember what he said to
the Galatians? In Galatians 4, verse 19, it
says, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish
of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.
What a remarkable thing for somebody to say.
This man, Paul, had this unbelievable sense of turmoil in
the depths of his soul to such a degree that the only way that he
he can explain it is by relating it to one of the most painful
things a woman can endure physically, and that is
childbirth. And what was the reason for this
inner pain, emotional distress, this spiritual angst?
What was the reason for it? Well, he learned that the
Galatians, the people that he led to Christ, have now pushed
the Lord aside and have made other pursuits more central.
And in their case it was legalism.
You know, there are some professing Christians, even
genuine Christians, who will venture off into lawlessness,
others into lukewarmness. And there are some, like the
Galatians, who become attracted to.
Legalism, and this was the problem with.
With this church and here, here's the core concern for Paul
as revealed in that one verse. The formation of the truth and
the character of Christ came to a standstill among these
believers. And he he's, he's being very
transparent here. Up to this point in Galatians,
he was very theological. He's making all these different
arguments and cases about justification by faith and
trusting in the finished work of Christ.
And then he he gets very personal here.
And what's remarkable is that the reason why he felt this pain
is because he related to these Christians as a father with his
children. Isn't that how he identifies
them? My not just children, little
children. I mean, if your children are
grown, you relate to them differently than when they were
young. So he's very specific.
He says, my little children, Can you imagine a spiritual leader
addressing those who he ministers to in such a way?
My little children, why is he speaking this way?
Because he wants to convey something.
You don't have to be a parent to know that when somebody has a
child, everything in their life revolves around that child.
And all the parents said, Amen. Any loving mother, any loving
father understands that all their activities, all their
responsibilities, all their plans orbits around the
well-being of their child. And what Paul is saying here to
them is that's how I feel about you.
Listen, I saw you come to Christ and it's as though he's saying
through my preaching, my ministry, you were born again.
And I want to let you know something when you were born
again, something was born in me. A love and a care for you as a
father would cherish their own offspring.
And listen, any loving parent can also testify that they would
not remain settled. They would be deeply disturbed
if their child never grew at a proper rate.
Well, let's think about it physically.
How would you feel if your son, your daughter never developed in
their stature? They remain at the same height,
the same weight, the same eating habits, at a fifth grade level
or at five years old. Then when they were five months
old, wouldn't that shake you? Wouldn't that keep you up at
night? Wouldn't that spring you into
some kind of action? Well, let's let's think about it
mentally. What, what would you do if one
of your children who was supposed to be in the eighth
grade class is still in the third grade class sitting at the
same desk because they show little interest, no interest in
education and studying and developing.
That would do something to you as well.
And here's what Paul is saying. I'm concerned because the
formation of Christ that should be developing in you is not
something has stunted your growth, and it is the spiritual
diet of false teachers who have crept into your churches.
So you see what he's saying here?
He's showing that he deeply loves them.
He deeply cares for them. He's concerned not just with
their salvation, but their growth.
And I'm saying all of this for you and I to be able to properly
identify who who is a true biblical godly leader, because
there's all these strange ideas of what a leader in God's house
should be. And one of the marks of a true
leader is found in the same context where Paul says my
little children. So just a few verses back, he
says in Galatians 416, have I then become your enemy by
telling you the truth? That's the same breath.
That's the same context. So Paul, if you put this
together wants to let them know that him confronting them in
their error to them they translated as you don't you
don't love us and you don't care for us and you're not gentle
with us. And a few verses later he goes
you're you're my children. And any loving parent would
prescribe what is beneficial to the health of their children,
even if they're flesh doesn't enjoy it in the moment.
So how do you know if a spiritual leader truly loves
you? How do you know if a true, a
spiritual leader is truly committed to your sanctification
and your walk with Christ? They're going to speak the truth
to you. They're going to they're going
to develop an understanding of God's Word first for it to be
developed in them and then for it to be communicated to you.
And it's amazing that Paul, even in this, we can't get into it.
He contrasts himself with the false teachers and he admits
that the false teachers were the Galatians were very invested in
them, but for a different purpose and a different motive.
Listen, there are false teachers out there who will intentionally
avoid the truth and they may come off as loving and gentle,
compassionate by doing so. And I want you to hear me very
carefully. A person who manipulates, who
massages, who avoids things that will benefit God's people in the
name of a pseudo love. They don't really love you.
They love themselves. They care about themselves.
They they don't care about Christ being formed in you.
They want you to benefit them. And if they have to avoid the
truth, sometimes the hard truth in order to achieve it, they
will do it to win an audience. And Paul, you're reminding them,
listen, I love you enough to speak the truth to you, to wield
the scriptures, to apply the the truths of the gospel and holy
writ, even if it disturbs you in the moment, if it shakes you, it
convicts you. If it cuts you, so be it.
I care for you. And so I bring up Paul because I
see something similar in Ezra. I see Ezra who is requesting
something of the King of Persia. And one of the top things is,
oh, let me go back to check on them, on their growth.
According to the law, here's Paul saying, you belong to me
and I care for you and am I now your enemy because I speak the
truth to you? You want to know who who really
loves you? Who's really called by God for
your benefit? What do they do with the truth
in your life? A leader is more than somebody
who just spends time with you. A leader is more than somebody
who just answers the phone at the late hours of the night.
Those things are wonderful, but sinners can spend time with you,
and sinners can help you in a time of need.
But sinners don't care about Christ being formed in you.
True leadership does. And they will always use the
word of God first in their own lives and as a reflection of
their own encounter with it into the lives of those around them.
But Ezra is not just going back to examine the spirituality of
the Jews in Jerusalem. He's also returning with an
outstanding financial aid signed off by Artaxerxes.
We already read it in verse 15 and 16, but he continues.
So come back to the main text in Ezra 7.
Look at verse 17. We'll read down to verse 20.
He goes on to say, with this money then you shall with all
diligence buy bulls, Rams, and lambs, with their grain
offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer
them on the altar of the House of your God that is in
Jerusalem. Whatever seems good to you and
your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you
may do according to the will of your God.
The vessels that have been given you for the service of the House
of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
And whatever else is required for the House of your God, which
a fault which falls to you to provide, you may provide it out
of the King's treasury. So this seems almost like an
echo of the previous decrees, right?
Whatever you need financially, whatever you need for your
offerings, whatever need for your worship, we'll back it up,
we'll support it, We'll provide the means for it for you to be
able to worship. But like what we just read
earlier, there is something that stands out and it's in verse 18.
Look at it again, Artaxerxes says.
Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the
rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of
your God. This is amazing.
Artaxerxes tells Ezra that any surplus remaining from the
donations is left to the discretion of him and the
leadership of how it should be spent.
That's what he's saying here. He's really trusting in Ezra and
you get the sense that he's developed a relationship with
Ezra for him to be able to do this.
So we're just going to give you all of this and whatever is
extra. Well, we just trust that you'll
be able to know what to do with it.
But there's an important caveat. What is it?
The last part of verse 18 according to the will of your
God. So those are the guardrails.
Those are the boundaries. Now remember, art exert sees as
we're about. To find out by the end of this
letter he's being moved by the Lord.
To give these commands. So that's just something about a
principle that God is laying out.
And one of the things that we can take from this is like the
redeem in Ezra's day. We must be mindful of the will
of God even in our finances. And when Christians think about
the will of God, seldom does money become a consideration.
So many other factors rush into our minds when we think about
what is God's will for my life. But I see a reminder here in
this story with Ezra. I see that God not only has a
revealed purpose for our purity, for our worship, for our
relationship, for our spiritual gifts, He actually has a plan
for what you and I should do with our possessions.
And it's very simple. Know what God's will is, right?
That's all Ezra and his brothers needed to know.
What, what would God have us do with how God sovereignly and
kindly and providentially places into our pockets, places into
our bank accounts? And so you and I, I take this as
a cue to develop and to train ourselves to be mindful of God's
will. In that area, in that area, let
me just offer a very. Practical point of discipleship.
I would encourage you to regularly pray and tell the Lord
in that time of fellowship that all you have belongs to Him.
Say it, confess it, admit it, and if you're married, do it
with your spouse from time to time.
Lord, all that we have is yours. Every piece of furniture, every
corner of this house, every dollar in our bank account,
everything that we're saving up for our children, it's all
yours. I'll tell you something that
will overtime give you the proper perspective of your
materials, of your possessions and go beyond that.
Once you acknowledge that joyfully and with excitement,
with faith, ask Him from time to time, OK, Lord, what would you
have us do? With our money, what would you
have us do? And this is just.
One simple act that will help you and I detach ourselves from
the things that want to grip our hearts and our affections.
And more than that, you'd be amazed to know how the Lord will
impress your heart to invest in His Kingdom and for eternity.
If you're serious about this, if you want to excel in this grace,
also invite the Lord into it. Invite the Lord into it and you
will know a holy joy and delight in an area that you thought
might have been stressful or tempting.
Oh, it can become glorious. So even Ezra here was told by
the king who ultimately is being instructed by God.
I'm giving you this. And there are some things that
you have to with non negotiables, confront and deal
with. But even what's extra, keep
God's mind and will in your mind and in your will, and that will
make you and I that much closer. To being conformed to all that
God has for us. Well, we would think that our
observities will not move on from these orders regarding
financial support, but he still has more to say.
In fact, it's the majority of this letter.
So let's read from verse 21 down to verse 23.
And I, art exerxies the king, make a decree to all the
treasurers in the province beyond the river.
Whatever Ezra the priest described of the law of God of
heaven requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, up
to 100 talents of silver, 100 cores of wheat, 100 baths of
wine, 100 baths of oil and salt, without prescribing how much.
Whatever is decreed by God, by the God of heaven, let it be
done in full for the House of the God of heaven, lest his
wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.
Now again, this seems repetitive.
We've seen this with Cyrus, we've seen something similar
with Darius and this is impressive.
For a Gentile to be this generous should move us.
You would wish if you were there when we were studying 1st and
2nd kings, that this would be the pattern for the kings in
Jerusalem and Israel, but that wasn't the case, right?
You actually have more kings bankrupting the House of God,
withdrawing from the House of God, then investing into it.
And here you have a Pagan and he says let's support this, let's
get behind this. However, that's not what we're
supposed to take from this. I think what's worthy of
meditation is Artaxerxes motivation for his contribution
to the House of God. The last part of verse 23 look
at it again, lest his wrath be against the realm of the.
King and his sons now. Some will look at this and
applaud Artaxerxes. Here's a man who understands
that if a nation, if a government, if a land rebels
against a true God, then they open themselves up to his
discipline, which is true in many cases.
But I don't think that's what we're supposed to take from
this, at least primarily. I believe Arctic Xerxes is
revealing what's stimulating him to do this, and he has a very
narrow, limited understanding of the God of Israel.
He does acknowledge that he is more powerful than all these
other deities. You can debate if he had his
faith and trust in this God, but there's actually greater
evidence that he probably sees Yahweh as a local deity more
than anything else. But notice he sees his
contribution as an insurance policy more than anything.
So he understands this. This God is powerful.
I even admit that he's the God of heaven.
He says that more than once. And so just to play it safe and
just to protect me and my Kingdom and my family, I'll do
what I can to show my support. In other words, Artaxerxes is
ultimately moved by fear, fear of punishment.
Can I tell you something? There are a lot of professing
Christians. Who serve, who give, who abstain
with similar thinking. They do what they do for God
because they fear they will be punished by God if they don't.
And that's all that gets them going.
That's all that keeps them. That's all that holds them back.
From venturing into this or into that dread, this looming sense
that at any moment God will press that red button and he
will strike my life with some kind of plague, some kind of
disaster. And so day in and day out, week
after week, service after service, they're afraid.
They're afraid of God. And you know, I was looking at
this and I thought about even the numbers that are registered
here of what Artaxercis gave to the House of God.
And I thought back to another person who gave to the House of
God, but with a completely different ambition in mind, with
a completely different motivation in mind, David.
Now we study first and Second Kings.
We didn't look at the entirety of First and Second Chronicles.
But one of the things that stand out of at the end of First
Chronicles is you have this extensive display of David's
investment before he dies into the House of God.
And when you look at some of the verses, especially in chapter
29, it so stands in contrast with what we find here with
Artaxerxes. Let's go there.
First Chronicles 29, look at verse 10.
I mean, we're just getting a sample in First Chronicles 29.
Look at verse. 10 It says here, therefore David blessed the Lord
in the presence of all the assembly.
And David said, Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel,
Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness
and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty.
For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.
Yours is the Kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as Head
above all. Both riches and honor come from
you, and you rule over all in your hand our power and might,
and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to
all. And now we thank you our God,
and praise your glorious name. A different tune, wouldn't you
say? Whole different perspective,
wouldn't you say? Well, let's look at it a little
bit more. Look at verse 17.
I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure and
uprightness in the uprightness of my heart.
I have freely offered all these things and now I've seen your
people who are present here offering freely and.
Joyously to you, why is David doing what he's doing?
Oh, it's gratitude, pleasure, freely, with a revelation of who
God is and what He has done, how He is the fountain.
Of all the blessing that David has enjoyed.
And you see what David is saying here?
Me giving back to God isn't anything.
It's all from him anyway. So yet he has this deep
awareness that God is the source of everything good and this is
his response to God's goodness. And you and I will never know
the joy and delight that Christ wants us to have in our walk
with him. If anxiety about judgement is
the grounds of your godliness, is there a place for us to have
a holy fear of God? Yes.
But for you to live in this trepidation, in the sense of I
don't know if God loves me today and you're more convinced that
God is wanting to judge you, then love you and embrace you
and bless you. Things got to change, my brother
and sister. The misery that you're managing
is not the will of God. That is not Christianity.
And there's something else that I find in this chapter.
We actually have the detailed account of what David gave when
he contributed to the first house.
Look at verse three of First Chronicles 29.
Moreover, in addition to all that I've provided for the Holy
House, I have a treasure of my own gold and silver, and because
of my devotion to the House of my God, I give it to the House
of my God. 3000 talents of gold of the gold of offer, and 7000
talents of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the
house and for all the work to be done by Craftsman.
Gold for the things of gold, and silver for the things of silver.
Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to
the Lord? I don't want to read too much
into this, but I wonder if there's something to be said
about the grandeur and the extravagance of David's giving
because he was operating under a different revelation than Arctic
Xerxes. And if that is true, then what a
profound lesson for all of us, that desiring to please God
because of who He is, because of what He has done first, will
produce more worship and more sacrifice and more obedience
then you and I simply being in dread of Him.
We love because He first loved us.
I mean, that's the order we are responding to what God has done
first, that He set His love upon us while we were sinners, while
we were dead, while we were enemies.
And you constantly have to remind yourself of that.
You and I, as much as we should express our love to the Lord,
our contentment in the Lord, our desire to please Lord, that's
all wonderful. That's biblical.
But we should find greater satisfaction in singing about
Christ's love for us, what he's performed on our behalf, and how
he has pursued us. You know, I was speaking with a
friend the other day and we were having a conversation about this
very thing, about how to arrive to a place in your walk with
Christ where you can shake off the condemnation once and for
all. And then you can live under the
light and the truth and the glorious reality that I am truly
loved by God. He loves me.
He died for me. He actually has affection set
upon me. It's not just this contract.
It's not just this mere. Duty.
And although God is motivated ultimately for his glory, yes,
don't cancel out the glorious truth that He actually loves you
and He loves me, and He wants us to be fueled by that, not just
in accepting it, but living for Him.
Yes. Do you remember the last words
that Jesus said to the woman who was caught on adultery in John
chapter 8? Does anybody remember what was
that statement? It's very famous.
What did he say before that? Neither do I condemn you.
Go and sin no more. What came first?
The revelation that Christ no longer condemns her, that Christ
doesn't condemn her. And from that understanding she
would be able to sin no more. You're not condemned.
If there was anybody in that moment who is worthy and
authorized to pick up a stone and Stoner, it was Christ.
He had no sin. Everybody in that crowd was a
Sinner. Christ wasn't.
And yet in that moment He gives her grace.
And from that experience says, now go and sin no more.
Is that why you don't sin? Is that why I don't sin?
Because I realized that I'm forgiven, that I'm redeemed,
that He paid my debt, that he, he set his love on me when I was
rebelling against him. Only then, only then will you
know new heights of holiness and adoration and ministry and
dedication. Artix, Xerxes, Look, I'm we're
doing this just so we don't want trouble with this guy.
And that's how some Christians live.
You're doing what you're doing just so you don't get in trouble
with God. No sense of fellowship, no sense
of endearment, no sense of relationship.
Oh, that's not God's will for you.
Run away from that. Don't settle for that.
Ask God through His Word to help you live in the light of His
life. His Majesty, yes.
His Holiness, yes, His purity, yes, but his kindness and his
goodness toward us who don't deserve it.
Oh, I can go on and on, but there's still more to this
letter that we have to explore. So let's come back to Chapter 7
and let's look at verse 25 as Arctic Xerxes concludes his
thoughts here he gives his final remarks addressing Ezra directly
again. So he says in verse 25.
And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in
your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all
the people in the province beyond the river, all such as
know the laws of your God. And those who don't know them,
you shall teach. Whoever will not obey the law of
your God and the law of the King.
Let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for
death, or for banishment, or for confiscation of his goods, or
for imprisonment. Interestingly.
Artaxerxes highlights how Ezra possesses the wisdom of God in
his hand. Did you see that in verse 25?
It says here that he has the wisdom of God according to the
wisdom of your God that is in your hand.
That should remind us of what he said earlier in verse 14 when he
highlighted the law of your God, which is in your hand.
Artaxerxes understood that the law of God was an expression of
the wisdom of God. I mean, he had that
comprehension. And I think that's amazing.
I think there is wisdom to be found in the Old Testament law.
That's at least a nudge. It's no less true today.
And if anything, this should be an encouragement for us to look
at the mind of God in every. Portion of his word I mean you
look at Psalm 119. What is the psalmist rehearsing
rejoicing in the law, the law, the law he's not talking about
Ephesians, right he's not talking about the gospel of
John. We have the privilege of, you
know, the completion of God's revelation, but the law even in
the law. Yes, don't don't avoid those
things. Seek God's mind principles in
God's law even and you'll be wiser.
But we we must move on. Look at verse 27.
This is interesting because in the same chapter that introduces
Ezra, we find them writing in the first person for the first
time. Blessed be the Lord, the God of
our fathers. So the letter is done.
It's it ended at verse 26. Now Ezra speaking, blessed be
the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as
this into the heart of the king to beautify the House of the
Lord that is in Jerusalem and who extended to me his steadfast
love before the king and his counselors and before all the
kings mighty officers. I took courage for the hand of
the Lord. My God was on me, and I gathered
leading men from Israel to go up with me.
So this is strong evidence that Ezra is the author of the book
of Ezra. He's writing in the first
person. He is now giving his own
commentary and he chooses to give it at this juncture of this
account. I love it.
The first time Ezra speaks in the first person in this book,
he's praising God. And all that we know about him
up to this point is that he studied the law.
He did it, he taught it. I mean, he was immersed in the
scriptures. He was a diligent scholar.
He, he, he found this to be his ultimate treasure and delight.
And then the first time he speaks in the form of writing,
he is worshipping One of the ways, you know, the word of God
is working in you. That is that it will lead you to
worship. I know some people who have an
incredible handling of the scriptures, but they're not
worshippers. They just have big heads.
But there isn't a tenderness about him, there isn't an
excitement in them, there isn't a passion, there isn't a sense
of song. It's just information stored up
here. And they know how to argue and
they know how to debate, and they know how to file these
things and connect these truths. Ezra, He spent years looking
into the word of God, and the first thing that we see about
him when he starts speaking is praise.
Enthralled. Moved.
By who this God is. But more than that, we learn in
verse 6 that all of this was a response to Ezra's request to
the king, that he had the audacity and he had the boldness
to say, I see. God's plan for His people, I
want to play a part of it. And so he goes up to the king,
and this is the result of it. And yet He gives God glory for
all of it, so he glorifies God. There is human agency at play
here, but He lets us know in the beginning of verse 27.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a
thing as this into the heart of the king.
This wonderful marriage between our ability to do things in
God's working sovereignly and providentially.
And there's so much that we can unpack from Ezra's personal
comments. I want to just leave you with
one inspiring and hopeful insight.
Think back to Artaxerxes attitude towards the things of
God and the people of God. I mean, if you were to summarize
it, it would simply be this. He respected God's appointed
service servants in it and supported them.
He didn't look down on the priest.
He didn't look down on the Levites.
He actually revered them to a certain extent.
He acknowledged the God of Israel and His law being
profitable and worthy to teach. He was generous and he was
willing to invest and beautifying God's house.
He recognized the value of worship and contributed to it in
his own way. And he saw disobedience as a
serious thing that he even put things into law for those who
would choose to turn away from God's word.
This is moving for a Gentile like Artaxerxes.
And the question I have is how did these concerns and
convictions captivate Artaxerxes heart?
Ezra gives us the answer. God.
Put him in there, God, put him in there.
Do you believe you can put it in your heart?
Think about it this way. If God was willing to deposit
such things in the heart of a Pagan, how much more for the one
who yearns for the Holy Spirit to rewire and realign?
And inspire. Your heart of mine.
Is he reluctant to do so? Is he hesitant to do so or is he
willing to do so? Oh, he is more than willing, if
God is willing to do such a thing in this.
Kind of a heart. What about the one who longs for
Christ? And longs for godliness and
holiness to become a greater reality.
He can listen. He can put it in your heart.
If you think that's just too good to be true, if you think
it's that simple, listen. It is more of a reality than you
have imagined. So again, I'm sitting back and
I'm meditating on New Testament examples of this.
And there's a simple verse in Second Thessalonians in chapter
3, in verse 5. It's a prayer that Paul prays
for these believers. You know what he says?
He says, may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God
into the steadfastness of Christ.
What does that mean? I'm praying that God would
maneuver your heart and mold it and shape it and clean it so
that it is more set on the love of God and on the steadfastness
of Christ. People debate.
Is Paul asking for their hearts to be more set on God's love for
them or their love for God? What about both?
Can he do both? He can do both.
And what I want to say to you and me at the end of the study
is, do not underestimate the power of coming before the Lord
regularly and asking Him to place His will, His desires, His
wisdom, and His affections in your heart.
He's willing to do it. He won't give you a stone if you
ask for bread. He won't give you a scorpion if
you ask for a fish. And if you want more of the Holy
Spirit, He's going to give you more of the Holy Spirit.
Let's ask Him for it, shall we? We thank you, Lord, that yet
again on another Friday night, You have convinced us that all
Scripture is breathed out by God.
So much was said, so much was read, and we trust that as we've
done all that we can for this study, You will do abundantly
more than we can ask or imagine. And Lord, though many points
were made, we take that last one and we bring it before you as a
church. And we ask you, Lord, that if
you so worked in the heart of Arctic Xerxes to look favorably,
favorably upon the things of God and the people of God, though
limited in His own way, would you do more work in our hearts?
May you direct our hearts to the love of God for those in this
place, Lord, who struggle to believe that you cherish them
and that you care for them, and that you love them to the point
of dying for them, whatever obstacles stand in the way of
experiencing that love. We pray that you would use this
Bible study to shatter every light, to destroy every
hindrance, and for their understanding of who you are to
expand. So we pray that all unholy fear,
all ungodly dread, all terror and anxiety regarding judgement.
We pray that all that would wash away and we would realize that
the price Christ paid was far too great for us to live in such
a way. But convince us, Lord, our
hearts are deceitful and we fluctuate, so bring us to the
place where we are confident. And Lord, like Ezra, as a result
of studying Your Word, we now worship You.
We will now give you our voices and sing your praises.
Help us every single week to leave here with greater
adoration and love for you as a result of what we learn about
you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Amen. All right, Church, let's stand
together and let's rejoice in our God.
Yeah.