Unto an holy temple in the Lord
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Text: Ephesians 2:19–21 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:”
Intro: Today, we are going to begin a study through the book of Nehemiah. Historically, Nehemiah is book concerning the Jews rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem after their 70 year Babylonian captivity. Prophetically, it is a type of Israel’s reestablishment in Palestine as God’s people. A completed work that only God is able to do, and is in type what we see here. Although we will consider both of those applications through out study, our focus is going to be on the “spiritual” application, which I see as a great challenge to the church.
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
I couldn’t however just start us out in Nehemiah, because the foundation of Nehemiah is laid in the book of Ezra.
Ezra begins with a proclamation made by the mouth of a pagan king...
Read. Ezra 1:1-4.
A decree that Jeremiah prophesied of, some 100 years prior to the events in Ezra 1.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Two events that we see come to pass in the first chapter of Ezra! Babylon has been punished, they have been overthrown. Something that is incredible during the time of Daniel is that Daniel served 4 different kings. Some of those kings were Babylonian, and after the fall of Babylon, some of those kings were Persian.
Spiritually speaking, Ezra is for us, like the book of 1 John, where the foundation of the faith is clearly re-established. I want to be clear, John is not rebuilding the foundation like we see in Ezra, he is merely re-establishing it. The foundation that is the Lord Jesus Christ is not movable.
Matthew 16:13-19 The rock that Jesus is building His church upon is the ONE that Peter just made that profound statement about. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
We know this is true for many reasons, the first being that the Scriptures make it clear that Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone, the chief cornerstone in fact, and that Satan is about to prevail over Peter.
So before we can get to Nehemiah and build, we must know what it is that we are building upon.
We have dealt with before the fact that we are God’s building… We are working to build up our house of wisdom as individuals, but this study is about the unity of the church.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Ye - plural
stones- plural
house- singular
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
Ezra is the book, that records for us the return of the nation of Israel to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. It is an effort, not done by one man, but by a group of people. In fact it is done with right around 42,360 people…
Ezra 2:1, 64-70.
Ezra 3:1-7
Praise God for what He did through those that were willing, but we must also realize that there were many that were unwilling… Some of God’s chosen people had found such comfort in their new pagan land that they stayed behind rather that suffer with their people in the name of God.
Consider for a moment… The place that represented God’s glory, the place that God established His name, the place that God blessed, if only they believed and remained faithful. Is the place that is not in ruins and desolate, and some said, I’d rather be comfortable than be part of what God is doing over there…
The American dream causes us to only think of ourselves, COVID caused us to only think of ourselves, our flesh causes us to only think of ourselves...
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Paul said,
And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
A pattern that we see through Israels fall is the together mentality by those who feared God.
Ezra 9:1-4 The Transgression:
Ezra 9:5-13 Ezra’s Confession and Prayer:
After the first 2 verses where he says I three times; I arose, I fell, and I am ashamed… He says either our, us, or we 36 times in the next 8 verses.
We are all together in this… Yes, salvation is individual, blessings are individual, but God gave us His church! That we might come together and be ONE!
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
