Ezra 1:1 - Who's the King?

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Ezra - Return to the Lord  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  46:03
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I am excited to begin this morning, our study in the book of Ezra and the theme for the book really ends. And we'll see if our study is going to be the theme or return to the Lord, our return to the Lord. And I have, you know, read the book of Ezra a number of time, studying and of course in in college and and this or that about probably about a year ago as I read it in my daily Bible reading the Lord just kind of use that the accounts within it to encourage me and I I thought then as I was planning ahead for where we would go after the book of Philippians that it would be an enjoyable study to do together. So we will probably take all I would say probably 10 or 12 weeks and look at this book of Ezra. Together. And it is a fascinating story and that anybody likes a good story. And there's no question that this is one of them. Of course, it's also part of a much, much bigger story and part of a vast and eternal story that our Lord is well still riding not physically in books of Pen & Paper. But writing until he, Nate's, all of human history and Redemption, we are brought to that new Heaven and new earth by the book of Ezra the little piece of that where his hand is more than evident. There are some books of scripture where it you wonder. Where is God? What is he doing? Where is God for his people? There are other box where that question is answered even before it is asked, and Ezra is one of those books. We're going to spend a good amount of time today, though, in, in really background, and hopefully, that does not come across to you as another word that starts with B, the word boring, because the background is not boring. In fact, if anything it's just the opposite and it's also pretty important for us to understand, how are we even to approach this book? Why study it? Where is Ezra for instance, in the Bible. Well, if you wanted to classify it, what we would typically say is that it's found in the section that is called the historical books. And for very simple reason because it is a book of History, it is part of the history of God's chosen people is real, as they lived in the world. How does it fit into the rest of the Old Testament? Well, here's where our background begins. Now, if you are a person who who does from time to time like to read through the Bible, have restarted that for this year and I'm about through the Book of Genesis. And we know if familiar with with the Book of Genesis we have a story of creation and the fall. We have the flood of Noah and the Tower of Babel and then the rest of the book is really about four people. There's Abraham to whom God makes a promise, a great promise that he would bless him. And that his seed would bless all the nations of the earth. Abraham had a son named Isaac, Isaac had a son named Jacob, Jacob had a bunch of sons. One of them was named Josef not brings us through the Book of Genesis We're next familiar with of course Exodus and we know the big parts of that story. The big guy in The Exodus is of course, Moses. We know about the plagues in Egypt, the god used to lead his people out of slavery. They cross the Red Sea, God gave Moses the law. And then Exodus ends with people wandering for 40 years in the wilderness waiting to go into the promised land, hold on to that, because that's going to be important for our study. Next of Leviticus, which is where we typically Fall Away on our Bible reading plans, that it guesses. Well, it's not the most riveting Pros, in all of history is a course, very important to the story of God's people. It's that's the account of of the work of the Levites in the priests numbers and Deuteronomy recount the law and the action of accounting. The got God's people in the wilderness and that brings us to Joshua. And Joshua is the first book that we typically call the books of History. Joshua is also usually where we get a lot of our interests back, when we're reading through the scripture because we know Joshua, right, we've heard a story from the time we were little kids. If you were brought up in church and you probably still remember the song, Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho and we know that we know that the vivid pictures, we see that. Remember the story of Rahab in and helping the Spy. And the angel of the Lord, coming to Joshua and him saying, whose side are you on ours or theirs. And the angel of the Lord says, no, I'm on my own side. Which side are you on a centrally? Joshua is a great book of God's people entering into that land of promise, that Land Of Promise. Of course, I said it is very important to our story and as the books of History, go on, we get into the time of the judges. We remember stories of of Gideon stories of Samson. For instance, these are all stories of the times of God's people living in the land. But there was a bit of chaos that that the narrative is sort of interrupted or or dropped into. It is the story of Ruth which is interesting because Ruth was not from his real Ruth was not a Jewish lady. She was a gentile from Moab but she happened to Mary The sign of a Jewish man named elimelech elimelech died. And so did his two sons Ruth, then returns with her mother-in-law Naomi to Judah and she finds a husband there who is our kinsman redeemer? Now, Ruth would have children and grandchildren and she would eventually have a very famous great-grandson. And his name was David, That brings us to the books of Samuel 1st and 2nd Samuel tell us. Well, first the story of Samuel who is the last judge and is real tells us a story about how is real wanted a king and God gave them a king named Saul. After Saul's kingship was over. We have the story of David. That brings us then to the books of kings and Chronicles which tell us in short form, all the kings from David right up to the start of our book azra. now, if I ask most people to give a synopsis of the book of Ezra Things might get a little bit fuzzy, It's tricky because the main guy, the guy that books named after who probably wrote, it doesn't even show up until well more than halfway through the book. It's not one of those books that we read over and over again devotional e, you know, if you just have a few minutes, you typically don't flip your Bible open, to the book of Ezra to find a and encouraging passage. It's not one of those books that we typically have artwork up on the walls or embroidered pillows on our sofa from it's not a bug that's full of a lot of one-liners and little nuggets like Proverbs or the book of Isaiah for instance. But it is, it is a pivotal buck in the history of God's people. The story of the Old Testament, the recounting of God's faithfulness and the unfolding drama of God's Redemption. Think of it this way, if the Bible were simply a story about God wanting there to be people, well, it could have pleasantly ended after Genesis 2 in the Bible would be not only much shorter but a much happier tail God, created the world created. Everything created, Adam created, Eve rest is history over, that's not what God wanted his Revelation to be. If the Bible were simply a story about God, wanting specific people for his own will then it could have ended at Genesis 22 EC there we we find the Pinnacle of Abraham's Faith or God counted it to him as righteousness. No, but The Story Goes On. Do you know what? The theme of the story starts and continues to be over and over again? The theme of the story continues to be God. Bringing people not just to him but bringing people back to him. God bringing people back. It's a story right from Genesis through Exodus and all of the books of History, right into the gospel records and it's how the book the whole book ends with God bringing people back.

And you know what Ezra is all about? Interesting, Lee enough. It's all about God, bringing people back. It's about a return. I returned from captivity to Judah. A return to Jerusalem. I returned to the scriptures. A Return To Worship. It's about a return to the Lord.

In the story of God's people, this is our big idea for the day. It's kind of an overarching theme of the book but the story of God's people in Ezra shows us that God's Providence does not fit neatly into the categories and boxes that we would design Oh no. As God tells us the story about how he brings people back, prepare to be in awe, prepare to be in all. We're probably only going to get to the very first verse of the book of Ezra today and will have to suffice with that for the sake of time. But let's pray and then we're going to go back and see how Ezra Fitz in to the story of God bringing people back. Lord help us to see as we begin to study the Sea. The Amazing. Faithfulness and the unending. Never ceasing never going away. Never falling asleep. Never turning back. Faithfulness, that you display. And bringing your people back to you. Oh, Lord.

They would not come to this book with any sense of of what we have earned any sense of of of entitlement, may we not come to it with with preconceived notions. That it's just an old story. Lord, help us to see you in the pages because you're the one that gave them to us. and help us to see that what you do is not something that we can just wrap our minds around and short form, but that you unfold your Grandeur and your glory and amazing, an intricate ways, As you display your love and your righteousness.

Help us today to see these things, at least a little bit and we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Go back to First Samuel, you're not too far away from there. If you turn to Ezra, you're going to go backwards through two books of Chronicles and two books of Kings. And go to 1st Samuel, chapter number 8.

1st Samuel, chapter number 8.

We see the account of where the time of the judges. Begins to wane and the time of the nation of Israel as a nation with a king begins.

We're told that. Samuel was getting old and he had sons who were judges over, Isreal unfortunately. However, they did not walk in the ways of the Lord. Things were not going well for his real and the Elders of Israel came together and verse number for and they came to Samuel. He was kind of the top dog. He was God's man, and his Trail at that time. And they said, the whole year old and your son's don't walk in your ways. And other words, Samuel time's running out and it doesn't seem like this is going to keep working and they've come up with an idea. They said now a point for us, a king to judge us, like, all the nations, Now we can read on and it maybe you should if you're unfamiliar with that passes but essentially God's people had started to look around as they were always want to do unfortunately and it's tasty. All these other nations with with strong, political heads Kings and they said, we want a king Now Samuel goes to Great Lengths, to tell them about why that is such a bad idea and interesting Lee enough. All the reasons that he said is a bad idea, we're going to come true in the next pages of the book. However, seeing fit in his wisdom, in his plan, God would give them a king. The first king with a man named Saul, Saul starts out strong. He's a big guy, handsome, Head and Shoulders Above the Rest. He looks like a king. He starts out strong. But eventually he ends up having his kingship rejected by God.

And he was replaced by the best friend of one of his sons. And this man was a Charming young man named David. Remember, David was the great-grandson of that lady Ruth that God brought into the story. Oh, David would forever and still is remembered as the Pinnacle of Israel's kingship. You see under David? There was hardship and War actually almost constantly, but there was a sense of excitement in advance to see the, the kingdom as it was, was still new and under David. There were periods of Victory periods of growth. It was almost a romantic. For the nation. Just a new form, almost brand new monarchy. And here there's, there's moving and they're shaking and those things happening. They still trying to figure it all out. People loved David. David loved God. Though he was a man as we know, played with sin, plagued, even with depression yet. He was a man who praise the Lord, a man who always repented. David had a son named Absalom, however, who would be his worst enemy? Tiring of certain of the weaknesses in David's Kingdom. Absalom made a conspiracy that he was going to set up his own throne. even pulled some of David's closest, advisors in And the end of David's Reign would be plagued by this very conflict, even in his dying days, there would be turmoil about. Who the next king would be But we know who it ended up being one of David and Bathsheba Sons named Solomon. Solomon Solomon would rule in wealth and wisdom. In fact, his story is King Begins by him asking the Lord to give him wisdom and if you remember, God gave them not only more wisdom than anybody in the Earth, but they gave him or her. Well, Israel was at peace politically during Solomon's kingdom. I know, Solomon had personal trouble primarily the problem. He has seemed to have an insatiable desire for more and more wives. I don't know why I would understand that. But even through that, the Lord did allow him one incredibly significant ask and that was Solomon built the temple. Now that just like the promise of land where all this is taking place, this Temple is very important for our story and Ezra as well.

Laughter Solomon. Things really went South.

Rambo. I'm the young feisty ruler. Take over his father's throne and promptly after listening to the advice of his friends split the Kingdom right into. really you could say God split the kingdom into 3 about one was tool used in that? If we get into the books of kings and Chronicles, they, they were count then two parallel kingdoms Israel to the north Judah, to the South, and for both of them. The story was very similar. Good King, bad King, good, King bad King. This King did, what was right then this one did. What was wrong? This King did something good. This King lead people into idolatry. Oh, there were highlights like when Josiah would restore the reading of the law, that would be a real real reformation and Israel. But they were also major major low points. The northern kingdom is real. Well, their last king named Hosea would be defeated and then they would be swallowed up by Assyria. It happened at about 7:20 BC. What was the reason for that? Well, 2nd Kings 17:14 puts it briefly. It simply says they would not listen. They were stubborn as their fathers had been who did not believe in the Lord, their God.

The long answer is they set their eyes elsewhere.

Sort of as a picture of how they had been looking around at other nations and seeing how well it went for them with a king. Well, seems they also had been looking around at other nations and seeing their gone and Israel was planned over and over again with turning away from the one true God to idols. What about the other Kingdom Judah? Well, it was a little better for a little while. But ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would carry them away. And this happened finally in 587 BC. Let's turn together to Second Chronicles. We're going to go to the very end of that book, which is conveniently right before the book of Ezra. 2nd Chronicles chapter 36.

The whole chapter is about the decline of Judah, at the end of her time, as a kingdom on Earth. Tells us about the last couple of Kings. But then we get down to verse number 19. Let's read a little bit before that. Second chronicles, 36, beginning and verse 17.

Says he brought up this is talking about Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He brought up against them. The king of the Chaldeans who killed their young man. This is Judy. This is Jerusalem. He killed their young man with a sword in the house of their sanctuary. Had no compassion on young man or virgin old man aged. He gave them all into his hand.

The vessels of the house of God. Remember that Temple? That Solomon was allowed to build was a beautiful place. Vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the Treasures of the house of the Lord, in the Treasures of the King end of the princes. All these were brought to Babylon. And they burned the house of God. And broke down the wall of Jerusalem. Burned all its palaces with fire destroyed, all its precious vessels.

Stop there.

About 430 years from Saul that first king to zedekiah, who was the last king in Judah. There was a Siege as it happened. So often Babylon, big nation, swallowing up little nations came along and swallowed up Judah, they proceed around the city of Jerusalem. People were starving, they were helpless. Finally, they broke in. Sapphires. Burn the temple. Not, of course, before, taking all of the precious vessels in the beautiful instruments of worship that had been used there for hundreds of years.

It was no more City, no more Jerusalem. As they knew it. There were no more walls. That's its protection was torn down. Primarily there was no more Temple.

Now, this is a physical event, a real historical event might I add, but it is also a spiritual picture. You see the walls were, of course to protect the city. It was part of society, the way of life, it was, it was to have a sense of of unity. And and what was to be expected within and a sense of freedom to move about. Their walls were to protect the city but the temple was to keep them centered on the one thing that truly mattered. Is she after all is real? Judah. God's people were nothing without God, who made them.

Remember way back Abraham God said your family is going to blast the whole earth. I'm going to give you a possession, a family land and you're going to blast the whole Earth. That's these people. God made them call them. Gave them the land Moses, Joshua. The Exodus. The conquest that's these people story. He gave them this beautiful piece of land in the breadbasket of society.

Even put up with their shenanigans. You gave them Kings. He gave them patience. Finally, he had to lovingly put them out. So they could see the extent of their own wandering and straying.

Is no Kings anymore. Is no Nation anymore.

Is no City. Is no walls. There's no Temple.

Just like the time of the judges when it were told that there was no King then since before salt, and everyone just did right in their own eyes and the peoples of the people solution to that was we need a king that will fix it.

Where's the king now?

Who's the king now?

What does this remind us? Abbas.

Wandering.

Doing what's right in our own eyes.

Reasoning. Will do better when this is better.

Well, how many times have we seen worse and better? And we find out that the better wasn't the solution.

Out for us. and we can say, for people,

the question is the same. Who's the king? Where you going to turn now?

Back to the story.

setting for Astro, van is A little while after this. Is he? This was in a way, the work of God to use Nebuchadnezzar that Wicked King to chastise his people.

Zach, Jeremiah the prophet who lived in this time around the end of the book of Chronicles, he prophesied by the hand of the Lord. And Jeremiah 25. He said these words. Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts because you have not obeyed my words, Behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north declared. The Lord for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all these surrounding Nations and I will devote them to destruction. Make them a horror hissing and everlasting desolation. Moreover, I will banish from them, the voice of Mirth, the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, The voice of the Bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations Shall Serve the king of Babylon. 470 years.

That was God's word to his people. Why he says, because you haven't listened? Time and time again. As he played with them through profits, through his law. To serve him alone to not turn after other gods, as he gave them every reason.

The stay faithful in follow. If they did not obey his words. The Lord Turned the Lights Out.

The show them what Darkness was truly like.

but even in that, there was a little spark, a little flicker left. AC, Jeremiah had some strong words there. The summary of it was Wasteland.

The end of that prophecy ends with something interesting, doesn't it? These nations include a Judah, would serve the king of Babylon.

470 years.

Is a timestamp.

That's interesting in this. It's almost as if God was saying.

I'm not done. You just need to see something.

70 years. Well, from when Judah was finally over taken Jerusalem sacked and destroyed the temple burned. The walls torn down the people carried away, it was in fact less than 70 years until we read in Ezra 11, which finally brings us to our book. These words. In the first year of Cyrus King of Persia at the word of the Lord, by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. Therefore, now,

This is an unlikely, but a likely return. This is what the book is all about. In fact, it's, it starts way back here. Like I said, as rather himself, is not going to come into the story really, for about 20 years six or seven chapters in the book. But this is the story about this unlikely return, I say unlikely. Because up until this point Nations, don't just go back after the hip and swallowed up by bigger Nations. People don't just regain their land and then their religion, after they have been devastated by an Empire kingdoms, don't just give up their conquests in order to have a peaceful Society, you know, they're typically pretty jealous over those lands that they defeat it was unlikely in all the natural ways. It just wasn't going to happen.

But it was very likely and that God had promised. Got to promise that this would take place the gave a time, limit 70 years, you'll serve the king. That's it. He promised through the prophet Isaiah, we will return there for now, but you can read and Isaiah 44, about the very word of the Lord about this king king Cyrus. Being used to bring his people back. God promised. That's why one reason it was likely and then the other reason is that it would be God. Who would provide God would provide. He would not just say a good word and hope it happened. No, God would Before Time. Provide a way.

We have the word that we often used when talking about the Lord Providence and it's that same route from where we get provide, we usually see it in a way that means to give something to supply something. But at the heart of it is this to provide God sees head. not as a fortune-teller but he sees ahead as one who stands outside of all of the details, who stands outside of of all of The Fray stands above and around and comprehend means, you see all the time while Israel is having its ups and downs from Saul to David, the Solomon to the split Kingdom idolatry than faithfulness will, the rest of the world is happening to unless we get a little bubble and think that God is disinterested in the rest of his creation, we are reminded here in the book of Ezra that he's not only interested he's involved and he's not only involved, he's working Remember is real. And they were Carried Away by Assyria, what happened to Assyria will? They were sacked by this little Nation called Babylon her to them. Remember Judah, will they were sacked by Babylon? What happened to them? Well, they were sacked by the Persians. And there was a king in Persia named Cyrus and we read about in as 41. In the first year of Cyrus King of Persia that the word of the Lord, by the mouth of the chair of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The Lord start up. The spirit of Cyrus King of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all this Kingdom. Osiris not an Israelite not from the Seed of Abraham probably up until this point had hardly heard of the god of his real. It may be seen the Grandeur heard of of the, the, The Riches of the temple. Probably heard of Solomon, maybe heard the name Yahweh but didn't know much more than that, but Cyrus Was a king of a foreign Nation. I was raised up by God. Taking other nations in his in his path. To be used by God. Granted success by God. Why is it there? In order to fulfill.

Oh, this is such a fascinating story. Will only dip into it today and will get back into it next week, but let's just say there were Cyrus's way of doing things, and then they were God's way of doing things.

Fire is his way of doing things with interesting. You see, I'm like the kings of the Nations before him unlike the Assyrians, and the Babylonians who would just swallow up Nations and then they never be heard of again, or the Persians. Specifically Cyrus was a little bit different. Is he once he conquered Babylon, In order to establish a peaceful Kingdom, he set up this system where he would send all of these people back to their lands. Tell them to go back to observing their religions rebuild their temples and then he would ask them to pray for him. Interesting? Huh. In fact, we have a record of this, on a piece of pottery. I can't read it. It's in, it's in cuneiforme, but other people can read it. And it was from this very time, is called the Cyrus cylinder, which tells of this Proclamation. So from one standpoint is a picture of it from one standpoint, this. Of history in God's people just happens. The intersect With this King Cyrus who had a unique way of doing things of sending people back to their homelands of telling them to observe their religion.

Well, that's just one way of looking at it, isn't it?

Is he the real way of looking at it? The perspective we get from God. Is it all of this? Including Cyrus's way of doing things. Happens, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord.

You ask a question? Would God would God intervene in human history? For the sake of bringing his people back?

Well, I would say yes. But I would actually ask a deeper question. What if he's not intervening?

Oh, right around the same time, we have the story of a man named Daniel you know, him right. Oh, what did Daniel tell us about the Lord as he was sitting in Babylon having been taken captive. Daniel 2:21 a prophet of God tells us this about the Lord, he changes times and Seasons, he removed Kings and sets up Kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding,

What about Joseph? Joseph was taken to a foreign land, wasn't he? Falsely imprisoned enslaved. But raised up as a ruler in Egypt. At the end of his life, his testimony was asked for you about his brothers who sold him, you met evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring about that. Many people should be kept alive. Would God intervene in human history? Oh, I would say he does not have to intervene in human history. He is constantly working in human history. Are we are told in Ephesians 1 that God is the one who works all things according to the counsel of his will. And we're happy about that because that's the same God who we read of in Romans 8:28 who we know that works all things together for good for those to those who are called according to his purpose. Could it be could it be? But God himself established. This move the pieces, put it into the heart. Change the flow. In order for this. To bring his people back. Yes. Absolutely.

Who's the king? Who's the king?

Saul's, not the King. David's not the King Solomon's, not the king.

Nebuchadnezzar is not the king. Psoriasis, not the king.

Cyrus. Oh, he was King. For a while. Who is the king?

Is God still big enough to change times and Seasons? Remove and set up. Kings. Give wisdom to people in order to enact his good plan.

Let me ask you this way. Are you glad for God who brings his people back from their wandering? I hope you are. Is a harder question with that too, though. Are you glad for a God who might send his people wandering? At times the show them the fruits of their own Darkness.

That's what this way, if God arranged the story of human history in order to save you and I Will that change how you view him? Is that different than how you see? God. It's not different than how the people in Ezra's day knew their God. And let me tell you, it's not different than the god that is from Genesis to revelation.

Who works all things according to the Good Counsel of his will. Who though he does not despise our freedom. He does not do away with our choices. He does not make it as though we are simply robots and that in fact the establishes our choices and makes our works really mean something in life. But above and through all that God works to bring us back to him.

Who's the king?

Well. There would not be another king in Israel and Judah. Until later on, when the Romans would set up puppet Kings. But there would be a king. In fact, there was, there is Who's our King?

We're at a time even in our nation of of political change in to one degree or another people are either elated. It seems are absolutely terrified. I'm not here to comment on which one of those positions is right or wrong.

But does it remind you of Israel when they said things aren't going well, we need a new form of government.

Turns out that God would use all those kings, but that would not be the answer.

So it is for us. God uses all of our rulers. God establishes our forms of government. God works the times and the seasons is in intricately in. Paul is Providence is through and through.

Who is the king?

This is a cause for us to see the Lord is the one who loves in his faithfulness enough to bring his people back. And the means that he uses to do that. R2r eyes. Incredible. As we begin to study this book of Esther, I hope we'll will continue see in that as well as this fact there are times of wandering the Lord perhaps allows us to venture out on That is not to wander out in order to find something better. Because we won't. Just as God's people wandered out. I found Darkness so we will see that it is only in returning to the Lord that we return to the light.

Lord help us. We think about these things so much so much going on. And you are you are right at the heart of all of it. How that works. God would we don't perfectly understand but we know that it's true. and we know that your true and trustworthy,

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