Mercy!

Do-Overs

when God gives you a Do-Over what are you going to do with it?

Ezra and Nehemiah are the story of Israel getting a great big do-over.

In some ways they did a pretty good job w/ their 2nd chance.

In other ways, however, not so much.

Go-To Words

My great grandmother’s go-to word was “Mercy.”

Anything, everything. Mercy.

Sometimes it was funny, sometimes it was serious.

Her response to a dumb joke.

And, we’re watching weekday afternoon tv gameshows.

The Newlywed Game and the couple would get an answer right and they’d celebrate w/ a little kiss on the lips.

Mercy! PDA.

This summer, one of our movie nights, we showed the film, “I Can Only Imagine” based on the story behind the most popular song ever in Christian recording.

The #1 Cross-over hit ever. Adult contemporary, country, pop, gospel.

Bart Millard is the leader of the band that formed in 1994 in Edmond, OK at Henderson Hills Baptist Church.

Currently, they are out of Greenville, TX and do a lot of their recoding in Dallas.

Sara and I are going on a cruise in a couple of weeks.

We’ve been on several cruises. The food is always fantastic, the excursions, the ocean views, are always wonderful. Relaxing, good books, deck chair, pool side, sandy beaches.

The sketchiest part of every cruise we’ve ever gone on is the entertainment.

A few year ago we found about a cruise that includes several hundred Christians and the entertainment for this group is all Christian.

The larger ministry is called “Inspiration Cruises”.

But, the one we went on 2 years ago, and are going on in a couple of weeks is called “Mercy Me at Sea.”

Mercy Me is the headliner and there are several other Christian acts that will perform evenings as well as pastors and teachers that do devotionals and some teaching.

The last cruise was before the movie came out and Bart Millard told us the story about the movie and a little more detail behind the song and the band.

His dad was horribly abusive to him when he was young. But, found Jesus, came to faith later in life, Jesus changed him dramatically and they reconciled.

Then, his dad died of pancreatic cancer.

When he and his grandmother were leaving his dad’s funeral, in the limo he asked the question to no one in particular what do you suppose he’s is doing right now?

His grandmother’s reply was, “I can only imagine.”

He also told us this story. When he told his grandmother that he wasn’t going to college but starting a band.

You can imagine..

Her response was her go-to words,

“Mercy Me!”

But, in Christ, all things work together for good for those who love God and who are called according to His purposes.

He’s done okay w/out his college degree.

My great grandmother, Bart Millard’s grandmother, like so many others, use the word Mercy to mean so many different things.

Simply, what it means biblically is, not getting punished as much as deserved.

Somebody messes up, intentionally or accidentally, and deserves consequences.

Lord have mercy, don’t punish the couple for a little PDA on tv. Or, don’t punish the young man for giving up his college to pursue the irresponsible dream of trying to make it in music.

A lot of fun and games.

But, there are very serious times when we need to cry out to God and beg for his mercy.

God never acts in ways inconsistent w/ His character.

He punishes disobedience.

Believers get disciplined out of love like children.

Non-believers get judged out of His anger.

One aspect of God’s character that everyone benefits from is His mercy.

Even when we deserve to be destroyed by God due to our bad choices, God can choose to be merciful with us and lighten the sentence.

We know better. But something inside of us is so attracted to the wrong thing no casual effort will break that bond.

It takes a serious effort walk away.

But, too often we apply a casual effort to what requires serous work and get caught up in things we know are bad.

In those moments, God is justified to punish us, maybe severely. Fortunately for us, one of the fundamental aspects of God’s character and how He interacts w/ us is mercy.

When you’ve messed up bad and you know it. You know you have no excuse and deserve t/b punished, still you can cry out to God and beg for mercy b/c that is w/in His character.

Even if you haven’t messed up that bad, yet, someone you care about has and needs to know what’s possible.

Here’s where we are in Ezra.

Israel made some huge mistakes. Mistakes of the heart. They showed up in tangible ways as mistakes of unfaithful disobedience.

They occurred over a long period of time. And, that led to God punishing them by exiling them out of the PL.

They all know what they did, that is, what their ancestors did.

And, God graciously gave them a do-over.

Surely, now, they’ve been educated, learned what not to do so they won’t repeat the same mistakes.

We never repeat the same mistakes.

Right.

Ezra had led the people back. People from all 12 tribes. They were resettling the land.

One of those pointless theological debates that comes up from time to time is, “How long did it take for Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden?”

2 years? 2 days? 2 minutes? who knows.

Well, how long did it take for Israel to repeat one of the more serious acts of disobedience once they returned to the PL after exile?

Less than 5 months.

The Problem

Ezra 9:

Ezra 9:1–2 NIV

After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

Remember from last week, accurate teaching so that everyone knows what God expects and the accountability of leaders were focal points of the return.

Everyone knew this. They knew the history, knew God’s word, and knew they’d be held accountable for it.

About 5 months after they returned a group of leaders came to Ezra to report a problem that had begun among their group and spread to the rank and file.

After all, leaders have followers. If a person has no followers they are just a maverick.

The problem started among the leadership.

The tangible problem that they all could see that they knew was wrong was Jews were marrying non-Jews from the area.

Believers were marrying non-believers.

This was not a racial problem. Everyone in the middle east was from the same ethnic background. All Shemites.

This was a religious problem.

And, it was a big problem that led to more problems as consequences and ramifications played out in the family.

In a marriage where the 2 mates have different belief systems, the 1 that does not believe in God will resist some of the things that the 1 who does believe knows is important.

Like worshiping, praying together, giving a sacrificial amount of money.

While you’re dating there is much more pressure for sex before you’re married. There was then, there is now.

If you don’t share the same commitment the attraction and temptation is so strong it is much harder to say no when you’re the only one.

The offering is an important and practical way to communicate your humble service to God and your trust in Him to take care of you.

It’s hard, if not impossible to convince a non-believer to give anything, much more to give sacrificially which is the biblical mandate.

Worship. Attending and participating in worship is much harder to do when you’re alone. While attending a service is not a command of God, participating is.

There are times when life gets hard and you need the spiritual support and encouragement to lean into God rather than walk away.

In very practical terms, it’s like 2 alcoholics who are married. 1 is in recovery and the other is not. Staying sober may be the battle of their life. But, w/ a mate who’s not sober it’s virtually impossible for the other to stay sober.

Intermarrying was a problem that led people farther away from God.

It diluted the faith and faith practices of the believers.

They knew how this ended the last time. And, yet, they were not staying faithful and obedient again this time.

When Ezra heard about it, he reacted dramatically. But, it was the only response that gave them any chance at avoiding the severe punishment again.

He took responsibility as the leader of the leaders, admitted his own feelings, and communicated to God w/ much more than words.

His demonstration of humble repentance was a clear message to God.

The Posture

Ezra 9:3–5 NIV

When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God

Ezra 9:

Posture matters when we’re trying to communicate.

Body language says more than words.

You know that when you’re trying to talk to someone who isn’t paying attention but pretending they are.

Their nose is in their phone or the newspaper or a ballgame on TV and you’re getting a lot of “uh-huh’s”. Whatever.

When you are communicating w/ God make sure your posture matches your words.

There are times to bow and close our eyes and there are times to look up and smile.

I know many of us are not comfortable raising our hands in worship, that’s okay, just be aware of what your body language looks like while you’re singing.

Ezra tore his clothes as sign of deep mourning.

Pulling the hair out of his beard is sign of unusual grief or intense anger. Imagine the pain.

He was ticked off! And he was very afraid.

2 reasons. He knew God was ticked off.

And, if God is too ticked off he’ll deal w/ them the same way He did before and they will all get exiled again.

Even the innocent ones like Ezra.

He was appalled, astonished, shocked, horrified.

How could they do this again after what happened the last time.

Pause:

The OT was written to a group w/ individual implications.

The NT was written to individuals w/ group implications.

In the OT God’s focus was the nation so the nation as a group was either blessed or disciplined. If you were one of the good ones while so many others were bad, you got disciplined, too.

The flood, wandering in the wilderness, and the exile.

The entire nation was involved whether specific individuals were responsible for the trouble or not.

That’s what led Habakkuk to hear from God that the righteous ones will live by faith even in exile.

And, in the OT, the HS indwelled the temple, priests were the go-betweens, so the ppl had to come to the temple to interact w/ God.

In the NT, and now, God’s focus is individuals and deals w/ us on an individual basis. Individuals are blessed for obedience or disciplined for disobedience.

Then, the larger group is affected as the individual members receive whatever God has for them.

The HS indwells individual believers and we don’t need a priest as a go-between. God makes Himself available to every believer.

This is why Ezra is saying, “You guys are going to get all of us in a ton of trouble again.”

Captivity maybe, exile, silence.

They’re going to repent, change things, that’s next week.

But, eventually, b/c this behavior and worse continues, God goes silent on them.

But for now, Ezra is obviously taking this very seriously as He knows God is, too.

Our posture has to match our words and emotions when we are communicating w/ God if we are serious.

And times like this call for communication to be taken seriously.

God is serious, so we need t/b, too.

There are times when we need to fall on our knees before God, spread out our hands, bow our heads and speak words similar to Ezra.

This was his prayer:

He pled w/ God for mercy.

The Plea

Ezra ID’d w/ the nation even though he was innocent. He knew he’d be caught up in however God chose to treat Israel, as well.

First, he cried out for mercy. Please don’t do to us everything we deserve!

He’s begging!

Mercy!

Ezra 9:6–7 NIV

and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

His posture showed he was throwing himself on the mercy of God as his words and emotions did, too.

He didn’t just ask. He begged. He knew they were in deep trouble. He wept. His emotions matched, too.

Their guilt was higher than their heads like they were in a flood. Sometimes our bad decisions lead us into places where we feel like we are drowning.

If the Nation was going to be treated like they were before there would be a purifying purge and the pain would be tremendous again.

So much would be lost.

In the flood, the wandering, and the exile it purified the nation. People were lost. property was lost. Peace and comfort were lost. That is, until God brought them all the way thru to the other end.

The pain was intense. But they seem to have forgotten.

Ezra was begging that God wouldn’t do this to them again this time.

We live in an age of grace. One primary characteristic of God and how He deals w/ believers today is grace. Undeserved favor.

Sometimes, we take that for granted. We assume God will just let things go in the name of grace.

And, much of the time He lets a lot of things we do wrong go w/out much discipline.

And, much of the time He lets a lot of things we do wrong go w/out much discipline.

But, there are times when need to ask God for mercy.

Just like there were times in Ezra’s life when he could acknowledge God’s grace.

Part of his plea he acknowledged God had been gracious w/ them.

When people give you a gift they want you to acknowledge it. So does God.

Grace

Ezra 9:

Ezra 9:8–9 NIV

“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

Simply allowing them to return to the land was gracious.

He could have destroyed them entirely. But left a remnant to return.

And, it was grace that moved the Pagan Persian kings to grant them the freedom to return and rebuild.

But now they were in bondage again and only by God’s grace could they break that bondage.

The emotional ties to their unbelieving spouses were strong even though they were wrong.

Sin binds us up. Emotionally, spiritually and sometimes physically. Like addictions, on some level we may know it’s wrong but the attraction is too strong.

The guilt is powerful after the fact, the attraction is stronger.

If God would just be gracious one more time and help them break these bonds.

Then he gets to the heart of the issue. Intermarrying is a problem that leads to more problems.

But, there was one problem before they ever considered marrying a non-believer.

And this is the real issue.

A heart issue

Ezra 9:

Ezra 9:10–12 NIV

“But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’

Ultimately, it’s a heart issue.

Obedience to the commands of God is clear evidence of love for God. A heart for God.

Where were their hearts? What, or who, were they most in love w/?

Certainly the men and women of the region were attractive. Many had good careers and came from good families. And, many were good people, morally upstanding.

But, they weren’t believers.

These are all good things. But w/out belief in God, they are wrong things.

“But, we’re in love. She loves me. I love her. Doesn’t God want me to be loved and happy?”

But, now, they were in love. And, doesn’t God want us to find love? To be loved?

Of course He does. But, He was specific on this issue.

He wants your faithful obedience first.

And, if you are, don’t assume you won’t find love and happiness in the right place.

The marriage itself is an issue. And, it will lead to other issues.

They weren’t even trying to hide it. It was out in the open and it didn’t take long for Ezra to find out.

So, there was no hiding it from God. They had no case. There was no rationalizing their behavior.

The knew better.

He admitted it, they had no excuse.

No Excuse

Ezra 9:13–15 NIV

“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

No matter how hard they might have tried there was justifying their behavior. There was no way to make this right.

God was specific on this issue. Only marry other believers.

No one can blatantly disobey the word of God like this and expect God to do nothing about it.

They disregarded this command of God. And, God had told them if they love Him then they need to keep the commands.

So, if the commands are not kept, then do they really love God?

Do we? Do our words match our actions?

Ezra admitted God would be totally justified to smite them.

And he begged Him to do less than they deserved.

Any less would be appreciated.

He had no idea what was coming. Next week we’ll deal w/ the consequences and what they had to do to make things right w/ God. It won’t be easy.

He ended w/ no specific requests. Just an admission and a general request for God to be merciful.

Fortunately for them, and us, mercy is part of God’s character.

It is available to us, too.

Don’t count on mercy, don’t expect it, don’t think you’ve earned it.

Just count on God always being consistent.

Be warned, but be encouraged.

When you’ve messed up bad and you know it. You know you have no excuse and deserve t/b punished, still you can cry out to God and beg for mercy b/c that is w/in His character.

Applications

Be a good mate

Be a good spouse, friend, parent.

Encourage the people around you in their walk w/ God.

Lead them closer to Jesus. Don’t be neutral.

Pray for the people close to you.

Pray with them.

Encourage them to study their bible with you, worship w/ you, and hear from God w/ you.

Discourage bad habits. Don’t be neutral.

Choose good mates

A former pastor was talking to me about a mutual friend who was walking very close to the edge and about to fall off.

Our friend was single and living a not so good lifestyle.

My pastor said to me, as we considered what we could do to help our friend,

“Pray he doesn’t marry stupid.”

Whoever stupid is, don’t marry her.

Choose your friends wisely. Do they encourage obedient behavior, or not?

Do you find yourself gossiping more, tearing others down more, drinking more, and being meaner?

Or, do you find yourself being more of an encourager?

You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life and it will lead you down a bad path.

Choose good friends.

Is there someone you maybe need to distance yourself from this year?

Is there someone you need to draw closer to?

Mercy

Be encouraged that no matter how bad you may be, mercy is a fundamental aspect of God character that you can call on.

Hope you never have to. But, it’s available if you do.

When you’ve messed up bad and you know it. You know you have no excuse and deserve t/b punished, still you can cry out to God and beg for mercy b/c that is w/in His character.

You are d