God Leads His People to Worship

Introduction

Last week we began our final section of the Gospel Project, which has been a look at the Old Testament through the lens of the Gospel.

We took a couple of bird’s eye views of the Bible as a whole. The first one was is how our current English Bibles are laid out, more like a library of many books than just one book and each of these books is gathered together in a particular theme or genre for easy reference.

But throughout the Gospel Project we have been following more of a Chronological path, where we were studying books of the Bible as they happened in a timeline and that looks more like this. So later books like Job were looked at in our series in Genesis and Exodus and Numbers are linked with the two givings of the law in Leviticus and Deuteronomy and the many different prophetic and poetic books are lined up as they happened along the timeline of the more Historical books.

This is how we find ourselves at the end of the Old Testament even though we are covering the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and they are not found at the end of the Old Testament in our Bibles.

Well having given you these two views, I wanted to give you one last way of looking at the Old Testament and that is the order of these books in the Hebrew Scriptures, called the ‘TaNaKh”. They divide these books into three major categories.

The first category is the Torah, which means the “Law” or “Teaching” and it consists of the same 5 books that begin our Bible, Genesis through Deuteronomy.

The next category is called Nevi’im, which means “Prophets” and it contains the Joshua, Judges, the Samuels, the Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel as well as the “Book of 12” or minor prophets in our Bibles.

The last category is the Kethubim which means “writings” and this is where we have Psalms, Job, Proverbs Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations Esther Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles.

Three categories that start with T - N - K, that is where we get the name TeNaKh

I share this with you all for two reasons.

1. This is the order of these books that Jesus would have known the Old Testament to be when he was here on earth, and we find Him and others using these terms in some abbreviated form in the New Testament. More on that, next week....

2. Secondly, because I wanted to introduce you to the idea that the books Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book and so they run right into each other and that is how we will handle them today.

Tension

Because the stories of these two men, Ezra and Nehemiah, have many things in common, even as they came into these things from two different directions. Neither of these men were a part of the first wave of Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem that we talked about last week.

So they were not there for the first sacrifice on the rebuilt alter.

They were not there to celebrate or show remorse over the foundation of the new Temple

They were not there for the building of the Temple at all, but arrived after the Temple project was completed

Both of them were sent later on by the King of Persia, to address issues that had come up since God’s people had returned and began to worship again in Jerusalem.

This falls in line with a universal truth: Whenever God’s people set out to worship Him, we should expect opposition.

Sometimes that opposition will come from the outside and sometimes the opposition will come from the inside. Either way, God is always working to clear a path for His people to worship Him, and these two men, Ezra and Nehemiah, were instrumental in leading God’s people through back to worship in their day. And I believe we have something to learn from their stories. Some things that we can and should apply to ours.

So open up with me to the book of Ezra, chapter 7 which is on page 393 in the Bibles in the chairs. I’ll pray and we will dive into the story of these two men together.

Truth

Starting with the story of Ezra, we will see how...

God used Ezra to lead His people to worship rightly

Even though the book is called “Ezra” we actually have to go all the way to chapter 7 to meet him. Remember at this point the first wave of exiles have returned and they have build the Temple, even against great opposition from the neighboring people groups. In chapter 6 we see how they were able to celebrate the Passover again in Jerusalem and then 50 years go by before Ezra’s story begins in chapter 7.

Ezra 7:1 ESV

1 Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,

the son of …a bunch of other people we don’t know or probably don’t care about until we see that it ends here in verse 5

Ezra 7:5 ESV

5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest—

Now we know why this genealogy matters - Ezra lineage can be traced right back to the original chief priest, Moses’ brother Aaron. So Ezra has priestly heritage, and is himself a priest...what else should we know about this Ezra.

Ezra 7:6 ESV

6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe 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 not only was Ezra a priest, he was such a renown Bible Scholar that even the King recognized that “the hand of the LORD (all caps) was on him”. That phrase is repeated several times in this book in reference to both Ezra and Nehemiah. The next time we see this phrase is at the end of verse 9 followed with this statement about Ezra in verse 10:

Ezra 7:10 ESV

10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

God gave Ezra, this Bible Scholar and Priest, a burden to obey and teach His law in Israel.

Have you ever been burdened for something? I mean “burdened” for a good and God honoring thing? You are just passionate to see this thing come to be and you are willing to invest your life to that end. That was the heart of Ezra. He was burdened to see his people, God’s people, know how to worship rightly and God opened the door for him to lead in that desire.

The rest of chapter 7 is the letter that the King of Persia gave to Ezra giving him the authority, responsibility and resources to lead Israel in the commands of the LORD. I continue to be blown away at how God has used so many foreign Kings for his purposes, even though they are not submitted to him, they are still subject to Him. It is a powerful truth that God’s people around the world find so much comfort in this.

So Ezra is sent to Jerusalem to teach God’s people to worship rightly, and the first thing that is brought to his attention is an internal opposition to that goal. God’s people have not kept themselves pure before the LORD, but have opened their lives up to the practices and religions of other nations. They were led into these things by marrying women from these neighboring peoples.

Now we might think… “What’s the big deal, so some of these guys fell in love with girls from the other side of the tracks, so what…sounds like a good love story…a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing…what is the big deal about that?”

Because we have walked up to this point through the history of God’s people we know what the big deal is, don’t we? The big deal is that this is exactly what got them kicked out of the promised land in the first place! This is what sent them into 70 years of exile!

From day one God forbid his people from intermarrying with the families that had come to live in the promised land before they got there. Why? Because He knew that it would turn their hearts away from Him and then they would break their covenant with Him and suffer the consequences of their continued disobedience to Him. And that is exactly what happened! After so many warnings through prophet after prophet God finally removed His hand of protection and they were divided, conquered, captured and exiled through out the known world.

And now after 70 years, to fulfill his covenant promises, God has begun to move his people back to the promise land ...and they are doing it all over again!!! Ezra is livid.

Ezra 9:3 ESV

3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.

This opposition was coming from the inside, from the rebellious heart of God’s people. Most of the talk on the street in that day was about the many attacks from the outside. It’s quite possible that some of these compromising marriages were an attempt to appease those conflicts, but Ezra knows that willful disobedience to the commands of God will wreck them faster and surer than any opposition that comes from the outside.

So Ezra sits down appauled...and his remorseful state becomes known to the people and others join him and they sit appalled together all day until the evening sacrifice when Ezra finally gets up to fulfil his priestly responsibilities.

Ezra begins this service with this incredible prayer of confession and contrition over the sin of the people of God. And he shows great leadership here because even though he himself is not guilty of this particular sin he includes himself because He is again just wrecked over the propensity of his people, God’s people, to over and over again prove themselves to be so unfaithful to a God that had over and over again proven Himself to be so faithful.

He begins this prayer in verse 6...

Ezra 9:6–10 ESV

6 saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. 10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,

The opposition to worshiping rightly is coming here from the inside, God’s people are abandoning Him once again and what can Ezra do but confess this to be the sin that it is and lay himself and God’s people at the feet of their holy God once again and plead for mercy. And the effects of Ezra’s humble plea resonated through to the heart of the people.

Ezra 10:1 ESV

1 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.

The people were cut to the core and they united under Ezra’s leadership in the confession of their sin and the commitment to repent and turn from the disobedience that has stood in the opposition of their right worship of the LORD.

And Ezra’s story rolls right on in the book of Nehemiah, God used Ezra to lead His people to worship rightly, and ...

God used Nehemiah to lead His people to worship freely

For Nehemiah’s story we are transported back to the throne room of the King of Persia where he serves as cupbearer to the King. While this was not a position of authority on paper, it did place Nehemiah close to the King and showed that he was someone that the King trusted.

On a particular day, messengers arrived from Jerusalem and informed Nehemiah that things were going poorly for the exiles there.

Nehemiah 1:3 ESV

3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

So here in Nehemiah the opposition was not coming from the inside, but from the outside. The neighboring people groups were attacking the city and the returned exiles could not defend themselves because the walls were broken down. And this was Nehemiah’s response:

Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

We find the same response from these two great leaders. When opposition came they were grieved and they dropped to their knees in prayer.

Nehemiah 1:5–7 ESV

5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.

Just like Ezra, Nehemiah includes himself as he confesses the sin of his people, knowing that none of God’s people deserve the merciful grace that is and has been shown them. I wonder Church if this attitude flavors our prayers?

And he too develops a burden, a burden for the safety of God’s people that they would be able to worship freely in Jerusalem once again. But he has this problem, he already has a job, but God has laid this burden so heavily on his heart that he knows that he must look for an opportunity to speak to the King.

The King of Persia at this time is Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes that we remember from the Esther story on Mother’s Day. The same risk factors had to be in play here for Nehemiah in that he was not privelaged to engage the King with questions whenever he wanted…so God caused the King to question Nehemiah instead.

Nehemiah 2:1–5 ESV

1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”

Now this was a very risky request, because the reason that the construction on the walls in Jerusalem had stopped is because this very King commanded them to stop. He had received letters from the enemies of God’s people that lied about God’s people in Jersualem and said that they were building the wall were doing so in hopes to rebel against him. So he wrote back, commanding that all progress be stopped, and it was. And the people were suffering for it. And now Nehemiah is in here asking this same King to be sent to get it started again.

And in answer to Nehemiah’s prayer, the King agrees to send him to rebuild Jerusalem ...along with documents for safe passage and materials to continue the project that he himself had shut down. Again, I am just in awe at how powerful people in our world do not have to submit themselves to the LORD to be subject to Him. He has ultimate authority over our world.

But of course once Nehemiah safely arrived in Jersualem with the needed supplies, he still had those enemies who wrote to the King to deal with. God gave Nehemiah great wisdom in these civil matters as he led the people to work on the walls despite the opposition from the outside.

When the task seemed too overwhelming, he simply charged each family to handle the part of the wall that was right in front of their house

When the people were discouraged because of the verbal attacks and shame filled ridicule that was thrown at them by their enemies, Nehemiah reminded them of how “we are the servants of the LORD and He will make us prosper “

When the verbal insults transitioned into battle cries, Nehemiah had a new plan. He divided the work force into two groups. One group was stationed where the wall was weakest in full battle gear, while the other group focused on building the wall - even as each one of them had a sword strapped to their side ready for battle.

As the attacks got even more fierce, Nehemiah and the entire rebuilding force began sleeping in their clothes with their swords in their hands knowing that an attack could happen at any moment.

When Nehemiah saw that the project was causing financial insecurity in the lives of the people, He took action. Apparently some of the wealthy people were using this crisis for their financial gain, (it could happen), so he gathered them together and convinced them before God to return that which they had extorted from the people.

And then Nehemiah led the people in his own generosity as well. As the newly appointed governor, Nehemiah had the right to collect taxes for his daily provisions, but he suspended this to lessen the burden on the people so they could remain focused on rebuilding the wall.

And of course all of this great leadership led to more and more success and this made Nehemiah a target for hatred, slander and even assassination attempts, but he persevered as “the hand of the LORD was on him”

And when the wall was finally finished, there was a series of great ceremonies and celebrations that began with Ezra the priest coming back on the scene and reading the Book of the Law of Moses and the people were cut to the heart. They were so remorseful that Nehemiah and Ezra decided to declare the day a holiday so they would stop focusing on what they didn’t do and instead celebrate all the God did. And they they worshipped and celebrated the greatness of our God.

Two great leaders of God’s people,

God used Ezra to lead His people in religious reform, so they can worship rightly

God used Nehemiah to lead His people in civil reform, so they can worship freely

And that is how the Old Testament ends…well…sort of.

Gospel Application

You see the book of Ezra-Nehemiah actually ends with this list of further reforms that Nehemiah had to initiate. Apparently the peoples faithfulness to the law didn’t last any longer at the end of the Old Testament as it did in the many books before.

Shortly after all the celebrations ended, Nehemiah finds out that someone has been letting one of their pagan enemies bunk in a side room of the Temple. He is not even Jewish, let along a priest, what was he doing in the Temple!

And the people were stiffing the priests in their offerings so they all had to go out and get side jobs to make ends meet.

And no one seemed to be taking the Sabbath day seriously as everyone was just buying, selling, working and treating it like any other day

And worse of all, he found out that the people were beginning to intermarry again! And now Nehemiah is “livid! but instead of pulling out his own hair like Ezra did, Nehemiah beat them up and pulled out their hair!

And then the whole thing ends with this weird expression from Nehemiah that seems to say: “Please remember me God, I did the best I could”

And that is really how the Old Testament ends.

And here is the big idea here guys, these two men really were great examples of what good leadership looks like among God’s people. Well..except for the hair pulling thing, but for the most part...

They were burdened for the commands of the Lord and they prayerfully led God’s people to obey His commands. Now that is always a right and good thing to do - however - it does not guarantee anything.

You see no matter how good the leaders, how passionate the prayers, how sincere the repentance, how resolute the covenant, we will always...eventually fail to keep God’s commandments.

And I submit to you that 3/4 of our Bible, the whole Old Testament, is dedicated to showing this to be true...That is why we need the other 1/4. That is why the TaNaKh is not enough. We need the New Testament. We need the Gospel! Even the Old Testament has showed us this.

Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant that God will make with His people

Jeremiah 31:33 ESV

33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Only God can change our heats like this. God said something similar through the prophet Ezekiel when he said:

Ezekiel 36:26 ESV

26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

To some degree, the Old Testament is really just a long lesson in futility, used by God to show us how we can do nothing on our own. We need Him to act on our behalf. He gave us the law to show us how sick we are, but then He sent us the cure in Jesus.

The leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah only lasted a short time, but

God used Jesus to lead His people to worship Him eternally.

He is always after this - his glory deserves and demands it.

Landing

Do you know Jesus like this? If you want to know more about how to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ then please get ahold of me. I would love to talk with you.

If you do know Jesus, then consider the example of Ezra and Nehemiah. When God gave them a burden, they met him in fervent prayer, and He used them to lead his people toward better things. Since you have that new heart in Jesus, He can use you to lead God’s People into even greater things. Talk with Him about it this week. Let’s pray.