A person of Letters

Passport.

'Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.'

Letters of Authority.

The passport serves as a letter of authority for the bearer from the queen or more accurately from her majesty’s government.

It serves to say that you should not mess with me because i have the backing of the government and the resources at the Governments disposal.

Letters of authority indicate that the bearer of the letter is not acting in their own authority but on behalf of another.

Letters of authority only bear weight when they are held by the person identified within.

If I was to take a letter of authority to a back, they would not act on it unless it was clearly identified that the letter was issued to me.

Even today a passport serves both as an identity document and a letter of authority invoking the various agreements and treaties that are in place between the UK and the countries I go to, and offering me the protection that they afford. If someone else tries to use my passport they will not have those protections applied to them

Identity is at the heart of this delegated authority.

I want to look at two letters that can be found in the book of Ezra.

Book of Ezra

The book of Ezra continues the history of the Jewish people from the end of the books of Chronicles. It records how two major groups of people return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. The first group is led by Zerubbabel, a governor of Judea. The second is led by Ezra, who is a scribe or teacher. Although the book is named after Ezra, he doesn’t enter the story until chapter 7.

The book of Ezra records the people of Israel are suffering from poverty, bewilderment and low morale. The confidence and wealth of the days of David and Solomon are gone, never to return. The new temple won’t be the same as the old one but they given the opportunity of building the new temple.

The Book of Ezra records the building of this new temple. A temple that was finished but only after much discouragement and long delay. Idolatry and immorality have weakened the people’s spiritual health and corrupted their society. They have been conquered and displaced for two generations. But, now, at last, there was the opportunity for rebuilding and a new beginning.

The letters in Ezra

The first letter from SAMARITAN LEADERS WRITE TO ARTAXERXES. This letter is sent when the people of God refuse the help of non believers in the rebuilding the temple.

Some times this is necessary

The leaders of the non-belivers send a strong letter of warning to another Persian king, Artaxerxes (4:7–24).

The Samaritan leaders warn the king that Jerusalem has been a well-defended city in the past, and that its people have a reputation for being rebellious. If the Jews succeed in rebuilding Jerusalem, they will stop paying tribute to Persia and pull the whole region away from the empire.

Letter 1

Ezra 4:11–23 NIV

11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants in Trans-Euphrates: 12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer. 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates. 17 The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings. 18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests? 23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

King Artaxerxes checks his records and find that what the Samaritans say is true. He orders the rebuilding work to stop immediately, a message which the Samaritans are pleased and quick to deliver. L

Ezra 4:24–5:2 NIV

24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. 1 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Our historical record is what people pre judge us on. This letter seems to be a problem for the people of God.

But this is not the end of the letter writing...

Ezra 4:24–5:2 NIV

24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. 1 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

Letter 2

SAMARITAN LEADERS WRITE TO KING DARIUS

This causes the new governor of the area to wire to the new king of Persia. This time the king is Darius, who reigns from 522 to 486 BC (5:3–6:12). The governor is Tattenai. He is not hostile like the previous Samaritan governor, but simply asking for information.

Tattenai asks the Israelites who gave them permission to build the temple. He then writes to King Darius, alerting him to the scale of the project, the size of the stones and timbers and the vigour of the work.

Tattenai tells the king that the Jews are claiming Cyrus issued a decree for their temple to be rebuilt. The governor asks Darius to confirm this and give him any further instructions.

Ezra 5:8–17 NIV

8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction. 9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information. 11 This is the answer they gave us: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. 13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’ 16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.” 17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

The original decree is not found in the archives at Babylon, but a note of the main points has been kept in the summer palace at Ecbatana. The contents agree entirely with the Jews’ account of events.

Darius writes to Tattenai with a strong confirmation that the temple is to be completed. He commands that the cost of the building and supplies for the priests are to be met from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates. So the Samaritans are compelled to pay for the work they have been trying to stop!

Cyrus’s letter of authority still held weight.

The non believers of the area set out to do stop Gods people but in the end we see an example of Genesis 50:20

Genesis 50:20 NIV

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

The letters in the book of Ezra serve as an historical record, a view on the past lives of the people of Jerusalem but they also serve as an example of delegated authority

In Ezra and in Nehemiah that follows it.

The prophets have a great sense that God is with his people.

Ezra and Nehemiah both believe it is God who moves the Persian king to provide for the temple and give permission for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. Despite the trauma of the past centuries, God still has a purpose for Israel. He is their king and his law will be their way to a new life.

We are at a new beginning a time of planning to rebuild and I think we can draw parallels between what we, the church face now and the story of Ezra.

I believe that God is taking us beyond the historic picture of the church and encouraging the church to be more than it has ever been. I believe that God is doing this at the individual level and at the organisational level.

In the book of Ezra the structures were restored (the temple was rebuilt) and then the peoples faith was restored, Today I believe God is doing this the other way around.

Building the health of the people, inline with the new covenant, that direct relationship where we are the temple, from this a new Chruch will emerge. Not a new denomination or a new building but a new move of the church. A new expression, a renewed relationship between church (the individuals and the organisation) and those around it.

I believe that this time is right for a change where people who try to hold up the poor history of the church only serve to further the purpose of this new move of the church. Those that seek to stop the move of God in this way will end up being the catalyst that provides the funding, resources and focus for the church to explode into growth and effective ministry.

We have the letters of authority to under pin this...

God’s letters of Authority

God has written us with two letters of authority

The first is written in the blood of the lamb. This letter of authority like the passport is tied to our identity, this letter of authority written upon the cross washes of our sin, it removes the letters that is held on record of us being like the inhabitants of Jerusalem a rebellious and sedicous people. Instead it identifiers us a washed as white as snow.

It effectively re-writes in our eternal passports

Noting the distinguishing features of

Forgiven, free, justified, cleansed and adopted and citing God as our Father.

Passports are really important. You can’t enter the kingdom of heaven with the wrong one. You can’t use anybody else’s passport. You have to have your own. It must be current. It must not be a fake or forgery. It must be recognised by the government. 

Without the right passport there is no entry into God’s kingdom.

God has gone beyond simply adopting us and giving us a letter of authority that entitles us to something at the end of our life on earth.

Heaven’s passport is not given because we are religious, moral, wealthy, educated, or go to this church . This passport is given by the grace of God bringing us to birth through the gospel. For Jesus assured us that without this rebirth we will never enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3). 

The UK government has given me a passport because I was born in the UK. I did nothing to earn it; I have it by right of my birth. God has given me my own passport into his kingdom by the death and resurrection of his Son . I did nothing for it; I have it by right of my rebirth.

There is more

As amazing as that is God has written another Letter of authority, this one is hand delivered by the Holy spirit and serves both as our mission direction and the to live in his power

This letter of authority tells us to

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are being called to grab hold of our letters of authority and to push forward with the confidence they bring

we are being called to have apollos moments Acts 18:25-26

Acts 18:25–26 NIV

25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Each of us have the letters of authority. You don’t need more. Now is the time to get them out and seek to build the temple, to reshape what church means to those around you. you are the church Go and make disciples of all nations, heal the sick, cast out demons - do this in Authority.

As you do you will write the historic record of the church of today.

PRAY - those that do not know jesus or feel away.

PRAY for recognition of authority