God's Plan, God's Provision

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So last week we saw how Ezra began the second return of Israelites back to the land to begin to rebuild and restore God’s kingdom.

What we are going to see today is, as Ezra is sent back, the current King, sends him back with a letter with instructions for Ezra, for the people, and for leaders around Ezra and the nation.

The reason is because as we remember, Israel was taken into captivity by Babylon and has just begun this process of being sent back to their land to rebuild again

So even though some are already back, many are still under the human authority of another nation.

Text

Ezra 7:11-28

Ezra 7:11–28 CSB

This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord’s commands and statutes for Israel: Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens: Greetings. I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession. You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. Then you are to be diligent to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God. I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens, asks of you must be provided in full, up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit. Whatever is commanded by the God of the heavens must be done diligently for the house of the God of the heavens, so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons. Be advised that you do not have authority to impose tribute, duty, and land tax on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. And you, Ezra, according to God’s wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them. Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let the appropriate judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s mind to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and who has shown favor to me before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officers. So I took courage because I was strengthened by the hand of the Lord my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.

Main Point: The Provision of God is for the building and exalting of His kingdom.

1. God’s Plan - 7:27

Who is the end to which all of this points?

Is all of this being done to build Ezra’s kingdom? Or even Israel’s kingdom?

Let me again read through this passage and I want to verbally highlight some things for us.

*Re-Read*

So who’s work is this? This is God’s Work!

So who’s plan is this? This is God’s plan!

So I want us to hold this moment in our mind and I want to rewind just a bit to talk about this point of God’s Plan

So before Israel was taken into Exile God sent prophets to warn them of coming judgment and the eventual restoration.

Isaiah is one of those prophets. So when you are reading Isaiah, you are reading a time, just prior to Israel being taken into captivity.

I’m bringing this up because in talking about God’s plan seen in Ezra 7 I want to take us back a bit so that we can see just how much of this is “God’s plan”

Isaiah 43:5-7, 10-13

Isaiah 43:5–7 CSB

Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back!’ Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”

Isaiah 43:10–13 CSB

“You are my witnesses”— this is the Lord’s declaration— “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me. I—I am the Lord. Besides me, there is no Savior. I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed— and not some foreign god among you. So you are my witnesses”— this is the Lord’s declaration— “and I am God. Also, from today on I am he alone, and none can rescue from my power. I act, and who can reverse it?”

This has always been God’s plan and for the end of His glory!

Now, here is how we get to our second point talking about provision.

Often times, when we think of provision, we are thinking about ourselves as the end goal of the provision which lands us in the wrong place at the end....

That’s why we are starting with God’s Plan and His glory so that when we talk about provision, we understand its purpose

A common verse talking about God providing is Matthew 6:33 “....and all things things will be provided for you....”

But take a look at it in context in light of our first point about God’s plan and His Kingdom and His Glory

Matthew 6:32-34

Matthew 6:32–34 CSB

For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God’s provision is in the seeking to build His kingdom.....

2. God’s Provision -

2.1 Of People & Advisers - 7:13-14

2.2 Of Resources & Authority - 7:15-24

2.3 Of Wisdom & Teaching - 7:25

Preparation