Lord, let your hand be on me!
Notes
Transcript
Text:
Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
Introduction:
Our text today, brings us to a place in the scriptures that it introduces us to a priest/scribe by the name of Ezra. At this particular time, there is a remnant of Jews that are still in Persia. They are in Persia at this time because God sent judgement upon the Jews for their idol worship. God uses judgement as a means to purify the Jews of their idolatry. The bible declares that the Jews were placed in captivity for a total of 70 years and afterward God made a promise that He would release them allow them to return back to the land of Judea.
After the fall of the Babylonian empire at the hands of the Persians, God begins to impress upon a king by the name of Cyrus that the House of the LORD would be rebuilt in Jerusalem (Chapter 1). King Cyrus sent, treasures and the artifacts that King Nebuchaddnezer took back to Jerusalem along with 42,360 Jews in addition to 7,337 servants, and 200 singers. When they arrive back at Jerusalem they begin to rebuild, they rebuilt the altar, they begin to rebuild the temple but then they had opposition in rebuilding the temple and so the work stopped.
Two kings by the name of Xerxes and Artaxerxes sit on the throne but yet the temple still lied in ruins. Another king by the name of Darius begins to rule and then the rebuilding of the temple of God resumes. God raises up to prophets by the name of Haggai and Zechariah who would prophesy the word of the LORD to the Jews and the Jews begin working with along with Haggai and Zechariah to restore the Temple. Again, the Jews are met with opposition from those who do not desire to see God’s house restored, but the hand of the LORD was upon the Jews and God was granting them favor.
So now, in chaper 6 the temple of God was completed and the Jews celebrated with great joy the completion of the Temple and the Bible says they celebrated the Passover.
Which brings us to our text this morning, in the reign of King Artaxerxes (most likely the 2nd) there was a man named Ezra who was a descendant from the priestly line of Aaron the High Priest. He came from generations upon generations of priests and this Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses. The bible tells us in verse 6 that “the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him”. I love that verse, I want to read the same verse from the NLT “He (Ezra) came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him”.
See....when the gracious hand of the LORD is on you, God will grant you favor! God will begin to work on your behalf, God will begin to pour his blessings on you. I need everyone to pray this quick prayer “LORD, let your hand be on me!”
I need for you to understand that there was a reason why the gracious hand of the LORD was upon Ezra. You know it is good for us to ask the LORD for His hand to be on us, but there are somethings that we have to do, in order for the LORD’s hands to be on us.
The hand of the Lord being on Ezra was an effect......but what was the cause. Why was God’s hand upon Ezra?
(Verse 8-10)
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
Notice here in scripture that once again the writer says that God’s hand was upon Ezra.
Cause and Effect: The gracious hand of the Lord was upon Ezra....because he determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.
When you devote yourself to God.....God’s hand will be on you!
When you determine in your mind to know and obey God’s word, His hand will rest on you!
When you are determined to not only learn God’s word for yourself, but learn it to teach, instruct others, and guide people in the way of righteousness, then God’s hand will be on you!
When you seek to obey God and worship God....God’s hand will be on you!
Everyone in here that really needs God in your life, every person that knows you can’t make it without the LORD, every saint of God that needs the blessings and favor of God in your life, lift your hands and say “LORD, LET YOUR HAND BE ON ME!”
The favor of God was so heavy on Ezra that in this same chapter (Chapter 7) that King Artaxerxes sends a letter to Ezra telling him, that any priests or Levites desiring to can volunteer to return to Jerusalem with Ezra. King Artaxerxes not only loaded Ezra up with things to offer to sacrifice to the God of Israel, but he also made a decree, that all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River, give him 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, and 5550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt and whatever the God of heaven demands, for his Temple supply it.
In addition, the King tells Ezra to use the wisdom that God gave him to appoint magistrates and judges who knows God’s law to govern all the people, and for Ezra to teach the law (word of God) to anyone who doesn’t know it and anyone who doesn’t obey will be punished by the King.
Now when Ezra finishes reading this, He begins to praise the LORD (Verses 27-28)
Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.
See when the hand of the LORD is upon you it’ll make you wanna praise the LORD! When the hand of the LORD is on you, it will give you joy even in the midst of a bad situation. Ezra was in the midst of a bad situation but God was still blessing Him, and I want you to know this morning that God can bless you too in the midst of a bad situation.....if you are determined to be like Ezra, if you have total faith and reliance in God, God’s hand will be on you! LORD LET YOUR HAND BE ON ME! This was a divine act of God, here was a pagan king and God was working through this pagan king to bless Ezra! GOD IS SO AWESOME, THAT HE CAN USE YOUR ENEMIES TO BE A BLESSING TO YOU! When the hand of God is upon you and upon your life.....God will even use your enemies to bless you!
Ezra sought to do the will of God, he sought to live for God, he sought to impact others and impress upon others the will of God. By doing so we see in the scriptures that God not only blesses Ezra but he blesses everyone associated with Ezra! He blesses those who make the journey with Ezra, when Ezra returns to Jerusalem the people of God are blessed by Ezra and his love to God and his allegiance to God.
When we seek God and seek his will God will bless us and everyone around us will be blessed! You will be blessed, your family will be blessed, your friends will be blessed, your co-workers will be blessed, your enemies will be blessed, your dog will be blessed, your cat will be blessed! Jesus expounded upon this same principle some 400 years later by saying: Seek ye first the king of God and its righteousness and all these things will be added on to you (Jesus).
Chapter 18
Verse 15
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
Ezra was preparing for the journey, but there was a problem......none of the Levites volunteered to come along. Yeah, those folk. So Ezra sends for a couple of leaders to go to Iddo the leader of the Levites at Casiphia to ask for relatives that would minister at the Temple of God.
Once again, Ezra testifies that the hand of the LORD was upon them. Why? Because it seemed like it wasn’t going to work out, it seemed as if he was going to be along, but when the hand of God is upon you.....He’ll begin to turn things around, even when you are alone, even when you are not making production, God will turn it around!
God’s hand was in upon Ezra, God begin to stir things up around him and when God finished God gave Ezra more than what he asked for! When the hand of God is on you God will give you abundance!
Now please understand that there was a reason why God’s hand was upon Ezra and in the next couple of verses we will find out.....this will be the take home for you.
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered:
At the Ahava Canal, Ezra instructs all those who were to accompany him to fast and humble themselves and pray that God would grant them a safe journey and to protect them, their children, and their goods. In the previous verses, Ezra knew that this journey would be a great undertaking and he knew that it would be hard. He had to not only escort families and servants to safety, but he had treasures that could set him and those traveling with him up as prey. Bandits, robbers, and no good people could possibly take their children, their wives, and the treasure that was designated to go to the Temple treasury. But I believe that Ezra believed that if God made a way for them to make this journey that God would bring them through this journey. It does not matter how the odds are stacked against you God will bring you through.
Ezra did not know what lied ahead on this journey but he put his full trust and confidence in God and that is what we have to do. We don’t know what is going to lie ahead, but if we fast and if we pray and seek God’s face I believe with all my heart that God will bring us through this!
So there are some themes here that will clue us in on why God’s hand was upon Ezra:
Ezra was a seeker of God (in the word of God and in prayer).
Ezra humble himself and ask those who would travel with him to do so by fasting (humility).
Ezra was faithful in his service to God.
Ezra was a worshipper and true worship to God entails total obedience not mere outward religious observances.
Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Ezra was courageous in fulfilling the call of God in his life.
Ezra was a reformer, he sought to reform and bring everyone around him into fellowship with God.
Ezra repented, a part of fasting is repentance, they sought the LORD and asked God protect them and grant them safe journey.
When we apply these same themes in our life....the hand of God will most certainly be on us.
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
It took 119 days (4 months to travel from the Port of Ahava (Persia) to Jerusalem. Notice also that there are approximately 2,000 people traveling along with him in addition to 24 tons of silver, 7,500 pounds of silver articles, 7500 pounds of gold, 20 gold bowls equal in value to 1,000 gold coins, and 2 fine articles of polished bronze as precious as gold. We are talking about millions upon millions of dollars that King Artxerxes gives Ezra for the building of God’s house and the restoration of Jerusalem. It is a remarkable thing, because although Ezra knew that he should have had a military escort to watch over them, Ezra put his full confidence in the fact that God would be their protection. It does not mean that Ezra wasn’t afraid or concerned about this journey they were going to undertake. They were concerned and possibly even afraid, yet in the midst of what they may have been feeling they thought that if we could just get in touch with God, that God would make everything alright! Lord if you just keep your hand on me, I have the utmost confidence that you will bring me through this wilderness journey. God if you keep your hand on me, I have the utmost confidence that you’ll bring me through this storm. God I am concerned, God I may even be afraid, perhaps I am confused and I don’t understand, but God if you let your hand be on me......I believe that you’ll pull me through!
A season of rest.
When God’s hand is upon you, he will usher you into a season of rest.
God brought them through uncertain times, he brought them through their journey, nothing was lost, nobody was lost, God’s hand had been upon them, and now they arrived at Jerusalem and rested for 3 days.
It reminds me of the scripture that says “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” Exodus 34:14.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
When God granted Ezra and those who followed him victory, it was a prelude for what God would do for them once they arrived in Jerusalem. Paul says patience worketh experience. There would be many battles ahead for Ezra, but I believe that God wanted this one thing to stick in his mind.....if I brought you through before, I’ll bring you through it again. Ezra’s faith was being built and established.
Worship entails total obedience, not merely correct religious observances.
Micah 6:6-8, Amos 5:22-24