Rebuilding by Faith
Ezra 1:1-4[1]
As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, September 30, 2012
We are beginning a study through the historical narratives of Ezra and Nehemiah today. I like to preach OT, NT epistle, and a portion of a gospel. This is because, as I was reminded this week, of Acts 20:26-27: Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
This series is about rebuilding; I have titled this study rebuilding by faith. These two books chronicle the rebuilding of the temple and then of the walls of Jerusalem. I hope to do a high-flyover series, not a slow walk through series. Lord willing, it will be helpful for us all to see God at work to keep His covenant and to bring us the Christ in these two books.
Timeline[2]
Abraham is called, 2000 BC
Joseph to Egypt, 1900 BC
Moses leads the Exodus, 1445 BC
Israel under the judges until Saul, 1000 BC
David and Solomon until 931 BC
Israel leaves Judah, 931BC
Israel destroyed, 722 BC
Nebuchadnezzar takes first wave of captives to Babylon, 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, 586 BC
70 years Captivity, for continued idolatry, and 490 years ignoring 7th year land Sabbaths
Jeremiah begins preaching 627 B.C. Prophecies of destruction, captivity, and restoration.
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther happened from 536-415 BC in Babylon, Media, and Persia
Why did God send them to captivity?
God was fulfilling His promises.
Promise to make a nation of Abraham, to bless the world through him.
Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Messiah would come through him.
To run a rebellious Israel off to captivity for punishment if they disobeyed God.
Deut 28:41, 45. You shall father sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours, for they shall go into captivity.
"All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you.
To let the land get its due Sabbaths, according to His command.
Lev 25:3-5 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.
So Israel went into captivity because of repeated, intentional disobedience and idolatry. They went into captivity for 70 years because part of that disobedience was not giving the land it's Sabbath rests.
Why did God restore Israel?
Because God loves His people, and God was fulfilling His promises.
Promise to make a nation of Abraham, to bless the world through him.
Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Messiah would come through him.
To restore a humbled Israel to the land after their captivity.
Jeremiah 25:12-13 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste. I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations.
Jeremiah 29:10-14 "For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. [context!] Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
So the stories in Ezra and Nehemiah contain much wisdom about worship, the Word of God, protection, leadership, etc.; but they are primarily about God's faithfulness to keep His covenant promises to His covenant people. That includes new covenant people – He was bringing the Messiah through Israel so that the church could be saved!
How did He restore Israel? He used godly, humble men who pored and prayed over the Word of God. They returned in three stages.
Ezra 1:1-4
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel--he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem."
Ezra 7:1-10
1 Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest--
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.
7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants.
8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.
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.
Nehemiah 1
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the capital,
2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem.
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."
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.
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.
8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples,
9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.'
10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Do you hear these godly, humble men poring and praying over God's Word? Here is yet another man that God used in this restoration…
Daniel 9:1-8
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans--
2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.
8 To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
So rebuilding by faith. Timeline.
Why did God send them into captivity, why did he restore them from captivity – He was keeping His covenant promises.
How did He restore them? He used godly, humble men poring and praying over God's Word.
So, as we close…
Do we need restoration in the church today? To be restored to right obedience?
Will God still keep His new covenant promises to us?
Will there be godly, humble men who will pore and pray over God's Word?
[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I paste them in red for distinction.
[2] I used the ESV Study Bible (Crossway) and the International Inductive Study Bible (Precept Ministries International, Harvest House) as resources to put this together
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