Hope Sabbath School Lesson 1 Zerubbabel and Ezra

[Music] [Applause] welcome to Hope Sabbath school an in-depth interactive study of the word of God I'm excited because we are beginning a brand-new series of studies on Ezra and Nehemiah you say Derek what would the writings of a priest 2400 years ago and a contemporary government official in Persia have to do with our lives today well that's what's exciting about studying the Word of God because the Bible says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable so we're going to pray that God will bless in amazing ways today making sense of history as we look at the rubble and Ezra and I'm glad you joined us for hope Sabbath school and team this is going to be an amazing journey and we're going to be excited to see how ancient scripture comes alive for us today we're glad that you're part of our hopes Abba school team was delighted to hear from you oh I needed to tell you one other thing we have an awesome app here's my phone I'm going to go to Hope Sabbath school on the new hope hope Channel app here it's an awesome app and it's loading right now people around the world are using this app it's free hope Channel you can go to your App Store or Google Play download the app of whether you're 10 years old or 100 years old you can download the app and use it if you need some help talk to your grandchildren right they'll figure it out but the Hope Channel app is awesome and it's being used in many many countries around the world including Madagascar which is where our first email comes from from Lu bian and lu b ins 22 years old in fact he sent a picture for us he's a university student and he says two years ago we started an english-speaking church in our town and now I'm part of that church it's the only Adventist Church where English is the primary language in the South of Madagascar and I often teach the Sabbath school and guess what he uses as a resource he uses the hope Sabbath school resource I'm very happy to follow this program may God bless us all well loo bein thanks for writing to us from Madagascar we're excited that you're part of our not only a participant in the study but a leader in teaching an in-depth interactive study of the Word of God Owen and Marlene Wright from Florida in the United States anybody from Florida hear anybody been to Florida Stephanie you've been all quite a few have been to Florida do you hope Sabbath school we absolutely love the program we look forward to watching it every Friday evening the deep interactive inspiring way the lessons are presented is just amazing another thing listen carefully we're sure the listening world appreciates as we do the openness and honesty of the class members testimonies the testimonies make known that God loves us with an everlasting love that's awesome isn't it and we can trust him no matter what we thank God for hope Sabbath school and pray that God will bless the entire team well Owen and Merline thanks for writing and you know that's our prayer none of that is script it is it the Holy Spirit may impress Travis Joshua leaves it to share a testimony and if we did it a second time it might be different but the Spirit of God is leading us thank you for affirming that and we also love to hear from you about your testimony of what God is doing write to us at SS hope at hope TV org here's one from Guadalupe in the French West Indies did I say that right yes Thank You Gladys Bonjour Bonjour a few weeks ago I discovered hope Sabbath school you noticed people are always finding it right new viewers all the time since I watch it since then I've been watching it I'm French I'm sorry that my English isn't that good I live in Guadeloupe and the French West Indies I am a seventh-day Adventist Church member since I've been watching hope Sabbath school I appreciate the subtitles closed captioning in English because it helps me to understand more I can understand better than just speaking well thank you for what you're doing with Hope Sabbath school god bless you all Paul writes to us Paul Thanks for writing from Guadalupe and may God use you to be a powerful teacher of the word of God here's a note from a donor in Minnesota in the United States oh wait Laurel are you from Minnesota I'm not gonna give the name but would you like to wave to the entire state of Minnesota I have access only to Sabbath school I think this person is unable to get out to go to church but what a blessing it is may God continue to bless each one and hope Sava school in the finishing of his work and this donor sends a hundred dollars to help Hope service go you just want to say thank you this is a donor supported ministry but it's more than that it's a partnership in mission isn't it and so thank you Minnesota for being part of that well from the beautiful island of st. Vincent in the Caribbean someone born in Jamaica living Joshua you weren't born in Jamaica were you no but don't you have some Jamaican heritage no antfee good are you Antigua is that's also the way yeah part of the world okay this is st. Vincent not too far away right yeah greeting saints of God this is Denise by the way writing from st. Vincent born in Jamaica I really enjoy the study every week and I especially look forward to singing the songs we're gonna sing a song in just a moment it's a blessing to look forward to and see brother Jason singing the scriptures heart Oh Jason would you like to wave to Denise in Saint Vincent he's so passionate about the Word of God let's all be faithful and continue to share God's Word through the world god bless you all amen Denise thanks for writing to us from st. Vincent and I'm excited today because we've got a new scripture song we're going to sing and I've asked my wife Bodell who is not only executive producer but likes to help compose the scripture songs to help sing so come over boda let's sing together who you are Lord I lift up my soul oh my god I trust in you let's sing it together [Music] let me not be ashamed my godmy fire [Music] my salvation my starvation [Music] victimized oh my god I trust in you my soul oh my god I trusted you oh my god amen Thank You Bodell I think we'll have you come and sing all the time it's great to hide God's Word in our hearts isn't it and some of you know that my wife started composing Scripture songs the words are straight out of the Bible right but she started that was from Psalm 25 by the way the word straight out of the Bible but she said I want to hide God's Word in my heart the heart of our children she had no idea that would not only transform her husband's life but our hopes have a school family around the world they men that's that's what we're gonna learn from Isaac from Ezra and Nehemiah when we say God I'm available to you he's gonna do something amazing amen and we want to pray for you and each one of us as we study because the miracle that happened 2400 years ago can happen in our lives today let's pray father in heaven just like the psalmist would say to you O Lord I lift up my soul let not my enemies triumph over me we thank you that in the sacred books of Ezra Nehemiah we will learn of a great and awesome God and of men and women who have the courage to listen to God and follow him and I pray that you would bless as we study hope Sabbath school members around the world may each life and each family be blessed today in the name of Jesus we pray amen well let's make sense of history this is less than what number one some people have heard about the Jewish people being in exile they speak about the Exile and then coming back from the Exile Brittany what's the Exile they're talking about they're talking about when God's people were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon and they were in captivity for 70 years okay so this is when Babylonian armies came in not only the city of Jerusalem but all of the territory of Israel right now some people were left a few people like the Prophet Jeremiah for example right but a lot of people including the young and the gifted you know the university students because we think of people like Daniel Shadrach those were their Babylonian names actually right Hananiah Mishael and Azariah they kind of took the cream of the crop and they reprogrammed them said they didn't work with Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah right they determined in their hearts to honor God by the way that's a whole nother book in the Bible Daniel that will be awesome we're going to study that in another series but God is teaching his people consequences of disobeying him he doesn't stop loving us right but he says you know if you go after pagan gods and you abandon your faith in me there will be negative consequences and Britain is right there taken into exile but it's not forever what many people don't know is that the return from exile happened in different what would we call it with waves yes and in fact some of the exiles never never returned either because they died in exile or because they chose not to come back that's a whole topic we'll discuss here too how could that be when they told they can go back to the land that God had promised them some of them say we're fine living in this pagan country alright so we're gonna make sense of history and we're going to start with the Prophet Jeremiah and Herald if you could begin our study in Jeremiah 25 remember we mentioned that when the children of Israel were taken captive into Babylon some were left behind and one of them was a prophet named Jeremiah a contemporary of the prophet Daniel and the prophet Ezekiel who had been taken into captivity okay let's see what Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 25 verses 11 and 12 yes and I'll be reading from the New King James Version and this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years then it will come to pass when seventy years are completed that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation the land of the chaldeans for their iniquity says the Lord and I will make it a perpetual desolation so the Prophet Jeremiah is writing and he's giving a a prophecy a prediction about something that will happen how far in the future now there are of course people that say well that's ridiculous you can't tell what's going you could say sometime this might happen but to speak or Thorat ativ ly about the future that's impossible unless of course what Stephanie unless God tells you and this God tells you and God speaking to another prophet says I am God who knows the end from the beginning right so he has authority even over history right so there's a prediction look in Jeremiah 29 and verse 10 lattice if you have that again this is the Prophet Jeremiah who's still in Jerusalem while most of his countrymen are are what we would call prisoners of war right or exiles in Babylon yes I'll be reading from the New International Version Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 10 this is what the Lord says when seventy years are completed for Babylon I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place so there is someone in Babylon who believes the Word of God amen well actually there's more than one right but let's look at how one of those people responds in Daniel chapter 9 verses 1 to 3 Petra if you could read that for us he's been a prisoner of war for how long for the whole time right taken captive as a teenager in 605 here he's now saying wait I think the time's up let's see what Daniel records in Daniel 9 verses 1 to 3 I'll be reading from the New King James Version and it says in the first year of Darius the son of a surveyors of the lineage of who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans in the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by the book of the the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish seven years in the desolation of Jerusalem then I sent my face towards the Lord to make requests by prayer and supplications with fasting sackcloth and ashes so what does this tell us about Daniel from what you've heard Jason he isn't clearly in connection with God and he's paying attention to what has been written down previously alright he's paying attention he's connected to God Gladys it's longing he's longing for his home by the way Daniel ever returned home know the fulfillment of the promise all right but he's longing for that fulfillment which raises a question is it possible that some stay not because they don't want to go home but because God tells them to stay is that possible sometimes we judge people well you'd go what if God told you to stay right you're still living in a city you should be living in the country what if God told you to go to that City to tell people about God right so but he believes the prophecy he believes that what God said he was Jeremiah it's going to be fulfilled so I want to ask a broad question because there may be some people watching hope Sabbath school today maybe even for the first time remember Lew bein from Madagascar just started watching who say but I've always been told that the Bible is just like human words about God you're telling me that God can actually reveal things even about the future why is it important to believe that what does that do for us if we believe that God is able to show us who you I believe by studying the prophecies that God has given to us through his word it teaches us how to live our lives today in preparation for what is to come in the context of this book because Daniel was studying the prophecies he knew something was about to happen or at least it was supposed to happen and it gave him a sense of direction on how to live his life according to God's Word I'm thinking in in Daniel chapter four and like I said we'll do a whole series on Daniel but where it says that you may know that the most high god rules in men over the affairs of men or over history Travis I think it's jaunt and I could be wrong with John chapter 14 verse 29 and I think says I've told you these things beforehand so that when that happened you'll know that I'm the Lord your God okay and it says that also in John chapter 16 verse 4 I'm telling you now so when it happens you remember what I told you and you'll believe right by the way that happened with the cleansing of the temple only afterwards they look back and right so they're all of these prophecies yes Harold I just wanted to add that Solomon said and though in the Proverbs that without prophecy or vision people cast off restraint so the fact that we have prophecy we have that guidance that we can look forward to and when it happens as Travis mentioned is like oh we believe yes this is true look God has promised kept his promise so he is the true God so are there any promises in the scripture either from Jesus or given through the prophets that encourage you when you say well I think it's about time how come it's not yet been fulfilled I mean what's the greatest prophecy in the Bible more times than any other prophecy in the Bible do you know what it is coming what comes second coming of Jesus the return of Jesus and people go well not happened yet maybe it won't ever happen what promises encourage us to hold on and believe like Daniel did that God said it it's going to happen yes Stephanie do you have one the one that I like is Psalm 27 okay it's 13 and 14 all right Psalm gives us a moment to find that Psalm 27 I immediately recognize the reference because it's the song that my wife likes the same Psalm 27 verses 13 and 14 are you reading from the King James I am or verses 13 and 14 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord beautiful then I would have fainted my Bible the New King James says I would have lost heart I don't know if anyone else has another translation like I would have given up unless I believed right yeah wait on the Lord be of good courage and he will do what strain strengthen your heart that's right yes I'd like to read um Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 3 okay I'm waiting Habakkuk that's a little book it may be hard for some of us to hide right before the end of the Old Testament Habakkuk chapter 2 yeah in verse 3 alright just give us a moment to find that yes it is a small book yeah hmm I'm still looking for it anybody else find it yet yeah I'm almost there Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse three and verse three how does that read in your Bible okay so I'll be reading from the New King James Version for the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it will speak and it will not lie though it tarries wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry powerful there's one other verse I'd like someone to read maybe Lisa you can read from 2nd Peter chapter 3 because that that's a beautiful description by the Apostle Peter about sure prophecy that it will come to pass at the appointed time 2nd Peter chapter 3 if you could read for us verses 9 through 13 I'll be reading from the New King James Version but beloved do not forget this one thing that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness but is long-suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up therefore since all these things will be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat so question what's the promise that God is going to keep that people are saying I don't think he's going to keep that promise his return because the return of Jesus right and and Peters saying no he's patient right but we might change the intonation in verse 10 but the day of the Lord will come will come yeah it's going to happen and things are going to happen with it I love we're looking for a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells that's beautiful but the day of the Lord will come it will come so that confidence is really important well with that idea we're looking now at prophecy about to be fulfilled that the exile will end and that the Jewish egg cells have the opportunity to go back let's go to the book of Ezra to chapter four and let's look at some history we're making sense of history in our first study here in Ezra chapter 4 and Playa I'm going to ask if you would be willing to read for us verses 1 through 7 of is rejected for I'll be reading from the New King James Version Ezra chapter 4 verses 1 to 7 now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendents of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the father's houses and said to them let us build with you for we seek your God as you do and we have sacrificed to him since the days of SR Hadden king of Assyria who brought us here but zerubabbel and joshua and the rest of the heads of the father's houses of israel said to them you may do nothing with us to build a house for our God but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah they troubled them in building and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia even until the reign of Darius king of Persia in the reign of her swears in the beginning of his reign they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem in the days of artists Ursus also bish LOM Mitra de Tabo and the rest of their companions wrote to artists Ursus king of Persia and the letter was written in Aramaic script and translated into air my language some of you are glad I asked for you to read that there's a lot of difficult names there actually a listing of kings between about 538 and all the way down to the mid 400s you know about for 440 the time of Nehemiah and some of the names you recognized right there are a few Cyrus the second or Cyrus the Great that's the one who gives the first decree and by the way who is zerubabbel who was that who led the first return with a priest named Joshua or Joshua but not Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho who was robbed about anybody no Travis is the grandson him to him that's right he was a grandson of one of the last kings of Judah so why do you think he led the group back you what do you think well he was part of the royal family of Judah so most likely he will be a leader and appoint a governor to take so you think he sense that it was his responsibility to do that there are lots of people Lisa who have responsibilities but don't do it right yeah so what do you think he would he took the exhales back well I think he was following God's leading I mean after seeing the examples of previous kings and their failure to get Israel on the right track I think he felt this conviction in his spirit to follow the way God was leading the children of Israel so he's going back he's got a priest with him we're gonna talk about some more details but that's during the time of Cyrus the Great then you've got someone who's not mentioned in the text kamba sees the second that's just in case you'd like to know that then to rious the first mentioned in verse 5 then Xerxes mentioned in verse 6 who's also called has you eros in the book of Esther you remember it has your Harrison Vashti and then Esther becomes Queen and then you got artaxerxes who's very important because he's the one that gives the decree during the time of Ezra now I'm glad we're not having a spelling test or you know write that whole list down but but I do have this question for you it's an important question why do you think Ezra includes all of that historical data in the book why does he do that what's the significance don't we believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God Alex I think a lot of it I mean we see in later books in the Bible it's was used for us referring back to history to check dates and times for future prophecies ok that's especially true when we get to the to the time of artaxerxes and the 457 decree which is pretty significant when you're studying the Book of Daniel right so you're saying that later generations will need to be aware of that historical sequence okay anybody else it's a lot of history Lisa I think also being displaced people who had lost their heritage and customs they've lost a lot in this process it was important for them to to document them as they were moving this to this transition so that as you said later generations who were wanting to know more about their heritage and the journey that they took they could go back to that and feel a sense of security we'll find later in the books both of Ezra Nehemiah huge or long list of names and I'm not gonna ask you to read them all because you might say well do I really need to know them I mean I like to memorize the Bible but I don't think I want to memorize all of those names but they may have significance for your family if you say this is my heritage but let's look at one verse in 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 16 mmm that may shed some light do you have that Jason 2nd Peter 1 and verse 16 I'll be reading from the New King James Version 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 16 for we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of his majesty so it's like this isn't just like a fairy tale right yes this is history right and we're naming the people and we're good to tell you what happened and that gives us confidence but I think alex has got a point not just to know that it happened but there may be some things that we need to know that will help us understand other prophecies in the Bible well let's go on to Ezra in Chapter 7 of Ezra Zeus is 1 through 10 and we'll learn something about Ezra who who leads what some might call the second wave rub a bell about 538 now we're about 458 457 and Brittany if you could read the first 10 verses of Ezra chapter 7 I'd like you to listen carefully and say what do we learn about this priest named Ezra from the account in Chapter 7 and I'll be reading from the New King James Version Ezra chapter 7 verses 1 through 10 now after the things in the reign of artaxerxes king of persia ezra the son of suryya the son of Azariah the son of Hilkiah the son of Shalem the son of Zadok the son of a high tub the son of a moriah the son of Azariah the son of mariah off the son of Zura hiya the son of ossie the son of Buki the son of ABY schewe the son of phineus the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the chief priest this Ezra came up from Babylon and he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given the King granted him all his requests according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him some of the children of Israel the priests the Levites the singers the gatekeepers and the Nephilim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes and Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month which was in the seventh year of the king on the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon and on the first day of the fifth month he came 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 statutes and ordinances in Israel well at first ten is just the powerful verse isn't it but again back leaves it to what you were saying earlier what's the function by the way well read what's the what's the purpose of the first five verses and then verse six says this Ezra it's very clear that Ezra came from a very distinguished family he was a descendant of Aaron who was in some ways Moses his right hand when delivering the children of Israel and so he comes from this priestly lineage and he probably grew up with a lot of knowledge of the law of God he was probably taught by it you know by his father his father's father and so he had a lot of knowledge and understanding of God's law so it could be you know there's a lot of leases or Jason's of Joshua's in the world but but I'm the one who is a direct descendant of the high priest Aaron yeah right which means of course he's also in the priestly line right so that's his heritage yeah but but what about him as a person what did you hear as a person listen I think one thing that this verse teaches us is you can't choose your heritage I mean you are born in whatever family you're born in but he made a conscious decision to prepare his heart to seek after God and that's the part that you can change he I was convicted to do something different and to follow God with his own heart and that what qualifies him later on will find that he was the fit person to lead the children because not all of the descendants of error Aaron followed God did they rape right so yeah that's nice I like the way that you said that he we cannot choose our ancestry right but we can choose who we are yeah by the grace of God all right what else did you notice about Ezra as a person yes but that he was skilled okay he was skilled as is verse six mentioned that he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses so what does that tell you probably he was skilled at something [Music] education and practice right attitude is one thing that's good but skilled is another thing right training that in most training education practice Harold the thing is at the end of verse 10 it says that he tried to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel so he was not just trying to keep this knowledge from the scriptures but he was like working to spread it and share it because again this is about restoration trying to leave people back to the Word of God and to God himself so he seeks it the law of God and he know there's something in between he seeks it he he does it and he he shares it you know to just seek it and share it without doing it they're not gonna work not credible is it no but here's this man just emerges out of nowhere but from a distinguished family and he purposes in his heart does it remind you of someone else Daniel Daniel and his three friends right purposing in their heart they made a decision mmm they wanted to not only know about God but obey God and do it and share that with other people yes Travis I was just gonna say the verse of first part of verse 10 it says Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Lord so this wasn't something that just happened this is something that he sought God yeah was preparing his heart to be the leader he probably didn't know it you didn't know the future what he was going to do but he was preparing it's harder than God called him Jason I want you to read we didn't read we there's a long list of names coming up here in chapter 8 which I'm not gonna ask you to read but I do want you to read in Chapter 7 the entire decree verses 11 to 26 of King Artaxerxes to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and then I want to ask the question of the group and of those who are watching around the world why do you think the Holy Spirit inspires him to write the entire decree of this ancient King I think there's a an answer and Alex you kind of alluded to it earlier in our study but let's listen to the decree starting in verse 11 of Ezra chapter 7 and I'll be reading here from the New King James Version Ezra chapter 7 verses 11 through 26 this is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest the scribe expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord and of his statutes to Israel artaxerxes King of Kings to Ezra the priest a scribe of the law of the God of heaven perfect peace and so forth is you a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and levites in my realm who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem may go with you and whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the law of your God which is in your hand and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel whose dwelling is in Jerusalem and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon along with the free will offering of the people and the priests are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem now therefore be careful to buy with this money Bulls Rams and lamps with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem and whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold do it according to the will of your God also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God deliver and full before the god of Jerusalem and whatever more may be needed for the house of your God which you may have occasion to provide pay for it from the Kings Treasury and I even I artaxerxes the king issue a decree to all the treasurer's who are in the region beyond the river that whatever as were the priests the scribe of the law of God of heaven may require of you let it be done diligently up to one hundred talents of silver 100 cores of wheat 100 baths of wine 100 bats of oil and salt without prescribed limit whatever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven for Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax tribute or custom on any of the priests Levites singers gatekeepers metonym or servants of this house of God and you Israel according to your god-given wisdom set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the river all such as know the laws of your God and teach those who do not know them whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the King let judgment be executed speedily up on him whether it be death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment yeah well Jason's reading this I'm thinking this is astonishing why would a pagan King right make such a supportive how would you describe this decree ratio great gracious generous god-honoring yeah be great what's the answer Lisa I think he was god-fearing too because in verse 23 it says for Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons meaning he felt that if he didn't do this there would be consequences of his disobedience ok so you think that it's not just a generous person but he was under conviction of the Spirit of God to pedra oh we see that Ezra knew the law of God and if you see the blessings that God put it in Paul people of Israel and also those that are over them he saw that calamity could come upon himself if he would not obey the God and he had plenty evidence evidence from history of the people Israel inside the captivity there of what happened to those who have gone against God's people so he was trying to protect probably his kingdom during this time he certainly knew also about Daniel and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego we could take a lot of time here but we've got to move on but would you agree that something supernatural is happening here it's not just he's just a very nice pagan King who's saying wonderful things about the God of heaven right and giving all of the resources that are needed let's look in verses 27 and 28 Alex if you could read for us how is Ray responded to this can I call it a startling decree of a pagan King now be reading from the King James Version blessed be the Lord God of Our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem and hath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counselors and before all the Kings 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 what it is would recognize God is at work here right man you got is at work here guys who work with me God's at work with the king right something amazing is happening and so he prepares now we could read verses 1 through 14 of chapter 8 I'm not going to but does anybody know approximately how many of the exhales decided to go with with Ezra someone's done the math that said about 1,500 no I don't know if that means there were children too and family members but he's a Derek that's like a tiny group of people after they've seen what what if they just what we just read a miracle the miraculous intervention of God touching the heart of a pagan King exactly so here's the difficult question why do you think so few chose to return back to Judah with Ezra there may be many reasons but let's look at a few of them shall we let's start here Alex I think a lot of it just become complacent with where they're at comfortable with where they're at okay I mean and that actually makes me think about you know it's like it's easy to judge them with that but man it's like we get comfortable with where we're at so it's so often and it's like you really want me to go on a mission trip where I'm gonna sleep on the floor and have bugs crawling around when I can say in my condo yeah right I mean actually you're saying one reason they just felt really comfortable where they were and do you think they were right to recognize there would be some hardships if they went home absolutely anybody else another reason Petra I believe not many had an encounter with God you know we see that they were in captivity because they were disobedient and there was not many change of heart we see the king which had a change of heart to give that blessing we see that God does the same thing with most of the kings on the Old Testament and we see the Pharaoh God came an encounter with a pharaoh but he chose not to encounter a relationship with God but Nebuchadnezzar did right eventually exactly so you're seeing these these changes is it possible that God wanted some to stay by in exile but I like what Pedro said that maybe many was just they lack that relationship when Shadrach Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the golden idol how many other of the captive children of Israel stood that are recorded about that some say even the king a descendant maybe a relative of zerubu bow was there and bowed down so I think there's something to this comfortable and disconnected from God now there may be a few exceptions right like Daniel that God says because Daniels gone now but but with the first group with Zorba believing God may say stay by Daniel I've got some work I want you to do Travis I think - they had houses land in possession so if you can imagine you had a nice house and all these possessions when you leave that's gone it's not like you sell the house and buy something somewhere else you have to go build a new house plant new crops I mean this is a life changing starting again yes but what I like what Alex was saying I think this has something to do with us today yes you know if we are not connected to God and we're too comfortable and complacent God might ask us to do something and we'll just say no and I think also the they struggle to believe in God's goodness I mean they were there as Pedro said as a result of their disobedience so it is a punishment and so I think was hard for them to change their perspective on God and say well God is forgiving us God is ready to work with us God is willing to bless us I think that was hard for them to accept because they knew what they did wrong so let's in our last part of the study go back to Ezra and look at some of the preparations he made because if he made them and God said go and he went maybe those the preparations would be helpful for us in the last days yes or no absolutely right so let's look again in Ezra chapter 7 Laurel if you could read verse 6 and verse 10 again I think you have another translation so let's see how the translators capture verse 6 and verse 10 of Ezra 7 and the question is what important preparation had Ezra made that enabled the Lord to use him and we might all say enabled him to here we've got asked him to act ok I'll be reading from the new American Standard Bible Ezra 7 6 this is Ray went up from Babylon and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which the Lord God of Israel had given and the King granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord God was they the Lord his God was upon him and then verse 10 verse 10 for Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it and to teach his statues and ordinance in Israel so help me Hara what's some preparation men and women might make today just like Ezra made back then so when God said I've got to work for you to do yes it will say Here I am Lord well we need that a long time with God that solitude so that we can pray meditate in his word not just read but meditate and like really find deeper things and reread it because he was a skilled and you becomes going when you repeat and do the same things oh it was not just the casual reading of the word all right Stephanie yeah there's something to say about having that daily commitment because then you're staying in tune with the voice of God and also you know the Word of God so if a call comes to you you can determine whether or not it is God's voice now it's interesting in verse 6 he said the King granted his request because he saw the hand of God yeah how do people see that the hand of God is upon you how do they see that action through you actions yeah is that is that supernatural - it is Edra I see here a very important word says kill skilled I know what do you have craft you know how to work with something craft like I like to work with cars for me not to just watch a video on YouTube or or learn a lesson from how to change oil or to change a head gasket on a car will give me the ability to do it but he he's sick to learn from the law of God he'd do it he does and then he express to others who teach others and I think that's very important he was kill love skills not because he knew about it over his word he practiced on his life and he told others and that made him very knowledgeable about it I see Stephanie looking at you saying I never knew you were a skilled mechanic what is a head gasket right yeah that's part of the engine but you know that you don't just get that automatically right there's preparation there's discipline so these are some important preparations he made I'm gonna take a couple more and then I want you to think of some other people besides Ezra that you could say well they made important preparation too so that when God gave them an assignment they were ready please I think the other aspect we can learn from this story is that the importance of education in the context of today I think God can use you more as you learn more about the history and the context of the scripture and all of this even in today's context and when serving God there's a saying I believe it's in the book of Ecclesiastes where Solomon said when the ax is dull more effort is required but wisdom will bring success what's the wisdom to sharpen the axe and that's what education does and practice skilled thank you for pointing that out so God if you want me to be powerful in the word before a counsel someday I want to take time with the word now right yeah hmm I want to be skilled if you want me to speak in the power of the Holy Spirit before the nation someday I want to speak for you now to my neighbor in the Holy Spirit Joshua I think it's really important for us to embrace the principles of the Bible in our lives and to truly practice them and what I find to be amazing is that I listen to these great motivational and inspirational speakers of the world and they'll say things that people will listen to and hold on to and practice not realizing that that same principle is in the Bible and so many people have profited off of God's suppose that he has given to us for free but they'll pay hundreds of dollars to go to a seminar and hear the same thing from someone else's mouth a great revelation but it's still true right it's a principle of truth that is also spelled out in the Word of God let's talk about some other people Ezra was not alone we might say well they mi and we're going to talk about both of them in the series but let's scan broader in the scripture and say there's a young woman or there's an older man older woman young whatever age group that their preparation was crucial for the work God called them to do anybody have a just just share a story with me that comes to your mind anybody I think of Daniel we talked about already but I mean look how he prepared himself with his friends you know with eating well with his diet that's right Daniel chapter one even taking care of his body was part of his training right good point yes I remember Paul who was previously Saul he he was a learning man as well educated men and when God transformed his heart when he met Jesus he was very useful and in fact most of the New Testament is written by Paul so I think we see an importance of training as well here and another person which you may not have thought of who wrote a major portion of the New Testament if you add the book of the gospel and the book of Acts together you've got a major contributor who happened by profession to be physicians physician dr. Luke writing to his friend Theophilus right so there's another one preparation someone else Pedro I think Ruth no sorries esther is thinking about she was prepared for that moment to liberate god's people we don't know it might not be education and I'd be something that we can go to school for it but I think through her process of learning from her uncle she will be able to to be prepared to confront even the king and the time of need what about us today we get a couple of minutes left what can we do I think we've talked about principles from Ezra and from some of these other great women and men of God what are some things Joshua we can do today we can do I think that we can be as effective as Jesus if we do the things that he did in the way that he did it meaning every interaction every experience that he had with someone was life-changing and he did it said the Spirit of the Lord is so it's happening by the power of the Holy Spirit okay Lisa I think we need to prepare our hearts and that means going on a journey of so seeking reflecting praying to God to show what's in our hearts to bring that to the surface so that we can resolve whatever things that we're dealing with I mean clearly Ezra was not a perfect person but he went through that process of being pure hearted and it could I pray God if there's anything holding me back from being the woman of God you want me to be yes from being the man of God you want me to be there's that wonderful prayer in Psalm 139 search me O God and know my heart Britany I was just repeating the verse okay trying me and know my anxious thoughts Travis one last time well I'm just thinking the Bible says be be not only hearers of the word but doers so if we had studied the Word of God and said God show me how you want me to live my life and put the words that we read from the Bible into action then we could be a light to the world [Music] 2,400 plus years ago the Spirit of God impresses someone from a noble family really right distinguished family Ezra to say it's not just about where you came from it's about who I want you to be today any purposed in his heart and he did the hard work of education he became skilled to not only hear but to do and then to share and God used him to impact his generation and there's a lesson for each one of us today by the power of the Holy Spirit as Joshua said that God has a work for us and God has to work for you too I don't know what it is but I'm excited because God has plans for us way beyond what we could ever imagine and it's not just a matter of saying God I'm available saying God what do you want me to do now to prepare not to earn your love or favor but to be a sharp axe in your hand a useful tool a faithful servant let's pray we can be that as we continue this wonderful journey studying Ezra Nehemiah father in heaven thank you for the inspiration of this man's life Ezra thank you for the inspired testimony and God for us today may we be the women of God the men of God who not only here but do and cheer for the honor of your name in Jesus name Amen amen it's going to be an exciting journey as we study two ancient books once clustered together as one single book in Hebrew Scriptures Ezra Nehemiah lessons for our lives today right now I know hear it do it and share it be a blessing to those around you [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] you you

Channel: HopeSabbathSchool

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Length: 58min 30sec (3510 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 30 2019