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Date:   11/09/08

Text:   Ezra 1:1-4; 7:1-10

Title: Change is Here

Theme: God uses people of His choice to accomplish His redemptive plan.

 

Introduction:

  During the past week the entire world is talking about the change taking place in America . For this past year, we've been asking questions about how the country or the world will look like when change takes place. We have discussed and debated over who and how will bring about this change. With any change, there will be uncertainty, risk, skepticism and hope.

  The bible is a book about change. The Journey of Faith is about change. When we read the scriptures, we learn of God's plan for His creation and His promise of change to a fallen world. It is about restoring His people to Himself, that they may have peace and joy. The book of Nehemiah is about the change God brought to his people. Today and next week, I would like to study with you two characters that were in the same era as Nehemiah; Ezra and Malachi. Like Nehemiah, they were agents of change for God's people. This morning, we will focus on Ezra.

  This book of Ezra is also about a change that took place among God's people who had been living in exile for about 70 years. It is the story of God working to fulfill his promise by bringing His people back from exile and establishing them once again in their land. This promise was made through prophet Jeremiah, about 150 years before Ezra, in Jer 29:10, “ 10 “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. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” For 70 years, the Israelites living in Babylon had looked forward to a day of peace and hope in their homeland. They were waiting for a major change to happen. They must have wondered how is God going to pull this one off? Would there be another Moses or Joshua?

I.   God uses the most unexpected people to accomplish His plan.

  In chapter 1:1, “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:…” The Persian Empire had this Religion Policy. Besides their own god, they paid allegiance to other Babylonian gods. Moreover, they tried to restore images of other non-Babylonian gods in their former cities, encouraging the re-establishment of their sanctuaries and forms of worship. Under this policy, the first group of Israelites returned to the land of Judah after 70 years of exile in Babylon . Humanly speaking, it was the Religious policy that prompted the first return. Yet from the divine perspective, God's spirit stirred the heart of King Cyrus, resulting in the first return. And then in chapter 7, we read that under another king: Artaxerxes, Ezra and others became the second group returning to Judah . What happened here? God used two pagan kings to initiate this return process, to fulfill his promise to the Israelites. This confirmed Proverbs 21:1, “The king 's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

  How about Ezra? In our study of Nehemiah, we learned that Nehemiah was a man with a clear purpose, a kind of go getter. Nowhere in this book of Ezra are we told his motive for returning to Judah . He just went. But God used him in a very special way in the history of the Israelites.

  King Cyrus and King Artaxerxes would have never guessed that their names would be recorded in God's holy book and be read by millions of people for over 2000 years. Most likely Ezra might not have imagined that what he recorded would end up in the scriptures. He was just doing his part.

God uses people that we do not expect to fulfill his promise, His plan. History is full of such examples. During the dark hours of the Japanese rule in Taiwan , there was a great revival among the aborigines in the mountains. Again in the dark hours of modern Chinese history, during the years from 1950 to 1980's, the church grew over 100 fold and is still growing strong. Policies designed to punish the believers by sending them to prisons and remote labor farms, turned out to be means by which the gospel is being carried to all parts of the country. I heard of a woman minister serving in the very western part of China . She was sent there for ‘thought re-education' in the 50's. Like many others, she stayed there and used mightily by God. .

  The same is true in our personal lives. God uses people we least expect to bring us into his kingdom, fulfilling his promise of personal restoration to peace and hope. About three years ago, Cynthia said, “do you know how this person became a Christian? Through watching So and So's TV program.” Well, I am not really a great fan of this preacher, but who can dictate how God is going to bring someone into his kingdom? In Spurgeon's days, one woman became converted from a single page of his sermon wrapped around some butter. A worker high in the church rafter accepted Christ as Spurgeon tested the acoustics with a single Gospel sentence. Then there was St. Augustine , hearing children playing outside his study saying: take up and read it, read it; decided to take up and read the bible, thus leading to his conversion. Never underestimate whom God can use or how He brings about his promise of restoration, peace and hope.

II.   God uses individuals whose heart is on His Word.

  Ezra was unlike Nehemiah, he may not be a go getter. However, in the second half of this book, we have a clearer picture of his profile. In 7:1-5, we learn that he is both a priest and scribe. This is the only time in the scripture that these two offices were together in one person. There is great detail about his genealogy, traced all the way back to Aaron, Moses' brother. This is necessary in order to show that only a certain group of people can be priests. As a scribe, he was skilled in writing and recording for the Persian King. As a priest, Ezra's responsibility was to represent God's people before God. Ezra was also described as a man who was well familiar with Moses' law; vs.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,…” Why was Ezra sent to Judah by the King? Because he was an expert in God's law. He was sent so he could teach God's law to God's people.

  I want to bring to you one observation. The king did not say, now Ezra, since I am going to send you to Judah , you better brush up on Moses' laws (or the Pentateuch). No, Ezra was already well versed in the Law, so the king sent him there. It's like our president elect. One of his challenges is to form a cabinet, individuals with recognized expertise in different government departments. He would not pick someone and say, “since you are going to be the new Treasury or Defense secretary, so go and read these books by Paul Samuelson or Sun Zi Pin Fa and learn from the best in this country.” No, he wants someone already an expert in these areas. Ezra was chosen because he was a skilled/expert in God's Law.

  There is more to this. The passage also tells us how Ezra got to where he was. Why was he an expert in God's Law and experience God's blessing in his preparation to Judah ? Vs.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 .” Since we have studied this verse in detail almost 12 years ago, I'll just call your attention to some highlights in this verse.

1 •  Ezra determined to study God's law. He did not wait till the opportunity of teaching came and then start studying God's law. Thus, early on, he determined to study God's law. He made a decision to study. That means he needed to make the time to study. Not just reading, but to research and understand the law well.

What does this mean to us? When we have to teach a Sunday School class, or preach, we study the word. The question I constantly ask and remind myself is: do I study the word when I don't have to teach Sunday School or preach? The real test is not whether you study the word when you teach or preach, for that is a given. But rather, during the times we don't have to teach and preach, do we study the word? I greatly admire those among us that attend BSF faithfully. You've made the decision that you want to study the word, so you go to BSF. They provide us with the structure to help us delve deeply into the word. Not because we have to teach others, but because we want to study God's word.

2 •  Ezra determined to obey the word. Ezra not only determined to study, he also decided to obey the word. Obedience to the word does not come naturally. The fact that we read or even study the word is no sure guarantee that we'll obey. I have met individuals who know the bible like the palms of their hands. Quite a few of them are in prison. They know the scripture from childhood, but there was no obedience. We too, have to make a decision that when the scripture calls for attitude and behavior changes, we must obey or as ESV put it, to do it; to do the word.

3 •  Ezra determined to teach others the word. Having decided to study the word, to obey the word, Ezra also decided to teach others. He did not stop at his own enrichment or obedience, he also taught others. This is what Jesus told his disciples, Mat 28:19-20, “ 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," 20 "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”" The disciples are to teach others Jesus' words and to teach them to obey. Studying, Obeying and Teaching go hand in hand.

About 3 years ago I preached in a family conference in northern California . During that weekend, an elder from an east coast church was leading a series of workshops. His sister used to worship and serve at HCC. I went to one of his workshops and was surprised at his mastery of the scriptures and ability to communicate the truth so effectively and practically. He was skilled in the scriptures plus had a caring heart for people in his church. At times, he could put me to shame. Later, as we talked, he shared this: he came to know Christ in high school in Taiwan . While attending university there, he dated his present wife. They and another couple that was dating decided that every Saturday morning, they would go to church and study the bible together. Early on in his life, he decided to study and obey God's word. Several weeks ago, I heard that he is now taking classes at Westminster Seminary, preparing to go into full time ministry. God honored that decision and determination, and used him to teach others.

III.   God uses individuals whose hearts are set on holiness.

  God uses people that are least expected by us; he uses people who have a passion for his word to bring about his promise. There is more. By the time Ezra arrived at Judah , the altar and temple was completed. Then something happened. The leaders came to him and told him about the problem of intermarriage. The Jewish men married women from the surrounding countries. I want to make a brief observation on this. In Nehemiah, we read that he saw, knew, and discovered this intermarriage problem and he did something about this. However, with Ezra, it was brought to his attention. Again, this showed a different personality. Ezra responded to the leaders' concern.

  In dealing with this problem, Ezra, unlike Nehemiah, did not mention Solomon as an example of failure. One possible reason was that he knew the law well. He did not need to use a person to point out their failure. Instead, he appealed directly to the law. As we have studied several weeks ago, intermarriage is not a racial or ethnic issue. It is a religious problem. By marrying foreign women, the Israelites ended up following their gods. It was Jehovah God plus other gods. It was a violation of the first two commandments: You shall have no other gods before me; You shall not make for yourself a carved image. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. When the Jewish men married foreign women, it was a matter of idolatry. Intermarriage was a violation of holiness.

However, in Deuteronomy, there were exceptions to this prohibition of intermarriage. Under 7 conditions, priests were exempted from this prohibition. However, in chapter 9 and 10, Ezra did not allow any exceptions. He ordered a one time divorce, sending the foreign wives back to their place of origin. He expected everyone to be held to the same standard. There was no difference between priests and non-priests. Ezra was pointing at the priesthood of all believers. Before God, we are all equal and expected to live a life of holiness. We are to be holy because God is holy.

To be holy is to separate oneself from the world, from thoughts and behaviors that are contradictory to God's law. When I was younger, to be holy meant following a list of don'ts. Don't smoke, don't drink, don't dance, don't see movies. But to be holy, is so much more than this. When we come to know Christ, God considers us as holy. He has already died and cleansed us from our sins. He had made us holy. Having been considered holy, our challenge and responsibility now is to live a life that conforms to God's image. He wants us to imitate him and to be like him. The fruit of the Holy Spirit, characteristics of love, his humility and gentleness are characters that we are to develop in life. We are to learn to view the world and events in life through His eyes. We are to connect our hearts with him. This is holiness. This is the kind of person God uses to bring about his redemptive plan in this world.

Conclusion:

  Now, with the election behind us, we are peering into the future. The president-elect's aides are beginning to tune down expectations of change. You see, we can promise many things, but there is no guarantee we can deliver the change. Not so with God. He always delivers what he has promised. We may not see nor understand, but he always carried out what he had promised.

  There is no way we can put God in a box and determine that he has to work this way or that way. I am certain that he can use the most liberal president and administration to bring about his plan for this country and His children. Having said this, it must not be our excuse to ignore His word and the holiness that can result in our obedience to the Word. Yes, God can use some of the most ungodly people to accomplish his redemptive plan, but he also wants to use people with hearts set on His Word and Holiness. .

  On Friday's Chronicle, amidst all the political analysis was an article about Billy Graham. The occasion was his 90 th birthday. It was about his failing health and deteriorating eye-sight. Among many things, he wrote how Graham missed the pleasure of his life: Reading the Bible. At times he had to ask others to read to him the scripture. Throughout his life, Billy was a man of God's word: study, obey and teach; and a man of integrity. God used him mightily during the last 60 years as a change agent for millions of people. A man that God truly has been using.

http://archive.hcchome.org/

English Service:

Mandarin Service:

Cantonese Service:

2014 |2013 |2012 |2011 |2010 |2009 |2008 |2007
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999

2014|2013|2012|2011|2010|2009|2008 |2007
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999
Cantonese audio translation available up to 2011

2014 |2013 |2012 |2011

 


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