Lessons From The Book of Ezra - Part Two

March 22, 2009 Preacher: Randy Smith Series: Growing in Grace-Building Project

Scripture: Ezra 3:1–7

Transcript

Lessons From The Book of Ezra-Part Two

Ezra 3:1-7
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Pastor Randy Smith



About a month ago we hired a professional Christian consultant to give the leaders an intensive training seminar on conducting an effecting building program. But before he arrived, all of us read and discussed his book, entitled: "Preparing to Build" (AMI, 2000). In the book Mr. Anderson expressed one of his most primary thoughts: "From concept to completion, your church will not undertake a more demanding and complicated task in terms of money, risk, and effort than it will in a building program" (p. 8).

I trust we may all respond differently to that statement. To some it may bring fear. To others it may bring excitement. Yet I believe we all have one response in common. Because I know all of you love the church, this thought motivates us to make sure that we know what we are doing!

Fortunately the answers we need the most don't come from educated guesswork or popular opinion. They don't even come from human expertise. The answers we need the most to do God's work naturally come from the Word of God. As I mentioned last week, from the ark to the tabernacle to the temple, our God is no stranger to building projects. He clearly instructs us why we need to do them, when we need to do them and how to go about doing them.

So with this understanding, I have decided to break away from the book of Matthew and devote a few weeks to studying the book of Ezra. The book of Ezra is about building the temple. My plan is to glean key principles from Ezra that are applicable to our present day situation.

Aspects of the building project are enormous. Frequently I find myself overwhelmed by both the present demands and complexity of the overall endeavor. I am well aware as to how much this undertaking can affect our church. But my heart is put at ease when I consider that this church and this endeavor belong to the Lord. And if this be His will as we believe, we will never lack the necessary resources to be successful. And one of those resources is the clear and sufficient instruction that He has provided for us in the Bible.

Last week I uncovered the first principle in a successful building program. Using the book of Ezra, I demonstrated that God will always accomplish His purposes, even when they seem humanly impossible. Today, as we continue this study, I would like to present principles two through five. I trust you will find these points both helpful and encouraging. I have structured them all around the word "priority." Today's lesson will be revealing some of the foremost priorities in a building program.

THE PRIORITY OF PURITY

So let's begin with the second overall principle which I am calling: "The Priority of Purity."

When God commanded Jacob to make an altar to Himself in Bethel (Gen. 35:1), "Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, 'Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments'" (Gen. 35:2). In the very first chapter of Isaiah's prophecy God said, "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight" (Isa. 1:15-16). Just prior to giving the Ten Commandments God commanded Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments" (Ex. 19:10). I was just reading in Exodus how God commanded the Israelites to build a bronze laver for the tabernacle (Ex. 30:18). Aaron and his sons were to wash themselves the basin as the text says, "So that they will not die…when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the LORD" (Ex. 30:20). This ceremonial physical washing was to symbolize the spiritual cleanliness of their hearts.

The Bible is clear. God is a holy God, and He will only work with holy vessels. As Paul told Timothy, "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). If we want our works or our worship to be acceptable to the Lord, it is necessary that we have hearts that are morally pure (2 Cor. 7:1). God delights to use us in His glorious plans, but He also delights to use vessels that are clean.

This principle is seen throughout the book of Ezra.

Look at 2:62, "These searched among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood." In order to perform the priestly duties, it was necessary that the candidates descended from the line of Aaron. Since a few priests at this time could not provide the necessary genealogical records, they were officially excluded. (I'm sure that wasn't easy news to break to these guys!) Yet regardless of the hard decisions that impact personal lives, purity as it is expressed in the Scriptures, always takes precedence.

Look at 6:20, "For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves." Before they could do any purification for the people in the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, they first needed to make the necessary purifications for themselves. And those who participated in this time of worship were, verse 21, "The sons of Israel who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel."

The monthly observance of the Lord's Table is intended to be a time of self-examination (1 Cor. 11:28). This building project should also produce the same results. We need God to work on our behalf, and He will not work with a church that is stained with moral filth. We must flee from our sins, even the sins that we find such pain in forsaking.

I will give you an example. I am sure it wasn't easy for the people of Ezra's time to put away their pagan spouses! The command of God was clear. They were not to intermarry with non-Israelites (9:1-2; cf. Neh. 13:27). They disobeyed. Yet they acknowledged their disobedience (9:10; 10:2) and expressed remorse over their unfaithfulness.

Ezra said in 9:4-6, "Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering. But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God; and I said, 'O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.'"

In obedience to God's Word, they did the right thing. 10:19 says, "They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense." This was a big deal evidenced by the fact that from verse 20 to verse 44 (the end of the book) the specific names of those who repented were recorded.

God wants a holy people. He wants us set apart from sin and dedicated to His particular purposes. The Israelites, though difficult, pursued this goal, with success. Ezra said to them in 8:28, "You are holy to the LORD, and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of your fathers." By God's grace we can do the same whereby all that we are and all that we have is set apart for God's special use.

THE PRIORITY OF THE WORD

The third principle is "The Priority of the Word."

The Word of God and the Spirit of God are inseparable. The Spirit never moves in spheres where the Word is absent. True revival is a work of God, but the strong, accurate and uncompromising teaching of the Bible always begins first and is usually heightened as a result. When God truly moves in the life of His assembly, it always follows the assembly that prioritizes the Scriptures.

According to 7:6, "Ezra…was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses." He faithfully taught the Jews the Word in Babylon and now he would do the same in Israel. He arrived in Jerusalem, 7:9, "Because the good hand of his God was upon him." And when he arrived, 7:10 declares, "[He] set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."

The order of his responsibilities in 7:10 is crucial. Ezra first studied the Scriptures. He labored to correctly understand what was written. Second, he put into practice what he learned. And third, after he applied it to his own life he began to instruct others. And how did the people respond? 9:4 says they "trembled at the words of the God of Israel." Reverence for the Scriptures! What a love for God's voice! What a priority placed on the Word of God!

Ezra's ministry of the Word is also mentioned in Nehemiah. In chapter 8 of that book we read phrases like: "The people…asked Ezra…to bring the book of the law of Moses" (Neh. 8:1). And "[Ezra] read…from early morning to midday" (Neh. 8:3). And "All the people were attentive to the book of the law" (Neh. 8:3). And "When [Ezra] opened [the book], all the people stood up" (Neh. 8:5). And "[The people] answered, Amen, Amen!' while lifting up their hands; and they bowed low and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground" (Neh. 8:6). And "They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading" (Neh. 8:8).

In the midst of their building project, the Word of God was given great priority. This was witnessed by their desire for the Word, their time invested in the Word, their ability to understand the Word and their passion to obey the Word.

THE PRIORITY OF OBEDIENCE

Dovetailing off this principle is our fourth principle from the book of Ezra. A God-honoring building project puts a priority on obedience.

It is only natural that if we love the Word of God, then we will be faithful to do what the Word of God says. As James told that New Testament church: "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (Jas. 1:22).

The obedience of the Israelites was first tested when Cyrus asked the Jews to contribute their valuables to the Lord's work as a freewill offering (1:4, 6). The people responded favorably. Their obedience was again tested when they had to decide whether or not they would venture out on the 900-mile trek back to Jerusalem and actually dedicate themselves to beginning the reconstruction. Again, many people responded favorably.

Yet unfortunately before completion the work came to a crashing halt due to some opposition (4:17-24). So according to 5:1, God spoke His Word to the Israelites through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. As a matter of fact, information in the book of Haggai provides more details.

It is interesting that Haggai tells us in his book that the people were saying, "The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt' (Hag. 1:2). Despite God's commands, they determined for themselves it was time to call it quits. Why? The true reason is revealed by Haggai's response. "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house liesdesolate?" (Hag. 1:4). In other words, the Israelites became more self-absorbed in their personal lives while the temple took a backseat. Their personal homes took greater precedence than the house of God. The excuses must have been flying, but the bottom line was that they used their wealth and their time to the neglect of God's work.

So twice God through Haggai tells them to "consider [your] ways" (Hag. 1:5, 7). They are to consider the present consequences of their disobedience (Hag. 1:6) and "'Rebuild the temple,' [says the LORD], 'that I may be pleased with it and be glorified.'" (Hag. 1:8; cf. 1:10-11). God said, "You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?" declares the LORD of hosts, "Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house" (Hag. 1:9).

Yet once the people were confronted with the Word of the Lord, the Bible says, "All the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD" (Hag. 1:12; cf. 1:14-15). Their obedience is also mentioned in Ezra 5:2 and Ezra 6:14. With obedience always comes blessings. And when the people set their heart to prioritize the Lord's work, God enabled them to complete the work attended with His presence and favor (Hag. 2:5-19).

If, as we believe, God is calling us toward this building project, our pursuit should be marked by obedience. Though our work will be similar to the Israelites, I hesitate to compare the church to the temple. In the Old Covenant, God's presence dwelt in the temple (1 Ki. 5:5). But in the New Covenant, God's presence dwells in the hearts of His children (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16). God's home in the Old Testament was in ruins, and therefore, it needed to be rebuilt. And I submit to you today that God's home in the New Testament is also in ruins, and therefore, needs to be rebuilt as well. The church of Jesus Christ is in shambles - biblical illiteracy, dysfunctional homes, sinful pursuits and broken hearts. We are God's temple, and this is not becoming of God's temple. This is where the ultimate building needs to happen today, and the physical church is only a means to achieve those ends. People are always more important than property. This is our calling. Will we, regardless of what roof is over our heads, put a priority on God's temples? Will we be obedient to present "every man [and woman] complete in Christ" (Col. 1:28)? If so, I believe our obedience to build a physical structure will follow.

THE PRIORITY OF WORSHIP

We have seen the priority of purity, the priority of the Word and the priority of obedience. Let's examine the fifth principle in a building project: "The Priority of Worship."

Jesus said, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers" (Jn. 4:23). God is seeking worshippers. God is looking for people who have had their hearts touched by His grace and gladly respond to Him in a way that reflects His worth. Since God seeks worshippers, and worship is such a key element in our relationship with God, it is only natural that worship should permeate our building project. All that we do should be considered worship, and the primary purpose of our endeavor should be for worship.

Please follow along as I read from Ezra 3, verses 2-6. "Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, burnt offerings morning and evening. They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the LORD that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the LORD. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, but the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid."

They had been held prisoner in Babylon for decades - surrounded by pagan temples unable to offer sacrifices. Yet with a return to the land, they were able to return to the law of Moses. Little time was wasted. Even while among their hostile neighbors, the first thing they did the moment they returned to Jerusalem was to erect an altar and once again resume the biblical prescriptions for worship. The building was to be constructed for worship, but they didn't wait for the building to be completed to begin their worship. Worship took precedence even before the foundations were laid. They had their priorities in the correct order.

The priority of worship is also seen in 7:17. Despite the fact that they had limited resources and an enormous project before them, much of what finances they had were to be budgeted for worship. "With this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem" (7:17).

What happened to these sacrifices? They literally went up in smoke! The money invested shortly had nothing to show for itself. I can imagine some people saying, "This is a waste of money. We'd be better off using it for something tangible!" Such a well meaning, but shortsighted statement obviously does not understand the priority God places on worship.

After he completed constructing the Jerusalem walls, Nehemiah knew it was time to worship and praise the Lord. In the book that bears his name it says they, "Celebrate[d] the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres" (Neh. 12:27). Then "the priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall" (Neh. 12:30). Then Nehemiah stationed two choirs composed of perhaps hundreds of people on the wall and "in the house of God" (Neh. 12:40). "And on that day" says Nehemiah, "They offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar… For they performed the worship of their God." (Neh. 12:43, 45). And they did it by "[singing] songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving…and [reading] aloud from the [Scriptures]" (Neh. 12:46; 13:1).

As we continue in our building project, do we have our priorities in order? Are we presently committed to purity and the Bible and obedience and worship? May we focus on these four points during our churchwide fast this Wednesday. And when we consider these priorities do we realize that they are the primary reasons we are pursuing this building project?


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