“The Cure For Delayed Development”
• 11.4.18 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- When we were last in Ezra, we discovered that
the Jewish community had given up their God given, Government approved, mandate
to rebuild the Temple, because of their enemy's efforts.
- They sought to discourage them and they
succeeded. The people walked away from the work and walked into a 15 year
delay.
- The enemy can never destroy the work that God
designs for us, but can often pressure us into delaying our progress in
cooperating with it! That is what was happening with the Jews!
- The question before us today is, "What
does it take for a community, a church, a Christian, to begin to respond again
to the work of God after such a long time?" Let's look together at verse 1.
Text
• Ezra
5:1,2 : "Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets,
prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God
of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak
rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the
prophets of God were with them, helping them." : God gave the people 15 years to turn their minds and hearts
back to the work that He called them to complete.
- What happened instead is what happens to the
majority that respond to external pressures and eventually delay their
spiritual progress by resigning from God's call on their life.
- These Israelis spent 15 years turning their
resource away from their holy calling and gave it instead to their own self
improvement projects.
- Their rationale, their justification is not
revealed to us, but by virtue of having been around many that have lived the "delayed
life," I can almost hear their arguments.
- "I'll do what God told me to do when I'm
better off financially, when the kids are older, when the house is paid off,
when I'm better equipped, etc."
- I've listened to many who believed that the
right time to serve God was any time other than the present time! That is what
these people embodied and became comfortable with.
- When the time was right, when the people of
God would not respond to God's gentle prompting any longer, He raised up men
endued with His heart to prophesy to them!
- "After all that time, God decided to use
His word?" What did you think God was going to use to bring His people out
from their malaise? Angelic visitation? Skywriting? No, the word is sufficient!
- When Christ defeated Satan in the wilderness,
after 40 days of fasting, He did so using only this singular weapon, the same
one that is available to you and I today!
- As far as these two Prophets go, their
ministries were quite different from each other, but do illustrate for us the
two sides of the prophetic coin.
- Haggai's prophecy was based around what the
people of God should do right then. His writing is practical and exhortive.
- He tells them, on behalf of the Lord, that they
should not look to use their time to build homes for themselves. The Temple lie
in ruins while their houses were nicely paneled!
- Haggai explains why it is that they worked so
hard, but had so little. God wasn't going to bless a self-centered vision for
their life! Zechariah's prophecy is quite different.
- Haggai's work is practical and exhortive.
Zechariah's is predictive and eschatalogical. Haggai tells them what they
should do and Zechariah shows them a vision of what will be!
- His book is filled with prophecies regarding
the Lord's ministry, as well as his prophecy that pointed their eyes to the
Mount of Olives, which would be the point of Christ's return!
- These prophets spoke in the Lord's Name and
with His authority, not to be sensational, but to stir the people back up to
action!
- They spoke, but the sense of that last phrase
in verse 1 is that God spoke through
or "over" them. He was using their voice to explain His heart and His
power was evident by the result.
- The leaders of God's people, Zerubbabel and
Jeshua rose up and began to build! Man could not have motivated that action out
of them. It was God's Word working through His Spirit!
- The word jarred them into remembering what it
was that they had been called to do.
- Haggai and Zechariah prophecied and then stood
by supporting them as well! It wasn't long until they drew the attention of the
local officials. Verse 3.
• Ezra
5:3-5a : "At the same time Tattenai the governor of the region beyond the
River and Shethar-Boznai and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them:
'Who has commanded you to build this temple and finish this wall?' Then, accordingly, we told them the
names of the men who were constructing this building. But the eye of their God was upon
the elders of the Jews, so that they could not make them cease till a report
could go to Darius." : Notice those words
carefully: "At the same time." God's Word has produced wonderful
results.
- The people are motivated and activated to
return to the work that God called them to. Time to test their resolve with a
little pressure from the Governor. Will they give in?
- This group, led by Tattenai, who is the
governor, and Shethar Boznai began their investigation. "Who has given you
the authority to do what you are doing?"
- Instead of giving in, the people of God
calmly gave them the information that they wanted.
- They didn't panic because God's eye was upon
the elders of the Jews. This is a picture both of God's protection and leading.
- We use the phrase, "I'll keep my eye
upon them" and the meaning is much the same here. God is watching over
their lives and their efforts, protecting them while they deal with these
enemies.
- At the same time, this metaphor speaks of an
intimacy with God, such as that which occurs between two people non-verbally.
In such a case, a person can easily deduce the meaning of a look.
• Psalm
32:8,9 : "I
will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with
My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which
must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you." : The Lord's desire is that you and I know Him so intimately that
we will immediately obey the most subtle signs, unlike the insensate animal
that must be driven!
- Either
metaphor works. God is looking out for them as they follow His command, giving
them the right demeanor and the right answers to deal properly with their
enemies.
- At the same time, their sensitivity to listen
to the word that has been proclaimed has also put them in the position to confidently
assess the situation. They are prepared to obey the Lord.
- Ultimately, look at the effect that it
produced! God allowed the process of re-stopping the Jews impossible until
Tatenai's report could be made which begins in verse 5b.
•
Ezra 5:5-17 : "Then a written answer was returned
concerning this matter. This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai sent: The governor of
the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and his companions, the
Persians who were in the region beyond the River, to Darius the king. (They sent a letter to him, in
which was written thus.) To Darius the king: All peace. Let it be known to the king that we
went into the province of Judea, to the temple of the great God, which is being
built with heavy stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and
this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. Then we asked those elders, and
spoke thus to them: 'Who commanded you to build this temple and to finish these
walls?' We also
asked them their names to inform you, that we might write the names of the men
who were chief among them. And thus they returned us an answer, saying: 'We are the
servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that
was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. But because our fathers provoked
the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and carried the people away
to Babylon. However,
in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build
this house of God. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which
Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and carried into
the temple of Babylon—those King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and
they were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. And he said to him, ‘Take these
articles; go, carry them to the temple site that is in Jerusalem, and let the
house of God be rebuilt on its former site.’ Then the same Sheshbazzar came and
laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; but from that
time even until now it has been under construction, and it is not finished.' Now therefore, if it seems good to
the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in
Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to build this
house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us his pleasure concerning
this matter." : Tattenai's letter gives all
of the details that you'd like to hear. It remarks upon the steady progress
that had begun recently. God's people were doing good work!
-
It's good for unbelievers to look upon their Christian counterparts with
respect them for the work that they are doing! That should be a byproduct of
our walk with the Lord!
-
Remember that Jesus grew in favor with God AND with men! Tattenai might or
might not have liked the Jews, but he certainly respects their work!
-
The letter also accurately recounts the history of this project. It's factual
historically and spiritually! Notice what the Jews reported. We're rebuilding
because of what our people did!
-
They own their history! They know that it was their actions which prompted God
to remove them from the land. Such a refreshing, yet elusive picture of
repentance!
-
It's never repentance until it begins with an acknowledgment of one's own sin!
There can be no excuses or blame upon others. The Jews that were at the Temple
now understood that acutely.
-
Finally, the letter requests an inquiry into the Jew's claims. As far as
letters go, this is pretty tame. Darius answers their query in chapter 6.
• Ezra 6:1-5 : "Then King Darius issued a decree, and a
search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. And
at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was
found, and in it a record was written thus: In
the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house
of God at Jerusalem: 'Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered
sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty
cubits and its width sixty cubits, with three rows of heavy
stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king’s
treasury. Also let the gold and silver articles
of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple which is in
Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and taken back to the temple
which is in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God'—" : Darius kept up his end of the bargain and found the scroll that
contained Cyrus' words, a repeat of what we have already looked at in chapter 1.
- According to archeologists, the location of
these archives required a 200 mile journey!
- The author repeats the information here to
let you in on what it was like to be Tattenai and Shethar Boznai at this
moment, when these words were read to them for the first time.
- Consider their thoughts at the discovery!
"Cyrus wants it rebuilt and he is willing to pay for it?"
- Can you imagine what they must have felt
after giving the Jews the problems that they did? It was about to go from bad
to worse! Verse 6.
• Ezra
6:6-10 : "Now therefore, Tattenai,
governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and your
companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves far from
there. Let the work of this house of God
alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house
of God on its site.
Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for
the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the cost
be paid at the king’s expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this
is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered. And whatever they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the
burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to
the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day
without fail, that they may offer sacrifices
of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his
sons." : Darius is direct and not disposed
to diplomacy. He names them personally, looking them in the proverbial eye and
he warns them sternly. "Keep yourselves far from there!"
- It's likely that the King sent a
courier to read this and when he read these words aloud, I can only imagine a
deep chill traversing their spine.
- The most powerful man in their
world emphatically told them personally not to be found near the temple site. They
were to let the work alone save for re-allocating resource for it!
- The expenses for the building
would come directly from the taxes that they collected from that region and it
was to flow in their direction immediately!
- There was to be no further
stoppage in the work and they were to be given what they needed every single
day in order to bring blessing to the God of Heaven!
- He has a vested interest in this
taking place, as those priests will in turn be praying for his family! Darius
knows where his blessings are coming from!
- This Darius is not the Darius of
Daniel's day, but you can be sure that the effect of Daniel's ministry was
enduring. There was somebody with a knowledge of scripture there.
- The "sacrifices of sweet
aroma" statement comes straight from Leviticus! Somehow, this man realizes
that a Godly presence in Jerusalem means a godly covering for his family. Verse
11.
• Ezra
6:11,12 : "Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a
timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and
let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. And may the God who causes His name
to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to
destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let
it be done diligently." : If Tattenai and Shethar Boznai
were not fearful before, they are downright petrified now!
- Darius makes a decree and adds
that there can be no alteration on penalty of an especially violent death!
Anyone that would disobey, would be impaled on their own lumber!
- He calls upon God to avenge
Himself should anyone seek the destruction of His work!
- The Jews have gone from being
intimidated, to being in a place of great authority. Verse 13.
• Ezra
6:13-18 : "Then Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River,
Shethar-Boznai, and their companions diligently did according to what King
Darius had sent. So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying
of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and
finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according
to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the temple was finished on the
third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of
King Darius. Then
the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the
descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God
with joy. And they
offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls,
two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel
twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned the priests to their
divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in
Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses." : You'll want to notice that phrase: Tattenai, Shethar Boznai and
their companions "diligently did according to what King Darius had
sent!" Yes, I bet they did!
- God had used the only authority
that these men would respect to humble them. That is what happens to proud men
and women who believe that they are able to do life without God!
- As for the Jews, the paths were
now clear and their progress was soon evident to all. The record tells us that
they prospered through the ministries of Haggai and Zechariah.
- The thought is that their
prophetic ministry pushed them along toward success in building the Temple.
Their inspired words that were heard often, inspired actions until the Temple
was finished.
- We get the time stamp in verse 15. It took the Jews 4 years, making
the entire episode one that lasted just over 21 years. Imagine if there hadn't
been that 15 year delay!
- The events of verse 16 through 18 could have happened much sooner in their lives!
- Thankfully, as we read here,
even though they were delayed, the Lord met them there as they honored the Lord
in following Moses' commands. Verse 19.
• Ezra
6:19-22 : "And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the
fourteenth day of the first month. For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of
them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the
descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for
themselves. Then
the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with
all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of
the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy;
for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the
heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work
of the house of God, the God of Israel." : It's
been a little more than 2,000 years since the very first Passover and here they
are celebrating it as if it were the first one!
- When you return from a season of
delay, don't think that you need to find some new way to worship. The old way
is just fine! They reset themselves to worship in the way that God commanded!
- When Jesus exposed the flaw in
the church of Ephesus as a lack of love, He instructed that church to remember
from where they had fallen, repent, and then repeat the first works! (Rev. 2:5)
- Have we not just observed that
very set of principles? The people remember through the word, repent of their
own history and repeat their first works again in celebrating the Passover!
- This meal held an additional
significance, as they saw this time as a deliverance from the impurity,
uncleanness, of the nations. God had separated them and they were free to seek
Him!
- They were free now to enquire
after Him in the land that the Lord promised, with the Temple that He ordered
to be complete!
- They went right from the
Passover into the Feast of Unleavend bread, God making them joyful because
first, they recognized that God had turned the heart of the King toward them!
• Proverbs
21:1 (NASB) : "The
king’s heart is like
channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it
wherever He wishes." : They could not have
affected the King for their own purposes, but God could affect him for His!
- The King's support strengthened
their hands in the work! Remember that their enemies had work to discourage, to
"weaken" their hands. God made sure to undo that process!
- Indeed that is what He would
have done had they trusted Him 15 years earlier! There is no enemy with greater
power over our hands than the Lord Himself!
Conclusion
- Let's pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment