God Knows About Artaxerxes Ezra 8.21-23

Ezra 1:1b -” ...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 ...” God wanted Cyrus to build Him a house at Jerusalem and any Jew that wanted to go, could go build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. And the people who lived around any Jew who wanted to help build the house of the Lord, were to assist him with silver, gold, supplies, pack animals, and freewill offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.

Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.

Ezra 6;14b “They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia...”

v.22 “And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”

The historical book of Ezra is an account of Sovereign God acting on the desires of men's hearts to accomplish His will for His glory. Ezra the scribe (Ezra 7; Nehemiah 8) was skilled in keeping accurate records and in particular knowing the interpretation and application of the Word of God. Ezra was probably the compiler of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah (which were one book in Christian literature until the 3^rd century and remain so in the Hebrew Bible).

Ezra and Nehemiah were written while Israel was still under Persian rule. The purpose at the time was probably to reveal that God, the Sovereign Lord of All was redeeming Israel and reestablishing true worship among them. It also reminds us today that our Redeemer God still “turns hearts wherever He will.” We need to be like Ezra – Paying Attention to God's History; Revering God's Holiness; and Seeking God's Help for His Glory as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in Jesus' Name.

PAYING ATTENTION TO GOD'S HISTORY

• Ezra knew what to look for.

  • Knew the Word of God v.1:1a

  • Recognized God's action v.1:1b

• Ezra gave an accurate account (verifiable) [see stats in Chap.2 as with witnesses to Jesus' resurrection 1Corithians 15:5-8] How miraculous does something have to be to be a miracle. Tell what you know and can verify or what comes from people you know and can trust to verify. Keep statistics real Jesus fulfilling 8 prophecies is plenty.

REVERING GOD'S HOLINESS V.7:10

• “Ezra had set his heart...”

  • God: calls us– John15:16;

  • moves us- Proverbs 21:1;

  • equips us – Luke 24:45; 2Corinthians 3:14; to “set our hearts”

• “...to study the Law of the Lord...” The law of the Lord reveals His character - holiness

• “...and to do it...” John13:17

• “...and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” Matthew 28:19-20

• The people of God separated themselves – even from help of non-believers vv.4:1-3; chptrs9-10

• Repentance was community wide v.9:3,ff.

  • Sorrow and

  • Correction see also Nehemiah13:23-30

SEEKING GOD'S HELP FOR HIS GLORY Vv.8:21-23

• Bragging on Jesus will often require depending on Jesus God knew about the opposition and the support Vv.4:7-24; 5:8-6:12 See Joshua chapters 3&4 – God often works upstream and out of sight.

Ezra the scribe the priest noticed God's movement around him and was careful to respect and present God as holy. In doing these he put himself in God's hands so that God would have to be God in his life.

He did these things knowing God only by God's revelation of Himself through history and the law. We can know God personally through Jesus. How should we live? Do you know God by history, law, or relationship?

On What Do You Feed? Matthew 3:13-4:4

Credit where due: I draw heavily for this sermon from John Piper's preaching on fasting. BJH

The Bridegroom is gone for a while. So we fast while He is gone and for His return. We also fast because Jesus fasted. Consider that as Jesus prepared for His earthly ministry, He fasted. As Jesus prepared to wrestle with the devil so that He could deliver us from bondage to sin and death, Jesus fasted. If Jesus had failed, salvation would have failed. If He cannot defeat Satan, everything is lost because no one can be crucified for my sin who cannot beat the devil.

You and I face challenges and neither of us is Jesus. If He prepared for and began His ministry by fasting, could it be that we as individuals and as a church ought to fast to meet the challenges we face? Could it be that the reason we are defeated by the same things over and over – such as a lack of boldness or lack of wisdom, the same sins, the same problems in relationship ... is because there is a weapon for the battle or a route of attack that we have overlooked? On what do we really depend? On what do we really feed for our strength? What is your “bread?”

“It is not surprising that Jesus was tempted by the devil immediately after his baptism which signified the formal entrance upon the Messianic work. That is a common experience for ministers [and I would say, ministries] who step out into the open for Christ.” A.T. Robertson

THE BAPTISM OF JOHN THE BAPTIZER (He was not Baptist)

• John

  • Filled with the Holy Spirit Luke 1:15

  • Fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah 40:3

  • Calling people to change their attitudes and conduct

• Baptism

  • “It is his [John] office to bind them to a new life, symbolized by immersion in water.” Plummer (Anglican commentator) v.3:6

  • For those committed to God, not those following the crowd or … superstition (Pharisees) or ... ritual in carnal unbelief (Sadducees) v.3:7

  • Had been practiced for proselytes and therefore naturally repulsive to those born into Judaism

  • For Jesus it fulfilled righteousness

    • Not because he had sin to repent of

    • Put the stamp of approval on John's ministry of calling to change by His example

    • Initiated a new ordinance demonstrating being “set apart.” + high priest “washing”

    • Having already been circumcised (OT), and now baptized (NT), not for His own justification, as an example

THE SIGN AND THE SENDING vv.3:16-4:1

• The Spirit of God “in the form of a dove” Luke3:22

  • All three persons of Godhead present

    • Jesus – baptized + Holy Spirit – in a bodily shape + Father - a voice (from a different place)

  • Jesus had the Holy Spirit (at least as spiritual as John)

• Jesus led (driven Mark1:12) by Spirit (the Fortifier) to be tempted by the devil (“slanderer”) (see the word slanderer used in 2Tim.3:3; Titus 2:3; 1Tim.3:11)

• Being chosen by God is not being chosen to be comfortable

THE FAST v.4:2

• Produced hunger - After forty days of close communion with the Father

• Produced victory - Deuteronomy Defense – All the defenses Jesus used came from Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16, 13

THE MESSAGES of Deu. 8:2-3 and Matt. 4:3-4

• Led (caused to go) to Wilderness; Forty; Testing/tempting; letting you hunger; as being led/leading to Promised Land

• Testing to see what controls you – measure of our slavery

  • “bread”? Other “medication”? Faith? To deal with life.

• Satan's temptation to make bread (as Jesus had made manna)

  NOTE: Before manna – man had no concept of manna- a God thing

  We Live - not by bread or anything else we know OR manna OR miracles

• RATHER We live by every thing that comes from the mouth of God = God

THE QUESTION When you hunger, what do you hunger for? Bread? “Spiritual bread”? What do you need? Bread? Manna?

OR The love of God?-(to which the manna pointed)

Satan is happy for us to work miracle and turn stones to bread – if we love the bread (we just made) instead of God.

After the Bridegroom is Gone Acts 13.2-4, Matthew 9.14-16

For the month of January, we are calling for a fast from supper Tuesday to supper Wednesday for the purpose of praying for God's will in planning for this year and the next couple of years. We will have a supper meal at the church each Wednesday at 6:30.

We are in a position similar to that of the first century church. We live in a world that is, at best, ignorant of Jesus Christ, or, at worst, hostile to Jesus. As a church, we must be involved in the increase of the Word of God and in the number of disciples (Acts6:7). As individuals, we are to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Peter 3:18). And in all, we are to “'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is“ (Ephesians 5:14b-17). Examples in the Bible and in church history tell us that fasting ought to be part of our seeking God as a congregation and a people of God.

FASTING:

CHANGED HISTORY Acts 13

• The Beginning of Organized Western Mission Work

  • Asia Minor, Greece, Rome, Spain

• Christianity became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire within 250 years

• 1.3 billion Christians today in virtually every country of the world (at least nominally)

• 13 of 29 New Testament books written to mission churches

IS HISTORICAL

• Some of the more Familiar: Moses – Exodus34:28; Elijah - 1Kings 19:8; Daniel – Daniel10:3; Esther and Jewish Nation – Esther4:16

• A Couple of Special Fasts:

  • Jehoshaphat - 2Chronicles20

  • Ezra 8:21-23

• Some more Recent History

  • Britain 1756 – France threatens to invade. The king calls for a day of solemn prayer and fasting...

    John Wesley wrote, “The fast day was a glorious day, such as London has scarce seen since the Restoration. Every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face. Surely God heareth prayer, and there will yet be a lengthening of our tranquillity. “ ...and later added, “Humility was turned into national rejoicing for the threatened invasion ...was averted.”

  • Promise Keepers – 1990- Coach McCartney and 72 men prayed and fasted at lunchtime on Wednesdays for God to stir the hearts of men to pursue Jesus Christ....1991 – first PK 4,200 men at U of Colorado...1997 – 1,000,000 men on the National Mall, Washington, DC

IS APROPRIATE AS A GROUP (concern about Matthew6:16-18)

• The goal is to hunger for God, not the recognition of men.

• Group fasting is biblically historical

CAN BE DANGEROUS

• Isaiah58

  • Can bring out the worst instead of the best

    • Pride

    • Anger

  • Can focus on things other than God's glory

    • Force God's hand?

    • Old wine skins?

    • Set an example?

• Physically, it may not be an option for you to go without any food for 24 hours. There are other options

  • Partial food fast

  • Fast from other things that draw you. Daniel10:3

    • No delicacies, no meat, no wine, no anointing, no internet, no TV, ???

IS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD AND OUR SATISFACTION IN HIM

Since the Bridegroom is away.

This is only possible if you are “in Christ” 2Corinthians5:17