Ezra benefited from being alone with God. and trusting God alone. That comes out of studying his life. just in these few chapters. Sacredness.
is treating something that belongs to God. as though it belongs to God. Sacrilege is treating something that belongs to God as though you don't care. Ezra gave all of us an abrupt Initiation into if you really want to trust, if you really want to walk on water. This is how you do it.
This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through a topical series. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Ezra, Faith's Braveheart, is the title of Pastor Rick's message on today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio.
You know, the story gets interesting without troops transporting such wealth. It put everybody in danger. The repatriates that were with him, the women and the children. But he knew this was God. And it had to be this way.
And it could be no other way. And he did it. A demonstration of what trust is in God in front of the king, the Persian king, the priests, the Levites that came back with him, and the common people and the leaders to this day. To the people of God. A ready heart, as I mentioned, to spread the word.
not to become a religious political pundit. Get to Babylon, get to Jerusalem, and begin to discuss the Babylonian court. His mission was to oversee Worship in the house of God amongst the people of God according to the word of God. He was a scribe. In the writings of Moses, which is the first five books of the Bible, and at this time there weren't many more books than that.
So He had a grateful heart. Chapter 7, verse 27. Ezra writes, Blessed be Yahweh, God of our fathers. Pause there. That part, God of our fathers, is critical, goes back to the mixed marriages.
Our line is from Jacob. And that's the line we're going to keep. And it's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is alive. Those men died, but that God continued to live.
And these are powerful little statements woven in.
So he finishes. Blessed be Yahweh, God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem. He's grateful. He says, yeah, he's a pagan king. Autoxerxes.
But he's being used by God. Get our faith back together. And it's an admirable thing. That's what Ezra is saying. And I mentioned before: unbelievers can have very high and noble characteristics, and many of them are worth reading and studying.
Look, if you want to talk about adventure, You're not going to talk Ernest Shackleton. I've no reason to believe he was a believer. But he was a very determined individual. And if you read his book South, you say, man, I don't know how these guys did it. In fact, they've tried to repeat his.
sailing to Elephant Island, they couldn't do it. To modern technology, it could, well, it could with radar and all the other boats, but. They had a boat just like his try to make it. to Elephant Island And uh they followed him with another boat. That was a safety boat with all the technology, and they had to tell the boat like Shackleton's, you can't do this, you're headed toward the rocks, you gotta stop.
It's just incredible the things that people can do no matter what. their religion is. When he gets to heaven, the question won't be Well, I saw how you survived, and all your shipmates made it. The question's going to be: what did you do with my son? What did you do with Jesus Christ who died for you?
Well I don't know how he's going to answer it. Maybe he gets it right. That would be nice, 'cause I've got questions I want to ask him about. What do penguins taste like and puffins? They were eating more penguins than puffins.
Anyway, coming back to this. Over five times. We hear him directly thanking God. Basic Christianity, our Father. Who art in heaven?
Hallowed be your name. every building worth worth its weight has to have a defined entrance. Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done. And he goes, they're just, you know, thanking God. Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. I mean, it's just a prayer conscious of other people. Whether you like them or not. We're conscious of them. And we're not against them just because.
Life's difficult.
Well, verse 28 of chapter 7, so I was encouraged. as the hand of Yahweh, my God, was upon me, and I gathered leading men. of Israel to go with me. They had to uproot themselves in Babylon. to go to almost nothing.
in the ruins of Jerusalem. And he had a hard time finding Levites to do this. They should have been the first ones. But he did find them. He was devoted and dependent.
Verse chapter 8, verse 21. Then I proclaimed. That we might humble ourselves before our God. To seek him. The right way for us and the little ones, and all our possessions.
So I mentioned that he comes back with 1,700 men, but then there's women and children.
Well, there's one of your indicators that learning how to read the Bible and understand, okay, this is where you get that from. Oh, the little ones are with them. The dads ain't just taking them. The moms are going to be there too. The integrity.
And what is integrity? For the Christian, it is the application of devotion. And The resolve. To be devout. to uphold.
And I can't tell you how difficult Christians make it to uphold Scripture sometimes. Devotion is meaningless. If it does not remain when you challenged. Unto death.
So, chapter 8, verse 22: for I was ashamed to request, we circle back to. His great faith, this brave heart. I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road because we had spoken. to the king. Saying the hand of God is upon all those for good who seek him.
Well He's going to keep that. That's integrity. One of the great statements In the Bible, it's legendary. Once you read it, you never forget it. You might forget who said it.
But you won't forget it's there. Once you read that in your devotional time, you'll say, Who was it that you might say, Who was that that said that? I want to know. Or you might say, no, that was Ezra. I'm never going to forget who that was.
Now, I mentioned Nehemiah. He did ask for troops later. And he became a co-worker with Ezra in rebuilding Jerusalem. And he accepted and requested a military escort. In Nehemiah chapter two, verses seven through nine, Both were attitudes of faith.
There's no way you're going to look at a man like Nehemiah and say to him, That wasn't faith. First off, he'd probably hit you. He was an aggressive guy. All right, this may be a little bit much.
Well, he did. He said, I smote them. I pulled out their hair. And he was It's the hero of my He's doing what I can't do, what I want to do sometimes. Anyway.
Both were attitudes of faith, each in a different way.
Sort of like Romans 14:6, where. Paul says, Well, one man esteems one day higher than another. Another man, they're all the same to him. They both worship the Lord. If you want to have a holiday, have at it.
If he doesn't want the holiday, leave him alone. Same God, same faith. Nehemiah knew that faith could not be faked. And you got to give it to him instead of saying, well, Ezra did it. Uh I'm gonna do it too.
And it's not yours, you're just saying it. Oh, that's a disaster, a recipe for disaster. And so he does, he takes the rational route. but I would not say that Nehemiah, Was a man of faith, was a faithless man. His heart broke over the condition in Jerusalem.
And when he gets there, okay, I'm doing a study on Nehemiah, they need to go forward. Anyway. Ezra benefited from being alone with God. and trust in God alone. That comes out of studying his life.
Just in these few chapters. Sacredness is is treating something that belongs to God As though it belongs to God. Sacrilege is treating something that belongs to God as though you don't care. Ezra gave all of us an abrupt Initiation into if you really want to trust, if you really want to walk on water. This is how you do it.
Nehemiah says I can't do that, but I can do this. And I don't know. Ezra could not have done what Nehemiah did. Let's just make it clear that Nehemiah's faith was great. Ezra could not do it.
He was already in Jerusalem. But what he does do is he comes alongside of Nehemiah, and he shows up in the story quite often, and I'll get to some quotes about that. Which is a plus for both of those men and the people. When he gets to Jerusalem, He finds The people have abandoned the principles. Paul has that same experience in Galatia.
O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. And so it's the same problem, but it's a different people, a different He who belonging to the the sin that's going on. as refines the Jews that had been bewitched And Christians were bewitched, and Paul He addresses that in Galatians 3. Ezra personified the ministry of the word.
This is again New Testament. They wanted the apostles to do things. For the church that took the apostles away from the things that God told them to do. They were good things, they were necessary things. And Peter responds where the apostles respond We're not going to leave the word of God and minister to tables.
We're not going to do this. This is important work, but it's not our work. And he says, But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And that's not just teaching, that's living the word in front of the flock. That's caring for the flock.
I pray for my preparation, my delivery, and the ministry of the word after. what happens after you're when you're not in the pulpit? That's the ministry of the word.
Well, Ezra personified that.
Now Nehemiah chapter 8.
Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square and they told. Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses. Yeah, who else? Who else would they pick? If you wanted to get the Bible and into a public forum.
On a national level, Who's your go to guy? Ezra, how do I be that kind of guy?
Well, I can't. God appoints that, but I can. Grab as much of it as possible. Just as a basic rifleman in the faith. I can still grab as much of this in the workplace, I can be that guy.
I have been that guy in the workplace. When someone dies, they come to you. They've asked me to read the eulogy. What do I say? And not as a pastor, just as a Christian.
Coming back to this, bring the book of the law. Which the Lord had commanded Israel.
So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men and women. And all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. You understand that? Those who could understand the word, not just speak the language. but follow along, something that a lot of Christians find abhorrent apparently.
Anyway, So he brings the law, then he read from it in the open square from morning until midday. before the men and women And those who could understand the teens. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. He's reading the scripture. He makes comment, he reads the scripture.
He had others that would come along. And they would help. With the understanding. The Jews talk. They're not born understanding the scripture.
Nobody is. Everybody has to learn and develop and mature in the faith. He was an inspiration. It continues in Nehemiah chapter 8 and verse 5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people.
And when he opened it, all the people stood up.
So he's on a chancel, a platform. No church should have a stage. And this is where that idea of a platform, it just makes perfect sense. Even if it weren't in the Bible, it would make perfect sense. If you have a speaker to an assembly of any size, put them up so people aren't trying to rubberneck around the guy in front of them to see what the person's.
all their gestures. Anyway, also we find out the king made The Levites and the priests tax exempt. comes from the book of Ezra. in Western civilization. Anyway, he read from it in the open square from morning.
I know I was reading from chapter f eight verses five and six. He stood up and Ezra blessed Yahweh. The great God, Then all the people answered, Now this is in this is not little. All the people answered, Amen.
Well, that would have been expected, but that's not what happens. And Ezra blessed the Lord. The great God and all the people answered, Amen, amen. There was an emotion involved in this. There was more than just amen.
They gave him two. And this is a lot of people. And so there's a raw that comes forward as he's reading the scripture. They're into it. These are the people that, when he got there, They were Sinning.
And he cleans it up. And they began to build a wall. They couldn't build a wall until they got their act together spiritually. There is no defence. But now the walls will go up.
And the men, the duo, Nehemiah and Ezra, are the ones doing it. It says they said amen, amen, while lifting up their hands. I said it was emotional.
Well, if you're bored, you don't go, oh, amen, amen. I mean, you're just into it. Their hands were lifted up. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord and their faces to the ground. They were smitten.
They were aware of their sin. They were aware of the solution. And they were acting upon it. And their leaders were there with them. The Bible never cancels this.
systemic approach to God for his people. Sending them these leaders, Jeremiah, and I will give you shepherds according to my heart who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And nowadays, what we're finding for many Christians is, I don't need that, I'll go in line. Or Google it. There's no heart.
coming out of AI. There's no passion coming out of AI. It's fake. It's just data. without a heart.
Christ did not die for data. He died for people. And there will be many people in hell who had a lot of data, information. But they had no heart for God. If I had to take a book of the Old Testament and match it with the pastoral epistles, Timothy and Titus, it'd be Ezra.
Nehemiah eight, so they read distinctly from the book. in the law of God. and they gave cents. And help them to understand the reading. These were the men that were the associate pastors.
If you will. amongst the people, moving amongst the people in the square of the church. This is a national event. Nine Ezra 9 verse 4 and I'm almost done. And every one who trembled at the words of God of Israel assembled to me because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished.
Until the evening sacrifice. And here's the spiritual leader. We've moved away. Nehemiah comes later. We've circled back.
Nehemiah and that experience in the square where the people say amen, lift their arms up. That happens later. We now come back to Ezra. He's been several months now. In Jerusalem.
And they come to him and tell him. Tell him we've been sinning because his just simple preaching has poked their conscience. Spiritual shepherds from God give us things to think about. That's their job. We meditate.
Paul says this to Timothy: Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. That people can see you're growing, you're maturing in the faith as their pastor, and they will see they can mature in the faith. as parishioners. to do what they're doing.
And God chose Ezra to unscramble the egg. Whew, sign me up. You know how difficult it is to do?
Somebody says, here's my team, fix them. Sure.
Well, okay, let's just, you know, s throw some salt on their head. and have them face east and they should be fine. This is a big job on scrambling an egg. And this is the man God chose to do it. And so upon arrival, this is the great.
Jewish challenge he's confronted with. About four months. after he gets there.
So that means within about four or five months, his teaching has bore fruit. They were disobedient. They established mixed marriages that threatened to turn Judah into Samaria.
So, earlier, I mentioned to you the genocide. That's what happened to the Northern Kingdom. They took the Jews out. They brought Gentiles in, they left a few Jews in. and they mixed, and they became the Samaritans.
And the Samaritans eventually established their own pagan religion. But up their own temple. And said, We're Jews just like you. These are the ones that came and asked Zerubbabel: Hey, can we help you build the temple? And Zerubbabel said, No, you have no part with us.
In verse 2, we read, For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons.
so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Again, His preaching, not his investigation, brought this confession. They came to him. Me not go. turning over leaves and stones trying to find their guilt.
uncommon courage. born of great dependency of on God. And an uncommon knowledge of Scripture. Because he had an uncommon heart for the Word of God. Those who pastored, Paul says, able to teach.
That means God has to give them A hunger To learn the scripture, to apply it, and then to share what they learn. Not to speak down to people, like, oh, this is what I learned, and you need to, no, it's. That which I first received, I gave to you. That's how Paul taught them on communion, and that is. the template For a pastor.
As the pastors and the children's workers, with the kids teaching them, it has to be: that which I first receive, I give to you. and lack of such teachers. is how they entangled themselves. in the first place.
Well, moving on, just a few more. Chapter 9 verse 6, and I said, O God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to you. My God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. Why is he including himself with them? Because that's what the prophets do.
Daniel did it, Nehemiah did it. Moses did it. Ezra's doing it. We have sinned. But he didn't.
He wasn't involved in the mixed marriages. But it's a body. It's there together. We get to the tenth chapter now, while Ezra was praying and while he was confessing, weeping and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered in front of Israel, for the people wept very bitterly. Over their sin.
God was that real to them. The book of Ezra closes with this in chapter 10, verse 44. All these had taken pagan wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. He had to deal with that. He had to unscramble that.
Quick review. The second half of Ezra, chapters seven through ten, focuses on one year. of Ezra Leading a group back to Jerusalem, empowered by a Persian king, and focused on proper temple worship, which means obedience to Scripture. He found many Jews. Intermarried With unbelievers?
And he decisively resolved the issue, but it was painful. He brought scripture to the people. Powerful conviction and devotion, focused.
So again, I said he didn't launch an investigation. He did not choose Bible teachings aimed at people doing things he didn't care for or God forbade. He just expounded the Scripture and he let the Holy Spirit take it from there. Paul said the word of God. The scriptures are cleansing.
They clean the heart, they wash the heart. But if you expect it to be a magic wand, you're going to become disillusioned.
So, if you come to church and you see the church as a first aid box, and sometimes it is. But I prefer most of my days coming to church and my Bible. to see it as an ammunition depot.
So I can load up. And whatever I load up on, I want to shoot. And what I'm shooting is The lies that Satan has been injecting into the minds and heads of the people. Ezra was loaded And he just let his ammo go and the Holy Spirit took it from there. Too many Christians have sub-scriptural views mixed into their Christianity.
Just like these people were doing physically We have Christians doing this. spiritually. And they learn things in the university from others who've mixed it in, and they somehow incorporate it, and the next thing you know, you have heresy being taught.
So I'll close with this verse from 1 Corinthians. Watch. Stand fast in the faith. Be brave. And be strong.
And I think that sums up The text that we started out with in Ezra 8, 22. Where he said We're going to trust God. Let's pray. Our father? May the lessons not be wasted on any of us.
May we consider these things. May they contribute to our serving you faithfully. May you get us all home safely tonight. We ask that in Jesus' name. Amen.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Thanks for tuning in today to Cross Reference Radio, where Pastor Rick has some answers for various questions that have been asked. We can't fully express how grateful we are that you've been with us today, but if you're ever looking for more teaching and content from us, you're welcome to subscribe to our podcast. Just go to your favorite podcast app and look for Cross Reference Radio.
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