God’s Preparation for Restoration
Ezra 1
Preached at the Laurel Church of Christ
On February 9, 2002
Introduction:
I. Nicknames are always of interest.
A. In college, my classmates gave me a couple; one that has followed me is “Ely the Prophet.”
B. A prophecy of mine came true. I am just kidding. My feelings of ministry, though, have revealed themselves also to others that I confided in.
1. Brian Tipton and John Cook, excellent ministers, just graduated from HSBS this past fall.
2. I was able to go in the spring of last year and speak some words of encouragement, and reveal the pitfalls in the road ahead in full-time ministry.
3. At six months reality hits the preacher right between the temples and some personal decisions have to be made
4. Frustration takes over and it seems that as a minister nothing that you are doing is working
C. Well I got a couple of phone calls over the last month, which confirmed my suspicion that I am not the only one that has experienced such a phenomenon.
D. You might say that my prophecy was true if you did not understand what prophecy is.
II. So, what is prophecy?
A. Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines it as a "miracle of knowledge, a declaration or description or representation of something future, beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, discern, or conjecture."
B. The Bible proclaims that a prophet is one who speaks the words of God
C. God points to it as the proof that it is Him that speaks
1. Isaiah 42:8-9 “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
2. We then in turn understand a true prophet on the terms on whether or not the prophecy comes true.
3. Deuteronomy 18:21-22 “You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
D. The Old Testament uses prophecy a great deal, but did you know there is also prophetic teaching in the New Testament.
1. Notices 2 Timothy 3:1-4:8 (Read this teaching of Paul to Timothy)
2. This prophecy sounds much like today’s situation, even with the Lord’s church.
a. What are we to do?
b. How do we stand firm?
3. The answer to our questions is simply: “We need restoration”
a. How can we do it properly
b. In the past restoration has been a philosophy largely credited to Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone.
c. This philosophy though has never been used in accordance with Scripture, at least in the limited study I have done.
d. I cannot find one instance where Campbell or Stone pointed to Scripture for the basis of restoration.
e. That is not to say I disagree with the restoration philosophy, but to say that Campbell and Stone missed a crucial step in preparation of restoration.
f. I believe the Bible will answer all questions we pose if we approach the text and find its true meaning. The answers will be revealed
g. So the question for is, “Has there ever been need for restoration?”
Body:
I. The prophecy and fulfillment of it (Ezra 1:1-4)
A. 8th and 7th Century prophets made prophecies concerning the future need of restoration for Judah.
1. Jeremiah 25:11-12 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever.”
a. Judah will be laid waste
b. Judah will serve Babylon for 70 years
c. God will punish Babylon
2. Isaiah 44:28-45:1,13 “This is what the Lord says…who says of Cyrus, ’He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid.’ This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut…I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty.”
a. Cyrus will carry out God’s purpose.
b. Cyrus will rebuild Jerusalem
c. God will open doors for Cyrus to conquer kingdoms
d. Cyrus will set the Jews free
3. So just how did God restore His temple?
B. Ezra 1:1-4 “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "’The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-- may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’"
1. The prophecies of Isaiah come true
a. Cyrus will carry out God’s purpose.
b. Cyrus will rebuild Jerusalem
c. God will open doors for Cyrus to conquer kingdoms
d. Cyrus will set the Jews free
2. Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
a. God uses all kinds of people to do his will even though sometimes we may not even understand why.
b. He used many unrighteous people to inflict judgment on the Israelites.
c. Habakkuk expressed his inability to understand “O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Habakkuk 1:12-13)
d. Although God has used the unrighteous to do his will, of course he has used the righteous also Ruth, Esther, and etc. (Ruth 1:14-18; Est. 4:12-17)
e. The point is that God uses people to complete his will.
3. Not necessarily, a believer in God, Cyrus answers the call given to him by God and gives four proclamations.
a. Cyrus acknowledged that Yahweh had placed under his authority all the kingdoms of the earth.
b. He realized that Yahweh had appointed him to build his house in Jerusalem.
c. He authorized Yahweh’s people to go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord.
d. He authorized those who chose not to return to Judah the ability to support the remnant and to make freewill offerings for the reconstruction of the temple.
II. God calls the remnant (1:5-6)
A. Ezra 1:5-6 “Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites-- everyone whose heart God had moved-- prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.”
B. My question is why did not everyone jump at the opportunity to return home from his or her captivity.
1. Maybe because they were comfortable and happy.
2. Maybe because they knew that the road ahead was not going to be easy
3. Maybe they had lost their faith
C. Some did rise from the three tribes left of the original twelve.
1. Leaders of the families of Judah and Benjamin plus some Levites heard the calling of God and began the preparations to return
2. They began with the financial preparations for the initial trip
III. God’s possessions are returned
A. Ezra 1:7-11 “Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. This was the inventory: gold dishes 30 silver dishes 1,000 silver pans 29 gold bowls 30 matching silver bowls 410 other articles 1,000 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.”
B. Cyrus returned what belonged to God in the first place.
1. Remember the story of “the writing on the wall” from Daniel
2. These items belonged to God and were returned to him freely
Conclusion:
I. Many questions of application still float on the tips of our tongues in consideration of biblical restoration.
A. Why doesn’t everyone answer the call of God? How does God call individuals? Can God call me? What is it that we have that we need to return to God?
B. Restoration is a direction or path that is filled with tough hurdles as we will find out in the rest of the book of Ezra
1. People in general enjoy the status quo. Anything beyond the status quo is asking too much.
2. Many did not return at the first opportunity. Why?
3. How about you? When you are called by God to change some things that you have done for at least half of your lifetime, do you change?
4. Customs and traditions are always questioned by the word of God, and most times those traditions need change.
5. One path that we need to be careful is the pharisaical attitude of building fences around the law.
6. When we tell anyone they can’t do something, because it might lead to sin. Aren’t we building a fence?
7. So why doesn’t everyone join the ranks of restoration?
C. How does God call people? Can God call me?
1. In Acts 2:39 “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
2. Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”
3. The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch began with him reading Scripture and prayer.
4. The first place God will call you is a change in life to a more perfect life in conjunction with Scripture.
5. The second, is like Esther being placed in a situation to do the will of God which she already understood.
D. What is that we have that is God’s
1. Well where do I begin.
2. What is that you have that belongs to God
3. YOU
4. time, work, life, items, money, family, talents, abilities
II. Do you need to be restored?
