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Ezra 1:1-11

The Great Restoring

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • January 29, 2023

Ezra 1:1-11 is a story of hope. After the people of Israel had been in Babylon, exiled for those 70 years, God made a way for them to return. That is the story of Ezra. It’s also a story that applies today, God is still calling people to Himself, God is still patiently waiting, and when people finally come to the end of themselves, He will make a way for them to come home.

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  • Scripture

The Great Restoring
Ezra 1:1-11
January 29-30, 2023

          The book of Ezra begins exactly the way 2 Chronicles ends. It’s the story of Israel’s great return to the land God had promised them through Abraham.

          At this point in the story, the nation of Israel had been in exile in Babylon 70 years. 2 Chronicles 36 describes Israel’s final defeat at the hands of the Babylonians. We read of the downfall and our hearts break; a great tragedy of unfathomable proportions unfolded that day.

2 Chronicles 36:18-20, All the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the king and of his officers, he brought them all to Babylon.… Then they burned the house of God… and broke down the walls of Jerusalem and burned all its fortified buildings with fire and destroyed all its valuable articles. And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon and they were servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia.

          God had been patient with Israel. He waited 490 years before it finally came to the point where there was no remedy. The people were following all the abominations of the nations; they even defiled the house of the Lord which He had sanctified in Jerusalem.

          God called out to them again and again by his messengers because He had compassion on His people, but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against them and until there was no remedy.

          It’s a testimony of God’s grace, and it’s a warning. God is patient and long-suffering, waiting for His people to repent, but there does come a point where there is no remedy and the only thing left for God to do is to give them over to their destruction so they might come to the end of themselves.

          It’s also a story of hope. After the people of Israel had been in Babylon, exiled those 70 years, God made a way for them to return. That is the story of Ezra. It’s also a story that applies today, God is still calling people to Himself, God is still patiently waiting, and when people finally come to the end of themselves, He will make a way for them to come home.

I. God Stirs the Spirit within You

  • The back story is that 150 years before any of this took place, God had called Cyrus by name… 150 years before Cyrus read his name in the book of Isaiah!

Isaiah 44:28, “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he will perform My desire. And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’”

  • The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that the Jews in Babylonian captivity showed Cyrus the prophecies in Isaiah which contained his name and described how God would use him for His purpose. Josephus says that it was seeing his name written by Isaiah that motivated Cyrus “to fulfill what was written” and therefore issue the edict permitting Israel to return.
  • Verse 1 – In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing…
  • This ‘stirring’ is a good word to understand because it has everything to do with how the soul responds to God. The word ‘stirred’ in Hebrew means to open eyes of understanding, to awaken, or arouse.

Proverbs 21:1, The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it whenever He wishes.

  • It’s a picture of a farmer opening or closing the gates of the irrigation channels, sending water this way or that according to his purpose.
  • In other words, as easily as an irrigation gate can be opened, God can turn the heart of the king to accomplish His purpose.
  • But he uses the same word to describe the stirring of the people to go home. God stirs them up then lets them choose.
  • Verse 5-6 – Then they arose, everyone whose spirit God stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem…All those around them encouraged them with gifts of silver and gold and other valuables.
  • In other words, some were stirred, and some were not. Each could decide to respond to the stirring of the Lord and return to Jerusalem or stay in Babylon and live as they always had.

A. You respond according to your desire

  • Many had grown quite comfortable there in Babylon. At first, they hated it; they were slaves in a foreign land. But after a while, they settled in quite well.
  • In fact, they were instructed by the prophet Jeremiah to build new lives there in Babylon…

Jeremiah 29:4-7, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to the exiles whom I have sent in exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will have welfare.’”

  • But now, the 70 years have been completed and it was time to go home but many of them did not want to go home; they had grown complacent and comfortable in Babylon.
  • What’s not to like? There were theaters and restaurants. There was a Starbucks almost on every corner, although they served Turkish coffee. There was food in the shops; you could buy the world’s finest Persian rugs; everything a person could desire.
  • Or was there…
  • Many Jews in Babylon were longing for the day they could return. Babylon, in all its opulence and wealth was not enough for them, they wanted more.

B. God stirs the heart of those who desire more

  • There are those who know in their heart that this world is not enough. God has something more. There are deeper places for the soul’s desire, there is more meaning and purpose than can be found in the pleasures of this world.

Psalm 63:1-5, O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water…. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. In You my soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness.

  • The pleasant things of the world are certainly pleasant. I understand. Lattes and caramel macchiatos, and Red Robin, and air conditioning; watching football while eating popcorn and Doritos; what’s not to like?
  • It’s pleasant, but it’s not enough. These things cannot satisfy the soul that desires glory.

Illus – When Moses was interceding in behalf of Israel, he had opportunity to ask for something personal, something just for himself. What did he ask? What was the one thing he desired above all other things?

          “Show me your glory,” Moses asked of God. Moses had seen more of God’s glory than any living person and yet he wanted more. Why? Because glory is beautiful on the soul, and he wanted more.

  • There were many in Babylon longing for Jerusalem. They wanted God’s promises more than Babylonian treasures.

Illus – Calvin Miller wrote in his book, The Finale, “The world is poor because her fortune is buried in heaven, but all her treasure maps are of the earth.”

Psalm 137:1-5, By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, our tormentors demanded mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill.

  • This is very much like an expression the Jewish have used for almost a thousand years, “Next year in Jerusalem.” These are the words spoken as their Passover supper is coming to its close, “L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim.”
  • These words gave hope to the Jews dispersed amongst the nations of the world after their destruction in 70 A.D.
  • There has always been a great longing for Israel and Jerusalem in the heart of Jews. And now they have their homeland again, but still there is something missing – it is their Meshiach; their Messiah.
  • The ultimate meaning of the phrase, “Next year in Jerusalem,” means, ‘next year with Messiah in Jerusalem.’ Their great hope and longing is for Messiah to make Himself known.
  • And He will make Himself known to Israel at the end of the age and when they see Him they will recognize Him as “the One whom they had pierced.”
  • We who are believers in Jesus Christ have found our hope and our Messiah and still we long for more; God increases the capacity of your soul so that you long for more glory, more of God’s peace, more of God’s joy.

II. God Decrees the Years

  • No amount of wanting and wishing could have changed God’s decree. “Seventy years have been determined,” Jeremiah wrote to the exiles.
  • God issued the decree; by faith they must take hold of it and believe, waiting patiently and believing God’s heart would never change.
  • Faith is the key that determines your perspective; how you interpret the events of life…

A. Faith determines your perspective

  • How you see life has everything to do with how you interpret the things that happen to you.
  • When you see through the lens of faith it changes everything.
  • When the decree of Cyrus went forth, no doubt there were Jews who heard it and said, “Why should we go back? What did God ever do for us? How did God help us? Why did God allow this to happen?
  • There are many today who experience tragedies and say the same, “Why did God allow this to happen? You say God loves; then why does He allow me to suffer?”
  • But faith changes your view of the thing. You may not understand why something happens, but you believe God will be with you through every tragedy and every storm and that He will see you through. Faith believes.

Jeremiah 29:10-14, Thus says the Lord, “When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and I will restore your fortunes and I will gather you from all the nations where I sent you,” declares the Lord.

  • Faith believes in the heart of God even in the midst of tragedy.

B. God’s decree of years still stands

  • Jeremiah discerned that seventy years were determined for the exile because Israel had neglected the keeping of Sabbath years for 490 years.

2 Chronicles 36:20-21, They were carried to Babylon … To fulfill the word of the Lord by the prophet Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath until 70 years were complete.

  • God patiently waited for 490 years; He continually sent word to them to call them back to Himself, but they continually mocked the messengers of God and despised His words and scoffed at His prophets until there was no remedy.
  • The prophet Daniel lived in Babylon in those days. When he read the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, he sought the Lord God in deep and humble prayer. God answered with another decree of 490 years.

Daniel 9:24, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.”

  • Seventy weeks of years is 490 years. The decree of God, divided into sets of 7 and 62 weeks. Then at the end of 483 years…

Daniel 9:26, “Then after the 62 weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing… Then the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed.

  • There remains one final period of seven years yet to be fulfilled. By God’s decree, there will be seven years of trouble yet to come upon the earth.
  • Jesus said that there will be troubles and anguish leading up to those days like a woman in childbirth. We are living in those days today.
  • These are also the days of God’s grace, of God’s patient waiting. 490 was the number of years of God’s grace; giving opportunity for His people to come to repentance and receive forgiveness.
  • Interestingly, when Peter asked Jesus, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
  • Jesus responded, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

The Great Restoring
Ezra 1:1-11
January 29-30, 2023

This is a story of God's returning Israel back to their homeland after they were exiled, after Israel was destroyed, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, and they were, therefore, exiled into Babylon. Those 70 years. Did you know that it's never happened in the history of the world that people have been displaced from their nation and then dispersed amongst the nations, and then returned back to their homeland? It's never happened in the history of the world, but for Israel, it's happened twice. What a declaration of God's hand on his people, Israel, but what a tragedy it was that unfolded.

It's hard to have fathomed that Jerusalem would be destroyed, but that's what we read. I want to just quote from 2nd Chronicles 36, it gives us this picture. We start in verse 18. It says, "All the articles of the House of God, great and small, and the treasures of the king and his officers, he brought them all to Babylon," everything. "Then they burned the House of God." I was like, "Wait, what? The house of God, the Temple is burned? They burned it on fire? The glorious Temple of Solomon burned? How could this be?" When you walked into the glorious place of worship there, it was gold.

It was wood paneled with gold overlay, so to get the gold off, they burned it, and then when it melted into the stones, they broke all the stones apart to get all the gold out of it, but they burned the House of God. "Then," yes, "they broke down the walls of Jerusalem and burned all the fortified cities with fire." "They destroyed all its valuable articles and those who escaped from the sword, he carried them away to Babylon and they were servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia." Now, it's been those 70 years and the King of Persia arises, Persia is modern-day Iran, and defeated Babylon.

Now, the King of Persia is ruling and is going to send the people back, but the history of this is so important because we understand that God had been patiently waiting for 490 years, God waited, for Israel to come to Himself. That's a long time, 490 years of waiting, and tells us that it finally got to the point where there was no remedy. The people were following all the abominations of their nations. They even defiled the House of the Lord, which He had sanctified in Jerusalem. It tells us that God called out to them again and again.

He sent messengers to them because of his compassion on them, but they would mock those messengers. They despised His words. They scoffed at the prophets until the wrath of God arose and there was no remedy. Now, it's a testimony of grace. God waited 490 years, but it's also a warning. Yes, God is patient and long-suffering, waiting for His people to repent and to come to Himself, but there comes a point, and this is the lesson, that's the warning of the story. There does come a point when the only thing left for God to do is to give people over to their destruction that they might come to the end of themselves.

See, there's that point of turning. If a person comes to the end of themselves and cries out to God, that's one of the themes that we have seen in the Scriptures over and over. God welcomes them home. God never rebuffs them. God doesn't say, "Oh, it's too late now." No, He always makes a way for the returning and the restoring of a sinner to come home. It's one of the aspects of God that we've come to love. This is the story, so let's read it.

We're Ezra 1 and we'll begin reading in verse 1. "Now, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus, King of Persia so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and he put it in writing." Now, here's this proclamation, "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord--" and he mentions Him here not by name, "Yehovah," Jehovah. "Jehovah, God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah."

Now, how did he know that? Good question. I will show you. He then says, "Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him. Let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and let him rebuild the House of the Lord, the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem and every survivor, everyone else at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold and goods and cattle together with a free-will offering for the House of God, which is in Jerusalem."

There is the proclamation but then notice verse 5, "Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests, and the Levites, they arose, even every one whose Spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the House of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem and everyone else, and all those about them encouraged them with gifts, articles of silver and gold and goods and cattle and valuables, aside from all that was given as their free-will offering."

"Then King Cyrus brought out all the articles of the House of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods. Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath, the treasurer, and he counted them." They had an inventory. "He counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah and this is their number. 30 gold dishes, a thousand silver dishes, 29 duplicates, 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of the second kind, and a thousand other articles, and all the articles of Golden Silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem."

What a great story of the great restoring and the rebuilding of the people of God in Israel, in Jerusalem. Great lessons for us to take hold of for our day-to-day, starting with this. God stirs the Spirit. We see this in the story. God stirs up his people. Even today, God is stirring up his people, but before that, I want to give a backstory. The backstory here is on 150 years before any of this took place, God called Cyrus out by name in the writing of the prophet Isaiah. Now, imagine 150 years before any of this took place, Cyrus's name was written in the book of the scroll of Isaiah the prophet.

I'll read it to you, Isaiah 44:28, "It is I," God says, "Who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd and he will perform My desire. It is he who declares of Jerusalem, she will be built, and of the temple, your foundation will be laid." The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that the Jews living there in Babylon showed Cyrus his name in the skull of Isaiah. Can you just imagine Cyrus reading the scroll of Isaiah written 150 years before, and there's his name? See, the Scripture tells us that he was so amazed and so impressed that it motivated Cyrus to fulfill what was written in the Book, and that's why I say, God has appointed me to do this thing.

I. God Stirs the Spirit within You

It's written in the Book. It's interesting how it says in verse 1, "In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus that he made his proclamation." Now, that word stirring is a good word, but it's perhaps better understood in this interpretation. When we think of stirring, we think of stirring a pot or stirring a dish or something, but it's perhaps not the best understanding. It would be better understood as the awakening of the soul or opening the eyes of the soul or arousing the Spirit with them. That's the idea.

In fact, in Proverbs 21:1, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it whatever he wishes." I think some of your Bibles might say they're like rivers, but the better word is channels of water because it's a picture of a farmer opening and closing the gates of the irrigation channels, sending water this way or that according to his purpose. In other words, as easily as an irrigation gate can be open, God can turn the heart of a king to accomplish his purpose. It's the sovereign hand of God moving amongst the nations. That's a picture of it. Powerful, but He uses the same word stirring to describe the stirring of His people and God is still stirring his people. In this case, He was stirring them to go home. God stirred them and then let them choose. Would you notice verses 5 and 6, "Then they arose everyone whose spirit God stirred to go up and to rebuild the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. Everyone else, all those around them encouraged them sending gifts of silver and gold and other things." In other words, some were stirred and chose to go back, others decided not.

A. You respond according to your desire

They would stay there in Babylon and live as they always had lived. Here's the thing, you respond according to your desire. Those who do long to go back had something else they desired. Those who wanted to stay, they desired the things of Babylon. See, many had grown quite comfortable there. They're in Babylon. Now, at first, they hated it. They were slaves in a foreign land, but after a while, they settled in quite well. In fact, Jeremiah the prophet instructed them to build new lives there. Jeremiah lived, of course, during this time. He was not exiled.

He stayed in Jerusalem, but he sent word to them, he wrote, we have it. He wrote to them this word of prophecy, but he encouraged them to settle there. Notice Jeremiah 29:4-7, very interesting, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel to the exiles whom I send in exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses, live in them, plant gardens, eat their produce: Take wises, become fathers and sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons. Give your daughters to husbands that they may bear sons and daughters, multiply there, do not decrease:

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." Settle in and pray for it. Increase, be productive, buy houses, plant gardens, but now, it's been 70 years. 70 years have been completed, it's time to go home, but many of them did not want to go home. They had gone quite comfortable there in Babylon, quite complacent there in Babylon. After all, what's not to like? It was a thriving city. There were theaters in Babylon, there were restaurants in Babylon, there were Starbucks on every corner in Babylon.

Although in those days, they served Turkish coffee. Have you ever had Turkish coffee, by the way? If you go to Israel with me, we're going to be actually there in just a few months. Turkish coffee is, oh, you got to try it. You want to talk about strong coffee? Woo, what do they do? Let me tell you how they make it. They take the grounds grinding very, very fine, and they put the coffee grounds right in the cup and then put a little cardamom in for a little spice.

They put the water over it, then they stir all these grounds together, then they let us settle, and then you sip the bold, bold coffee. It's like tar, it's so thick. You keep sipping it until you get down to the mud and then you're done. It's like, "That's coffee." Oh, you can get coffee. They got restaurants. You can buy the finest Persian rugs now in Babylon. Babylon had everything a person could desire or was there? Many Jews living in Babylon were longing for the day that they could go back.

B. God stirs the heart of those who desire more

For Babylon in all of its wealth, all of its opulence, all that it had wasn't enough. It wasn't enough. They wanted more than that. See, here's the thing. God stirs the heart of those who desire more. There are those today who know in their heart that this world is not enough. Did you know that Babylon represents the world? In fact, what do you think are the two cities mentioned most in the Bible? Two cities, which two cities are mentioned most times in the Bible? You would say Jerusalem, right? Exactly. Second one, Babylon.

It is a city contrasted to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the holy city of God, right? Babylon is the contrast to it, it's the world. In fact, in Revelation, Babylon is referred to that great Whore. Well, that tells you right there. It represents the world. It has so much to offer that there are those in their heart who know that this world is not enough. God has something more. There are deeper places for the soul's desire. There is more meaning and purpose than can be found in the pleasures of the world. There is more.

David wrote this. Psalm 63:1-5, "Oh God, You are my God; I seek You," I see you earnestly. "My soul thirsts for You; My flesh yearns for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water." That's the picture of the world, a dry and weary land, and all that it has to offer, all the pleasantries of Babylon. It's still a dry and weary land. There's no spiritual water because he says, I love this phrase, "Because your loving kindness is better than life." Remember, we used to sing a worship song many years ago based on those words.

"So beautiful, your loving kindness is so good. It's better than life. Because of that, my lips will praise you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands to your name and in you, my soul is satisfied as like with marrow and fatness." See the pleasant things of the world. Now, we have to admit the pleasant things of the world are very pleasant. Lattes, cappuccino, caramel macchiatos, I love them, too. Red Robin, pizza, air conditioning, oh, watching football while eating popcorn and Doritos, the world's pleasantness is quite pleasant.

I have to agree. It's pleasant, but it's not enough. It's not enough for me. It's pleasant, but it's not enough. These things cannot satisfy the soul, the soul that desires glory. When I think of that, I think of Moses. Remember when he was interceding in behalf of Israel, Israel had sinned greatly, you know the story. Moses is interceding for them and while he's praying, he takes opportunity to ask for something personal, just for himself. Well, I'm asking something for me, what would you ask? If you could ask God for anything, for you, for yourself, what would you ask?

Moses has opportunity, he said just for me, something for me, "Show me your glory." Why did he ask for that? Moses has seen more of God's glory than any living person and he wants more. He had been on the mountain with God those 40 days and another 40 days, so much was he in the presence of the glory of God, that when he came down from the mountain, there was a physical radiance of glory upon his face. He has seen more of God's glory than any living person and you want more? Right, you know why? Because Moses knew that glory is beautiful on the soul.

II. God Decrees the Years

There's more. This world's not enough, it's not enough for me. There were many in Babylon longing for Jerusalem. They wanted the promises of God far, far more than the treasures of Babylon. When I think of that, I think of a quote that comes from Calvin Miller. He wrote a trilogy of poems and the final one is called The Finale. Just a quick quote, he says, "The world is poor because her fortune is buried in heaven, but her treasure maps are of the earths." That is a powerful statement. Let me quote it to you from Psalm 137:1-5, "By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." Zion is the mountain in which Jerusalem is built. "By the rivers of Babylon, we sat, and we wept when we remembered Zion upon the willows, in the midst of it, we hung up our harps." Harps are for singing and making music. We hung them up. "For there, our captors demanded of us songs. Our tormentors demanded mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How can we sing? How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. I will never forget you."

That city of God's possession. See, when I think of that, this is very much like an expression that Jews have used for almost 1,000 years to express their hope for Jerusalem. That expression is this. Next year in Jerusalem, they've been saying this for more than 1,000 years, that Israel was defeated by the Romans in 70 AD and dispersed amongst the nations. The saying came to them as a way of holding onto hope. They might be in Bulgaria or Germany or Russia, or somewhere, and then as they're saying goodbye to their Jewish friends, they would say next year in Jerusalem, the hope next year in Jerusalem.

At the end of their Seder, their Passover supper, it will be part of their Passover prayer. Next year in Jerusalem, we will celebrate together. Next year in Jerusalem. L'Shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim. Even sounds beautiful. These words gave hope to Jews. There's always been a great longing for Jerusalem in the heart of Jews, but now what's interesting is they have their homeland now, and yet, they still say it. They say it, they're in Jerusalem, but they say it because something is still missing. What is it that's still missing? Messiah?

The ultimate meaning of that phrase next year in Jerusalem means next year in Jerusalem with our Messiah, holding onto that hope, still awaiting, still longing. Today, they're still waiting, they're still longing. Their great hope that Messiah would make himself known. Well, he did make himself known, and he won't make himself known again at the end of the age when he steps foot on the Mount of Olives and enter Jerusalem to rule in reign than nations of the world at the end of the age.

First, he would defeat the enemies of Israel who have come against it and he will defeat them there in the battle of Armageddon, and what a great glorious day that will be, but it says that they will recognize him, they will look on him whom they have pierced and realize it was him. It was him. They will mourn as one mourn for an only son, but it says he will pour out on them the spirit of grace and the spirit of supplication. The blood that was shed for the sins of the world will be extended to the people of Israel and all Israel will be saved and all the people will be joined together.

Gentile and Jew, under the banner of Jesus Christ, all will be made together in the name of our Lord and Savior and Messiah of Israel. Amen. Let's give a little praise the beautiful day. The we who are believers in Jesus Christ. The word Christ means Messiah. We know who our king is. There is nothing missing for those who want more. You can have more. You want more of God's glory. I delight to give it to you. I'm so thankful that you desire it. You want more, I'll give you more.

More of God's peace, more of God's joy, more of God's glory for anyone who wants more, but then I want to say this, God still decrees the years. Even today, God decreased the years. See, Jeremiah wrote, 70 years have been determined. This is the decree of God. No amount of one thing we're wishing or even praying could have changed the decree of God. God issued that decree. By faith, he must now take hold and believe it. Waiting patiently and believing that God's heart for them had never changed. They had to believe God's heart had never changed.

Jeremiah who was there in Jerusalem when the soldiers of Babylon came and were destroying the city, tells us that he wrote and penned the words which we read in his writing of Lamentations. He wrote, wow, the army of Babylon is destroying his people. He wrote down the words, great is thy faithfulness. Oh Lord God, my Father, there is no shadow of turning with thee. I'm quoting now from the hymn that we have written based on these very words, that his mercies are new every morning. Writing these words as his people are being subjected to the Babylonian soldiers.

A. Faith determines your perspective

He is believing in God's heart. Great is thy faithfulness. Oh Lord, my Father. There is no shadow of turning with thee, thou changeth not thy compassions they fail not, as thou has been forever will be. Great is thy faithfulness great, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see. He wrote that in the very time of their destruction because he believed in God's heart. I tell you, I believe in God's heart for me. I know my Lord. I know in whom I have believed. See, this is the thing. Faith determines how you see. Faith determines your perspective.

How you see life has everything to do with how you interpret the things that happen to you. See, when you see through the lens of faith, it changes everything. When that decree of Cyrus went forth, no doubt there were Jews living in Babylon who heard it and said, "Why? Why should me go back? What did God ever do for us? Did he say this? No. He stood by while our city was destroyed, and we should go back?" I think not. Why did God even allow this to happen, to which someone could say.

That's the way you see it. That's not the way to see it. That's the way I see it. You know what's interesting? Today, we're living in a time of tremendous cultural wars. Cultural battles. You know why? Because people see things so differently. One side sees the same thing, but they see it very differently than the other side sees it. Oh, how you see it when they determine the course for your conclusions will be based on your interpretation? There are many today who experience tragedies and they say the same.

Why did God allow this to happen? You say, God loves, then why does he allow me to suffer? See, if you interpret it wrongly, it will change the course. If you interpret it wrongly, you'll respond wrongly. You'll become bitter, you'll become angry. If you become bitter and angry, it will divert the course. I know about this very well, and if you know of my story, my daughter was murdered. How do you interpret that? If you become angry and bitter, it will divert the course. See, faith changes your view of the thing.

You may not understand why something happens. I cannot explain why, but this I know. If you believe God is with you through every tragedy and through every storm, and that he will see you through it. Jesus even said, "In this world, you will have many troubles, but take courage. I have overcome the world." Promises of God to Israel. In the Old Testament, he spoke the same. "Child you are mine. I called you by name. The waters, the floodwaters wouldn't all to overwhelm you. The fire will not burn you. I'll be with you."

See, faith changes your view of the thing when you believe in the heart of God being for you. I quoted from Jeremiah 29, let me give you some more verses. In fact, some of the greatest verses that we love to quote, love to write plaques and cards comes right out of these verses but look at the context. Jeremiah 29:10-14, "Thus says the Lord, when 70 years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and I will fulfill my good word to you to bring you back to this place."

B. God’s decree of years still stands

Here it is. Here's the famous verse we love. "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare," that means good not through calamity, "to give you a future, to give you a hope." Then you'll call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart, and I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes. I will gather you from the nations where I sent you, declares the Lord. Faith believes in the heart of God. I've been through many troubles, but I know my God, I know that He walks with me through every one of them. My God is faithful. His heart for me has never changed. I know His hand is all my life. I know His favor is poured out. That's how I see life, and it changes the course if you don't. Then I want to say this, God's decree of years still stands, even today. Let's step back for a moment and I want us to take a large view of the history of the world and of prophecy.

Jeremiah discerned that 70 years were determined for that exile because he understood that Israel had neglected in keeping the Sabbath years for 490 years. Now, the Sabbath year came every seventh year. It was a year of giving the land rest, Sabbath rest. It was an aspect of faith to believe that God would bless them so abundantly in the sixth year that they would've much to provide for them in the seventh year. It was an aspect of faith. Now, by the way, even modern farmers know that you must give land rest. You can ask modern agricultural experts, you got to give the land rest.

God knew what he was saying there, but He was also giving rest to His people. In fact, today that we called it a sabbatical, there are companies today, I think Intel's one of them. You don't get a whole year off, but you get time to rest. You need that restoring. God knew, but they had to believe it was part of His relationship to them, but they would not honor Him in the keeping of these Sabbath years. God waited patiently for 490 years. That is some long-suffering right there.

Notice 2 Chronicles 36:20-21. They were carried to Babylon to fulfill the word of the Lord by the prophet Jeremiah until the land had enjoyed its Sabbath. All the days of its desolation, it kept Sabbath until 70 years were complete. 70 sets of 7 years, 490 becomes a very important number in the history, but also the future of the world. Let me explain. 490 years, God was patiently calling out to His people to come to Himself, but they marked the messengers of God, they despised His words, they scuffed at His prophets until there was no remedy.

He discerned that these 70 years were because of this. Daniel now, the prophet Daniel, he was exiled when he was just a young man. Living in Babylon, he received this message from Jeremiah. When he received it and understood that this decree was set determined by God, he immediately went into a deep and humble prayer. You want to read a prayer, that's amazing. Read Daniel 9, it's one of the greatest prayers ever written in the history of man is so powerful. At the end of this prayer, God responds to Daniel by giving him another decree of 490 years.

There were 490 years in their history, 70 years of exile, and now another decree of 490. Notice, Daniel 9:24, "70 weeks have been decreed for your people." Now, week is seven days, in this case it's a set of seven years. "70 weeks of years have been decreed for your people in your holy city to finish transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity," speaking here of Jesus on the cross, "to bring in everlasting righteousness."

The gift of God is a righteousness of God poured out because of Christ on the cross, "to seal a vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy place." 70 years or 70 weeks of years is 490, the degree of God. He further then divided it into 7 sets, that's 49 years and then 62 sets of 7, adds 7 and 62 is 69. There's one remaining seven-year period set off. Notice, Daniel 9:26. Then after the 62, you have the seven and the 62, that's 69. "After the 62 weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and then nothing," the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

"Then the city and the sanctuary will be destroyed 70 AD," but yet there remains this final seven-year period. These years yet to be fulfilled by God's decree, there will be seven years of trouble yet to come upon the earth. Jesus said that there will be troubles and anguish leading up to those years, very much like a woman in childbirth, in any woman who's had a baby knows that the pangs of childbirth will grow closer together and greater in intensity as the event draws near.

That is a picture of the anguish and trouble that will come upon the world as we draw nearer to the latter days. Today, we sense it. Those with spiritual discernment are sensing that there is something that's happening in this world right now. There is a spiritual darkness that is arising in the nations of the world. This world is changing. Anybody agree with me? This world is changing. Jesus spoke of that, and it's going to be leading up to that seventh remaining or that 70th remaining week, but 490 is the days of God's grace, of God's patient waiting.

He's extended that last week as a patient waiting. It's a number of years of God's grace giving opportunity for people to come to repentance, to receive that forgiveness. Interestingly, I mentioned this on Wednesday and it certainly bears repeating. Interestingly, when Peter came to Jesus and asked, "How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Now, no doubt Peter thought he was saying something quite generous there because it was a cultural thing of the day. Three strikes and you're out.

As a third time there, you're out, you're done. Get out of my life. You're done. Three strikes, you're out. That was the cultural thing. Peter thinking he was being very generous. "How many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" I'm sure he expected the Lord to say, "Peter, you are amazing, none of the other disciples could have thought of this." Jesus did not say that. What he said was, "I do not say to you up to 7 times, but I say to you up to 70 times 7." There's no coincidence in this number. I say to you, you forgive 70 times seven because it is a number represents God's grace and God's forgiveness.

He's saying that, but He is also declaring that it is the power of transformation. There is a power to transform in this. Here's what I mean. Someone offends and you forgive because God says to forgive. You have been forgiven much, you should forgive. It is a nature in the heart of God to forgive. You do that, you decide, you choose to forgive out of honoring God in your life. It's very difficult, you don't want to do it because that offense hurts, but you do it. I forgive. That's one.

Then offense comes again, and you out of obedience to the Lord, out of honor of God in my life, He says that I ought to forgive. I will forgive, I choose to forgive. That's two. Then offense comes again, and you forgive because you want to honor God in your life, so you forgive, you choose it. That's three. Then offense again, but you choose to forgive out of honor to God and you forgive. That's four. Then you choose, and then you choose, and then you choose to forgive, and to forgive, and to forgive. See, was Jesus really suggesting that we would keep track? Was Jesus really suggesting that one would count to 490 times of offense? You would have to have an app for that. You know how many times you've offended me? Oh, I got it right here, that's 485. You know what? Five more times and then you're out. No, you forgive and you forgive and you forgive and you forgive. You choose to forgive until you don't have to choose to forgive anymore, because now is who you are. Your nature is that of forgiveness. You have been transformed.

You now forgive because it is who you are. You are a forgiving person by character. You have been transformed. It is the power of God to transform when you walk in it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The forgiveness by choosing to honor God in your life will transform you. It's the number of God's grace. Let's pray. Father, thank you for showing us, revealing to us that there's more. For this world, it's not enough. All that it offers. Even though the pleasantness of the world, it's not enough for me. There's more. I want more. Church having would say that to the Lord.

This world's pleasantness is pleasant, but it's not enough. It doesn't satisfy my soul. I want more than that. There are deeper places for the soul's desire. I want glory. That's what I want. I want more of you, God in my life. I want more of your peace. I want more of that love poured out. I want more of the spirit. I want more of the joy of the Lord. I want more glory. Is that your heart, your desire? Would you say that to the Lord by just raising your hand as a declaration of your heart and your prayer to ask?

God, you say that I can ask for more while I'm asking for more. I want more. Because this world is not enough. Doesn't satisfy. I want you, more of you and only you will satisfy the soul. Glory. I want glory. Father, thank you for everyone stirred, stirred. Your spirit is still stirring. Your people stirred up to want more. We love you, Lord. We give you honor and praise for meeting us in this place today in Jesus' name and everyone said, let's give the Lord praise and glory and honor. Can we do that?

Ezra 1:1-11       NASB

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Every survivor, at whatever place he may [a]live, let the men of [b]that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”

Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. All those about them [c]encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 [d]duplicates; 10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. 11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

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