Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000580
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00:16 Hello, and welcome to His Words are Life
00:18 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank you for joining with me today 00:21 to read the word of God. Let's pray together before we start. 00:25 Dear Lord, thank you for this moment in time when we can come 00:30 apart and listen to your voice on these pages that has 00:35 preserved your truth down through the centuries for us 00:38 right now. Please send the Holy Spirit to give us understanding 00:42 of what we hear. We love you and thank you for loving us. 00:45 Amen. When we were last together 00:49 we were reading in the book of Ezra about the rebuilding of 00:53 Jerusalem; and the people round about, in particular 00:57 the governor of Tatnai, has written a letter to Darius 01:01 to potentially cause trouble, and he's giving an account 01:06 of how he went to Israel to challenge them in their 01:09 rebuilding and Israel's response to that challenge. 01:13 We're going to pick up in verse 17 of Ezra, chapter 5 01:18 and this is the King James Version. 01:20 Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search 01:27 made in the king's treasure house which is there at Babylon. 01:30 whether it be so that a decree was made of Cyrus the king 01:34 to build this house of God at Jerusalem. And let the king 01:39 send his pleasure to us concerning this matter. 01:42 Continuing in Ezra, chapter 6, the King James Version. 01:46 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made 01:52 in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in 01:54 Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is 02:00 in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record 02:05 thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus 02:10 the king made a decree concerning the house of God 02:14 at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they 02:18 offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly 02:22 laid; the height thereof threescore cubits; 02:25 and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; 02:28 with three rows of great stones and a row of new timber: 02:32 and let the expenses be given out of the king's house. 02:36 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house 02:41 of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple 02:44 which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, 02:47 be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at 02:52 Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them 02:56 in the house of God. Now therefore Tatnai, governor 03:01 beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions 03:04 the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, 03:07 be ye far from thence: Let the work of this house of God alone; 03:12 let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build 03:16 this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree 03:21 what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building 03:24 of this house of God: that of the king's goods, 03:27 even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses 03:31 be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. 03:35 And that which they have need of both young bullocks, and rams, 03:40 and lambs, for the burnt offering of the God of heaven, 03:43 wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of 03:47 the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them 03:52 day by day without fail: That they may offer sacrifices 03:58 of sweet savors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life 04:01 of the king, and of his sons. Also I have made a decree, 04:06 that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down 04:11 from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; 04:15 and let his house be made a dunghill for this. 04:18 And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy 04:24 all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter 04:27 and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. 04:30 I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed. 04:36 Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river and Shethatboznai 04:41 and their companions, according to that which Darius the king 04:45 had send, so they did speedily. And the elders of the Jews 04:50 builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of 04:54 Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. 04:56 And they builded and finished it according to the commandment 05:00 of the God of Israel and according to the commandment of 05:02 Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 05:06 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, 05:10 which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 05:14 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, 05:17 and the rest of the children of the captivity, 05:20 kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, 05:24 and offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bullocks, 05:28 200 rams, 400 lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, 05:33 12 he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 05:37 And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites 05:42 in their courses, for the service of God, 05:44 which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses. 05:47 And the children of the captivity kept the passover 05:51 upon the 14th day of the 1st month. For the priests and the 05:56 Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, 06:00 and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, 06:03 and for their brethren the priests and for themselves. 06:06 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of 06:10 the captivity, and all such as had separated themselves 06:14 unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, 06:17 to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat, and kept the feast of 06:22 unleavened bread 7 days with joy: for the Lord had made them 06:27 joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, 06:31 to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, 06:35 the God of Israel. We're continuing now 06:40 in Ezra, chapter 7, and this is the King James Version. 06:43 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of 06:49 Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of 06:55 Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 07:00 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 07:04 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 07:08 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, 07:13 the son of Aaron the chief priest: 07:16 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe 07:21 in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: 07:25 and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand 07:29 of the Lord his God upon him. And there went up some of the 07:34 children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, 07:37 and the singers, and the porters and the Nethinims unto Jerusalem 07:41 in the 7the year of Artaxerxes the king. And he came to 07:45 Jerusalem, in the 5th month, which was in the 7th year 07:48 of the king. For upon the first day of the first month 07:51 began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the 07:56 fifth month came he to Jerusalem according to the good hand of 08:00 his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek 08:05 the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel 08:10 statutes and judgments. Now this is the copy of the letter 08:15 that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe 08:19 even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, 08:22 and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, king of kings 08:27 unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, 08:31 perfect peace and at such a time. I make a decree, 08:36 that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests 08:40 and Levites in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill 08:46 to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Forasmuch as thou art 08:51 sent of the king, and of his seven counselors, to inquire 08:56 concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God 08:59 which is in thine hand; and to carry the silver and gold, 09:04 which the king and his counselors have freely offered 09:06 unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem. 09:10 and all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the 09:14 province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, 09:17 and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their 09:20 God which is in Jerusalem: that thou mayest buy speedily with 09:26 this money bullocks, rams, lambs with their meat offerings, 09:31 and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of 09:35 the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 09:38 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, 09:42 to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, 09:44 that do after the will of your God. The vessels also that are 09:49 given thee for the service of the house of thy God, 09:52 those deliver thou before the the God of Jerusalem. 09:55 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God 10:01 which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the 10:04 king's treasure house. And I even I Artaxerxes the king, 10:10 do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond 10:14 the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest the scribe of the law 10:18 of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done 10:22 speedily unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred 10:27 measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, 10:29 and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing 10:33 how much. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, 10:37 let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven. 10:41 For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king 10:44 and his sons? Also we certify you, that touching any of the 10:49 priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers 10:54 of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, 10:58 tribute or custom, upon them. And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom 11:05 of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges 11:09 which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, 11:12 all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them 11:17 that know them not. And whosoever will not do the laws 11:21 of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed 11:26 speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, 11:30 or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. 11:34 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a 11:39 thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house 11:43 of the Lord which is in Jerusalem: and hath extended 11:47 mercy unto me before the king, and his counselors, and before 11:50 all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the 11:55 hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together 12:00 out of Israel chief men to go up with me. 12:04 I'm reading from Ezra, chapter 8 This is the King James Version. 12:10 These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the 12:14 genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, 12:18 in the reign of Artaxerxes the king. 12:21 The next few verses is the listing of the genealogy 12:25 of those who went with Ezra. we'll skip the reading of those 12:28 names and pick up Ezra's account beginning in chapter 8, verse 21 12:34 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, 12:40 that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him 12:44 a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our 12:48 substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of 12:53 soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: 12:56 because we had spoken unto the king saying, The hand of our God 13:00 is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his 13:05 wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and 13:10 besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us. 13:15 Then I separated 12 of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, 13:20 Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, 13:23 and weighed unto them the silver, 13:26 and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering 13:28 of the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, 13:31 and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: 13:34 I even weighed unto their hand 650 talents of silver, 13:39 and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred 13:43 talents; also 20 basins of gold, of a thousand drams; 13:48 and 2 vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. 13:50 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord; 13:54 the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold 13:59 are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers. 14:02 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief 14:07 of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of 14:09 Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of 14:13 the Lord. So took the priests and the Levites the weight 14:17 of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to 14:20 Jerusalem unto the house of our God. Then we departed 14:24 from the river of Ahava on the 12th day of the first month, 14:27 to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, 14:31 and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, 14:33 and of such as lay in wait by the way. 14:36 Thank you for joining me. Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17