Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.1UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.09UNLIKELY
Joy
0.61LIKELY
Sadness
0.47UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.73LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.22UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.84LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.94LIKELY
Extraversion
0.15UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.68LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.67LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Today we continue a series of messages from the book of Ezra.
This is message number 7 and we are in chapter 8. Looks like we have just 2 more messages in this series.
We’ll cover chapter 9 next week and finish up in chapter 10.
The title of this series is Return, Rebuild, Renew.
We have seen how the Jewish exiles in Babylon have returned to Jerusalem, the returned in order that they might rebuild the temple and the city and in the process, they have renewed their relationship with God.
I am struck at how gracious God was with them.
We often only see how God disciplined the nation of Israel when they were off track, but what is even more striking than that is that He ultimately extended grace and mercy even when they went astray.
Last week we read most of chapter 7 that was the letter to Ezra from King Artaxerxes that gave Ezra the earthly authority and command to return to Jerusalem and restore the temple and the city to its former glory.
Chapter 7 ends with this praise from Ezra regarding the circumstances:
I pray that I never take credit for anything, but in all things that I give praise like Ezra.
It is by God’s grace that I am breathing this morning, it is by that same grace that He gives me strength to stand up here each Sunday and talk about Him.
Today in chapter 8, we are going to read some of the details of the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Let’s start reading in verse 1…I am not going to read all of the names, but I will point out the totals of the men.
From this list, we can deduce that there were 1500 or so men and if each man brought with them on average a wife and 3 children, the number of total people was in excess of 7000.
To start the journey, Ezra picks a place to meet...
Ezra gathers the people ahead of the journey and camps 3 days while finalizing the arrangements.
During those 3 days, Ezra realizes the group lacked qualified and trained Levites so he sent a crew to Iddo to gather a few to join them.
Again, in verse 18, Ezra acknowledges God’s grace on them as miraculously another 200+ decide on short notice to pack up and head back to Jerusalem.
In 3 days, God provides the people needed to accomplish the work He has planned for them.
Ezra just had to ask.
Surely God had already prepared these Levites and temple servants to be ready.
Let me encourage us all that if God has plans ahead, He will provide the people and the resources necessary to accomplish His plans.
Sometimes it only takes 3 days and other times it might take years, but we can rest in the knowledge that God will provide.
Verse 21...
Surely Ezra could have asked for protection, but He instead was led by the Lord to not ask.
This would be a witness to the king and all those watching.
The people were traveling with lots of valuables and were very vulnerable to attack, yet God protected them on their journey.
Ezra did not just assume safety, He told the people to fast and petition God about their safety and God answered that prayer.
It is never a bad idea to fast and petition God about something you have coming up.
I want to make a note about this decision...When faced with a decision like this - to ask for human protection or not - you would not be lacking in faith if you asked for help.
This is not a command here.
This is just how God moved in this instance.
Hold you place here and turn with me to Nehemiah 2, starting in verse 7...
The book of Nehemiah is part of the same return, just a bit later.
Nehemiah is making this same journey and he has military protection.
Does this mean that Ezra had faith and Nehemiah did not…absolutely not.
They were both following God’s leading in both instances.
While their circumstances were similar, God chose a different method for them.
Back to Ezra
Here we have a great example of stewardship and protection of what belongs to the Lord.
Before they left, they weighed what they had and gave them to responsible people to guard on the journey.
They understood that when they arrived, they would be expected to have the same amount as what they were given.
What a great example of taking great care of God’s things and holding men accountable to each other.
In addition to accountability, there is a delegation of the responsibility.
Leaders can sometimes feel like we have to shoulder all of the responsibility.
What a great example of having other faithful servants step up and take ownership of the responsibility of protecting what belongs to God.
Ah…they rested for 3 days.
So many great principles in this passage.
Ezra trusted the Lord for additional people to serve.
Ezra instructed the people to fast and pray for safety on their journey.
Ezra delegated responsibility to others in the journey while also ensuring accountability
They rested after a long journey.
Let’s finish up the chapter
This gives us a conclusion to their journey back.
They put all things in order as was their responsibility when they got to Jerusalem.
They counted all that was brought and then offered the necessary sacrifices.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9