קֹּ֔דֶשׁ זֶ֣רַע (The Holy Offspring)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Open You Bibles This evening to Ezra Chapter 9. We will be in the whole chapter his evening.
Last time
We are going to read Ezra Chapter 9 now and we will focus in on a couple of main points
1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” 3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, 6 saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. 10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”
May God Bless the reading of His Holy and Infallible Word.
Let’s Pray
Transition
Transition
The book of Ezra Chapter 7 verse ten says.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
The Apostle Paul quoting scripture says,
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
This is import because the charter of this man and his prayer are not natural. Indeed the response of the people the situation is not a natural one.
If you were reading in the bible reading plan this week you read about king Zedekiah cutting up and burning the letter Jeremiah sent him. (Jeremiah 36:27)
That’s the natural response
What we see then is a restoration of God’s hand of restraint on evil.
Main Body
Main Body
The Holy Race/Offspring
The Holy Race/Offspring
Ezra arrives in Jerusalem after a God pointed and covered Journey and is told that even the Priests are marring strange women.
Remember Ezra is a scribe so it know the Law and he know what happens to Solomon.
Then in verse two “2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” (Ezr 9:2, ESV)
“holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands”
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Pe 2:9–10, ESV)
Paul said the Corinthians.
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Co 6:14–16, ESV)
It does not matter what century it is the People of God have no business and have sinned when they are mixes with the World.
The problem is we do it all the time, we may not marry an unbeliever, but we partner with the world all the time, we derive pleasure for the world all the time.
Transition
Transition
We could say more, but I think this topic is something we can take retrospectively and examine ourselves. And we should be examining ourselves.
Look at verse 3 - 5
Sat Appalled
Sat Appalled
3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,
Is sin appalling?
Have you ever sat astonisted at your sin?
Have you eve done a Ezra when he “fell upon [his] knees and spread out [his] hands to the Lord my God”
Its a picture of completely removing any value from yourself,
My hands are empty, nothing in my hand I bring, I understand i have nothing to offer.
CH Spurgeon at METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE in a sermon entitled “SELF-HUMBLING AND SELF-SEARCHING” explained it like this,
“Repentance is as much a mark of a Christian as faith itself. Do not think we have done with repenting when we come to Christ and receive the remission of our sins by the blood that did once atone. No; we shall repent as long as we sin, and as long as we need the precious blood for cleansing. While there is sin, or a proneness to any kind of sin, lurking in us, the grace of God will make us loathe the sin and humble ourselves before the Most High on account of it.” [1]
Transition
Transition
Ezra understand the problem, look at verse 6.
Guilt Higher Than Our Heads But we are not Forsaken
Guilt Higher Than Our Heads But we are not Forsaken
Ezra, face down hands spread says to God.
6 saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
We have read the rest of the Chapter, the supplication continues.
Jump down to verse 15
15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”
This is the question of the ages, if God is just and we are guilty, how can we stand before before a just God.
The Psalmist puts this words in the sharp refrain,
“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.” (Ps 24:3–4, ESV)
Ezra just said that’s not me, that’s not us
and if we are truly examining ourselves we know its not us either.
Our guilt is above our heads, we are drowning in guilt.
This is the central question of all of redemptive history
This is the one point the overshadows all others
In very text in every place this question is asked or answers.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Benediction
Benediction
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
References
References
[1] C. H. Spurgeon, “Self-Humbling and Self-Searching,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 17 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1871), 268.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Spurgeon, C. H. The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons. Vol. 17. London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1871.