The Power, Providence, Purpose and Promises of God Ezra 1

Ezra 1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lordspoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 2 “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. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.

Ezra 1 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’” 5 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. 6 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.

Ezra 1 7 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. 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 This was the inventory:

Ezra 1 11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

1st P: God Keeps His Promises 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 “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. Jeremiah 25:11-12 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. Daniel 9:2

The I Wills and Shalls of Jesus 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11: 25-26 “…20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. John 6:37

2nd P: Promises Implies Power 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36: 26 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power… Psalm 110: 3

3rd P: God’s Purpose And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. Genesis 3: 15 “…18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22:18

3rd Point: God’s Purpose The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2 “…I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 4:6 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60:3

4th P: God’s Providential Power …who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, “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…” Isaiah 44:25 – 45: 1 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. Proverbs 21:1

4th P: God’s Providential Power “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:10-11 …No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” Daniel 4:35

4th P: God’s Providential Power “There is no such thing as “chance”, “luck”, or “accident” in the Christian journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God.” J. C. Ryle “I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes – that every particle of spray that dashes against the steamboat has its orbit, as well as the sun in the heavens – that the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as the stars in their courses. The creeping of an aphid over the rosebud is as much fixed as the march of the devastating pestilence – the fall of . . . leaves from a poplar is as fully ordained as the tumbling of an avalanche.” Charles Spurgeon

5th P: God’s Everlasting Presence and Preservation (God’s Pots and Pans) “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30 “What if you woke up today with only the things that you thanked God for yesterday?” Unknown Quote