Lesson 10 “Our Duty”

Ezra 10:11,12 Now therefore, make confession to the L ORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives. 12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That's right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. Ezra 10:11-12

Ezra’s prayer in chapter nine lead a large multitude of people to take action. 1. Open their hearts vs. 3 be ready to listen be ready to be learn be ready to leave Ezra 10 – The Situation vs. 1-5

“You have been unfaithful…..” 22The L ORD ‘ S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 Ezra 10 – The Condemnation vs. 10

“make confession to the Lord…..” Confessions is step one of the journey, no journey can begin without the first step. This is what starts the wheels to spinning in your trip back to God. Our confession must acknowledge the will of God. Confession means to “say the same thing.” Ezra 10 – The Confession vs. 11

“separate yourselves…..” From the world to the will of God “In the Bible separation is more about difference than it is distance.” Ezra 10 – Cleansing vs. 11

“as you have said…it is our duty to do” 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Ezra 10 – Compliance vs. 12

“until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away” They were to form a committee. The guilty were to have appointments Their local elders and judges were to be a part of the process. Pleasing God was the ultimate goal! Ezra 10 – Conclusion vs

17 Priests, 10 Levites and 84 People Total of 111 families Bible scholars agree that there were about 29,000 families at this time. This would be.4 %. Not a significant percentage, but a significant problem! Ezra 10 – Final Thoughts vs

Eliezer - the faithful servant of Abraham. Elijah - the great prophet that God took up to Heaven without dying. Uzziah - the great king of Isaiah’s day. Judah - one of the patriarchs. Benjamin - another one of Jacob’s sons. Jeremiah - the weeping prophet. Nathan - the prophet that boldy rebuked king David. Joel - God’s prophet.Joseph - the great Hebrew that saved Egypt from famine. Ezra 10 – Final Thoughts vs

REVIEW

When God is ready to move will you be…..  Willing – John 6:38  Prepared – Psalm 78:8  Faithful – I Corinthians 4:2  Connected – Jeremiah 24:7 From Lesson #1

From Lesson #2 The Remnant included leftovers. Their task To do whatever needed to be done with a spirit of thankfulness for a God-given opportunity to start anew. Their focus Thankfulness includes - remembering what God has done, telling others about it, showing God's glory to others, and offering gifts of self, time, and resources.

From Lesson #3 The Importance of Remembering Remember God’s care for us. Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember God’s blessings of the past. Joshua 4:4-7 Remember to seek God in every element of your daily life. Ecclesiastes 12:1

From Lesson #4 The Reality of Discouragement 1.We are discouraged by what we see. 2.We are discouraged by what we hear. 3.We are discouraged by what we touch. 4.We are discouraged by what we smell. 5.We are discouraged by what we taste. If the primary source of our discouragement is not the source but our perceptions and senses then here is hope!

From Lesson #5 1. Searches me. – vs.1 2. Knows me. – vs. 2a 3. Understands my thoughts. – vs.2b 4.Scrutinizes my path. – vs. 3a 5.Examines me closely. – vs.3b 6.Knows my words before I speak. vs. 4

From Lesson #6 Mission Accomplished – How? 1. With God alone controlling the opposition. Ezra 6:7 2. Strong and effective preaching. Ezra 6:14a 3. Doing the work God’s way. Ezra 6:14b 4. With people choosing joy. Ezra 6:16

From Lesson #7 1.Spiritual preparation – Ezra prepared his heart, v10 2.Mental preparation – Ezra studied the Word of God, v10 3.Practical preparation – Ezra obeyed the Word of God, v10 4.Institutional preparation – Ezra created a system of imparting the Word of God, v10, 6 Life in the “School of Ezra”

From Lesson #8 " The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him." It’s not what you do or say but who you are that moves the hand of God!

From Lesson #9 Personal Grief – “tore his garment and robe” Personal Gravity – “sat appalled to evening” Humility – “arose from my humiliation” Confession – personal and national Grace Focus – “You our God have requited us less than our iniquities deserve” Ezra’s Prayer – 5 Key Elements