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The Bible Breakdown
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The Bible Breakdown
Ezra 06: Nana Nana Boo Boo
Ever wondered how a decree from an ancient king could turn enemies into unwitting benefactors? In this episode, we explore the fascinating and amusing tale from Ezra, chapter 6, where King Darius uncovers an old decree by King Cyrus that not only allows the Jewish people to rebuild their temple but also forces their adversaries to finance the whole project. Picture the scene as their opponents, who initially tried to halt the construction, end up providing the needed resources for sacrifices and supplies. It's a historic "Nana Nana Boo Boo" moment that highlights a victorious turn of events you won't want to miss.
But the journey doesn't end there. We'll also delve into the life and determination of Ezra as described in Ezra 7:10. His relentless commitment to studying, obeying, and teaching God's laws is a powerful testament to the importance of perseverance and trust in divine timing. Through engaging discussions, we uncover how trusting God's plan and timing can lead to profound personal and communal transformation. Join us as we draw lessons from Ezra's leadership, encouraging you to deepen your faith and share God's teachings with others, reminding us all that persistence and trust in God are key to overcoming life's challenges.
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The More You Dig. The More You Find.
Well, hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, ezra, chapter 6, and I can't even say this without laughing Today's title I just couldn't think of a better one and it's Nana Nana Boo Boo. It's so stupid I can't help it. Nana Nana Boo Boo. Now I don't know, I got to just pause real quick and say when I was a kid and we played chase or we play whatever game that that had a base. You know, like you're playing chase, you're running away from somebody. And if and then we'd always designate a safe space, a base, that if you can get to the base they can't touch you. And they can be right there, they can be angry, they can be saying, when you get off that base, I'm going to get you whatever. And while you're on that base, you're safe, they can't touch you anymore. And you sit there and you just kind of just make faces at them and go, na-na-na-na-boo-boo, you can't touch me, all that kind of stuff. Well, that is exactly. I mean, it's a pretty immature thing to do. But I'm going to tell you something. If we've been noticing over the past few chapters, it is time for the people of God to have a little bit of fun with all these enemies. We'll get into all that in just a moment. But, as always, if you like what we're doing here and you don't mind me being silly, make sure that you subscribe to our YouTube channel and our podcast. Leave us a five-star review on the podcast. You will forever and always be my favorites, my podcast listeners. Y'all are my ride or dies, my old school gangstas. I love you so much. And make everybody at the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook, because I'm going to tell you something the more we dig, the more we find, and they're doing such an amazing job over there.
Speaker 1:Well, if you have your Bibles, you want to open up with me to Ezra, chapter six. If you remember, over the past several chapters King Cyrus started off Ezra one, with King Cyrus saying go build the temple. So they, you know, get everybody together. And as Ezra did in first Chronicles and now he did, you know, in the first part of Ezra he tells everybody's name and then they get there, but there's these enemies who stopped them and they say you can't build this because we're going to tell on you. And they do, they write a letter back to the king and they leave out the whole story. They just talk about the first part, when Israel got into some trouble, and that's what caused them to be overrun and that caused them to have to stop. Well, after a while, the people of Israel had had enough. They were like you know what God told us to rebuild this temple. We got permission from Cyrus. We're going to keep building. Put our names on that list, if you want to. That you're going to send back to Artaxerxes and I don't care, we're going to build the temple, going to build the temple. And so the Bible said that's exactly what happened is they took name down of all the people and they said Artaxerxes, they are building this temple again and you have already told them to stop. So they claim that Cyrus, way back when, told them they could build this temple. So would you mind looking and just, forever and always, just stop them from building this temple? Well, they did, and watch what happens. You ready? Here we go. Ezra, chapter 6, verse 1, says this so King Darius issued orders that a search be made in the Babylonian archives, which are stored in the treasury, but it was at the fortress of Ecpetana in the province of Medea that a scroll was found, and this is what it said. Memorandum.
Speaker 1:In the first year of King Cyrus' reign, a decree was sent out concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem. Let the temple be rebuilt on the site where the Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be 90 feet. Its width will be 90 feet. There will be three layers of specially prepared stones that will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid out by the royal treasury. Furthermore, the gold and silver cups which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the temple of God in Jerusalem must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the temple of God.
Speaker 1:So King Darius sent this message. I love this. All right, here we go. These are to the people that have been given the Jewish folks all kinds of fits. Here he goes Now. Therefore, tanai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River, and Shethar-Bazonai and your colleagues and your officials west of the Euphrates River, stay away from there, as we would say back from Alabama. Do not disturb the construction of the temple of God. You just kind of see the verbal slap in the face. Do not disturb the construction site of the temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work.
Speaker 1:Now here is my favorite part. Listen to this. Moreover, I hereby decree that you are to help these elders of the Jews as they rebuild this temple of God. You must pay the full construction cost without delay from the taxes collected in the province west of Euphrates River, so that the work will not be interrupted. Did you hear what he just said? He said take the money out of your pocket and pay for the temple. That is amazing.
Speaker 1:Verse nine give the priest in Jerusalem whatever is needed in the way of young bulls, rams, male lambs for the burnt offerings presented to the God of heaven and, without fail, provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine and olive oil as they need each day. So, in other words, don't just pay for the temple, but you go and take care of them as well. Then, verse 10, they will be able to offer acceptable sacrifices to God and pray for the welfare of the king. He's talking about himself and his sons. Those who violate this decree will have a beam pulled from their house. They will be lifted up and impaled on it and their house will be reduced to a pile of rubble. So, other words, yous are gonna die. May the God, who has chosen the city of Jerusalem as the place to honor his name, destroy any king or nation that violates this command and destroys this temple. I, darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed with all diligence. So he slaps them three times, kicks them in the shin and then walks on them. So then verse 13,.
Speaker 1:Taniyai, governor of the province of the Euphrates River, and Sheth-Bazonai and their colleagues complied at once to the command of King Darius. So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets of Haggai and Zechariah, son of Edo. The temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, darius, artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. The temple was completed on March 12th, during the sixth year of King Darius' reign. The temple of God was dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the people who had returned from exile. During the dedication ceremony for the temple of God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 male lambs were sacrificed and 12 goats were presented as a sent offering for the 12 tribes of Israel. Then the priests and the Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the book of Moses. On April 21st, the returned exile celebrated Passover, and the priests and the Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean, and they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles and for their fellow priests and for themselves. The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned from their corrupt practices to worship the Lord, the God.
Speaker 1:And you imagine? So, na-na-na-na-boo-boo, can you just, oh my goodness, imagine with me for a moment? These folks have been a thorn in Israel's side for years now, and these enemies think we're going to put the final nail in their coffin. We are going to demand as if we could do such a thing that the king do an archive search to show that they're lying, and then they'll be done forever. Well, turns out, they do the archive search and find out no, they were telling the truth. And so not only does the king tell them, leave them alone, but he karate chops them in the throat by saying not only do you need to leave them alone, but you have to supply all that they need. You have to take care of them and anything they need, help them out. Wow, that's amazing. God made a way and now the enemies had to assist them.
Speaker 1:It reminds me of a story one time of there was a story of this this old lady and an atheist who lived side by side. The old lady was very poor, didn't have a lot, didn't have any family, but she loved Jesus and she trusted the Lord. Next door was an atheist who didn't believe in God, didn't believe God did anything, and just loved to pick on this poor old lady. And every day they would go out and they'd work in their yards and do different things, and every time that the atheist lady had a chance she would pick on this old lady and say, well, you know, it looks like you got some weeds. I guess God don't love you, and just anything to kind of just snipe, just snipe and snip at this poor old lady.
Speaker 1:Well, things were kind of hard for the old lady and so she really was needing God to help her because some things had happened in her finances and she was having a hard time making ends meet and she didn't have enough money for groceries. And so, as the story goes, the old lady would go into her bedroom and she'd have the windows open and she would just pray and cry out to God. God, I need a miracle, I need you to provide a way for me to have some groceries. God, I'm trusting in you to do this for me. And he said, for three days she'd pray three times a day. God, I'm trusting in you for a miracle. I'm trusting in you for a miracle.
Speaker 1:Well, every day this atheist lady heard her pray and was just disgusted. Just disgusted that she was trusting in God to do this. Just if there's ever proof there wasn't a God. Look at this poor sweet old lady and I know I give her a hard time, but, man, she don't deserve that. If there's ever a reason that God didn't exist, here it is. And so, after the third day, this old atheist lady said I'm gonna tell you what. I'm gonna stop this lady forever of believing in this God. I'm going to buy her a whole bunch of groceries and show her that it wasn't God that did that, but it was me that did that. And so she goes and she buys all the things she can think of. She buys everything she thinks that lady would like. She just spends hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars just trying to overdo it and showing that God doesn't exist.
Speaker 1:Well, as the story goes, she got all the groceries together and she dropped them all at this lady's front door and it just filled up her whole porch and down the steps and down into the sidewalk and it was just everywhere. And this atheist lady couldn't wait to ring the doorbell and say See, I told you that God didn't exist, I bought you all these groceries. And so she rung the doorbell and the old lady answered the door. And then, with a big smile on her face, the atheist lady says Look the doorbell. And the old lady answered the door. And then, with a big smile on her face, the atheist lady says look, I bought you all these groceries. Well, the old lady just started to cry and just fell on her knees and said Jesus, thank you so much for providing more than what I needed. And it just made the atheist lady so angry and she said what do you mean? God didn't buy you these groceries. I bought these groceries with my own money. And the old lady looked at her and looked back up at heaven and said Jesus, I'm so thankful that you bought me these groceries and you use the devil's money to do it.
Speaker 1:And that's exactly the way it goes, man. When you keep the main thing, the main thing, and you trust the Lord, god's going to make a way. God will always make a way. Now, most of the time he will make a way that you didn't expect and most of the time he'll make a way that you didn't see coming. But he'll always make a way. And not only will he make a way that will show you that he's faithful, but he'll show everybody else that he's faithful too. Let's pray together, god. Thank you so much that you always make a way and that, lord, you shame your enemies by showing your greatness.
Speaker 1:I pray today, god, that everyone listening or watching this will not give up. We will trust you and we will trust that, when the time is right, you, god, always come through. I love you and I trust you. Today, in Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen. Well, god's word says in Ezra, chapter 7, verse 10,. How is all this possible? This is because Ezra had determined to study and obey the law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel, ezra determined to know God and to make him known to everybody else. And that's our goal too. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Ezra, chapter 7.
