Ezra 01: When the Time Is Right, Nothing Will Stop You

What if you could understand God's perfect timing through the lives of ancient Israelites? Join us in this enlightening episode as we unpack the profound themes and historical context of the book of Ezra. Ezra, a dedicated priest and scribe, documents the return of the Israelites from exile, offering a powerful sequel to 2 Chronicles. Through the lens of prophecy, royal decrees, and the collective rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem, we reveal how Ezra underscores God's unwavering faithfulness and perfect timing. Discover how the prophecy of Jeremiah and the decree of King Cyrus of Persia align to fulfill God's unstoppable plans.

In our deep dive into Ezra's life mission, we highlight his significant contributions to the Old Testament, focusing especially on Psalm 119. Ezra's dedication to studying, obeying, and teaching God's law serves as a powerful mission statement, inspiring us to trust in God's purpose amidst life's distractions and challenges. We conclude with a heartfelt prayer, drawing inspiration from Ezra 7:10, and seeking God's guidance to keep our focus on His plans. Don't miss this rich discussion that brings to life the timeless relevance of Ezra's journey, encouraging us all to embrace God's timing and purpose.

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The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Chapters

• 0:00 Timing and Success in Ezra
• 9:35 Ezra's Mission Statement

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:24

Well, everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, ezra, chapter one, and today's title is simply the idea of when the time is right, nothing will stop you. Time is right, nothing will stop you. And, as always, we're going to cover kind of the background for Ezra, and there's a lot going on in this book, there's a lot going on around this book and I can't wait. Ezra is one of my favorite people in the Old Testament. I've got David, moses, ezra they're all right up there and I hope that maybe by the time we're done with the book of Ezra, you'll feel the same way. All right, but before we do that, as always, make sure you like, share and subscribe to YouTube channel and to the podcast. Leave us a five-star review on the podcast. Make sure that you are commenting on the podcast and on the YouTube channel because the more we dig, the more we find together and make sure you're gathering with us at the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook. It is an honor for us to do life there together and it is just growing and growing and I love it so much. If you have your Bible, I want to open up with me to Ezra, chapter one. This is an amazing book because it really is like a sequel to 2 Chronicles and, if you remember, most likely we don't know for sure, but most likely it was Ezra that wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles and, if you remember, what happened was is 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings was written to kind of explain why Israel and Judah went into exile for 70 years, and so there's a lot of talking about just constantly just going downhill and downhill and downhill, and it was really like you know why we did? Because we stink, because we continue to not do what God called us to do, and this is our own fault. Well, now, as the nation of Israel was, you know, the 70 years was up and they were getting ready to go back again. Ezra compiled the story, but this time he told it from the point of view of a priest, because that's who Ezra was. He was a priest and a scribe, and that's why 1 and 2 Chronicles had a lot to do with the nation of Judah, had a lot to do with the temple and a lot to do with worship. Is he saying, yes, we did some bad things, but God was always with us in that process and as they were reestablishing themselves back in the land of Israel. He was reminding them God is still with us, god is still going to be for us and it's going to be okay. And that's what Ezra is all about. The book of Ezra is, you know.

Speaker 0: 2:42

I think the overall theme is to keep the main thing, the main thing. Be careful not to get lost in all these details over here, but to focus on what we were doing, because what's going to happen is is Ezra is going to be part of the group of people that are coming back to the land of Israel. They're wanting to reestablish the city of Jerusalem, rebuild the walls, rebuild the temple all these different things and there's all this other stuff that's going on that is trying to discourage them, and there's enemies everywhere and they have to focus on why are we here? What is it we're trying to do? And to not get distracted. And what I love, too, is there's so many things going on around this time.

Speaker 0: 3:21

This was written between 460 and 440 BC. Now, at about 400 BC was when really there's a time called the time of silence. That happens in the Old Testament. There's a lot of things happening over those 400 years Persia is taken over by the Greeks, then the Greeks are taken over by Romans, and then there's all this other stuff that we'll get to later on. But during this time frame is an amazing time in the nation of Israel's history. You've got Ezra, you've got Esther, you've got Nehemiah, you have a lot of the minor prophets Zechariah, zephaniah, obadiah, malachi. All these people are all alive about the same time. Daniel is alive during all these different times. There's just all this stuff is going on at the same time, and so a lot is happening during this timeframe. So we're going to see a perspective of Ezra and then afterward we're going to see a perspective of someone who wasn't part of the ministry or the priesthood, named Nehemiah. Then we're going to get to find out about just all of these things are going on.

Speaker 0: 4:26

But it's important when it comes to the book of Ezra, we watch this idea that when the time is right, nothing will stop you, and so when God gives you the go aheadead, you got the green light and it's time to move forward. Man, we celebrate that and realize that God's timing is perfect, and so we got to keep our focus and move in the right direction, and that's what Ezra is all about is about keeping their focus and that, when the time is right, nothing will stop you. So we're going to get started with Ezra, chapter 1, and let's this, and we're going to see what God's word has to say. Here we go. Ezra, one, verse one says this in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy that had been given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his whole kingdom. Now pause. Jeremiah had said 70 years before that there would be 70 years of exile, and so what Ezra is saying is is he's saying God kept his word, and 70 years after it, king Cyrus said it's time for the Jewish people to go back to their land. This is what he said.

Speaker 0: 5:33

Verse two this is what King Cyrus of Persia says the Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a temple in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem, in Judah, to rebuild this temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem, and may your God be with you. Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold supplies for their journey and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the temple of the God of Jerusalem. Then God stirred the hearts of the priests and the Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the Lord. The Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the Lord, and all their neighbors, assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold supplies for their journey and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.

Speaker 0: 6:33

King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord's temple in Jerusalem and placed them in the temple of his own gods. Cyrus directed Mithdarath, the treasurer of Persia, to count these items and present them to Shesh-bazar, the leader of the exiles returning to Judah. This is the list of the items that were to be returned Gold basins 30. Silver basins 1,000. Silver incense burners 29. Gold bowls 30. Silver bowls 410. And other items 1,000. In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazar that's hard to say brought all of these along with the exiles that went from Babylon to Jerusalem, wow.

Speaker 0: 7:24

So you imagine, these people have been hoping and hoping and hoping to be able to return to Jerusalem and now, by royal decree, they're going to be able to return to Jerusalem. And now, by royal decree, they're going to be able to return, and that I love that idea, because there's seasons in our life when we can try everything we want to try, we can do everything we want to do, but when the timing isn't right, it's not going to work. It doesn't matter how hard we want to try, no matter what we want to do, when God's timing is not ready, it's not going to work. But when God's timing is right, everything works out the way it needs to. That's what I've heard.

Speaker 0: 8:00

So many people say that you know people who become what some people consider. You know scare quotes and overnight success. I've heard people who have been labeled as such and they say, yeah, I'm a 30-year overnight success, you success. In other words, they would say, for 30 years I beat my head up against the wall and I did everything I could do and nothing seemed to work. And then, finally, things just started to work. And then, boom, everything started to work.

Speaker 0: 8:21

I don't know about you, but there's been many times in my life that's exactly the way it's felt. I've tried to do this, I've tried to do that, I've tried to be faithful over here and be faithful over there. It just seemed like nothing was really working. But then, in the right moment, at the right time, it just seemed like everything fell together and some people would call that luck. Well, here's the thing I don't really believe in luck. I believe in favor and I believe in the timing of the Lord, and when God's timing is right, everything works out the way it's supposed to. So I wanna encourage you, as we read through the book of Ezra when God's timing is right, nothing is going to stop you.

Speaker 0: 8:55

The other side is also a way to have hope, and that is this If you're doing everything you can and it just simply isn't working out right now, trust the Lord. It doesn't mean you've done anything bad Now. Maybe you have, I don't know. But if the best that you know, you're doing everything you know to do to honor God and to trust God and to serve God and doing all that and you're doing the best you can and it's just simply not working out right now, trust the Lord that when the time is right, nothing will stop. You Loved the law of God.

Speaker 0: 9:35

Many people think it was actually Ezra that compiled. Finally, what we have now is the Old Testament Torah and the Old Testament Tanakh, which is the 39 books of the Old Testament, that it was compiled by Ezra. Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the entire book of Psalms, was likely written by Ezra and it's all about loving the law of God. And as he's going through and he's compiling all of this, he's now going to take the book that has his name and one of the things he's going to continue to write is to keep the main thing, the main thing, and that is for all of us to keep the main thing that when time, the time is right, god is going to move in your life. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much that you are with us more than we can understand. I pray that today, as we start this journey of Ezra, you will put just an assurance in our heart that you are with us and you're moving for us. Help us to keep the main thing, the main thing in our life, not to get distracted by small things or annoyances and discouragements of these things over here, but trust you that, when the time is right, nothing is going to stop us from doing everything you've called us to do. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen and amen.

Speaker 0: 10:42

God's Word says in Ezra 7, verse 10,. This is because Ezra had determined to study and obey the law of the Lord, to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel. It's all about how Ezra had a mission statement for his life and God used him to do just that. When we choose to trust the Lord, god will do what only he can do in our lives. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Ezra, chapter two.