Sunday, March 2, 2008

Feeling the Guilt Ezra 9:1-9

1 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness."
 3 When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.
 5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God 6 and prayed: 
       "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
 8 "But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 •Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and He has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
 

There is a big question of how we can be identified with group sin as well as take personal responsibility for our own sin. God’s promises, as well as the warnings are there for all of us. Do we just take the blessings and the promises that sound good to us or do we live in the light of the whole council of God--even with the hurts?

The Facts as they come to light:

ºLeaders came to Ezra.
Why did they come to him?
1. There was a problem.
2. He was the leader.
3. He was a priest.
4. He was to be followed.  
Ezra had the right stuff-not in the sense of having the stuff of the world-he had God’s attention.

º Told of the sin
“have not kept themselves separate from the peoples around them.”
This something that did not happened over night! They were a long time with this situation-problem.

Not a new thing so why this concern?

IDEA: They had just been worshipping the Lord...
They had been His presence, they felt the drift away from Him.  They were face to face with Him.  This was the first time for many of them and the very first time in the Temple there in Jerusalem.  
(a heart in tuned with His will hear and feel His Pain…)

   a. ~in particular- they have been immoral.
   b. - they looked to other places to satisfy they longings.
••Disbelief of God's all-sufficiency, is at the foundation of the sorrowful moves we take to help ourselves regardless of what the Lord says.  They had satisfied themselves with what THEY could find and did not depend on the sufficiency of the Lord.  Where are you not depending on Him?  We just finished the end of Feb.  Sure, it was a short month, so maybe the money was not as tight as it might be THIS month. Do we trust Him for that?  Trust Him for other things we need, we want?  Does He know our needs?  Yes, and He is able to supply ALL our needs in Christ Jesus. 

   c. - sufficiency should be all in Him, but they found it was not so.

Need to return to the things that remain the TRUTH. Tied to the vine. Walk by Faith. Live by Faith. Move in HIM alone!  We need to get back to the Heart of Worship!  It is ALL about Jesus!

ºBIG Problem~leaders were leading the people the wrong way!
And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness

QUESTION: What happens when the leadership leads the wrong way? 
When they are teaching False teaching?  When they are involved in immorality?  Dishonest with money issues?

What is the role of a leader? To lead righteously!  The president of any country, the PM of any country NEEDS to rule righteously!  It is their role as a leader.  And when they do not, it causes pain and hardships for those in that country.  No matter who that leader is, HE NEEDS TO BE LEADING RIGHTEOUSLY!

Is it the same in the world? In the Church? In the family?
What happens when Dad goes south with his emotions/affections? What happens to the family when HE falls?
ºWhat can the family do to protect themselves?
•Those men who fall exposed themselves and their children to the peril of idolatry & that had ruined their community and nation.  It happened with Israel and it happens to countries and it happens to Churches!  Beware!  
What is the 'tool' families can use?
~Prayer--when all else is tried, why not try prayer?
Ezra DID!  He becomes the example for us.
Why wait so long?
Note how He did this.
Felt the pain himself
Others of like heart/concern fell in with him.
Was prolonged in prayer.
Took on the sin personally
Looked to God’s Grace.

Forgiveness already there for them
Isa 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
       He who created you, O Jacob,
       He who formed you, O Israel:
       “Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
       I have summoned you by name; you are Mine”

Isa 44:26 who carries out the words of His servants
         and fulfills the predictions of His messengers,
 
       who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,'
 
       of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be built,'
 
       and of their ruins, 'I will restore them,'
• Isa 48:20 Leave Babylon,
         flee from the Babylonians!
 
       Announce this with shouts of joy
 
       and proclaim it.
 
       Send it out to the ends of the earth;
 
       say, "The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob."
• Isa 52:9 Burst into songs of joy together,
         you ruins of Jerusalem,
 
       for the LORD has comforted His people,
 
       He has redeemed Jerusalem.

º What tools do we have?
Divine weapon 2 Cor 10:4-6
In the Spirit Eph 6:18
Is living & active Heb 4:12
Overcame  Rev 12:11
Put on the armor Rom 13:12

Looking back to Ezra 9:8~9 we can see how it is to be done. These are descriptive passages to give us a picture of how God’s man did it back then. Situations are different today-in that we are not rebuilding a Temple or a city BUT we are in the process of Him rebuilding our hearts and lives for His Glory. He has indeed shown us kindness. He has indeed granted us new life. Our lives are rebuilt and our hearts are repaired. We had been in ruin because of our sins but He has come to cleanse us. He has given us a wall of protection by His Holy Spirit to guide us and seal us until the Day of His Return.
First John 1: 9 Tools for the Faithful.
 Confession!
Following God’s way of covering the family and self with these tools of the faithful, and by confessing our sins and shortcomings to the Lord on a regular basis would be a Biblical way of dealing with the ‘stuff’ in our lives. Your response is your responsibility.


When the Music fades
Heart of worship
Public Domain
Words and Music by Matt Redman

When the music fads
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring that’s of worth
That will bless Your Heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor
All I have is Yours
Every single breath

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus. 

I'm coming back to the heart of worship And it's all about You 
It's all about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it

When it's all about You
It's all about You, Jesus.
(-just listen & pray-)
I'll bring You more than a song
I'll bring You more than a song
More than a song
I'll bring You more than a song
I'll bring You more than a song
You're looking into my heart
Looking into my heart
You're looking into my heart
Into my heart
I'll bring You more than a song
I'll bring You more than a song
I'll bring You more than a song
I'll bring You more than a song