WEBVTT

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 The title of my sermon this morning on Ezra 1 is Stirred Up to Go Where God Leads, and

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 I want to have our focus on that climax in that text that Jono read to us so well.

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 Verse 5, Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin and the priests

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 and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of

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 the Lord that is in Jerusalem, Ezra 1.5.

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 I invite you to pray with me before we turn to God's word.

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 Dear Father, we ask that you would tune our hearts to hear your word this morning, that

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 you would give us a renewed sense of delight in your word, of delight in being with your

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 people in your house.

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 We ask that our thoughts and all of our doings today as we go forth from here will also be

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 pleasing to you in your sight.

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 We ask that you would strengthen us for the tasks we face ahead.

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 This we ask in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 It's quite something preaching from up here, having seen the particular play that happened

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 here some nights ago, Stella and I come.

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 And so it's a little bit of cultural whiplash, I guess you could say, knowing what action took

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 place here, having Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life.

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 It's great.

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 But that's why our prayer book, it's a prayer book, as J.I.

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 Packer says, a prayer book for real people in real places and real situations.

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 So as I think of the gospel coming into this scene here, I think it's great.

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 What motivates someone to dedicate himself or herself to a major task or life work?

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 No doubt there's something of a mystery there because I suppose any number of things could

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 come together to lead us in one direction as opposed to another.

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 But my guess is that if you go up and ask someone who has stayed with something for the long haul,

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 as we say, if you ask them what led you to do that, they'll probably say that they had a strong sense

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 that there was nothing else that they should be doing or that they would rather do.

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 Well, in our text in Ezra this morning, that's what happened to a whole group of exiled Jews

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 as God himself gave them a strong determination to leave what they knew behind and to go to Jerusalem

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 to rebuild Solomon's temple that lay in ruins.

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 It's that stirring that I want us to reflect on this morning, specifically,

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 how it came about, what it teaches us about God and his ways, and what it might mean for us today.

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 As many of you know, our rector has now arrived in Rwanda to attend the Global Anglican Future Conference,

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 otherwise known as GAFCON, which begins tomorrow.

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 And as we face something of a real regathering and restructuring in the Global Anglican Movement,

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 I think there's a sense that God has been, and is now even, stirring many hearts toward a new beginning,

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 a reformation even, where faithfulness to God's word is paramount.

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 I certainly feel that stirring myself, particularly as I think of the moment of great upheaval God is allowing us to go through.

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 And that is reflected in the life that we see reflected in the life of the church throughout the world.

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 Now, good historical sense, I think, teaches us to be careful in drawing conclusions about the present moment we're going through

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 that are too precise or overly precise.

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 However, I think it's safe to say that the dividing line between two churches, effectively,

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 is becoming more and more apparent every day.

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 It happens to cut right through Christian denominations and not between them.

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 One is a church that is positively comfortable in Babylon,

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 and as such is determined formally to bless behaviors in the area of sexual ethics.

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 We've heard about a lot.

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 I won't spell out details, but in the area of sexual ethics that God forbids,

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 as if Scripture and the Spirit who inspired them could be kind of set against each other.

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 The other is a church that believes that all things that pertain to our salvation in this life and the next

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 are abundantly clear in Scripture,

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 and so is prepared to leave behind certain church structures that have been so familiar

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 and have given us so much,

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 and yet move in a direction that may not be clear in every way.

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 Now, I'm not here to suggest that once we've embarked, by God's grace,

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 on the road to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple,

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 that the dividing line between believers and non-believers is neat and tidy,

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 because it isn't.

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 But what I do hope we'll see this morning is how gracious God is in bringing his people,

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 that remnant that he keeps for himself,

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 to a place where we can begin afresh,

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 where we can say that he's been faithful to his promise,

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 and that he will show us the way ahead as we trust in him.

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 So in the weeks ahead, we'll be studying Ezra and Nehemiah.

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 Really, it's one book,

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 and it's my privilege while George has gone to get this study launched.

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 So before we look into Ezra 1,

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 let me just remind you of the situation that God's people found themselves in at the time.

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 Ever since Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king,

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 had carried many Judeans into Babylon,

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 and then sometime later,

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 in 586 B.C.,

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 destroyed Jerusalem and the temple there,

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 God's people found themselves in captivity.

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 For centuries, they had experienced gradual decline.

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 If they were thinking of their glory days,

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 with David and Solomon,

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 when they enjoyed,

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 well, they enjoyed a clear national identity,

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 they would have to be thinking about 400 years back.

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 To recall their entry into the land of Canaan,

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 they had to go back another 400 years.

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 And now in exile,

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 where most of them had been born,

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 prophets like Ezekiel reminded them of their homeland.

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 And so did Psalm 137,

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 which gave them these words.

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 By the waters of Babylon,

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 there we sat down and wept

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 when we remembered Zion.

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 On the willows there we hung up our lyres,

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 for there our captors required of us songs,

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 and our tormentors mirth,

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 saying,

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 Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

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 And then is the reply,

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 How, though,

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 shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?

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 Now according to Daniel,

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 himself an exiled prophet,

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 God is a God who removes kings

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 and sets up kings.

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 Daniel 2.11.

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 I beg your pardon, 2.21.

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 So it comes to pass in 538 B.C.

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 that Nebuchadnezzar's grandson,

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 King Belshazzar,

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 is overthrown by the Persians and the Medes.

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 And Cyrus comes to power.

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 What we need to know about Cyrus

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 is that about 160 years earlier,

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 Isaiah had prophesied that God would call

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 and use him for his own purposes.

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 Here's what the Lord had said to him

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 through Isaiah in chapter 45,

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 and verses 4 and 5.

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 For the sake of my servant Jacob

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 and Israel my chosen,

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 I call you by your name.

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 I name you,

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 though you do not know me.

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 I am the Lord,

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 and there is no other.

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 Besides me, there is no God.

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 I equip you,

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 though you do not know me.

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 And then, jumping ahead,

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 another about 110 years

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 before the fulfillment of that prophecy,

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 God says through Jeremiah,

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 when 70 years are completed for Babylon,

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 I will visit you,

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 and I will fulfill to you

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 my promise and bring you back to this place.

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 So that brings us to Ezra.

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 So if you have that handy,

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 whatever format,

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 it would be great if you could

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 just have an eye there

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 on the first four verses that Jono read,

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 verses 1 to 4 of Ezra 1.

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 Because I want to highlight four things

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 that we wouldn't want to miss

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 in this passage,

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 in that decree of Cyrus.

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 If we are ultimately trying to understand

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 how God moved a people

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 in the direction of Jerusalem,

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 we need to know that God

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 had first stirred up the spirit of Cyrus.

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 And how did that come about?

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 Well, we can't be sure

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 what motivated Cyrus,

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 humanly speaking.

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 Maybe he was impressed

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 with Isaiah's prophecy

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 and wanted to show some regard for it.

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 Maybe he just wanted to show

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 a more tolerant and enlightened

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 view of things

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 compared to his predecessors.

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 The point here is this.

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 Whatever his personal motives,

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 the text tells us

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 that it was God actually

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 at work,

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 moving him.

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 And the second detail

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 to notice is that Cyrus,

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 by speaking of Yahweh

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 as the God of heaven,

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 was apparently ready

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 to acknowledge

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 that there is one supreme God

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 by whose authority

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 he, Cyrus,

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 now reigned over all

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 the kingdoms of the earth.

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 Now, the new king

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 wasn't necessarily boasting here.

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 He had taken over

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 the kingdoms

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 that had belonged

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 to Nebuchadnezzar.

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 And according to Daniel,

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 Nebuchadnezzar's reign

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 reached to the ends

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 of the earth.

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 So he was just

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 repeating that,

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 if you like.

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 But the third thing

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 to notice

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 is that Cyrus

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 did not know

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 the living God

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 in the way

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 that the living God

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 knew him,

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 as Isaiah

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 had prophesied.

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 On the one hand,

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 he acknowledged

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 that it was

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 his task

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 to see

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 that the house,

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 that a house

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 was built

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 in Jerusalem.

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 And so he proclaimed

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 that the Jews

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 were free

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 to go do

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 just that.

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 In fact,

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 he put it in writing

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 so that it could be

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 disseminated

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 throughout the land.

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 At the same time,

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 Cyrus took their God

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 to be a territorial God.

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 The God

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 who is in Jerusalem,

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 as written

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 in the decree.

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 That's why

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 one commentary

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 sets this proclamation

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 within the context

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 of Cyrus'

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 wider agenda

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 that we can call

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 his plan

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 for the resettlement

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 of foreign gods,

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 PRFG.

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 With that policy,

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 he allowed

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 the gods

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 of earlier conquerors

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 to be taken back

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 to their original lands.

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 And in doing that,

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 Cyrus

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 had just one request.

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 He said,

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 please,

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 when you

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 pray to your gods,

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 ask them

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 to ask

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 my gods

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 to give me

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 long life.

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 The fourth detail

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 to notice

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 is that while

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 Cyrus remains

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 a pagan,

00:13:13.659 --> 00:13:14.159
 God still

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 chooses to work

00:13:15.579 --> 00:13:16.799
 through his policy,

00:13:17.939 --> 00:13:19.339
 his enlightened policy

00:13:19.339 --> 00:13:20.839
 on religious affairs,

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 to speed the exiles

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 on their way

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 to Jerusalem.

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 He decrees

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 that friends

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 and neighbors,

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 presumably,

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 not just Jewish neighbors,

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 but others,

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 are to gather up

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 treasures

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 and provisions

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 that the Jews

00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:36.899
 will need

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 for their journey.

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 then we come

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 to verse 5,

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 what I'm calling here

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 the climax

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 of the passage.

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 I'll just read it again.

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 Then rose up

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 the heads

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 of the fathers

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 houses of Judah

00:13:52.340 --> 00:13:53.600
 and Benjamin

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 and the priests

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 and Levites,

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 everyone

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 whose spirit

00:13:57.640 --> 00:13:58.620
 God had stirred

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 to go up

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 to rebuild

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 the house

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 of the Lord

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 that is in Jerusalem.

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 I think I've chosen

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 it as the

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 theme verse.

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 Well,

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 let me explain.

00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:11.779
 We're considering

00:14:11.779 --> 00:14:12.699
 how God

00:14:12.699 --> 00:14:14.039
 has been at work.

00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:16.860
 He's prepared

00:14:16.860 --> 00:14:17.319
 a way

00:14:17.319 --> 00:14:18.339
 for a new order

00:14:18.339 --> 00:14:18.980
 in the land

00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:20.399
 with Cyrus

00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:21.360
 now in charge.

00:14:21.839 --> 00:14:22.759
 He's made use

00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:23.579
 of a particular

00:14:23.579 --> 00:14:24.699
 political agenda

00:14:24.699 --> 00:14:25.939
 so that it favors

00:14:25.939 --> 00:14:26.559
 his people,

00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:28.659
 God's people.

00:14:29.100 --> 00:14:29.839
 And through means

00:14:29.839 --> 00:14:30.699
 of his choosing,

00:14:30.700 --> 00:14:31.740
 he has stirred up

00:14:31.740 --> 00:14:32.740
 Cyrus' spirit

00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:33.800
 to issue

00:14:33.800 --> 00:14:35.460
 this proclamation

00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:36.879
 of glad tidings

00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.060
 and to see to it

00:14:40.060 --> 00:14:41.040
 that it's enforced.

00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:42.900
 Now,

00:14:43.040 --> 00:14:44.060
 he brings all this

00:14:44.060 --> 00:14:44.860
 together with his

00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:45.680
 chosen people's

00:14:45.680 --> 00:14:46.500
 longing for their

00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:46.940
 homeland,

00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:48.300
 which he has also

00:14:48.300 --> 00:14:49.259
 kept alive

00:14:49.259 --> 00:14:50.180
 in them,

00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:50.900
 incidentally,

00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:51.800
 through means

00:14:51.800 --> 00:14:52.540
 of his choosing.

00:14:53.300 --> 00:14:54.420
 Always means.

00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:56.340
 And consider

00:14:56.340 --> 00:14:56.980
 God's method

00:14:56.980 --> 00:14:57.759
 in verse 5.

00:14:58.240 --> 00:14:58.560
 First,

00:14:58.660 --> 00:14:59.500
 he sets the face

00:14:59.500 --> 00:14:59.980
 of some,

00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:01.259
 the senior

00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:02.560
 members of the

00:15:02.560 --> 00:15:03.440
 houses of Judah

00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:04.060
 and Benjamin

00:15:04.060 --> 00:15:05.720
 towards Jerusalem.

00:15:06.659 --> 00:15:07.600
 Then he takes

00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:08.100
 the priests

00:15:08.100 --> 00:15:08.879
 and the Levites

00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:11.080
 and he sets them

00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:11.600
 behind them,

00:15:11.659 --> 00:15:12.060
 as it were.

00:15:12.759 --> 00:15:13.519
 And then he,

00:15:13.800 --> 00:15:14.200
 finally,

00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:14.460
 he,

00:15:15.379 --> 00:15:16.259
 to that group,

00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:17.100
 he adds many,

00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:17.659
 many more,

00:15:18.060 --> 00:15:18.879
 working in their

00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:19.279
 hearts,

00:15:19.680 --> 00:15:20.379
 a determination

00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:21.420
 to follow

00:15:21.420 --> 00:15:22.300
 where their

00:15:22.300 --> 00:15:23.080
 political

00:15:23.080 --> 00:15:24.460
 and religious

00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:24.879
 leaders

00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:26.279
 are taking them

00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:28.519
 to go out

00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:29.019
 like Abraham

00:15:29.019 --> 00:15:29.820
 did so long

00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:30.139
 ago.

00:15:32.299 --> 00:15:32.759
 Well,

00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:33.220
 the remaining

00:15:33.220 --> 00:15:34.080
 verses tell us

00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:34.960
 how God's promise

00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:35.659
 did not lack

00:15:35.659 --> 00:15:36.340
 his provision

00:15:36.340 --> 00:15:37.840
 because the

00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:39.600
 provisions were

00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:40.659
 more than abundant

00:15:40.659 --> 00:15:42.699
 and even Cyrus

00:15:42.699 --> 00:15:43.679
 came forward

00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:44.319
 at that point,

00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:44.719
 didn't he?

00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:45.879
 Having done

00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:46.319
 his own

00:15:46.319 --> 00:15:46.839
 gathering

00:15:46.839 --> 00:15:48.419
 about 50

00:15:48.419 --> 00:15:49.919
 years earlier,

00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:51.079
 as I mentioned

00:15:51.079 --> 00:15:52.219
 with Nebuchadnezzar,

00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:53.779
 he didn't just

00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:54.240
 take away

00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:54.980
 the Judeans,

00:15:55.079 --> 00:15:56.059
 he took away

00:15:56.059 --> 00:15:57.399
 the precious

00:15:57.399 --> 00:15:58.379
 things from

00:15:58.379 --> 00:15:58.959
 the temple,

00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:00.259
 all the temple

00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:00.779
 vessels,

00:16:00.959 --> 00:16:01.819
 gold and silver

00:16:01.819 --> 00:16:02.860
 basins and

00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:04.039
 bowls and so

00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:04.299
 forth,

00:16:04.439 --> 00:16:05.379
 and installed

00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:06.439
 those in

00:16:06.439 --> 00:16:06.939
 his own

00:16:06.939 --> 00:16:08.199
 temple where

00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:08.540
 they would

00:16:08.540 --> 00:16:08.900
 have been

00:16:08.900 --> 00:16:10.720
 used in

00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:11.100
 the worship

00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:11.620
 of idols.

00:16:12.660 --> 00:16:13.160
 And now

00:16:13.160 --> 00:16:14.060
 Cyrus is saying,

00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:14.340
 here,

00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:15.740
 take them

00:16:15.740 --> 00:16:16.140
 back,

00:16:17.100 --> 00:16:18.240
 take them

00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:18.640
 with you

00:16:18.640 --> 00:16:18.960
 and may

00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:20.340
 your God

00:16:20.340 --> 00:16:20.900
 go with you.

00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:24.379
 Let's

00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:25.120
 think about

00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:26.280
 working our

00:16:26.280 --> 00:16:26.720
 way towards

00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:27.440
 applying this

00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.200
 passage to

00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:30.240
 our own

00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:30.660
 lives.

00:16:31.740 --> 00:16:32.420
 You might

00:16:32.420 --> 00:16:32.900
 be asking,

00:16:33.060 --> 00:16:33.180
 well,

00:16:33.400 --> 00:16:33.640
 okay,

00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:34.500
 so all the

00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:34.940
 Jews packed

00:16:34.940 --> 00:16:35.500
 up and left,

00:16:35.560 --> 00:16:35.860
 didn't they?

00:16:37.020 --> 00:16:37.500
 Well,

00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:38.419
 if my

00:16:38.419 --> 00:16:38.980
 sources are

00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:39.320
 correct,

00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:40.360
 only about

00:16:40.360 --> 00:16:40.759
 one in

00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:41.340
 six did.

00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.220
 And they

00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:46.919
 did that

00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:47.600
 in three

00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:48.600
 waves of

00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:49.539
 emigration.

00:16:49.779 --> 00:16:50.279
 The first

00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:51.480
 led by

00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:52.500
 Zerubbabel

00:16:52.500 --> 00:16:53.559
 or Zerubbabel

00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:54.320
 would see

00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:55.080
 to the

00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:55.539
 rebuilding

00:16:55.539 --> 00:16:55.899
 of the

00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:56.679
 temple first.

00:16:57.299 --> 00:16:57.759
 And then

00:16:57.759 --> 00:16:58.299
 the second

00:16:58.299 --> 00:16:59.840
 wave would

00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:00.360
 get to see

00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:00.820
 the law

00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:01.580
 established

00:17:01.580 --> 00:17:02.860
 with Ezra,

00:17:02.940 --> 00:17:03.419
 the priest.

00:17:04.099 --> 00:17:04.700
 And then

00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:05.259
 the third

00:17:05.259 --> 00:17:06.019
 wave led

00:17:06.019 --> 00:17:07.339
 by Nehemiah

00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:08.059
 the governor

00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:09.039
 would see

00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:09.480
 the city

00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:09.980
 rebuilt

00:17:09.980 --> 00:17:10.759
 and the

00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:11.159
 walls.

00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:13.319
 So why

00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:13.720
 did so

00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:14.279
 few,

00:17:14.619 --> 00:17:15.000
 relatively

00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:15.679
 speaking,

00:17:16.019 --> 00:17:16.399
 leave?

00:17:17.619 --> 00:17:17.959
 Well,

00:17:18.019 --> 00:17:18.279
 from a

00:17:18.279 --> 00:17:18.879
 human side,

00:17:18.939 --> 00:17:19.220
 we can

00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:19.599
 assume

00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:20.959
 several

00:17:20.959 --> 00:17:21.439
 reasons.

00:17:22.059 --> 00:17:22.559
 Group A

00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:24.539
 would have

00:17:24.539 --> 00:17:25.199
 been physically

00:17:25.199 --> 00:17:26.459
 unable to

00:17:26.459 --> 00:17:26.819
 make the

00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:27.099
 journey.

00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:28.740
 Someone in

00:17:28.740 --> 00:17:29.339
 group B

00:17:29.339 --> 00:17:30.199
 would have

00:17:30.199 --> 00:17:30.500
 said,

00:17:31.019 --> 00:17:31.139
 well,

00:17:31.159 --> 00:17:31.639
 this is the

00:17:31.639 --> 00:17:32.019
 world I

00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:32.319
 know.

00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:33.859
 I've made

00:17:33.859 --> 00:17:34.339
 my home

00:17:34.339 --> 00:17:34.799
 here and I

00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:35.459
 have people

00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:35.799
 to care

00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:36.059
 for.

00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:38.079
 A member

00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:38.460
 of group

00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:38.900
 C might

00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:39.220
 have said,

00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:40.900
 if I

00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:41.140
 leave,

00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:41.460
 it's going

00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:41.759
 to break

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:42.039
 up my

00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:42.420
 family.

00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:43.740
 And in

00:17:43.740 --> 00:17:44.240
 any case,

00:17:44.680 --> 00:17:45.200
 I can

00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:45.539
 pray to

00:17:45.539 --> 00:17:45.980
 God right

00:17:45.980 --> 00:17:46.319
 here.

00:17:48.299 --> 00:17:48.880
 And we

00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:49.500
 can imagine

00:17:49.500 --> 00:17:49.880
 a group

00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:50.140
 D,

00:17:50.299 --> 00:17:50.480
 too.

00:17:50.600 --> 00:17:50.980
 Members of

00:17:50.980 --> 00:17:51.380
 this group

00:17:51.380 --> 00:17:51.700
 would have

00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:53.039
 been discouraged

00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:54.539
 about the

00:17:54.539 --> 00:17:55.259
 prospect of

00:17:55.259 --> 00:17:55.720
 going to

00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:56.140
 Jerusalem

00:17:56.140 --> 00:17:56.759
 itself.

00:17:58.019 --> 00:17:58.740
 The city

00:17:58.740 --> 00:17:59.680
 was in

00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:01.559
 ruins and

00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:02.000
 held by

00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:02.559
 enemies in

00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:03.079
 any case.

00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:04.379
 and the

00:18:04.379 --> 00:18:04.779
 journey

00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:05.500
 ahead

00:18:05.500 --> 00:18:07.679
 would be

00:18:07.679 --> 00:18:08.079
 rough.

00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:10.079
 And so

00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:10.339
 if we

00:18:10.339 --> 00:18:10.599
 ask,

00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:10.839
 well,

00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:12.319
 so was

00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:12.759
 it wrong

00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:13.119
 for them

00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:13.439
 to stay

00:18:13.439 --> 00:18:13.819
 behind?

00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:15.099
 And here

00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:15.639
 I think

00:18:15.639 --> 00:18:16.519
 something

00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:17.899
 that J.C.

00:18:17.980 --> 00:18:18.519
 Ryle had

00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:18.899
 to say

00:18:18.899 --> 00:18:19.359
 can be

00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:19.679
 helpful.

00:18:19.819 --> 00:18:20.179
 In his

00:18:20.179 --> 00:18:20.599
 sermon,

00:18:21.099 --> 00:18:21.599
 A Call

00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:22.099
 to Prayer,

00:18:22.179 --> 00:18:22.519
 he wrote

00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:22.899
 this,

00:18:24.179 --> 00:18:25.299
 it is not

00:18:25.299 --> 00:18:26.139
 absolutely

00:18:26.139 --> 00:18:27.159
 needful to

00:18:27.159 --> 00:18:27.740
 salvation

00:18:27.740 --> 00:18:28.220
 that a

00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:28.960
 person should

00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:29.359
 read the

00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:29.659
 Bible.

00:18:29.660 --> 00:18:35.660
 A person

00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:36.220
 may have

00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:36.860
 no learning

00:18:36.860 --> 00:18:37.660
 or be

00:18:37.660 --> 00:18:38.440
 blind and

00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:38.820
 yet have

00:18:38.820 --> 00:18:39.440
 Christ in

00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:39.900
 their heart.

00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:41.600
 It is not

00:18:41.600 --> 00:18:42.460
 absolutely

00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:43.340
 needful that

00:18:43.340 --> 00:18:43.820
 a person

00:18:43.820 --> 00:18:44.320
 should hear

00:18:44.320 --> 00:18:44.720
 public

00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:45.279
 preaching of

00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:45.759
 the gospel.

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:47.160
 They may

00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:47.660
 live where

00:18:47.660 --> 00:18:48.140
 the gospel

00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:48.600
 is not

00:18:48.600 --> 00:18:49.019
 preached,

00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:49.779
 or they

00:18:49.779 --> 00:18:50.160
 may be

00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:50.779
 bedridden

00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:51.500
 or deaf.

00:18:52.580 --> 00:18:53.060
 But the

00:18:53.060 --> 00:18:53.820
 same thing

00:18:53.820 --> 00:18:54.420
 cannot be

00:18:54.420 --> 00:18:54.900
 said about

00:18:54.900 --> 00:18:55.360
 prayer.

00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:56.740
 It is

00:18:56.740 --> 00:18:57.500
 absolutely

00:18:57.500 --> 00:18:58.800
 needful to

00:18:58.800 --> 00:18:59.360
 salvation

00:18:59.359 --> 00:19:00.500
 that a

00:19:00.500 --> 00:19:00.839
 person

00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:01.119
 should

00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:01.500
 pray.

00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:04.019
 Now,

00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:04.719
 applied to

00:19:04.719 --> 00:19:05.199
 Ezra and

00:19:05.199 --> 00:19:05.839
 Nehemiah's

00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:05.979
 day,

00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:06.279
 what I

00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:06.479
 think

00:19:06.479 --> 00:19:06.839
 Ryle

00:19:06.839 --> 00:19:07.579
 would say

00:19:07.579 --> 00:19:09.119
 here is

00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:09.479
 that the

00:19:09.479 --> 00:19:10.339
 exiles who

00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:11.099
 remained in

00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:12.179
 Babylon could

00:19:12.179 --> 00:19:12.939
 still call

00:19:12.939 --> 00:19:13.759
 out to the

00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:14.339
 living God

00:19:14.339 --> 00:19:14.679
 and be

00:19:14.679 --> 00:19:15.199
 saved.

00:19:16.139 --> 00:19:16.899
 The logic

00:19:16.899 --> 00:19:17.319
 is the

00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:17.659
 same.

00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:18.199
 It

00:19:18.199 --> 00:19:18.599
 wasn't

00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:19.979
 absolutely

00:19:19.979 --> 00:19:20.679
 essential

00:19:20.679 --> 00:19:21.639
 for them

00:19:21.639 --> 00:19:22.000
 to get

00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:22.659
 to Jerusalem.

00:19:23.659 --> 00:19:24.439
 So the

00:19:24.439 --> 00:19:24.819
 natural

00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:25.479
 question would

00:19:25.479 --> 00:19:25.619
 be,

00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:25.859
 well,

00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:26.639
 why go

00:19:26.639 --> 00:19:27.299
 up to

00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:27.699
 Jerusalem

00:19:27.699 --> 00:19:28.139
 in that

00:19:28.139 --> 00:19:28.500
 case?

00:19:28.500 --> 00:19:29.940
 Well,

00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:30.660
 hold that

00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:31.480
 thought as

00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:32.160
 I try to

00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:32.759
 sum up

00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:33.559
 what I

00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:34.319
 think we've

00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:34.819
 learned in

00:19:34.819 --> 00:19:35.339
 the passage

00:19:35.339 --> 00:19:36.119
 about God

00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:37.039
 and his

00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:37.660
 way of

00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:37.980
 working.

00:19:38.940 --> 00:19:39.279
 Now,

00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:39.720
 the bullet

00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:40.500
 point version

00:19:40.500 --> 00:19:41.180
 would simply

00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:41.759
 be this.

00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:42.720
 God

00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:43.259
 speaks,

00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:44.839
 God

00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:45.339
 moves in

00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:45.599
 human

00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:45.980
 hearts,

00:19:46.980 --> 00:19:47.900
 God

00:19:47.900 --> 00:19:48.539
 directs,

00:19:49.539 --> 00:19:49.720
 God

00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:50.500
 provides and

00:19:50.500 --> 00:19:51.079
 preserves

00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:52.200
 what is

00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:52.539
 his.

00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:53.599
 God

00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:54.099
 speaks,

00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:54.940
 God

00:19:54.940 --> 00:19:55.519
 moves human

00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.000
 hearts,

00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:56.980
 God

00:19:56.980 --> 00:19:57.640
 directs,

00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:58.400
 God

00:19:58.400 --> 00:19:59.099
 provides and

00:19:59.099 --> 00:19:59.599
 preserves

00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:00.599
 what is

00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:00.940
 his.

00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:02.720
 The first

00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:03.279
 two of

00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:04.019
 these remind

00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:04.779
 us that

00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:05.420
 God works

00:20:05.420 --> 00:20:05.799
 through his

00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:06.660
 word and

00:20:06.660 --> 00:20:07.220
 spirit

00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:07.940
 together.

00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:09.359
 From one

00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:09.779
 side,

00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:10.660
 God

00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:11.079
 speaks.

00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:12.180
 Notice how

00:20:12.180 --> 00:20:12.799
 the passage

00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.220
 gives priority

00:20:14.220 --> 00:20:14.859
 to his

00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:15.279
 word,

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:16.019
 that the

00:20:16.019 --> 00:20:16.759
 word of

00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:17.339
 the Lord

00:20:17.339 --> 00:20:18.500
 might be

00:20:18.500 --> 00:20:18.960
 fulfilled.

00:20:20.059 --> 00:20:20.440
 And what

00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:22.079
 he has

00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:22.660
 spoken,

00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:23.380
 among other

00:20:23.380 --> 00:20:23.819
 things,

00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:24.899
 is a

00:20:24.899 --> 00:20:25.419
 promise

00:20:25.419 --> 00:20:25.919
 that he

00:20:25.919 --> 00:20:26.419
 keeps.

00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:28.000
 From the

00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:28.659
 other side,

00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:29.579
 the underside

00:20:29.579 --> 00:20:30.399
 if you like,

00:20:31.339 --> 00:20:31.960
 the side of

00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:32.339
 the human

00:20:32.339 --> 00:20:32.960
 heart,

00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:34.299
 God moves

00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:34.899
 within

00:20:34.899 --> 00:20:36.159
 those hearts,

00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:36.839
 stirring

00:20:36.839 --> 00:20:38.339
 them up,

00:20:38.419 --> 00:20:39.019
 stirring up

00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:40.279
 even a

00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:40.839
 pagan

00:20:40.839 --> 00:20:42.200
 ruler to

00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:43.319
 do his

00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:43.759
 bidding.

00:20:44.139 --> 00:20:44.639
 And other

00:20:44.639 --> 00:20:45.220
 hearts to

00:20:45.220 --> 00:20:46.740
 receive the

00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:47.519
 promise and

00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:48.339
 to take

00:20:48.339 --> 00:20:48.799
 hold of

00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:48.980
 it.

00:20:50.419 --> 00:20:50.859
 And the

00:20:50.859 --> 00:20:51.460
 second two

00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:52.339
 also form a

00:20:52.339 --> 00:20:52.700
 kind of

00:20:52.700 --> 00:20:53.079
 pair.

00:20:53.819 --> 00:20:54.799
 they express

00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.639
 what we

00:20:55.639 --> 00:20:56.179
 might call

00:20:56.179 --> 00:20:56.720
 a doctrine

00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:57.519
 of direction

00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:58.639
 and provision.

00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:00.679
 That is,

00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:01.639
 God directs,

00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:02.619
 pointing his

00:21:02.619 --> 00:21:03.159
 people to

00:21:03.159 --> 00:21:03.619
 Jerusalem,

00:21:04.139 --> 00:21:04.460
 and he

00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:04.740
 says,

00:21:04.859 --> 00:21:05.159
 go,

00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:06.099
 and I'll

00:21:06.099 --> 00:21:06.460
 go with

00:21:06.460 --> 00:21:06.679
 you.

00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:07.639
 And then

00:21:07.639 --> 00:21:08.019
 from the

00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:08.720
 other side,

00:21:09.379 --> 00:21:10.279
 God provides

00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:10.980
 what is

00:21:10.980 --> 00:21:11.759
 needed for

00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:12.220
 the journey

00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:13.579
 and preserves

00:21:13.579 --> 00:21:14.599
 what we'll

00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:15.619
 need for

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:16.279
 the task

00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:16.939
 that faces

00:21:16.939 --> 00:21:17.379
 us.

00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:19.500
 Now,

00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:19.960
 if we ask

00:21:19.960 --> 00:21:20.379
 what holds

00:21:20.379 --> 00:21:20.939
 all that

00:21:20.939 --> 00:21:21.419
 together,

00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:22.299
 well,

00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:22.859
 we can say

00:21:22.859 --> 00:21:23.399
 it's God's

00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:23.980
 providence.

00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:25.720
 I like

00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:26.780
 Burkopf's

00:21:26.780 --> 00:21:27.280
 definition,

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:28.200
 brief,

00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:28.980
 succinct.

00:21:29.320 --> 00:21:29.860
 He says

00:21:29.860 --> 00:21:30.420
 that divine

00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:31.180
 providence

00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:32.300
 is that

00:21:32.300 --> 00:21:32.940
 work of

00:21:32.940 --> 00:21:33.940
 God by

00:21:33.940 --> 00:21:34.519
 which he

00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:35.240
 preserves

00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:36.019
 all his

00:21:36.019 --> 00:21:36.480
 creatures,

00:21:37.259 --> 00:21:38.060
 is active

00:21:38.060 --> 00:21:38.660
 in all

00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:39.560
 that transpires

00:21:39.560 --> 00:21:39.880
 in the

00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:40.180
 world,

00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:41.420
 and directs

00:21:41.420 --> 00:21:42.040
 all things

00:21:42.040 --> 00:21:42.420
 to their

00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:42.820
 appointed

00:21:42.820 --> 00:21:43.220
 end.

00:21:44.280 --> 00:21:44.940
 In other

00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:45.220
 words,

00:21:45.380 --> 00:21:46.160
 we can say

00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:46.560
 that what

00:21:46.560 --> 00:21:47.080
 moves the

00:21:47.080 --> 00:21:47.759
 world along

00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:48.560
 is not

00:21:48.560 --> 00:21:49.000
 some

00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:49.940
 impersonal

00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:50.560
 principle

00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:51.279
 force,

00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:52.099
 but a

00:21:52.099 --> 00:21:52.779
 personal,

00:21:53.579 --> 00:21:54.039
 wise,

00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:54.539
 and good

00:21:54.539 --> 00:21:54.960
 God.

00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:57.519
 What's

00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:57.859
 remarkable

00:21:57.859 --> 00:21:58.460
 is that

00:21:58.460 --> 00:21:59.019
 the doctrine

00:21:59.019 --> 00:21:59.659
 comes to

00:21:59.659 --> 00:22:00.259
 focus in

00:22:00.259 --> 00:22:00.639
 Jesus.

00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:02.339
 That's

00:22:02.339 --> 00:22:02.919
 because the

00:22:02.919 --> 00:22:03.440
 writer to

00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:03.919
 the Hebrews

00:22:03.919 --> 00:22:04.639
 says that

00:22:04.639 --> 00:22:05.139
 Christ

00:22:05.139 --> 00:22:06.679
 upholds the

00:22:06.679 --> 00:22:07.259
 universe

00:22:07.259 --> 00:22:08.819
 by the

00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:09.279
 word,

00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:10.619
 by his

00:22:10.619 --> 00:22:11.079
 word of

00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:11.559
 power,

00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:12.480
 Hebrews 1

00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:13.480
 and verse

00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:13.859
 3.

00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:14.960
 Now,

00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:15.379
 that's a

00:22:15.379 --> 00:22:15.819
 glorious

00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:16.819
 doctrine that

00:22:16.819 --> 00:22:17.240
 we can

00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:18.700
 truly delight

00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:18.980
 in.

00:22:19.559 --> 00:22:20.120
 The reason

00:22:20.120 --> 00:22:20.500
 is that

00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:21.180
 it reminds

00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:22.240
 us that

00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:22.660
 God is

00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:23.220
 working out

00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:23.920
 his purposes

00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:25.140
 right in

00:22:25.140 --> 00:22:25.700
 the middle

00:22:25.700 --> 00:22:26.500
 of human

00:22:26.500 --> 00:22:26.920
 history.

00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:28.019
 He takes

00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:28.500
 the real

00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:29.140
 stuff of

00:22:29.140 --> 00:22:29.539
 history,

00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:30.420
 political

00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:31.120
 movements,

00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:32.279
 social

00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:33.000
 realities,

00:22:33.900 --> 00:22:34.259
 quirky

00:22:34.259 --> 00:22:35.500
 motives that

00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:36.000
 we bring,

00:22:36.980 --> 00:22:38.200
 sadness by

00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:39.380
 the waters

00:22:39.380 --> 00:22:40.019
 of Babylon,

00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:41.160
 all of it.

00:22:41.340 --> 00:22:41.779
 He takes

00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:42.519
 all of it

00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:43.120
 and he

00:22:43.120 --> 00:22:44.059
 bends it

00:22:44.059 --> 00:22:44.980
 towards the

00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:46.180
 fulfillment of

00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:46.840
 his plan.

00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:47.220
 To do

00:22:47.220 --> 00:22:47.640
 what?

00:22:47.740 --> 00:22:47.880
 Well,

00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:48.420
 to sum

00:22:48.420 --> 00:22:49.380
 up all

00:22:49.380 --> 00:22:50.080
 things in

00:22:50.080 --> 00:22:51.320
 Christ and

00:22:51.320 --> 00:22:51.740
 to bring

00:22:51.740 --> 00:22:52.500
 all things

00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:52.960
 under his

00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:53.460
 authority.

00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:55.080
 Now,

00:22:55.140 --> 00:22:55.600
 in the midst

00:22:55.600 --> 00:22:56.240
 of that,

00:22:56.420 --> 00:22:57.020
 he knows

00:22:57.020 --> 00:22:57.580
 who belongs

00:22:57.580 --> 00:22:57.920
 to him

00:22:57.920 --> 00:22:59.020
 because both

00:22:59.020 --> 00:22:59.800
 the call

00:22:59.800 --> 00:23:01.040
 that stirs

00:23:01.040 --> 00:23:01.860
 up spirits

00:23:01.860 --> 00:23:03.320
 and the

00:23:03.320 --> 00:23:04.020
 reason why

00:23:04.020 --> 00:23:04.940
 some spirits

00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:05.720
 are stirred

00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:06.840
 while others

00:23:06.840 --> 00:23:07.640
 aren't are

00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:08.480
 in his

00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:08.960
 hands.

00:23:09.860 --> 00:23:10.600
 The timing

00:23:10.600 --> 00:23:12.000
 of all of it

00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:12.620
 remains with

00:23:12.620 --> 00:23:13.020
 him and

00:23:13.020 --> 00:23:13.600
 not us.

00:23:14.340 --> 00:23:14.940
 Our duty

00:23:14.940 --> 00:23:15.820
 is simply

00:23:15.820 --> 00:23:16.440
 spelled out

00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:17.560
 there in

00:23:17.559 --> 00:23:18.460
 Psalm 97.

00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:19.720
 Today,

00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:21.000
 if you

00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:22.079
 hear his

00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:22.539
 voice,

00:23:23.639 --> 00:23:24.480
 harden not

00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.099
 your heart.

00:23:26.139 --> 00:23:26.659
 Today,

00:23:26.940 --> 00:23:27.799
 if you

00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:28.319
 hear his

00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:28.740
 voice,

00:23:29.399 --> 00:23:29.919
 harden not

00:23:29.919 --> 00:23:30.480
 your heart.

00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:32.419
 So,

00:23:32.519 --> 00:23:32.799
 with that,

00:23:32.859 --> 00:23:33.139
 I think we

00:23:33.139 --> 00:23:33.419
 can come

00:23:33.419 --> 00:23:33.879
 back to that

00:23:33.879 --> 00:23:34.379
 question.

00:23:34.659 --> 00:23:35.079
 Why the

00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:35.500
 need to

00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:35.859
 get to

00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:36.359
 Jerusalem

00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:37.299
 if God's

00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:37.839
 people can

00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:38.359
 call on

00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:38.919
 him anywhere?

00:23:38.920 --> 00:23:40.019
 dogma.

00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:41.220
 Well,

00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:41.759
 in our

00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:42.180
 own day

00:23:42.180 --> 00:23:42.779
 of stirring

00:23:42.779 --> 00:23:43.380
 towards that

00:23:43.380 --> 00:23:44.000
 new beginning

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.039
 in the

00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:45.820
 global church,

00:23:46.420 --> 00:23:46.940
 why the

00:23:46.940 --> 00:23:48.019
 need to

00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:48.740
 leave behind

00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:49.360
 structures

00:23:49.360 --> 00:23:49.920
 where we've

00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.160
 been baptized,

00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.480
 catechized,

00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:53.519
 nurtured,

00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:54.500
 if it's still

00:23:54.500 --> 00:23:55.360
 possible to

00:23:55.360 --> 00:23:56.060
 call on God

00:23:56.060 --> 00:23:56.580
 from within

00:23:56.580 --> 00:23:56.900
 them?

00:23:57.820 --> 00:23:58.259
 Here I'm

00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:58.940
 reminded how

00:23:58.940 --> 00:24:00.019
 even John

00:24:00.019 --> 00:24:00.480
 Calvin,

00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:01.060
 the great

00:24:01.060 --> 00:24:01.720
 reformer,

00:24:02.100 --> 00:24:02.539
 wrote that

00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:03.100
 the Babylon

00:24:03.100 --> 00:24:03.660
 of his

00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:03.960
 day,

00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:05.140
 the papacy,

00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:06.620
 insofar as it

00:24:06.620 --> 00:24:07.100
 stood in

00:24:07.100 --> 00:24:07.920
 opposition to

00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:15.380
 God's word contain God's people still, if in a hidden way. And the flip side is surely true.

00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:22.759
 What I mean is that at some point or another, some Jews would have just gone along for the ride,

00:24:23.300 --> 00:24:29.019
 so to speak. And even once in Jerusalem, and this is probably even more to the point,

00:24:29.640 --> 00:24:35.900
 we'll see in the weeks ahead that the leaders were going to face challenges not only from outside

00:24:35.900 --> 00:24:44.920
 God's household, but from within it, as some would show with their lifestyles and with their

00:24:44.920 --> 00:24:48.000
 actions, how much their hearts were still in exile.

00:24:50.440 --> 00:24:57.140
 By the same token, it's very likely in our day that some will publicly identify with the new

00:24:57.140 --> 00:25:02.960
 beginning in the global Christian movement, coming out of churches that have undermined central truths

00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:09.559
 of the gospel, as we believe, or attaching themselves to these new emerging movements,

00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:16.980
 while their hearts and minds won't be tuned to God's word and promise. And yet, and yet, I think

00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:26.220
 we need to say this. The one fundamental reason why you or I should come out of a structure in which

00:25:26.220 --> 00:25:35.000
 grave error has entered the citadel, as Calvin put it, is that God has stirred our heart to do it.

00:25:35.819 --> 00:25:42.880
 That's the basic reason. The passage itself gives us tools for discernment of that reason, but that's

00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:50.640
 the fundamental reason. So how to, and what, the rest of what I want to share with you, I want to share

00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:56.420
 orientation principles that I think are in our text to help us discern just that.

00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:02.759
 I call them orientation principles because they relate to how we look to the future,

00:26:03.460 --> 00:26:12.340
 how we look to the past, and how we think about our present. In the first place, Ezra 1 teaches us

00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:19.240
 how to look ahead, how to fix our eyes on God's promise. In the light of the New Testament,

00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:28.980
 the new Jerusalem we long for, the city of the great king is there. It's there, and it's coming.

00:26:30.740 --> 00:26:39.659
 The beauty and glory of that truth was something I desperately needed to hear and to be reminded of

00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:48.300
 one day when I was wandering in a kind of spiritual fog as a graduate student, a few years back, I won't

00:26:48.300 --> 00:26:57.100
 tell you how many. I happened to wander into the recording section of the library at the University

00:26:57.100 --> 00:27:04.640
 of British Columbia where I was studying, and I picked out a record at random from the gospel collection.

00:27:05.040 --> 00:27:08.460
 You remember those recording sections used to have those old vinyl records.

00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:16.660
 And I played that song, somehow I came to play the song, We're Marching to Zion.

00:27:18.100 --> 00:27:24.660
 You probably know the words. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. Maybe it was something about the beauty that

00:27:24.660 --> 00:27:32.600
 captured me, I don't know. But I can really say that the words, those simple words, stirred my heart.

00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:36.559
 So I actually walked out of that library somehow with new hope.

00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:46.199
 And if that stirring was from God, and I trust that it was, it was because it came purely

00:27:46.199 --> 00:27:55.859
 from his mercy. It represented the start of a new beginning as I could stop looking within to my own

00:27:55.859 --> 00:28:06.299
 resources for direction and for confidence about my own sense of direction, but rather with Abraham

00:28:06.299 --> 00:28:15.539
 to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God, as Hebrews 11.10 puts it.

00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:22.779
 And it represented the birth of a new longing for truth in me, together with holiness.

00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:30.379
 A passion that I believe God increases in our hearts. He works in our hearts as we remain

00:28:30.379 --> 00:28:34.220
 by his grace on that road to Zion.

00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:43.160
 A second thing that our passage teaches us is how to look to the past with the same grateful hearts.

00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:51.500
 I just want to share, speaking for myself again, that I'm not the greatest example here on looking

00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:57.900
 to the past. Because by temperament, I think I might have spoken about my dad here from this pulpit

00:28:57.900 --> 00:29:03.960
 before. Well, anyway, he is the kind of fellow who, well, I'm not at all like him.

00:29:04.220 --> 00:29:10.600
 And he, because he's the kind of fellow who's always, as long as I can remember, always pressing

00:29:10.600 --> 00:29:18.380
 toward the finish line, which is an apt metaphor for him because, well, he was an expert half mile

00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:24.019
 runner when he was a student at Mississippi State University. I thought he probably could have gone

00:29:24.019 --> 00:29:30.079
 to the Olympics. I don't know. And I'm one, by contrast, who tends to dwell in the past. I don't

00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:37.439
 know. Maybe you're like me. I don't know. If given a chance, I'm really one of those who tries to find

00:29:37.439 --> 00:29:43.359
 a way to relive past moments that I think are worth reliving. That's just the way I seem to be wired.

00:29:45.139 --> 00:29:51.039
 But by vocation, as a presbyter, of course, I'm supposed to be out in front, right? I'm supposed to

00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:59.879
 be out in front leading the way to Jerusalem. But by temperament, I'm more comfortable sticking

00:29:59.879 --> 00:30:07.700
 around in Babylon. And I know this because growing up, I was part of a group called Operation

00:30:07.700 --> 00:30:12.899
 Mobilization. How many of you have heard of it? Okay. Several of you have heard of it. Well,

00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:19.720
 the leader of that organization, just as a footnote, he died two days ago. And he and my father were

00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:28.960
 roommates back in their time in Bible college. And so all to say Operation Mobilization, which has

00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:37.360
 this kind of militaristic sound and also the mobilized part. Well, for the life of me, I could

00:30:37.360 --> 00:30:44.880
 not figure out or come to terms with the mobilized part. My relatives in Mississippi or Arkansas would

00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:51.520
 have said, with the cotton pickin' mobilized part. I wondered, why is the Christian life all about going

00:30:51.520 --> 00:30:59.820
 somewhere? And we did seem to always be pulling up stakes. Maybe that trained me for scouting.

00:31:00.560 --> 00:31:07.520
 As a partial cure to my nostalgic temperament, I found something C.S. Lewis wrote very helpful.

00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:14.660
 I don't remember the exact words, but the idea was basically this. If we find ourselves longing for

00:31:14.660 --> 00:31:22.480
 the past, what we're actually longing for was a particular future that we were looking forward to

00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:30.700
 in that moment. A particular future we were leaning into, if you like, in that moment. So what that means,

00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:38.779
 I think, is that it's not the naked moment itself that would satisfy us, even if we could have it.

00:31:41.819 --> 00:31:48.819
 The rest of the cure, if you like, comes from the reminder of God's providence, as we see here in

00:31:48.819 --> 00:31:59.640
 Ezra 1. God has brought us where we are, rescuing us from enslavement to sin, giving us a new start.

00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:09.140
 And since he transcends all our moments, even while holding them all in his hand, we can leave it to him to

00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:18.200
 gather up, gather them all up, and make and give them meaning. Maybe it's a little bit like this. As long as we

00:32:18.200 --> 00:32:27.160
 look ahead, fixing our eyes on Jesus, our past can be truly meaningful, because it's only in light of the

00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:36.000
 future that we see something of how God was working in past moments to draw us to himself, like that

00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:44.740
 moment in the library, maybe. Well, in the third place, we can take from Ezra 1 an orientation principle

00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:53.180
 that helps us to think about the present moment. And under this third heading, if you'll forgive me,

00:32:53.180 --> 00:33:01.360
 I have three very brief points in conclusion. It's always having third point, three points, but it's

00:33:01.360 --> 00:33:08.420
 not that complicated. This is my last point, and it has three brief sub-points. In the first place,

00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:13.779
 it's only because past and future are real that the present makes any sense at all.

00:33:13.779 --> 00:33:23.819
 Now, the Buddha was alive when, roughly, when the time we're talking about was happening, and

00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:32.500
 there is, in kind of a Buddhist-inspired popular thought, the idea that we should just learn to

00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:41.160
 live in the present moment. After all, the future and the past are to be thought of as illusions.

00:33:41.160 --> 00:33:48.900
 What matters is that we live in the eternal now, where we learn to make our roads as we walk them.

00:33:49.180 --> 00:33:57.259
 As we think of that poem from Antonio Machado, the road is made as you walk it. But in the light

00:33:57.259 --> 00:34:04.300
 of Ezra 1, we can be confident that the journey between here and the new Jerusalem isn't one that

00:34:04.299 --> 00:34:13.940
 we have to make up as we go along. And why is that? Well, it's precisely because Jesus himself

00:34:13.940 --> 00:34:22.960
 has already made that road. We have a real road to walk on, and it leads to where he is.

00:34:24.779 --> 00:34:29.599
 And in the second place, we can think about that journey as a real means of grace.

00:34:29.599 --> 00:34:37.799
 As a real means of grace. Sometimes we're inclined to think of that first journey that the Judeans made

00:34:37.799 --> 00:34:46.679
 to Jerusalem as a mere type and shadow of what was to come. Well, and in light of its fulfillment,

00:34:47.179 --> 00:34:54.319
 of course, it was a type and shadow of the journey to the city that is yet to come. But for those who

00:34:54.320 --> 00:35:02.480
 were moved by God's Spirit to go, it was nothing less than a means of grace, the instrument God had chosen

00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:11.460
 to keep us, to keep them in his care, as he does with us today as we remain in prayer, as we hear God's word,

00:35:11.539 --> 00:35:15.160
 as we celebrate the sacraments in the life of the church.

00:35:15.159 --> 00:35:25.879
 So I think it's the same with us today, and I think I will try to be bold saying this, as we work towards

00:35:25.879 --> 00:35:32.839
 a regathered and restored Anglican communion, where we can be confident that the pure word of God is proclaimed,

00:35:33.379 --> 00:35:40.960
 and where with David we can learn to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple.

00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:49.240
 And finally, as we follow where God leads, we can trust that he'll provide and preserve what's his.

00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:57.720
 We can trust that the decisions and actions of our political leaders are not out of his control.

00:35:58.860 --> 00:36:06.240
 We can be thankful, too, for our elders in the faith and pray that they, too, will stick to their main task.

00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:15.099
 And along with the provision of leaders, we can also trust that God will provide for our physical needs.

00:36:16.619 --> 00:36:23.839
 But he also preserves what's his, as he did with those temple vessels.

00:36:24.899 --> 00:36:26.439
 What is that precisely?

00:36:27.879 --> 00:36:35.059
 Well, what belongs to him are his statutes, his ordinances, his testimonies, his word, in short.

00:36:35.059 --> 00:36:43.320
 And he promises that his word will accomplish what he has purposed for it, Isaiah 55, 11.

00:36:43.840 --> 00:36:52.679
 So even after periods of neglect or even abuse, which is not beyond even a reformation movement,

00:36:54.460 --> 00:36:59.239
 we constantly, this need to be ongoing reformation.

00:36:59.239 --> 00:37:05.659
 So even after periods of neglect and abuse of God's word, as it happens naturally in Babylon,

00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:15.799
 there comes a day when God stirs up hearts afresh, causing us to pray that he'll send his word with power once again.

00:37:15.800 --> 00:37:26.860
 Now, in light of that, I can't think of a more fitting closing prayer than what we find in Psalm 43 and verse 3.

00:37:27.539 --> 00:37:30.840
 So I'm going to pray that as a concluding prayer.

00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:31.019
 Amen.

00:37:34.519 --> 00:37:37.280
 Send out your light and your truth.

00:37:38.300 --> 00:37:39.400
 Let them lead me.

00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:44.640
 Let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.

00:37:45.780 --> 00:37:46.300
 Amen.

00:37:46.300 --> 00:37:46.380
 Amen.

00:37:46.380 --> 00:37:46.880
 Amen.

00:37:46.980 --> 00:37:49.300
 Amen.

00:37:50.099 --> 00:37:50.260
 Amen.

00:37:53.840 --> 00:37:54.059
 Amen.

00:37:54.059 --> 00:37:54.559
 Amen.

00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:54.800
 Amen.

00:37:55.059 --> 00:37:55.300
 Amen.

00:37:55.539 --> 00:37:56.480
 Amen.

00:37:57.000 --> 00:37:57.079
 Amen.

00:37:57.079 --> 00:37:57.320
 Amen.

00:37:57.320 --> 00:37:59.280
 Amen.

00:37:59.460 --> 00:38:00.039
 Amen.

00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:04.340
 Amen.

00:38:04.340 --> 00:38:05.220
 Amen.

00:38:05.300 --> 00:38:05.400
 Amen.

00:38:05.400 --> 00:38:06.059
 Amen.

00:38:06.260 --> 00:38:07.200
 Amen.

00:38:07.260 --> 00:38:07.280
 Amen.

00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:08.360
 Amen.

00:38:08.660 --> 00:38:10.140
 Amen.

00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:11.240
 Amen.

00:38:11.240 --> 00:38:11.320
 Amen.

00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:12.280
 Amen.

00:38:12.280 --> 00:38:13.059
 Amen.

00:38:13.059 --> 00:38:13.700
 Amen.

00:38:13.700 --> 00:38:14.519
 Amen.

00:38:14.519 --> 00:38:15.420
 Amen.

00:38:15.420 --> 00:38:16.340
 Amen.