Skip to content Unwavering Obedience: Triumph Over Opposition - Ezra 5 and 6 May 19 · 15 min ...more
Unwavering Obedience: Triumph Over Opposition - Ezra 5 and 6
May 19, 2025 · 15 min
Explore Ezra 5-6 to learn how steadfast faith and obedience, even amidst challenges, demonstrates God's power in our lives.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand May 19, 2025 · 15 min · Stand on the Word - Video On Demand
Explore Ezra 5-6 to learn how steadfast faith and obedience, even amidst challenges, demonstrates God's power in our lives. ...more Show the full description Show less Explore Ezra 5-6 to learn how steadfast faith and obedience, even amidst challenges, demonstrates God's power in our lives.
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Obedience in the Face of Opposition 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning. Today, we examine a parallel passage to Zechariah in Ezra chapters 5 and 6. And I'm gonna tell you upfront, I love0:21 these 2 chapters. Obedience in the face of opposition is an opportunity to see the amazing hand of God at work in your life. Verse 14 of chapter 6,0:33 and the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Idu. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of0:45 Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes, king of Persia. Now as we've been looking at in the in the book of Haggai and Zechariah, the Lord sent the0:57 2 of them around 5 20 BC to call the people to return to the Lord and to return to the work that he had called them to, which was rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.1:10 Just as before, no sooner had the work begun than the opposition arise arrived at the on the scene. Now we need to realize that when God1:21 calls us to something, Satan will oppose us. But what we see this time, unlike the last time when they packed up their tools and they walked away from their purpose 15 years earlier,1:33 this time, they stood their ground. So what made the difference? Well, let's begin in verse 1 of chapter 5. Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah, the son of Idu, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in1:45 Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. So Zerubbabel, the son of Sheathiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak,1:57 rose up and began to build the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them helping them. At the same time, Tathanae, the governor of the region2:09 beyond the river, Chitharbazani and their companions came to them and spoke thus to them, who has commanded you to build this temple and finish2:21 this wall? So here's the first thing from this passage. We need to realize, obedience to God brings2:33 opposition from man. Now this is not justification, by the way, to pick a fight with the world, but just know if you obey God and his word, there is a high probability that you'll start a2:45 fight. Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams were on a 3 person committee selected by the Continental Congress to create a design for the great seal of the United2:57 States. Now Jefferson submitted 1 with the words rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. While I would reverse the order to say obedience to god is rebellion to tyrants, I think the3:09 founders understood that the world does not applaud those who choose to obey the holy god rather than fallen man. Alright. Back to Ezra chapter3:20 5. What was different this time? Why didn't they pack up their tools and go home? Well, recall the vision of Zechariah and Joshua in3:32 Zechariah 3. Let me just read it. Verse 1 of chapter 3. Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.3:44 And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan. The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was3:56 standing before the angel. Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him saying, take away the filthy garments from him. And to him, he said, see, I have removed your iniquity from you and will clothe you with4:07 rich robes. Satan was opposing them, but the problem was they were not walking in obedience to god. Now in in in Zechariah 1 3, it says, therefore, say to them, thus says4:19 the lord god of hosts, return to me, says the lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers to whom the former prophets preached,4:31 saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds, but they did not hear nor heed me, says the Lord. You see, they had returned to the land, but they had not4:43 returned to the Lord. And we can walk through the Christian motions. We can go to church. We can be baptized. We can do all these things, but it's not our feet. It is our4:55 heart that determines our standing before god. You know, we can we can go through the motions. We can walk the you know, try to walk the Christian walk, but that's not it. It it it is our heart has5:07 to be devoted to the lord. So obedience brings the favor of god, Ezraiah 5 5. But the eye of their god was upon the elders of the Jews5:19 so that they could not make them cease till a report could go to Darius. Then an answer then a written answer was returned concerning the matter. You see,5:31 when we have a fear or reverence for god, then we don't have to fear man. Now, you know, when you talk about fear of god, people think, well, you know, I'm afraid he's gonna strike me with lightning5:43 or something. That's not what we're talking about. Fear of god is a reverence for him. It is walking in obedience. You you if you revere god, if you have5:55 reverence for God, you're going to listen to his word and you're going to obey his word. You're not just gonna hear it and go the other direction. You're going to respond to it. And6:07 when you do that, when we are in right standing before God, not because of anything we've done, but because of our obedience and our trusting in Jesus Christ, then we don't have to fear man.6:19 You see, when when we don't have right standing before god, then we we have nothing to stand on, and and we are tossed to and fro, as James talks about. Alright.6:31 Verse, 22 of chapter 6. And they kept the feast of the unleavened bread 7 days with joy, for the lord made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen their hands in the work of the6:43 house of God, the God of Israel. So obedience to God brings the opposition of man, but obedience to God brings the favor of God. So which do you want? Alright? Alright. Number 3,6:55 obedience to God brings the provision and the protection of god. Verse 6 of chapter 6. Now, therefore, Tathani, governor of the region beyond the river, and she, Thar Bosani,7:08 and your companions, the Persians, who are beyond the river, keep yourselves from there. Right? This is the letter coming back from the king in Persia saying, alright. I've I've checked out the record. They are7:19 right. You're not get away from them. Let the work of this house verse 6. Let the work of the house of god alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its7:31 site. Moreover, alright, additionally, I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews. For the building of this house of7:43 God, let the cost be paid at the king's expense from taxes on the region beyond the river. This is to be given immediately to these men so that they are not7:55 hindered. And whatever they need, young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the god of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priest who are in Jerusalem. Let it be given8:07 them day by day without fail that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the god of heaven and pray for the life of the king and8:19 his sons. Also, I decree I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it, and let his house8:31 be made a refuge heap because of this. And may the god who causes his name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it or to destroy this house of god, which8:43 is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, issue a decree. Let it be done diligently. I hope you're tracking with this. Alright? So they had a choice. They they they obeyed8:55 God and opposition came. They could have done what happened 15 years previously. They goes, oh, well, this doesn't look like it's gonna work out, pack up their tools, and go home. But they didn't because9:07 they were standing in obedience to god, and so they had the courage to stand. And then look at what happens. They obeyed god. There was opposition, but god turned the opposition into an opportunity to9:19 underwrite and provide for their obedience. But what happened? What would have happened had they not taken the stand? We've we would have never seen this. It only came as a result9:31 of their obedience to god in the face of opposition. So oftentimes, we're going to face opposition from obeying god, and I I can I can testify to that? I've9:43 it's been in my life multiple times. It's a pattern. And guess what's happened? It's been tough. It's been rough. It's caused me to to lose positions at time.9:54 But God is faithful, and he's turned that into an opportunity because of obedience. And then we see that obedience to God brings fulfillment and joy.10:07 Alright? What the world's looking for, we find in obedience to god. Verse 13. Then Tathanae, governor of the region beyond the river and, and their companion diligently did according to what10:19 king Darius sent them. So the elders of the Jews built and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Edu. Now, we just make a point here. What was it that10:31 propelled these people to obey god? It was the prophetic word of Haggai and Zechariah. You see, this is where our pulpits our pulpits10:44 should be a flame with the prophetic truth of god. And when I talk about prophecy, we talk about prophetic When we're looking at this, we're not talking about we're not talking about, you know,10:56 predictions. Alright? What we're talking about in this case of the prophetic word is simply what God has said. The the the canon of scripture is closed. Alright? We we have God's11:08 word. It's a living word, sharper than a 2 edged sword, but it must be proclaimed. And it is the word as we as we read in the New Testament. How do men come to know god through the word? How is the word11:19 given out by preaching? So we need those prophetic voices. The church must recapture its prophetic zeal to challenge believers first, to walk according to the11:31 word of god with courage and boldness, and then secondly, speaking that prophetic word of god to a lost and dying world. So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered to the prophesying of Haggai the prophet11:43 and Zechariah the son of Midu. And they built and finished it according to the commandment of the god of Israel and according to the commandment of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the temple was11:54 finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the king of the the year of the reign of king Darius. Then the children of Israel, the priests and Levites, and the rest of the descendants12:05 of the captivity celebrated the dedication of this house of god with joy. Here's the bottom line. The key to overcoming opposition12:16 is more obedience to god. Yes. Obedience to god brings the opposition, but how do we overcome the opposition? More obedience to god regardless of what our circumstances might be? I'm I'm gonna tell you, this12:28 is a message that followers of Jesus need to hear today and to take heart in and to be bold and courageous in obeying God. Just as Joshua, when he took over from12:40 Moses, if you go back to Joshua chapter 1, be strong and courageous. What? To face the enemy? No. Read it in in verse 8 and 9. He was to be12:52 strong and courageous in obeying the word of god. That's where our strength comes from. Father, we thank you for your word, and and, lord, what a wonderful13:04 passage of scripture. What a story. I mean, we see 15 years earlier, they didn't have the courage to to go forward and face the opposition and build rebuild the temple. Why? Because they weren't walking in13:16 obedience to you in their hearts. Lord, I pray today for followers of Jesus Christ that you would call us to obedience and that we would become serious about our walk with you.13:28 Lord, we wouldn't just play church, but we would be in relationship with you and that we would stand in the face of opposition when it comes because we obey you. And, lord, we13:40 I pray that for those who do, that they would see the amazing power of your hand at work in their lives. And it might be a testimony to your greatness, to your13:52 mercy, to your grace, and to your power. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Share this with somebody. You might know somebody that needs to hear this14:03 devotional today. So I encourage you to share it on your Facebook or whatever means you have available, but encourage others to join in this journey through the word of God. Until next time, keep14:15 standing on the word.14:19 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you14:31 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Obedience in the Face of Opposition
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