Life's a journey, travel wisely

1. Ezra 8

2. Ezra 8
1 Now these are the heads of their fathers’
households and the genealogical enrollment of
those who went up with me from Babylon in the
reign of King Artaxerxes: of the sons of…

3. We don’t like of genealogies
“of the sons of…”
Priests
King David
Twelve Tribes of Israel
Love for the 12
tribes
Reembrace of
covenant
Validity

4. Everybody is represented
…until we all attain to the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a mature man, to
the measure of the stature which
belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13

5. Overlooked something
15 Now I assembled them at
the river that runs to Ahava,
where we camped for three
days; and when I observed
the people and the priests, I
did not find any Levites there.

6. We all overlook things
Proverbs 16:9 (NASB95)
9 The mind of man plans his way, But
the LORD directs his steps.

7. Problem requires input
16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan,
Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and
Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and
Elnathan, teachers.
Leaders
Teachers
ADVISE

8. 17 I sent them to Iddo the leading man at the
place Casiphia; and I told them what to say to
Iddo and his brothers, the temple servants at the
place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for
the house of our God.
ADVISE

9. Fix the problem not the
symptoms

10. Quality and pedigreed
18 According to the good hand of our God upon us they
brought us a man of insight of the sons of…Levi,
…Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, 18 men; 19 and
Hashabiah and Jeshaiah with his brothers and their
sons, 20 men; 20 and 220 of the temple servants, whom
David and the princes had given for the service of the
Levites, all of them designated by name.

11. Gifts of the Spirit
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries,
and the same Lord. There are varieties of
effects, but the same God who works all
things in all persons. But to each one is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the
common good.
1 Corinthians 12:4–7

12. What does that have to do with
the story?
Body of Christ
Each has a role
Each is gifted
Each is called

13. Fasting and prayer
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the
river of Ahava, that we might humble
ourselves before our God to seek from
Him a safe journey for us, our little ones,
and all our possessions.

14. There are always two sides
Physical side
Spiritual side

15. Why?
For I was ashamed to request from the king
troops and horsemen to protect us from the
enemy on the way, because we had said to the
king, “The hand of our God is favorably disposed
to all those who seek Him, but His power and
His anger are against all those who forsake
Him.” So we fasted and sought our God
concerning this matter, and
He listened to our entreaty.

16. Know the will of the Lord
Seek the will of the lord
Be in the will of the lord

17. So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter
Doubt gives way to faith
God resist the proud but gives grace to the humble

18. Good Ideas Come After Prayer

19. Leaders with integrity
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests,
…25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold
and the utensils, the offering for the house of our
God which the king and his counselors and his
princes and all Israel present there had offered.

20. Gave and made record
26 Thus I weighed into their hands [all the] silver,
silver utensils and gold and 20 gold bowls, and
two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold.

21. You are responsible
28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the LORD,
and the utensils are holy; and the silver and the
gold are a freewill offering to the LORD God of
your fathers. 29 “Watch and keep them until you
weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites
and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel
at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the
LORD.”

22. Accepted responsibility
30 So the priests and the
Levites accepted the
weighed out silver and
gold and the utensils, to
bring them to Jerusalem
to the house of our
God.
You have been
entrusted with a
treasure

23. Not a smooth trip
31 Then we journeyed from the river Ahava on the
twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and
the hand of our God was over us, and He
delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the
ambushes by the way.

24. Disciples’ warning
Matthew 10:16–23 (NASB95)
16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as
serpents and innocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you
over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be
brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to
the Gentiles. 19 “But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what
you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. 20 “For it
is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. 21
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will
rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 “You will be hated
by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who
will be saved. 23 “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next;
for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until
the Son of Man comes.

25. Delivered
32 Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained
there three days. 33 On the fourth day the silver
and the gold and the utensils were weighed out in
the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth
the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was
Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were
the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and
Noadiah the son of Binnui.

26. Full accounting
34 Everything was
numbered and
weighed, and all the
weight was recorded at
that time.

27. God’s accounting
1 Corinthians 3:9–16 (NASB95)
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10
According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder
I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful
how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one
which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation
with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will
become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire,
and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work
which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is
burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through
fire. 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you?

28. Sacrifice and worship
35 The exiles who had come from the captivity
offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12
bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male
goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to
the LORD.

29. Started to work
36 Then they delivered the king’s edicts to the
king’s satraps and to the governors in the
provinces beyond the River, and they supported
the people and the house of God.

30. What God wants to establish

31. You’ve journeyed here
Had some ups and downs
Got lost got found
God has always had his hand on you
What did he give you for the journey?
How will you fare at the accounting?