Raise an Empire

STUDY: #889-CHURCH IN THE HOUSES FROM: MARCH 8 @ 14, 2016

Topic: "Raise an Empire" Ezra 10:1-5

It is said that thanks to THE COURAGEOUS AND SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE OF HIS FATHER, the famous Bible commentator Matthew Henry converted at the age of ten. So should you raise your home, like an empire under the influence of faith and humility! But, the sad thing is that what is craved today is greatness to impress others. We see that girls are taught to model and boys are trained in sports to be famous and "great" before the eyes of men. To raise a spiritual empire WHAT IS NEEDED IS THE DRASTIC ACTION, RADICAL AND SEVERE ACTION in accordance with the faith and humility in Christ. In order to achieve good all evil is worked from the root! In the times of Ezra there was a town that needed the twisted to be straightened. Ezra was there as a priest with all authority. Ezra 10: 1 "While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites- men, women and children- gathered around him. They too wept bitterly." We can see Ezra PRAYING AND CONFESSING. In the afternoon they all gathered. To the vast majority of the people a great impact was caused to see that Ezra, who was now their new governor and priest, was grieved due to the sins of the people. There was a very large crowd of Israel there to mourn bitterly along with their spiritual leader. Ezra was a diligent scribe, he was such a holy priest and such a worthy governor; he was very distressed, full of fear before the sad condition of things. Surely, the report of his ardent sorrow and his expressions in the temple court produced a profound sensation in the people causing a large crowd to gather at the site. Ezra, such a beautiful person in holiness, rose so profoundly in sorrow because of the corruption of the people. They all concluded that the matter was very serious; that ACTION HAD TO BE TAKEN! Shecaniah, one of them, said: "... we have sinned." Ezra 10: 2 "And Shechaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra: We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange women the peoples of the earth; but despite this, there is still hope for Israel.” This person who spoke was one of the leading men of the people, and of whom it should be mentioned that he himself was not a delinquent referring to the sin of taking a foreigner as wife, because his name does not appear in the list that follows. But, it was him who spoke boldly because of his security, for knowing God, for knowing the decrees and commandments of the Lord. Shecaniah was the one who stepped forward and spoke on behalf of the people and of the misconduct before God; he manifested a tender conscience and courage not small in making such a statement and proposal. Matthew Henry himself said we should always act according to what God wants even if "...the universe falls." So we see that Shecaniah, fearlessly, opened his mouth. As we can see in Verse 26, ("Of the sons of Elam. Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah"), his father and five paternal uncles were on the list of those involved in the guilt of the illegal

marriages. Shecaniah showed by the measure he recommended that he believed it was best to obey God than to please his closest relatives. He said, “...but despite this, there is still hope for Israel." Ezra 10:2 This hope, however, depended on TIMELY MEASURES OF “REFORM" and therefore, rather than surrendering to despair or discouragement he ADVISED THEM TO CORRECT THEIR ERROR WITHOUT DELAY, trusting in God's mercy as to what happened in the past. “Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the women and those born of them, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and be done according to the law "Ezra 10:3. The proposal seemed harsh and cruel; however, under the peculiar circumstances of the Jews, it was just as well as necessary. Then, Ezra was told: "Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it. So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath." Ezra 10:4.5 The proposal imposed upon Ezra insistently on the execution of this duty as the only person competent to take it into effect. Ezra possessed the skill and competence for such a delicate and difficult task and was invested by God and under Him by the Persian king. According to Vs 6, Ezra left and could not eat; there was too much sadness and agony because of the people's sin. There would be a meeting to dismiss the foreign women; they would be dismissed just as it had been proposed (Ezra 10:7). And all those who did not show up to do this would have their properties taken away and would be excluded from the congregation; thus was the agreement by the princes and elders in full accordance with Ezra (Ezra 10: 8). In three months of task all signs of abuse were completely removed (Ezra 10:17). THERE MUST BE UNITY AGAINST EVIL! Those who were commissioners were helped by the judges and elders of their respective cities and made an investigation in each case, and at the end of three months of task they completely removed the signs of abuse. We must obey what God demands of us; that is how we raise God's people! Then there is a blessing! Be holy and diligent like Ezra and brave like Shecaniah and raise your home as a spiritual empire! Amen.