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Ezra - A Person Of Influence Series Contributed by David Owens on Jul 1, 2014 (message contributor) Summary: In this sermon, we see that Ezra had an impact on others because he was devoted to the Word of God, he was devoted to prayer and fasting, and he was dependent on the hand of God. Introduction: I like the story told of a preacher and a NYC taxi driver who both died and went to heaven. The apostle Peter was at the Pearly gates waiting for them. “Come with me,” said Peter to the taxi driver. The taxi driver did as he was told and followed Peter to a mansion. It had anything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an Olympic size pool. “Wow, thank you,” said the taxi driver. Next, Peter led the preacher to a rugged old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set. “Wait, Peter, I think you are a little mixed up,” said the preacher. “Shouldn't I be the one who gets the mansion, not the taxi driver? After all I was a preacher who served God every day, and I preached God's word.” Peter said, “Yes, that's true, you served God and preached the Word, but during your sermons people slept. However, the way that NYC taxi driver drove, people thought they were going to die, so they prayed and made all kinds of commitments to God.” Today I want us to ask ourselves: “What kind of impact do I have on others? What influence do my words, and my example, and my service have on others?” As we move into our story today in our sermon series on Ezra and Nehemiah, we are finally going to be introduced to a man named Ezra and were going to see the kind of impact he had on God’s people. What was it about his words, his example, and his service that made him so impactful? Let’s take a look and see. The Story So far in our series on the book of Ezra, we have examined the exciting story of the return of God’s people to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, in 538 B.C. about 50,000 Jews left Babylon, returned to Judea, and began to rebuild the temple of God. As you recall, once the foundation was completed, opposition caused the construction to be stopped. Then 16 years later, under the preaching and example of Haggai and Zechariah the prophets, the construction was resumed and completed in 4 ½ years in 515 B.C. So the first 6 chapters of the book of Ezra are all about the first group who returned and rebuilt. Ezra isn’t even mentioned in those chapters, because everything we have seen so far took place before Ezra was even alive. Our story resumes in chapter 7: 1 After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest - 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. The phrase “after these things” allows Ezra, the story teller, to skip about 60 years. We are told that this occurred during the reign of Artaxerxes. In a previous sermon, we examined a time line of the different kings reigning during the story found in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. We learned that king Artaxerxes reigned from 464 BC to 423 BC and that he is the king who was reigning at the end of Ezra and through the book of Nehemiah. We date Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem at 458 B.C. So, now at last we meet the man from whom the whole book has taken its name. This chapter and the next will introduce the scholar-priest, named Ezra. We will be told about his expedition and his efforts. Lord willing, next week we will examine the remaining 2 chapters of Ezra, where we will witness how Ezra addressed the moral disarray he encountered when he arrived at Jerusalem. It takes most of six verses to delineate Ezra’s lineage. Of most importance, he can trace his lineage all the way back to Aaron, Moses’ brother and the first high priest of Israel. Someone wanting to be a scholar-priest in the Jewish religion could not have a better pedigree! So it wasn’t just any old Ezra who came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, but the Ezra who was a descendent of Aaron. Let’s see what else we are told about this Ezra. The story continues: He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. 7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Related Media SermonCentral Preaching Slide SermonCentral Preaching Slide SermonCentral Preaching Slide
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अध्याय 7 फारसका राजा आर्टा-जारसेजको को शासनकालमा, यी कुराहरू पछि एज्रा बाबेलबाट यरूशलेममा आए। एज्रा सरायाहका छोरा, अजर्याहका छोरा, हिल्कियाहका छोरा। 2 हिल्किया शल्लूमका छोरा, शल्लूम सादोकका छोरा, सादोक। 3 अहीतूबका छोरा, अहीतूब अमर्याहका छोरा, अमर्याह, अजर्याहका छोरा, अजर्याह मरायोतका छोरा। 4 मरायोत, जरहियाहका छोरा, जरहियाह उज्जीका छोरा थिए। उज्जी बुक्कीका छोरा थिए। 5 बुक्की अबीशूअका छोरा थिए, अबीशूअ पीनहासका छोरा थिए, पीनहास एलाजारका छोरा थिए, एलाजार मुख्य पूजाहारी हारूनका छोरा थिए। 6 एज्रा बाबेलबाट यरूशलेम आए अनि तिनी मोशाको व्यवस्थाको विषयमा राम्रो ज्ञान भएका शिक्षकथिए। जो परमप्रभु इस्राएलका परमेश्वरले इस्राएललाई दिनु भएको थियो। अनि राजाले एज्रालाई उसले चाहेका हरेक बस्तु दिए किनकि परमप्रभु उसका परमेश्वरले उसलाई सहायता गर्दै थिए। 7 इस्राएलका केही मानिसहरू केही पूजाहारीहरू, लेवीहरू गवैयाहरू, द्वारपालहरू, मन्दिरका सेवकहरू। 8 राजा आर्ट-जोरसेजको शासनको सातौ वर्षमा यरूशलेमसम्म आए। 9 उनी यरूशलेममा राजाको सातौ वर्षको पाचौ महिनामा आए किनभने उनले पहिलो महिनाको पहिलो दिनमा मा नै बाबेल छाडे अनि पाँचौ महिनाको पहिलो दिनमा यरूशलेम आए किनभने उनलाई उनका परमेश्वरले सहायता गर्दैथिए। 10 किनकि एज्राले स्वयंलाई परमप्रभुको शिक्षको अध्यायन गर्नमा अनि त्यसलाई व्यवहारमा परिणत गर्नमा इस्राएलमा त्यसका सम्बन्धि अध्यादेशहरू अनि कानून सिकाउनमा आफूलाई समर्पण गरेका थिए। 11 यो पत्रको प्रतिलिपि हो, जो राजा आर्ट-जारसजले पूजाहारी लेखक अनि परमप्रभुबाट विधिका गूरू, एज्रा अनि उसका नियमहरू इस्राएललाई दिएका थिए। 12 आर्ट-जारसेज, स्वर्गका परमेश्वरका राजाहरूका राजा,व्यवस्थाका विद्वान पूजाहारी एज्रा प्रतिःअभिवादन! 13 अब-म यो आदेश दिंदछु कि मेरो राज्यमा कोहि पनि इस्राएलका मानिसहरू वा तिनीहरूका पूजाहारीहरू वा लेवीहरू स्वेच्छाले तिमीसित यरूशलेममा जान चाहन्छन् भने जानसक्छन्। 14 तिमीलाई राजा अनि उनका सातजना सल्लाहकारहरू परमेश्वरको व्यवस्थाको विषयमा हेर्न पठाएको छु जुन चाँहि तिम्रो हात यहूदा अनि यरूशलेममाथि छ। 15 तिमीलाई राजा र उनका सल्लाहकारहरूले इस्राएलका परमेश्वर, जसको मन्दिर यरूशलेममा छ, मुक्त रूपले अर्पण गरेका सुन र चाँदीहरू लिन पठाएका हुन साथै यरूशलेममा तिनीहरूका परमेश्वरको मन्दिरको निम्ति मानिसहरू अनि पूजाहारीहरूले गरेका। 16 स्वेच्छिक अर्पणहरू सहित बाबेल प्रदेश भरि तिमीले प्राप्त गर्न सकेका सुन र चाँदीहरू लानु। 17 त्यसकारण, तिमीले यो पैसाले निर्दिष्ट रूपमा साँढें, भेडा, थुमाहरू अनि अन्नवलि एवं अर्घबलि किन्नु पर्छ, अनि तिमीले ती यरूशलेममा तिम्रो परमेश्वरको मन्दिरको बेदीमा अर्पण गर्नुपर्छ। 18 बाँकी रहेका सुन अनि चाँदी द्वारा तिम्रो परमेश्वर को इच्छा अनुसार तिमी अनि तिम्रा यहूदी भाइहरूका निम्ति के गर्दा राम्रो हुन्छ त्यही गर्न सक्ने छौ। 19 तिम्रा परमेश्वरकको उपासनाका निम्ति तिमीलाई प्रदान गरिएका भाँडा-वर्त्तनहरू तिमीले यरूशलेमको मन्दिरमा परमेश्वरको समक्ष राख्नुपर्छ। 20 अनि तिम्रा परमेश्वरको मन्दिरका निम्ति चाहिएका अन्य चीज-बीजहरू, जसको प्रबन्ध गर्ने जिम्मावारी तिम्रोहो तिमीले राज खजानाबाट प्रबन्ध गर्न सकनेछौ। 21 म, राजा आर्ट-जारसेजले यो आदेश पनि ती कोषाध्यक्षहरूलाई दिदंछु जो यूफ्रेटिस नदीपारिका प्रदेशमा छन् कि पूजाहारी, स्वर्गका परमेश्वरका एक विद्वान एज्राले जे भने पनि त्यसलाई पुर्ण परिश्रम सहित गर। 22 3400 किलो ग्राम चाँदी, 250 मूरी गहुँ, 22,000 लीटर दाखरस 22,000 लीटर भद्राक्षेको तेल अनि चाहिएजती नुन समेत पुर्णरूपले तुरून्तै दिनु। 23 स्वर्गका परमेश्वरले गर्नु भएको जेसुकै आदेश पनि पुर्णरूपले तुरून्तै गर्नु। परमेश्वरको मन्दिरको निम्ति सम्पुर्ण परिश्रमले गर्नु जसमा कि परमेश्वरको क्रोध राजा अनि उनका छोराहरूका राज्य माथि पर्न नआवोस्। 24 हामी तिमीहरूलाई सुचित गर्छौं, कि समस्त पूजाहारीहरू लेवीहरू, गायकहरू, द्वारपालहरू, मन्दिरका सेवकहरू अनि परमेश्वरको यो मन्दिरका अन्य सेवकहरूले कुनै प्रकारका तिरो तिर्नु पर्ने छैन। 25 अनि एज्रा, तिमीसित भएका तिम्रा परमेश्वरका ज्ञान अनुसार तिमीले नदीपारीको प्रदेशका मानिसहरूको न्याय गर्न न्यायकर्त्ता अनि हाकिमहरूको नियुक्ति गर्नु जसले तिम्रो परमेश्वरको व्यवस्था जान्दछन्। अनि जसले जानदैनन्, तिनीहरूलाई तिमीले सिकाउने छौ। 26 जसले तिम्रा परमेश्वरका व्यवस्था अनि राजाका व्यवस्थाको पालन गर्देन त्यसमाथि मृत्यु वा देश निकाला वा जरिमाना कि त कारावास पुर्णरूपले पुर्ण परिश्रम द्वारा तुरून्तै न्याय गरियोस्। 27 परमप्रभु, हाम्रा पुर्खाका परमेश्वरको स्तुति गर। उसले राजा र यरूशलेमका परमप्रभुको मन्दिरलाई यस प्रकारले सम्मानित गर्ने तुल्याए। 28 अनि उसले मलाई राजा, तिनका सल्लाहकार अनि राजाका प्रमुख अधिकारीहरूका उपस्थितिमा उसको प्रेम दर्शाए। परमप्रभु, मेरा परमेश्वरले मलाई सहायता गरिरहनु भएको हुनाले म उत्साहित भएको छु। अनि म संग यरूशलेमसम्म जानका निम्ति इस्राएलका अगुवाहरूलाई एकत्रित गरे।