Shabbat Shalom. Please turn with me to the book of Ezra. Today we are in Ezra chapter 8. And you will notice as we are studying the book and how much we need the Lord in our lives. Just like our forefathers, Israel of all, needed the help of God as they were journeying from Babylon, back to the city of Jerusalem. You will notice that this 8th chapter is giving us additional information on what we have already looked at in chapter 7. Here, the man Ezra, with the help of the Spirit of God, gives us additional information on how Israel, the Jewish remnant of God, and has gone back to Jerusalem and what had prevailed, what they had to prepare in order to arrive safely to the city of Jerusalem.

It is a very long chapter. And I'm not going to take every verse here in this chapter, but I want us to see the important highlights of this chapter. The topic here today in Ezra chapter 8 is Israel's journey of faith to the city of Jerusalem. Please follow me in Ezra chapter 8 and verse 1.

These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxas the king, of the sons of the sons of Pinchas, Gershom, of the sons of Itamar, Daniel, of the sons of David, Chattush, of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males 150, of the sons of Pachat Moab, El-Yehoanai, the son of Zechariah, and with him 200 males, of the sons of Adin, Eved, the sons of Yonatan, and with him 50 males, and of the sons of Elam, Ye-Shayah, the sons of Ataliah, and with him 70 males, and

of the sons of Shefatiah, Zebediah, the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males, of the sons of Yoav, of Adiah, and of the son of Yechiel, and with him 218 males, and of the sons of Shlomit ben Yosefiah, and with him 160, and of the sons of Babai, Zechariah, the son of Babai, and with him 28 males, and of the sons of Azgad, Yonatan, the son of Hekatan, and with him 110 males, and of the last of the Adonikam, whose names are these El-Pelet, Ye'iel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males, 60, of the sons of Bignai, Eutai, and Zavud, and with them 70 males, and I gathered them together to the river that

runneth to Ahava, and there aboard we in tents three days.

And I viewed the people, and the priests, and found that there were none of the sons of Levi. Then sent I, Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, for El-Natan, and for Yeriv, and for El-Natan, and for El-Natan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshulam, chief men, also for Yeriv, and for El-Natan, men of understanding. And I sent them with commandment unto Edo, the chief at the place Kaspiah, and I told them what they should say unto Edo, and to his brethren, the Netinim, at the place Kaspiah, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us men of understanding, of the sons of Machali, the son of Levi, of the son of Yisrael, Sherabaya, with the sons and his brethren, eighteen.

And Chashbaya, the sons of Yeshayah, the sons of Marari, and his brethren, and their sons, twenty. Also of the Netinim whom David, the princess, had appointed for the service of the Levites, 220 Netinim, all of them were expressed by name. Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to inquire of the king's band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemies in the way, because we had spoken unto the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him, but his power and his wrath against all them that forsake him." So we fasted, and besought our God for this, and he was treated of us.

Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherabiah, Chashaviah, and ten of their brethren with them, and weighed unto them silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offerings of the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his lords, and all Israel, their present had offered. I even weighed unto their hands six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels, hundred and talents, and of gold, and hundred talents, also twenty basins of gold, of a thousand drams, and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. And I said unto them, "Ye are holy unto the Lord, the vessels are holy also, and the silver and the gold, a free will offering unto the Lord God of our fathers.

Watch ye and keep them until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests, and the Levites, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem in the chambers of the house of the Lord. So took the priests and the Levites the way of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. Then we departed from the river of Ahavah on the twelfth day of the first month to go unto Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and of such that lay in wait by the way.

And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Mermot, the son of Uriah, the priest, and with him was Eliezer, the son of Pinchas, and with them was Yozavad, the son of Yeshua, and Noadiah, the son of Benu, Levites, by number and by weight of everyone, and all the way it was written at that time. Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering.

All this was a burnt offering unto the Lord. And they delivered the king's commission unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors on this side of the river, and they furthered the people and the house of God. Boy, brothers and sisters, to read all these verses with all the Hebrew names, you gotta be a Hebrew scholar. Thank the Lord that I have some measure of knowledge of the Hebrew language because of my mother's tongue, and I'm very thankful to the Lord for that. But brothers and sisters, I want you to understand, when we read such a chapter as this, one wonder immediately, and he says, "Wow, Brother Gideon, so many names, and so many individuals with various difficult names, what is the lesson that a whole chapter, Ezra chapter 8, to teach us as believers in the present day time of the church age?" And I would like to apply this to us today.

This is an amazing chapter, even though the vast majority of the verses here gives us names of Jewish people. But yet, beloved brothers and sisters, there is a lesson for us. Now, I want you to know this. The chapter 8, immediately following chapter 7, not only by number, but it gives us additional information of what chapter 7 did not give us. In other words, in chapter 7, we learn about Ezra, who took with him so many people from Babel to Yerushalayim, and we ultimately have arrived to Yerushalayim, and now in chapter 8, the Holy Spirit of God gives us additional information. Very important to study together. Just like, for example, Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis chapter 1 gives us the story of creation, but Genesis chapter 2 gives us additional information. Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit of God gives us additional information to help us understand the things that occur there at that time. So in chapter 7, we have already covered it. We have learned how Ezra have gone to Yerushalayim. Now in chapter 8, we have the additional information. So let's break it down a little bit here. First of all, the first 14 verses of Ezra chapter 8, we have a list of the governors of the people of Israel, the leaders of the people of Israel who have gone from Babel to Yerushalayim. It is amazing.

Do you know, beloved brothers and sisters, that God record for us the names of these people for a purpose. He record this for us because as far as he is concerned, they were precious and dear to his own heart. Why they were so dear to him? Not only because they were his people living in Babel, but there were people that made a choice to come back to the Lord, to come back to the city of Jerusalem, to come back to the place where God set his name. And he gave us this list, 14 verses. In chapter 8, we have a list of these people and their names.

Because they are very precious to him, like we find in the prophet Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament of the Tanakh, where we find in chapter 3 and verse 16, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and he heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and they thought often upon his name. And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts." You see, God record everything that is done for him among the people of God. You and I would never hear those names, unless the Holy Spirit of God put it for us in the scripture.

In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, to make an application to you and I today, everything that you and I do for Yeshua, the Messiah, it is recorded in the book, if you will, that the Lord is reserving for himself. Anything that is done for Yeshua, the Messiah, is being registered in the books that the Lord is recording. This is very precious. The Apostle Paul, in Romans chapter 16, gave us a list of names. And when you read, greet Phoebe, and greet him, and greet her, he gave us a long chapter, Romans chapter 16, recording the people that have been so precious to the life of the Apostle Paul.

They served with him. They ministered with him. They have been occupied with the message of the gospel of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And here there is a record of one person after another, that the Spirit of God recording for us. Men like the sons of Pinchas, and Gershom, and Itamar, and Daniel, and David, and Hatush, and on and on and on. And maybe your name and mine can be mentioned in some of the places. You might say there was a record of the scripture that our names are being recorded. But you notice, it's not only that the names are recorded because they are precious to the heart of God.

But also in these names, we have a record of God in their lives. Do you know all the Hebrew names like, for example, in chapter 8, you notice they went up to Babylon, verse 1, and you notice the names like Gershom, like Itamar, like Daniel, like David, like Zechariah. Notice those names. Almost every name has the name of the Lord. Daniel, God is my judge. Shechaniah, Jehovah rested there. Zechariah, Jehovah had remembered. And we can go on and on, and we can see the names of God mentioned again. Yonatan, Jehovah gave. And Shefattiah, Jehovah judged. Michael, who is like unto God. You see, in those Hebrew names, there is memorial to the testimony of the living God.

Because they were taken to Bavel, the Jewish people, many years earlier. And then in Bavel, they were born new children to the Jewish people. And they were reminded that they belonged to God by giving name to their children. Names that link them with the God of Israel. Now, thirdly, I want you to notice in those 14 verses, another point that I want to mention is that these individuals came later to Jerusalem. And one might ask the reason, what was the delay? Why did they delay to go back to Jerusalem? In other words, why didn't they go with the other 50,000 Jewish people some years earlier? About 60, 70, 80 years earlier.

Well, we do not know the reason. But I tell you one thing we do know. That they went back to Jerusalem. They went back to the place where God set His name. And they haven't done anything different than what the earlier one have done. You go back to the place and the principle that God have taught their Hebrew fathers. And that tells us, beloved brothers and sisters, if someone is away from the Lord, and if a believer has gone astray, the best thing to do is to come back to the very same place from which we have left. Where God set His name together with believers who seek the will of the Lord in their life.

To gather together around the person of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. And it is better late than never. You know, there are some believers that have gone astray from the Lord. And it takes a while for them to come back. And God allowed them to experience some challenges in their life. And they try to find some satisfaction in the world. And they find out, this world cannot satisfy me. Only the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. I must come back to the place where I was there. Where my mom and dad have taught me many years ago. It is the place where Yeshua is being proclaimed and the word of God is being taught.

Like the prodigal son who have left his father in Luke chapter 15. And after many years, he realizes, he says, what am I doing here? I do not belong this far away from the father's house. I am going to come back to my father. And I am going to tell him, Father, I am not worthy to be called your son. I will be just like your servant. And the father says, no. I love you so much. You are my son. You are my daughter. I want you back to be with me. And you remember he gave him that ring upon his finger. The shoe upon his feet.

And he killed the best calf he had. And he celebrated. He says, this my son was blind. And now he was lost. And now he is found. You see, what a beautiful lesson we learned from these men and women and people of Israel of all. They went back to the word of God. To the city of Yerushalayim. This is an important thing for us to learn, beloved brothers and sisters, when we go astray from the Lord. There is no magic. The best thing to do is to come back to the ABC of the word of God. That's the place of blessing and a place of safety.

And so nice to see God recorded their name. You and I might say, who knows what this name is. I do not know anything about this person. But God knows the name of his own people. Yeshua said, my sheep hear my voice. And I know them. I know them by name. He knows his own people. And he wants them to come back to the place where he set for them in his presence. So beautiful to see the first 14 verses. Now let's move along because there are some more highlights that I want to bring out of this beautiful chapter. Now notice in verses 15 to 20. Ezra now in verses 15 to verse 20.

He is now discover something that was missing. Who was missing? You notice in verse 15. It says, and I gather them together to the river that is running to Ahava. And there abode we in tents for three days. And I viewed the people and the priests. And I found that none of the sons of Levi were there. Now you know Ezra is a responsible man. He is the man of whom we already read in chapter 7. In verse 10 that Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord. And to do it and to teach this as a statute among the people of Israel. So Ezra says, listen, I've devoted myself for the things of the Lord.

Let me see who is going to be with me on my journey to Jerusalem. So he is looking around. You notice it says by a river Ahava. And you notice what he does. He inspects the people. He is viewing the people. He is walking around like a leader or even a commander in a military. He is walking around and he is looking and he says, You are coming. And you are coming. And I am so happy you are coming. And I am very thankful to God that you are coming along. We are going to go on that journey of four months. 900 miles. I am so thankful you are coming.

But he is looking more carefully. And what has he found, beloved brothers and sisters? That nobody from the tribe of Levi came along. And we know very well that Hal Leviim, Shevet, the tribe of Levi, was the priestly tribe. In other words, the main reason and the purpose that we are going now back to the city of Jerusalem is to worship the Lord and to serve the Lord in the existing temple right now in Jerusalem. But where are the Levites? Where are the Leviim? So he is watching around and he sees that there is nobody from the tribe of Levi coming. Apparently, from others they have come.

There were many here. You will notice that about two thousands of them that were going now to the city of Jerusalem on that journey. But no one is from the servants of the tribe of Levi. They are missing. They are missing. And Ezra was concerned for the function of the Levites, the Leviim, in the temple because their responsibility is to minister among the people of Israel. So you know what he does? He does something that he is sending some leaders of Israel to appeal to the Levites. And you notice what he says here in verse 16. Again, he gives us a list of names. Then sent I, this is Ezra, for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shamiah, for El-Natan, for Yariv, for El-Natan, and for Natan, and for Zecharia, and for Meshulam, chief men, and for Yariv, and for El-Natan, men of understanding.

He appealed to some of the people of Israel, men of understanding. And then in verse 17, he sent them, and he commanded them to go to Edo, to a certain locality called Kaspia in Babel. And there he told them, notice at the end of verse 17, to bring unto us ministers for the house of the Lord. Now Ezra was looking for servants to serve among the people of God. Now brothers and sisters, if that does not teach us a lesson today, if that does not speak to our hearts today, he longed for people who are willing to serve among the people of God in the house of God.

And he made sure to send wise men, men of understanding, to look for those that are willing to serve among the people of God, from among the Levine, the tribe of Levine. And he went to search. And I want to make an application for us today. If there is any need today, beloved brothers and sisters, among the people of God, are those that are willing to serve among the people of God, to minister, to share the word, to give a word in season, to edify the body of Mashiach. The sheep are scattered. The people of God are divided. The people of God are seeking for someone to minister to their hearts.

Not someone to criticize them every day, not to find something wrong with them every day, though to correct them, but to minister to them, to edify them, to build them up spiritually. Don't you feel the same today, beloved brothers? Don't we feel that we have that need, this hunger, to have those servants of God who minister among the people of God? And you see, there was lacking servants, ministers. And Ezra says, no, we cannot continue now or begin even our journey before we are going to get some servants, some Levine, Levites, to minister among the people of God. You know, when I read this chapter, so many verses came to my mind.

I want you to turn with me to Matthew chapter 9 in the Brit HaChadasha for a moment. Look at the words of Yeshua, the Messiah, when he was looking on our own people, the Jewish people in the land of Israel. Look what we read in Matthew chapter 9, this chapter, even before the church was formed. When Yeshua sought to restore our nation, Israel, to himself as a nation. Look what we read in verses 35 to 38 of Matthew chapter 9. And Yeshua went about all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogue and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom is coming. The Mashiach is coming. The Malchut Elohim is coming.

He's preaching the gospel of the kingdom. He's healing everyone that was sick of diseases and among the people. But notice what it says in verse 36. And when he saw the multitude, he was moved with compassion. Why he was moved with compassion? Because they fainted. And they were scattered abroad, the sheep having no shepherd. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, this is exactly the concern of Ezra, the sheep having no shepherd. And so you notice what Yeshua said in verse 37 and 38. Then he said unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers unto his harvest.

You see, when he looked around and he saw our people Israel of all, that's before the church was born. He's looking at his nation of ours. We have neglected to be drawn in a right way to the things of the Lord. And he's looking at them and what does he see? He sees like a flock, like sheep having no shepherd. And he was saying to the disciples, hey, Shimon Petros, one by one, he might talk to them. And he said to them, listen, look at the harvest. There's such a plenteous harvest, but the laborers are few. You know, I heard about someone that had been leading about three or four or even more places of so-called church, local assembly, local churches.

You know why one man had to do all this work? Because there's no one that rose to take the responsibility among the people of God. You don't need to go to school for that. You don't need to have a diploma for that. You need to have an exercise in your own soul to serve the Lord among the people of God. And to minister the word of God. It's not a matter of education that you have. We are not in the school of men. We are to be in the school of God. There the Lord can raise from the midst of the people of God men who can serve the people of God.

The harvest is great, but the servants are just a few. And he says, pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send laborers into his harvest. Because we need people who are laboring and laboring among the people of God. And you know, the people of God are not always appreciative. We are like that. We are like sheep. We are not always appreciating the service that we receive. We have to admit that. We have this neglect in us. And yet, there is a need to serve the people of God. Yesterday, I was coming to the Bible study at night. And I was driving on the way to the Bible class.

And I was stopping in the light. I was looking at so many people are traveling around, walking, driving, and so on. And I was thinking, okay, I'm here in the city of Toronto. And how many people in Toronto? Well, about two million, two and a half million people in Toronto. Can you imagine Moses leading the people of Israel to come out of Egypt? Nearly 600,000 male alone. Can you imagine with their wives and their children? Nearly two, three million. Can you imagine the whole city of Toronto following Moses? Do you know what he had to deal with? This one had a complaint there, and the other one had a complaint there, and this one didn't want to do this.

And yet, Moses, Moshe, was a servant of the Lord, who loved the people of God. I'm amazed sometimes. He must have been a lonely man to serve among our people of all, the people of Israel, and all the challenges that he had to face. And when God wanted to make of him a nation, when Israel failed, Moses, instead of saying, oh, great God, make of me another nation, and never mind the people of Israel. The people of Israel, you know what he did? He was willing to be blotted up from the Book of Life just that God will not erase the people of Israel. He loved the people of God like Shaul, Paul, loved the believers, Jewish believers, non-Jewish believers.

He loved the body of Mashiach, the body of Christ, the body of Yeshua, the Messiah. Wonderful servants of the Lord. May God help us to have just a little bit of this attitude in our own hearts and life to serve the Lord among the people of God. So, Ezra was searching for servants. And they went, and by the way, you notice at the end there that they brought him servants. And they did bring him those that cared and they wanted to serve. Because it does say, if you notice, after he sent them, in verse 17, then in verse 18, And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us men of understanding, and so on, of the sons of Machalai, and so on, the son of Levi.

In other words, they did bring from among the tribe of Levi and the people of Israel, some who were willing to serve. It says in verse 18, there were 18 of them. And in verse 19, there were 20 of them. And in verse 20, there was 220. In other words, you have the Levites, 18 and 20 from Marari, and then Netanim, 220. In other words, servants eventually came to serve among the people of God. And I hope the Lord will help us to have this attitude of willingness to serve the Lord also as believers in Yeshua, the Messiah. Wonderful to see that in those verses. You know, there are passages that I had in mind to read how important it is to labor among the people of God.

Those that want to serve the Lord, it is a good thing to seek to serve the Lord among the people of God. But as we do so, we need a lot of help from the Lord and strength to do so among the people of God. So, we talk about the list, verses 1 to 14. We talk about the necessity of servants in verses 15 to 20. But then notice verse 21, 22 and 23. He began the journey with a proclamation of a fast and a prayer. That's how he began. He didn't go on a journey to Jerusalem without to begin by fasting and praying. Look at these verses. Let me read verse 21, 22 and 23.

Then I, namely Ezra, I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our children or the little ones and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to inquire of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way. Because we had spoken unto the king and we said to him, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him, but his power and wrath is against them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this and he was entreated of us.

You know, we can see the heart of Ezra. What does he do? He doesn't just go with his own strength. He says, oh, we are able to do so on our own. He does something that is important. He proclaims a special time of fasting and prayer. Brothers and sisters, the question of course is immediately, is do we believe in prayer? Do we believe that God is able to answer prayer? You see, what he has done here, fasting and prayer is something that was common among the people of Israel. When there was a time of need, there is a time that one has a desire to have some answer from the Lord.

He or she have gone through a time of fasting and prayer. When Moses was 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain, we read in Exodus 34 and verse 28 that he didn't eat anything for 40 days and 40 nights. When we think of Yeshua the Messiah, we have been in the wilderness before he had been in his public ministry. He went and he prayed and he fasted. He was for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness without to eat, without any substance for himself. And Satan tested him there, if you remember in Matthew chapter 4, when he was in the wilderness. And you see that in the time of Daniel, in Daniel chapter 10, when Daniel wanted to ask the Lord to assist our people of all the people of Israel.

He fasted and he prayed to the God of Israel. Even in the time of Esther, if you remember, when Haman wanted to destroy our Jewish people some years ago. Esther told Mordechai, her uncle, you fast. And therefore, we'll see how an answer will come for me to deliver the Jewish people. Even in the time of Yonah Hanavi, Jonah the prophet. When he proclaimed the message to Nineveh. And when they first repented, in the book of Jonah, in chapter 3, verses 5 to 10, they fasted. Because judgment was going to come upon them. And therefore, you can see the necessity of fasting and prayer. But I want to suggest, beloved brothers and sisters, that fasting and prayer is necessary in order for us to tune our own hearts with the Lord.

So we will prepare ourselves so the Lord can answer our need as we have it in our lives. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 6. Yeshua taught this in the Gospels, on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 6. He says in verse 16, Moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint thine head, wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret. And thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

In other words, Yeshua taught about fasting because it was part of the life of the nation of Israel. When there was a need risen among the people of God, there was a necessity to afflict themselves and to pray to ask for the Lord to guide them and to help them. Well, Ezra did so and proclaimed a fast in chapter 8 and verses 21, 22 and 23. And he noticed that word here in verse 21. He wanted to seek the Lord that he will give him a right way for us. How will we know what to do when we are making decisions in our lives? How do we know that? Ezra wanted a right way for himself, for his family, for the little ones and for the rest of the nation.

He wanted to know what is the will of the Lord. Well, he took the time to pray. He took the time to afflict himself, afflict themselves by waiting on the Lord and seeking guidance from the Lord. And isn't it, beloved brothers and sisters, something that we need today in our own life to be willing to pray and to spend time with the Lord so he can guide us? What are we going to do next? How things are going to develop in our lives? We are going to travel. We have a journey to go through. We are going to march towards the city of Yerushalayim. Well, what to do?

Lord, guide us. Lord, help us in our lives. One time we sing the song, what a friend we have in Yeshua. What a friend. And how we often lose out because we don't turn to him in prayer. Many decisions we have to make in our life. Job situation. People that we are going to be with. Maybe a partner, wife or husband to get married in the coming days. And all these things, if we are not asking the Lord in prayer, we are the one who are going to lose out. God desired his own people to turn to him for every need. For a right way for God's people to help us what to do in a situation that we find ourselves today.

I don't know what situation you find yourself today and I find myself today. We all have needs in our personal life. We have issues that we need God's guidance. Well, instead of lifting up the telephone and asking somebody else somewhere else. Let's go on our knees and take it to the Lord in prayer. And say, Lord, what should I do right now? Here is the situation that I have in my life. I want and I need a right way for me and my family and my brothers and my sisters in our life today. And that's what Ezra was doing in verses 21 and verse 23. Now, you notice he was ashamed.

You see, because he was talking to the king. And notice in verse 22, he was ashamed to ask the king. You see, there are battles on the way. There are enemies on the way. And as we are moving forward, there are all those things that happen in our life that is an opposition to our walk with the Lord. And Ezra was afraid and ashamed to go to the king and say, hey, king. Oh, yes, I believe in God. But please give me soldiers and horses and ammunition. So I will be protected by them rather than to be protected by the Lord. Ezra was ashamed to inquire this from the king for soldiers and so on.

And he simply said, I know that the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him. So he was anticipating enemies on the way. He was anticipating problems and issues on the way. But he trusted the Lord. Verses that come to my mind. Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 and 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path. Solomon had said it a long time ago. And how important it is for us to remember that as well. Please turn with me. Psalm 33 verses 18 and 19. We read. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him.

Upon them that hope in his mercy. To deliver their soul from death. And to keep them alive even in a time of a famine. Psalm 34 verse 7. The angel of the Lord encampeth around about them that fear him. And delivereth them. Verse 15 of Psalm 34. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. And his ears are open unto their cry. And then verse 16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil. To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. You see, you notice the eyes of the Lord. The ears of the Lord. The face of the Lord. And so Ezra understood that the Lord is able to help him on this journey.

And that's why he did not want to ask the king. He was ashamed to ask the king to aid him with military people. But he went and he prayed. And the answer came to him. You notice it says in verse 23. So we fasted. And we besought our God for this. And the answer came. And he was entreated of us. The proof that God had answered him is because earlier we already read. In chapter 7 that he had arrived to the city of Jerusalem. So there are various thoughts here that we can learn from this chapter. First of all, we saw the list that God remembered. Verses 1 to 14.

We saw Ezra viewing the people and sensed the need of servants. Verses 15 to 20. Then verses 21 to 23. He commended fasting and prayer. And God did answer his prayer. Now notice this in verses 24 to verse 30. Another thought that there is a treasure that Ezra distributed to the chief priest. We have about six or seven verses there. That Ezra gave to each one of those servants to pass them to Jerusalem. And so verse 24. And I separated 12 of the chief of the priests. And he gave us the name Sheraviah and Chashaviah. And another 10 of their brethren. And then he weighed for them silver and gold. And then also copper in verse 27.

And he gave these to these servants. Now in other words, he gave responsibility to some of the elders, the leaders of Israel. He gave those chiefs of the priests. And he gave them to carry with them silver, gold, and copper. And all the vessels in order to bring them for the service in the city of Jerusalem. Ezra was giving responsibility to others in order that they will participate in the labor, in the responsibility to carry on these vessels to Jerusalem. And notice what he tells them. In verse 28. He said to them, ye are holy unto the Lord. The vessels are also holy. And the silver and the gold are free will offering unto the Lord, the God of your father.

He's saying you are set apart for this service of carrying these vessels of gold to the city of Jerusalem. You are set apart. The vessels are set apart. And you have this privilege and responsibility to carry the free will offering to the city of Jerusalem. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, they have done so. We read in verse 30 of the response of these people. So took the priests and the Levites and away the silver and the gold and the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. In other words, they took the responsibility to take care of the vessels. After all, brothers and sisters, many of the vessels that have been carried earlier by Nebuchadnezzar were placed in Babylon in the temple of their gods.

And now he bring them back and even additional material to build out the house of the Lord. It's so wonderful to see. But there was a participation of others in the service of carrying through the responsibility and bringing it back to the city of Jerusalem. So the treasures that Ezra distributed among the chief men of the priests from among the people of Israel. Now here's the conclusion of this chapter is found from verse 31 to verse 36. And let me just make sure that I communicate some thoughts to you about these verses. You notice that in those verses we see the protection of God and the safe arrival to the city of Jerusalem.

God protect his people. And so we read in verse 31. Then we departed from the river of Ahavah on the twelfth day of the first month to go unto Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us. And he delivered us from the hand of the enemies and of such that lay in wait by the way. They began their journey and God was faithful. It doesn't mean that they didn't have enemies along the way. It doesn't mean that they didn't have those enemies who sought to hold to them and to stop them from going ahead. But God preserved them. He watched over them. He brought them along the way.

Like you and I beloved brothers and sisters. When we go through our journey all the way to our father's house. We are on a journey and there is constantly this challenge against us. There are enemies. There are those who are seeking to slay us, to hurt us, to stop us from the spiritual progress. There are enemies. Paul said in Ephesians 6 we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. We wrestle against principalities and powers in the heavenly realm. The enemies of the people of God. But God is able to take us through. He is able to carry us through and to bring us all the way to the place that he wants us.

And eventually you notice how it says here in verse 31. And the hand of our God was upon us. God's hand of protection was upon the people of Judah who returned to Jerusalem. He watched over them. He protected them. And as long as they stayed close to him, he was watching over them. He took care of them. And so you can see how beautiful to see they have ultimately arrived to Jerusalem. Notice verse 32. It says, "And we came to Jerusalem and abode there for three days." I was thinking to myself, finally they arrived to Jerusalem. Imagine this is the first time that they have seen the city after so many years.

Some of them were born in Babel. They were new born young individuals that were born to their parents in Babel. And they only heard about the city of Jerusalem. Every time when I take a group to Jerusalem and we land in Ben Gurion Airport. And then we drive with the bus. And we see the city of Jerusalem before us. And there is a move in our hearts. It's the city that God has chosen. The city that Yeshua the Messiah was there. The city that years ago our forefathers had been brought into this city. The city that God had desired to establish his name there. He placed this city before the nation of Israel.

And Israel as a nation three times a year. We're going to the city of Jerusalem. And now imagine they finally have arrived to the city of Jerusalem. And you know most, not all, but most Bible teachers believe that all the Psalms. Some from Psalm 120 all the way to Psalm 134. The Psalms of Ascents. Perhaps were written in the time when Ezra was leading the people of Judah to the city of Jerusalem. And as they went higher and higher and higher they were singing another song. In Hebrew we call it Shir HaMaalot. The Song of Ascents. And as they were stepping higher and higher moving forward towards the city of Jerusalem.

They were singing those songs. Let me read you one song in Psalm 122. That they were singing as they were marching towards the city of Jerusalem. Psalm 122. A Song of Degree. It says here of David. But some of the rabbis believe that it was written in the time of Ezra. But whoever wrote them. It says, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together. Where the tribes go up. The tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel. To give thanks unto the name of the Lord.

For there are set thrones and judgment. The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls. And prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren, my companions sake. I will now say peace. Shalom be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord. Our God, I will seek thy good. So whether it is written by Ezra. And the people who came with him. Or whether earlier even before. It was written as the people of Israel were marching. To see the city of Jerusalem. And imagine finally in verse 32. They arrived to Jerusalem. Well let's move on.

So we can conclude here. What did they do when they arrived to Jerusalem? Verse 33 and 34. They gave the treasure that they had to the priest in Jerusalem. And so they came to Jerusalem. They stayed there for three days to rest. In verse 33 and 34. On the fourth day was the silver and the gold. And the vessels weighed in the house of God. By the hand of and gives us the name of those that weighed. A priest and Levites have waited and received the gifts. They received the treasure that was set up for the city of Jerusalem. And for the temple. And in conclusion, brothers and sisters.

They concluded this journey by offering sacrifices. Isn't it beautiful? They understood. If we are going to approach God. If we are going to be now in the presence of the Lord. Verse 35. Then we have to offer sacrifices. Blood must be shed. God to accept us. Sacrifices had to be offered. So they offered. Notice. Burnt offering. Verse 35. And they offered sin offering. Burnt offering is called Ola. Sin offering is called Chataa. They needed to offer sacrifices because of their own need. They were sinners. Who needed to be always right with God. To be accepted by the Lord. To be accepted by the Lord. So they offered sacrifices.

And notice how many of the sacrifices it mentioned in verse 35. Verse 35. Twelve bullocks for all Israel. Again, you remember I mentioned it in chapter 7. All Israel. As far as they were concerned. They were a whole nation. They didn't know any such a thing that people teach us today. Of the so-called ten lost tribes. As far as they were concerned. There were twelve tribes that belonged to the Lord. There was a one nation. And God knows his own nation. His own people. So they offered those offerings. And every one of these offerings pointed to the Messiah Yeshua. Every blood of a lamb that was shed. Was only covering for a season.

Until the Messiah Yeshua would come. And will remove the sin of this world. Behold the Lamb of God. John said in John 1:29. That taketh away the sin of this world. So here beloved brothers and sisters. They have arrived. And they worshiped God through the sacrificial system. That God had established with the people of Israel. And the conclusion. Verse 36. That he delivered the king's commandments. And to the king's lieutenants. And to the governors on this side of the river. And the concluding remarks is this. They furthered the people and the house of God. By coming to Jerusalem. By bringing the treasures. By serving the Lord. They have furthered.

They have enhanced the work of God. They have enhanced the people of God. And they have enhanced the building of the house of God. And that's the lesson that we learn here. Beloved brothers and sisters. Every time you and I. Make a decision to come back to the. Principles that are taught in God's word. When we return to the Lord. When we return with a. Full assurance of heart. Confessing our need of the Lord. What we do. We enhance. We are building the house of God. We are edifying the people of God. We are increasing. We are adding to the growth. Of the people of God.

And that is what is needed today. From among the people of God. The challenge is for us. Are we going to serve the Lord. And enhance growth among the people of God. Enhance the building of the house of the Lord. If yes. God will remember that. And God will bless you. And God will honor those that honor him. Him.