05/24/2009

Class: Proverbs 30:11. "There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; 12. those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; 13. those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; 14. those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.

Hymns #581 & #626

Scripture reading: #679 “Your Reasonable Service.” 2 readers – man (solo 1); woman (solo 2)

No Vesper's this evening – enjoy the holiday with your family!

Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Jenise – touched by the diligence, love, and joy of hard-working native Peruvians.

Ezra- a scholar (ca 458 B.C.) After all these things - Ezra came up...

Ezra 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...  6. this Ezra came up from Babylon. 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.

11. This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel: 12. Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings...

In my consideration of Ezra I'm reminded of two passages of scripture - Ecclesiastes 9:10. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." (N.I.V.) and Proverbs 22:29. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings..." (King James)

Can you imagine being someone who would go down in history (at least for 2400 years) as one who received, and carried, a personal letter of recommendation from one of the noted kings in history? Verse 12 called Artaxerxes, "king of kings" because he was king of the Persian Empire! A ruler of considerable note, among his contemporaries and down through history. (He was also called “Long hand” because his right hand was longer than his left hand. He was a son of Xerxes, who has been considered by legend to be the king who had Esther as one of his wives.)

What would someone have done to be recognized by the ruler of the most powerful empire in that era of history? He was a scholar. More specifically, he was a teacher and a priest. He was noted for his diligence and excellence in his studies.

Somehow Ezra came to the attention of the ruler of the Empire. The king had no noted devotion to the religion or God of Ezra.

Let's back up to "Somehow Ezra came to the attention of..." The passages from Ecclesiastes 9 and Proverbs 22 answer the "somehow."

God uses our diligence, faithfulness and perseverance.

He blesses our best efforts with his multiplier effects.

He can make connections we can't even dream or imagine! History records the results.

My encouragement for you today?

· Whatever you are doing, do it with all your might,

· be diligent – when you make a mistake correct it and practice the correction over and over until it becomes automatic,

· be blessed,

· leave the rest to God.

You can't make "it" happen, only God can.

Only God knows what is supposed to happen - we are called to be diligent, faithful and persevere.

The God of history knows your place in it.