April 19, 2020                                                                             Rev. Thomas M. Cox

   RESTORATION #6, Ezra 8

 A) CHAPTER OVERVIEW

• Another genealogy (vss. 1-14)
• A shortage of servants (vss. 15-20)
• “H______” of God-
• Priests are guardians (vss. 24-30)

 B) PRAYER FOR JOURNEY MERCIES (vss. 21-23)

• Fasting and P__________:

• Humility-

 C) SAFE TRAVELS (vss. 31-36) 

• God’s D____________ance:

• Accountability-

• The People’s Response: S____ Offerings-

 D) NEW TESTAMENT RESONANCE & APPLICATIONS 

• Notes on fasting & prayer: (Matthew 6:16-18)

• Example of accountability with offerings: (see 2 Corinthians 8, esp. vss. 7 & 19-21)

• H__________ yourselves: (Read 1 Peter 5, esp. vss. 5b-11)

Ezra 8:21-23, 31-36 (ESV)

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek Him, and the power of His wrath is against all who forsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and He listened to our entreaty.

…31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, 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. 34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.