Reclaim | It’s Time To Reclaim

It’s Time to Reclaim | Ezra 1:1-6

Reclaim means retrieve or recover something previously lost.
It is time to Reclaim what has been lost.

Isaiah 39:5-7 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord Almighty: 6 The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. 7 And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

605 B.C. – King Nebuchadnezzar deported the royal family
597 B.C. – The entire force of 7000 fighting men and a 1000 skilled workers and artisans exiled.
586 B.C. – Nebuchadnezzar looted the city and the temple.

Ezra 1:1 “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:”

Jeremiah 29:10 “This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.”

538 B.C. – Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem

2. God is in control.

   A. God used foreign kings and nations to carry out His plans.

   Isaiah 45:13 “I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or reward, says the Lord Almighty.”

   Ezra 1:1c-2 “the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:” 2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.” 
   
   Ezra 1:3 “Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.”

   B. God controlled the return of His people from exile.
   
   Ezra 1:4 “And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.”

   Ezra 1:5-6 “Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.”

3. God is faithful.

   Ecclesiastes 4:9a “Two are better than one,” 

Romans 9:1-3 “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,”

Romans 10:1 “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”

Jesus is the answer for the world today.
Above him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Do you know Jesus?