Reclaim | God Has His Ways of Getting Things Done

God Has His Ways of Getting Things Done | Ezra 5:1-6:12

Ezra 4:4-5 “Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

God Has His Ways of Getting Things Done.

Ezra 5:1-2 “Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.”

God Has His Ways of Getting Things Done.
1. God uses Conventional Methods to accomplish His plans.

A. God used preachers (5:1-2)

Warren Wiersbe “Church history shows that when God wants to arouse His people to do His will, He calls people to proclaim the Word of the Lord.”

Ezra 6:14a (GW) “…the Jewish leaders continued to make progress because of the message from the prophet Haggai and Zechariah.” 2. God uses Unconventional Methods to accomplish His plans

A. God used Local officials (5:3-17)

Ezra 5:3b “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 

Ezra 5:4 “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 

Life is less complicated when you obey God.

Ezra 5:17 “Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.” 

B. God used a Pagan King (6:1-12)

Ezra 6:6 “Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there.”

1. Stay away from their work site.

Ezra 6:7 “Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.”

2. Stay away from their work site!
3. Let them rebuild their Temple.

Ezra 6:8 “Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.”
4. Out of your budget cover their expenses.

Ezra 6:9-10 “Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.”
5. Provide whatever they need, daily.

Ezra 6:11-12 “Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.”
6. Defy this edict and you will pay dearly.
James 4:2b “You do not have because you do not ask God.”

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

God is sovereign – preeminent in power and authority  
Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”God wants us to pray…. God answers our prayers.Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Unceasing Prayer for Lexington – ncclex.org/prayer