WEBVTT - Ezra 1

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>John Stanghy, and today we're in Ezra chapter one, and

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<v Speaker 1>we'll be reading from the message in the first year

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<v Speaker 1>of Cyrus, King of Persia. This fulfilled the message of

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<v Speaker 1>God preached by Jeremiah. God prodded Cyrus, King of Persia

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<v Speaker 1>to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom. He wrote

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<v Speaker 1>it out as follows from Cyrus, King of Persia, a proclamation, God,

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<v Speaker 1>the God of the heavens, has given me all the

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<v Speaker 1>kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to

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<v Speaker 1>build him a temple of worship in Jerusalem. Judah, who

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<v Speaker 1>among you belongs to his people, God be with you,

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<v Speaker 1>go to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the

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<v Speaker 1>temple of God, the God of Israel, Jerusalem's God. Those

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<v Speaker 1>who stay behind wherever they happen to live, will support

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<v Speaker 1>them with silver, gold, tools, and pack animals, along with

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<v Speaker 1>free will offerings for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along

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<v Speaker 1>with the priests and Levites. Everyone, in fact, God prodded

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<v Speaker 1>set out to build the Temple of God in Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically with silver, gold tools,

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<v Speaker 1>pack animals, expensive gifts, and over and above these free

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<v Speaker 1>will offerings. Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all

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<v Speaker 1>the vessels and utensils from the Temple of God that

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<v Speaker 1>Nebeconezer had hauled from Jerusalem and put in the Temple

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<v Speaker 1>of his Gods. Syrus, king of Persia, put Mithradath, the treasurer,

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<v Speaker 1>in charge of the transfer. He provided a full inventory

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<v Speaker 1>for shsh Bazaar, the Prince of Judah, including the following

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<v Speaker 1>thirty gold dishes, one thousand silver dishes, twenty nine silver pans,

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<v Speaker 1>thirty gold bulls, four hundred ten duplicate silver bulls, one

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<v Speaker 1>thousand miscellaneous items. All told, there were five thousand, four

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<v Speaker 1>hundred gold and silver articles that shsh Bazar took with

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<v Speaker 1>him when he brought the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, and

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the privilege of being able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at it today. And we thank you Lord for

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<v Speaker 1>the variety of things that we see in this passage,

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<v Speaker 1>we see that you fulfilled the promise that you had

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<v Speaker 1>made through your profit. We see that you were able

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<v Speaker 1>to take the heart of a king, the most powerful

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<v Speaker 1>king on earth at the time, and steer it in

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<v Speaker 1>the direction that you wanted it to go. We see

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<v Speaker 1>that you were able to make the people favorably inclined

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<v Speaker 1>toward the people who would be heading back to Jerusalem,

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<v Speaker 1>and they generously shared what you would bless them with

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<v Speaker 1>with those who would need it so that the temple

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<v Speaker 1>could be rebuilt. Lord, we're grateful to be able to

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<v Speaker 1>see all of these things in this passage. And Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>as we see these stories of how the physical temple

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<v Speaker 1>was built in Jerusalem, we're reminded of what you tell

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<v Speaker 1>us elsewhere in your word, that you're building more than

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<v Speaker 1>just a physical temple. You're building up your church, and

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<v Speaker 1>each individual person, each individual life, is like another brick

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<v Speaker 1>in the building that you're building up, and the cornerstone

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<v Speaker 1>is your son, Jesus Christ, who holds the building, who

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<v Speaker 1>holds the church together. Lor, we're grateful for the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that you have revealed to us our need for your

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<v Speaker 1>son Jesus Christ in our lives. And we're grateful Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>that you will willingly choose to build us up as

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<v Speaker 1>your family. You equip us, you strengthen us, and you

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<v Speaker 1>place us right where you want us, so that we

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<v Speaker 1>could function in your kingdom in such a way that

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<v Speaker 1>you receive glory and others receive benefit. Lord, we're grateful

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<v Speaker 1>for these things. We thank you for all that you

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<v Speaker 1>do on our behalf, and we thank you Lord that

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<v Speaker 1>you are present with us today. We commit this day

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<v Speaker 1>to your care, and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen,