WEBVTT - Ezra 6

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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 Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Ezra chapter six,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the message. So King Darius

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<v Speaker 1>ordered a search through the records and the archives in Babylon.

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<v Speaker 1>Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of

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<v Speaker 1>Ecbatana over in the province of Media with this writing

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<v Speaker 1>on it memorandum. In his first year as king, Cyrus

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<v Speaker 1>issued an official decree regarding the Temple of God in Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>As follows, the temple, where sacrifices are offered, is to

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<v Speaker 1>be rebuilt on new foundations. It is to be ninety

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<v Speaker 1>feet high and ninety feet wide, with three courses of

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<v Speaker 1>large stones topped with one course of timber. The cost

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<v Speaker 1>is to be paid from the Royal Bank. The gold

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

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<v Speaker 1>Az are carried to Babylon are to be returned to

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<v Speaker 1>the Temple at Jerusalem, each to its proper place. Place

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<v Speaker 1>them in the Temple of God. Now listen, tat Andi,

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<v Speaker 1>Governor of the Land beyond the Euphrates, shethar Bosaneye associates,

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<v Speaker 1>and all officials of that land stay out of their way.

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<v Speaker 1>Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone, so

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<v Speaker 1>they can work on that Temple of God as they

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<v Speaker 1>rebuild it. I hereby give orders on how you are

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<v Speaker 1>to help the leaders of the Jews in the rebuilding

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<v Speaker 1>of that Temple of God. All construction costs are to

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<v Speaker 1>be paid to these men from the Royal Bank out

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<v Speaker 1>of the taxes coming in from the land beyond the Euphrates,

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<v Speaker 1>and pay them on time, without delays. Whatever is required

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<v Speaker 1>for their worship young bulls, rams and lambs, for the

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<v Speaker 1>whole burnt offerings to the God of Heaven, and whatever wheat, salt, wine,

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<v Speaker 1>and anointing oil the priests of Jerusalem request is to

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<v Speaker 1>be given to them daily without delay, so that they

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<v Speaker 1>may make sacrifices to the God of Heaven and pray

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<v Speaker 1>for the life of the King and his sons. I've

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<v Speaker 1>issued an official decree that anyone who violates this order

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<v Speaker 1>is to be impaled on a timber torn out of

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<v Speaker 1>his own house, and the house itself made a manure pit.

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<v Speaker 1>And may the God who put his name on that place,

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<v Speaker 1>wipe out any king or people who dares to defy

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<v Speaker 1>this decree and destroy the Temple of God at Jerusalem.

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<v Speaker 1>I Darius have issued an official decree. Carry it out

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<v Speaker 1>precisely and promptly. Tat And I, governor of the land

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<v Speaker 1>across the Euphrates, sheth Ar BOZANEI and their associates did it.

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<v Speaker 1>They carried out the decree of Darius precisely and promptly.

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<v Speaker 1>So the leaders of the Jews continued to build. The

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<v Speaker 1>work went well under the preaching of the prophets Hagai

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<v Speaker 1>and Zecharias, son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under

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<v Speaker 1>orders of the God of Israel an authorization by Cyrus

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<v Speaker 1>Darius and Artis Erxes, kings of Persia. The temple was

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<v Speaker 1>completed on the third day of the month Adar, in

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<v Speaker 1>the sixth year of the reign of King Darius, and

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<v Speaker 1>then the Israelites celebrated. Priests, Levites every last exile exuberantly

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<v Speaker 1>celebrated the dedication of the Temple of God. At the

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<v Speaker 1>dedication of this Temple of God, they sacrificed a hundred bulls,

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred rams, and four hundred lambs, and as an

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<v Speaker 1>absolution offering for all Israel. Twelve he goats, one for

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<v Speaker 1>each of the twelve tribes of Israel. They placed the

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<v Speaker 1>priests in their divisions and the Levites in their places

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<v Speaker 1>for the service of God at Jerusalem, all as written

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<v Speaker 1>as out in the Book of Moses. On the fourteenth

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<v Speaker 1>day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover.

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<v Speaker 1>All the priests and levites had purified themselves, all no exceptions.

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<v Speaker 1>They were all ritually clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover

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<v Speaker 1>lamb for the exiles, their brother priests, and themselves. Then

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<v Speaker 1>the Israelites, who had returned from exile, along with everyone

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<v Speaker 1>who had removed themselves from the defilements of the nations,

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<v Speaker 1>to join them and seek God, the God of Israel,

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<v Speaker 1>ate the Passover with great joy. They celebrated the feast

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<v Speaker 1>of unraised bread for seven days. God had plunged them

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<v Speaker 1>into a sea of joy. He had changed the mind

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<v Speaker 1>of the King of Assyria to back them in rebuilding

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<v Speaker 1>the temple of God, the God of Israel. Let's pray, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to look at this

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<v Speaker 1>passage together today. The Lord, we rejoice with the people

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<v Speaker 1>of Judah as they have been enabled to build the

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<v Speaker 1>temple with help from the King and with support from others,

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<v Speaker 1>after having experienced so much opposition. Lord, we know that

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<v Speaker 1>during different seasons of our lives that we experience opposition,

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<v Speaker 1>the devil operates as our adversary, and as men and

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<v Speaker 1>women who have given our hearts over to your son

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus Christ, as men and women who are seeking to

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<v Speaker 1>yield control of our lives over to you. We know,

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<v Speaker 1>Lord that there are times that the devil tries to

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<v Speaker 1>put roadblocks or obstacles in our way. He tries to

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<v Speaker 1>inspire people to work against us. He even tries to

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<v Speaker 1>discourage us. But Lord, this portion of scripture illustrates the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that you can take the hardest hearts and the

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<v Speaker 1>hearts of the most powerful people, even the hearts of kings,

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<v Speaker 1>and you can transition what their hearts are inclined to do.

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<v Speaker 1>You can soften their hearts, and you work all things

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<v Speaker 1>together for the good of those who love you. We

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<v Speaker 1>see that in the passage, and we're reminded of the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that the very same thing is true for us today.

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<v Speaker 1>We love you, Lord, We're grateful for these reminders. We

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<v Speaker 1>commit this day to your care, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for your presence with us. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen,