WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday July 28, 2013

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GIFTS FOR THE TEMPLE

(Consecrate your gifts to GOD)

(Ezra 8:24-36)

After praying for traveling grace, Ezra appointed twelve leaders of the priests (each representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel), including Sherebiah and Hashabiah to be in charge of transporting the silver, gold, and other items that King Artaxerxes, his council, and other leaders, and, the people of Israel had given for the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem. Ezra carefully weighed the treasure, cataloged it, and gave it to the men to transport. This is the full measure of his account;

·         24 tons of silver

·         7,500 pounds of silver utensils

·         7,500 pounds of gold

·         20 gold bowls that were equal in value to 1,000 gold coins

·         2 fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold

And then Ezra gave the priests this message; “You and these treasures have been set apart (consecrated) as “holy to the LORD”. This silver and gold is a “freewill offering” to the LORD, the GOD of our ancestors. Guard these treasures well until you present them, without an ounce lost, to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel at the storerooms of the LORD’s Temple in Jerusalem”.

And so they broke camp at the Ahava Canal, and embarked on their 900-mile journey to Jerusalem. It was a journey that would take the better part of four months. And the LORD protected them and secured them from the enemies and bandits along the way, because they invited HIM in and sought HIS help at the beginning of their travels.

Whenever we call on GOD at the start of any “Christian journey”, or endeavor, HE will abide with us all along the way, and deliver us safely to our destination. We must continue on our Christian journey, with a faith that is unwavering, even when we are faced with the trials and tribulations that we will surely encounter, because we are going against the grain of this world.     

After arriving in Jerusalem, they rested for three days, and on the fourth day, the treasures were weighed at the Temple of GOD and entrusted to Meremoth and Eleazar the priests, and to Jozabad and Noadiah the Levites. Everything was accounted for, both in number, and in weight, and was officially recorded.

Afterwards, all the people, who returned from exile with Ezra, and all the Jewish residents of Jerusalem gathered together as “a show of the unity of GOD’s people”, and they sacrificed burnt offerings to GOD, all the day long. They presented up to HIM;

·         Twelve oxen (as burnt offering)

·         Ninety-six rams

·         Seventy-seven lambs

·         Twelve goats (as sin offering)    

After finishing up with all spiritual matters concerning GOD, then, King Artaxerxes decrees were delivered to his officials in the province west of the Euphrates River, who then showed their full cooperation to the people of Israel, and to the Temple of GOD.

Ezra was a faithful steward of what GOD had entrusted him with, and the people freely gave back to GOD, those gifts that came from the excesses of their blessings from HIM. They all responded in the “right way” with their “time”, “talents”, and “treasures”, and thereby, set a wonderful early biblical example for all Christians, for all time.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday July 21, 2013

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FASTING AND PRAYING

(Preparing for GOD’s Service with fasting and prayer)

(Ezra 7:25-28 & 8:21-23)

Chapters 7-10, of the Book of Ezra, deals with events that took place in Jerusalem, after Ezra returned from Babylon in 458 B.C. Fifty-eight years have passed since the “Passover Celebration” that is chronicled at the end of chapter 6, and the Persian Empire is now being headed by King Artaxerxes, the grandson of Darius.

Ezra was a direct descendant of Aaron the Priest, the brother of Moses, the man of GOD. He was a “Scribe” who was well-versed in the “Law of GOD” that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. When he came up to Jerusalem (Chapter 7), Artaxerxes gave him everything that he “asked for”, because the hand of the LORD was upon him, just as HIS hand was upon his predecessors, Darius and Cyrus.

Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, and other temple officials, and servants came up with Ezra during the seventh year of Artaxerxes reign, into Palestine. During this time, the teachings of GOD’s Law, was being increasingly ignored, and temple worship was becoming more and more routine, with each passing day.

When Ezra arrived, he brought with him, large donations for the temple, and a royal commission to appoint judges, and to enforce, both, Old Testament Law, and, Persian Law, in Judah. He had been instructed by King Artaxerxes to “use the wisdom of GOD” to appoint magistrates and judges, who were familiar with the Laws of GOD, to govern over the people of Judah. And if the people weren’t familiar with those laws, Ezra himself, was charged to teach them. Anyone who refused to comply with GOD’s Laws, and the laws of the Persian Empire, would be immediately punished with death (Vs. 25-26)   

Because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of GOD, and to teach the Word to the people, while preparing them with “prayer and fasting”, GOD graciously blessed him and his company as they had traveled for several months through dangerous territories with a large amount of treasure and no human security (Vs.8-10).

In verses 27-28 we see Ezra beginning to refer to himself in the “first person” for the first time in his writings. Here he praises the LORD for touching the heart of Artaxerxes and giving him the desire to want to “beautify the temple of the LORD” in Jerusalem with his own finances (v.27). He also thanked GOD for honoring him before the king, and before all of his royal court in Persia (v.28).

In Ezra 8:15-20 Ezra tells us that they assembled by the Ahava Canal (9 miles north of Babylon), which was used as “a staging area” for the Jews who were preparing to return to Palestine from Babylon. There they camped for three days while he went over the list of the names of those who were present, and among them, was not one volunteer Levite priest to be found.

And so Ezra sent for a group of “Israelite leaders” and “wise men”, and then, he sent them all to a Levite named Iddo, who was the leader of the Levite priests at Casiphia in Babylon. Their charge was to request that he send some Levites to minister in the temple at Jerusalem. Iddo sent Sherebiah, who was a very astute man, along with 18 of his sons and brothers. He also sent Hashabiah, Jeshaiah and 20 of his sons and brothers, along with 220 other temple workers.

When they reached the staging area, Ezra ordered everyone that was traveling to Jerusalem with him to “fast” and “pray”, and “humble themselves” before the LORD. They prayed that GOD would give them “traveling grace”, and protect them, their children, and their cargo from harm.

The king had already been so generous to them that Ezra was ashamed to request that, in addition, he supply them with horses and soldiers for protection. And besides, he wanted to show everyone that they could “depend on the protection of GOD” during their journey. And so GOD heard and answered their “earnest prayers” and HE granted them safe passage back to Jerusalem.

Prayer should never be an attempt to bend the will of GOD, but rather, should always be aimed towards submitting our wills “TO” the will of GOD. Ezra and the Israelites conformed their wills to the will of GOD, through earnest prayer, and then they “fasted” to “take their focus off the flesh” (off themselves), and place it firmly on GOD, so that they might “successfully carry out GOD’s will” to the letter, during their assignment in Jerusalem.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

  

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday July 14, 2013

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DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE

(Dedicating our work to GOD)

(Ezra 6)

In Ezra chapter 6, after Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and other government officials sent a letter to King Darius of Persia seeking to halt the construction on the temple at Jerusalem by Zerubbabel and others (Ezra 5:6-17), the king ordered a search of the Babylonian archives to find out if it was true that King Cyrus, his predecessor, had ever issued a decree to rebuild it (6:1).

The search was made first in the palace at Babylon, and then later at the royal summer palace at the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media. In the palace in Media, a scroll was found that told of King Cyrus’ original decree to allow the Israelites to rebuild the temple of GOD there in Jerusalem (6:2). King Darius then, instead of stopping the reconstruction of the temple, ordered that Tattenai and his officials stop their interference in the building project, and further ordered them to fully finance and personally assist in the completion of the work (Vs. 6-12).

It is the classic story of how GOD will provide for those who are attempting to do HIS work in the world, HIS way. When GOD gives a person a task to do, HE always gives them the power necessary to carry out and complete that task to HIS satisfaction. Oftentimes, GOD has already prepared us, long in advance, for the work HE will call us to do at some future date, and HE will always remove those roadblocks that satan sets up in our way. Here in this passage, GOD not only removes the roadblock out of the way of Zerubbabel and the Israelites, but HE also uses those who sought to block the way, to actually pitch in and help out, in addition to fulfilling their regular duties for their king.

The Jewish leaders, and the people, continued their work and were greatly encouraged by the preaching and help of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah along the way. The temple was finished in four years, and it was constructed just as it had been commanded by GOD, and sanctioned by the kings of Persia (Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes).

In 515 B.C., on the twelfth day in the last month of the year, exactly 70 years after the temple was first destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C., the reconstruction of the temple was completed. This was about five and a half years after GOD had sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to tell the Israelite people to go back to work on the temple (Ezra 5:1-2).

And although this temple never quite reached the glory of the one built by King Solomon, the people still rejoiced in its dedication with just as much zeal as anyone ever had before them. And although nothing is said of it being filled with the glory of GOD as the original temple was, one must know that GOD was indeed pleased with their efforts.

During the dedication ceremony 712 animal sacrifices were made, including 12 male goats as sin offerings for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve in the temple, following all of the instructions of Moses, the man of GOD (Vs. 17-18). In the spring of the following year, the returning exiles were able to celebrate their first Passover in the new temple of GOD (Vs. 19-22).

This temple was later enlarged to a more magnificent scale and was further beautified by King Herod the Great, at the beginning of the first century A.D. However, it was destroyed again in A.D. 70 by the Romans, at the hands of the Emperor Titus. JESUS had foretold of this destruction during HIS three-year earthbound ministry (Mark 13:1-2 & Luke 19:41-44).

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander   

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday July 7, 2013

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Over 46,000 readers worldwide

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THE TEMPLE RESTORED

(Give thanks to GOD)

(Ezra 3:8-13)

In the second month (mid-spring) of the second year of the Israelite’s return from Babylon, all the available people began to work on re-building the temple of the LORD. It was the same month that Solomon had begun building the original temple in Jerusalem. All the Levites who were twenty years old or older were put in charge of the re-construction project.

The people had spent more than seven months just gathering and collecting material and now they were ready to begin laying the foundation to GOD’s house of praise and worship. And so, in the spirit of a “great revival”, Israelite unity was the order of the day. They were not just building a “physical foundation” made of bricks and mortar, they were also building a “spiritual foundation” that would allow them to resume the life of a believer in the Almighty GOD, through prayer, worship, sacrifice, praise, and obedience.

They sang together while they worked and prayed together to get the foundation laid to perfect specifications under the law of Moses, the man of GOD. Everyone, young and old united their voices together in praise and worship to the LORD for HIS continued goodness to HIS people throughout the years.

However, in verse 12 we can almost sense an “interruption” in that unity as the older priests, who had been around long enough to remember the first temple built by the skillful leadership of Solomon and his crew, began to weep aloud when they saw the new foundation. Perhaps they were longing for the old and golden times, and the absolute splendor of the original edifice, or, perhaps they were weeping because it was the sins of their generation that led to the fall of the “United Kingdom” of David and Solomon. They knew that if their generation had heeded the warnings of GOD’s prophets, Jerusalem and the temple would still be standing.

Nevertheless, the younger crowd continued with their “joyful shouts”, and those shouts, began to mingle together with the “weeping of the old”. And together, they created a commotion that personifies the ups and downs of the “human experience” and also that of the “Christian experience”.

“Christian unity”, can and will, always transcend the differences of the human experience, and, it will always transcend the ages, from generation to generation. We see here in this passage that, even before we knew what Christian Unity was, it was already present in the hearts of men. It is the kind of unity that JESUS prayed about in John 17, and, the kind of unity that Paul wrote about, to the Churches in all of his “doctrinal letters”. Christian unity is not a unity, not born, of bricks and mortar, but rather, it is “a unity of personal relationships”, not unlike the one we’ve already seen between the FATHER and the SON, as an example to us, for all times.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

 

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website