Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000579
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00:17 Hello, and welcome to His Words are Life.
00:18 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank you for joining with me today 00:21 to read the bible together. Lets pray before we start. 00:24 Dear Lord, thank you so much for your word that is a light 00:30 to our path, that strengthens our faith, 00:33 and that is a weapon of warfare 00:36 against the enemy. Please guide us now as we read these words, 00:40 to hear the lesson you have for each of us. We love you and 00:44 thank you for loving us. Amen. When we were last together, 00:48 We were reading in the book of Ezra how Cyrus king of Persia 00:52 has decreed that some of those who had come into captivity 00:56 could now return to Jerusalem to rebuild the house of God. 00:59 And we are picking up in Ezra, chapter 2. We left off, 01:05 We would have begun with verse 2 but what happened from verse 2 01:10 up through verse 61 is a listing of genealogy. 01:13 And we're going to skip that and so pick up after this long 01:17 list of names, in Ezra 2 and verse 62. 01:22 This is the King James Version. These sought their register 01:27 among those that were reckoned by genealogy. But they were not 01:30 found. Therefore were they, as polluted put from the priesthood 01:34 And the Tirshatha said unto them that they should not eat 01:39 of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with 01:42 Urim and Thummim. The whole congregation together was 42,360 01:49 beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were 7,337: 01:54 and there were among them 200 singing men and singing women. 01:59 Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; their camels 435, 02:08 their asses 6,720. And some of the chief of the fathers, 02:15 when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, 02:17 offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: 02:22 They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work 02:27 threescore and one thousand drams of gold, 02:30 and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred 02:33 priests' garments. So the priests, and the Levites, 02:37 and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, 02:39 and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities, 02:42 and all Israel in their cities. 02:45 Continuing now with Ezra chapter 3. 02:49 This is the King James Version. And when the 7th month was come, 02:54 and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people 02:57 gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 03:00 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren 03:06 the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, 03:10 and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, 03:14 to offer burnt offerings thereon as it is written in the law of 03:17 Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon his bases; 03:21 for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries 03:24 and they offered burnt offerings theron unto the Lord, even burnt 03:29 offerings morning and evening. They kept also the feast of 03:33 tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt 03:37 offering, by number, according to the custom, as the duty 03:41 of every day required; and afterward offered the continual 03:45 burnt offering, both of the new moons and of all the set feasts 03:48 of the Lord that were consecrated and of every one 03:52 that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord. 03:56 >From the first day of the 7th month began they to offer burnt 04:01 offerings unto the Lord. But the foundation of the temple 04:04 of the Lord was not yet laid. They gave money also unto the 04:08 masons, and to the carpenters; and meat and drink, and oil, 04:13 unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees 04:17 from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa according to the grant that they 04:21 had of Cyrus king of Persia. Now in the 2nd year of their 04:26 coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the 2nd month, 04:30 began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of 04:34 Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests 04:38 and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the 04:41 captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, 04:45 from 20 years old and upward, to set forward the work of the 04:49 house of the Lord. Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his 04:53 brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, 04:57 to set forward the workmen in the house of God: 05:00 the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren 05:04 the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation 05:07 of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel 05:11 with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, 05:14 to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David King of 05:18 Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving 05:24 thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy 05:28 endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with 05:33 a great shout when they praised the Lord; because the foundation 05:36 of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests 05:41 and Levites and the chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, 05:44 that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this 05:47 house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; 05:51 and many shouted aloud for Joy: So that the people could not 05:57 discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the 06:00 weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud 06:03 shout, and the noise was heard afar off. 06:07 Continuing now in the book of Ezra, chapter 4, and 06:11 this is the King James Version. Now when the adversaries of 06:16 Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity 06:20 builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 06:22 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, 06:27 and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, 06:31 as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days 06:36 of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 06:40 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the 06:45 fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do 06:48 with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves 06:52 together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, 06:54 as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. 06:59 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people 07:04 of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counselors 07:09 against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of 07:13 Cyrus king of Persia even until the reign of Darius 07:16 king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning 07:21 of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the 07:25 inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 07:27 And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Tishlam, Mithredath, 07:32 Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes 07:35 king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the 07:39 Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue. 07:42 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a 07:47 letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort 07:51 Then wrote Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, 07:56 and the rest of their companions the Dinaites, 07:59 the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, 08:04 the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Susanchites, the Dehavites, 08:10 and the Elamites, and the rest of the nations whom the great 08:15 and Noble Asnapper brought over and set in the cities of Samaria 08:18 and the rest that are on this side of the river, and at such a 08:21 time. This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, 08:26 even unto Artaxerxes the king; Thy servants the men on this 08:31 side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, 08:36 that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto 08:41 Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, 08:45 and have set up the walls thereof, and joined 08:49 the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that if this city 08:54 be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay 08:59 toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage 09:04 the revenue of the kings. Now because we have maintenance 09:09 from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see 09:13 the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and certified 09:17 the king; that search may be made in the book of the records 09:22 of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records 09:25 and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful 09:30 unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition 09:34 within the same of old time: for which cause was this city 09:39 destroyed. We certify the king that, if this city be builded 09:45 again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt 09:48 have no portion on this side the river. Then sent the king 09:54 an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai 09:58 the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell 10:01 in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace 10:06 and at such a time. The letter which ye sent unto us hath been 10:11 plainly read before me. And I commanded, and search hath been 10:15 made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made 10:19 insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have 10:24 been made therein. There have been mighty kings also over 10:28 Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; 10:32 and toll, tribute, and custom was paid unto them. 10:36 Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, 10:40 and that this city be not builded, until another 10:45 commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye 10:49 fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the 10:54 kings? Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read 10:59 before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions 11:03 they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, 11:06 and made them to cease by force and power. Then ceased the work 11:13 of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto 11:18 the 2nd year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. 11:22 Continuing now in the book of Ezra, chapter 5, 11:26 and this is the King James Version. 11:28 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son 11:33 of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah 11:37 and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. 11:40 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son 11:47 of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at 11:51 Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping 11:54 them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this 11:59 side the river and Shetharboznai and their companions, 12:04 and thus said unto them, Who hath commanded you to build 12:08 this house, and to make up this wall? Then said we unto them 12:13 after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this 12:17 building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the 12:21 Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter 12:25 came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter 12:29 concerning this matter. The copy of the letter that Tatnai, 12:34 governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his 12:37 companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side 12:41 the river, sent unto Darius the king: They sent a letter unto 12:45 him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. 12:51 Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of 12:56 Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded 12:59 with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work 13:04 goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we 13:10 those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build 13:14 this house, and to make up these walls? We asked their 13:18 names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names 13:21 of the men that were the chief of them. And thus they returned 13:25 us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of Heaven 13:29 and earth, and build the house that was builded these many 13:33 years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. 13:37 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto 13:41 wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king 13:44 of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, 13:47 and carried the people away into Babylon. But in the 1st year of 13:50 Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree 13:55 to build his house of God. And the vessels also of gold and 13:59 silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out 14:01 of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them 14:04 into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take 14:08 out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one 14:11 whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 14:14 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the 14:19 temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be 14:24 builded in his place. Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and 14:28 laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: 14:31 and since that time even until now hath it been in building, 14:36 and yet it is not finished. |
Revised 2014-12-17