Ezra/Nehemiah 2: Ezra Sent to Teach

Episode 2.17
In this episode, we witness a fresh movement in Israel’s return from exile—led not by a builder like Zerubbabel, but by a teacher and priest named Ezra. Sent by King Artaxerxes, Ezra returns to Jerusalem decades after the temple’s completion, carrying royal authority and a heart devoted to God’s Word. His mission? To study, obey, and teach the Law of the Lord.
We explore Ezra’s arrival, his reliance on God’s hand of protection, and his grief when he discovers Israel’s spiritual compromise. The story turns from joyful return to heartbreaking repentance, as the people confess their sin of intermarriage with pagan nations. Through Ezra’s brokenness and bold leadership, we’re reminded that true revival begins with God’s Word and leads to real repentance. This is not just a history lesson—it’s a call to examine where we have set our hearts.
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Right, Zach, Yeah.
Do you ever have unmet
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expectations?
Man, from time to time, yeah.
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Yeah.
And Tim would say that, you
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know, unmet expectations is kind
of the, the Pebble that kind of
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can start the avalanche of some
of these, you know, anger or
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fear or, you know, you know, my
rights type of things.
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But today I was at work and this
meeting was going very long and,
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and finally I hopped off of it
'cause I was like, I'm not, I'm
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not doing anything here.
It's time for, I should have
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headed out, you know, 20 minutes
ago.
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And then also on Facebook, I saw
this person with a picture of
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this huge but very nice looking
banded water snake on their back
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porch.
I'm like, can anyone come, you
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know, remove this And I say,
hey, if it's still there, I'll
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swing by and I happen to look.
It is on my way home.
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Wow.
Perfect.
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It'd be stupid not to, yeah.
Yeah, and it'd be stupid not to.
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And I thought, you know, this
was when I said, yeah, I can do
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this after, after work was, you
know, this before this meeting
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went long.
And so then I show up, 'cause
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I'm, I'm thinking, I'm, you
know, we're expecting to start
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around 5:00-ish.
OK.
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Yeah, yeah.
And so I get there and I Oh
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yeah, let me take you, take you
to the back porch and I'm, I'm
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like looking for the snake and
the guy's like, well, normally
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it's like right here and like
there's this deck there that
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getting a political call on
while we're talking.
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I do not want to answer that
that call any.
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Fun banter.
Just put it on speaker team
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Lindsey Graham.
No, I don't want to take that
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call, but I digress.
And so Long story short, this
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snake is not around.
The wife comes out and it's
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like, yeah, we haven't seen him.
Like we saw him a couple that
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that picture on there is from a
couple days ago.
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He's normal.
And so then like I want to be
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polite.
I don't want to be, but they're
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like talking like all this
stuff, like, well, he comes out
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here, but I'm afraid of my dogs
and you for afraid for my dogs
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and all this stuff.
And like, I get drawn into this
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like 20 minute conversation when
the snake is is not even here.
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So I finally was like, well, if
you ever seen it, like the best
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bet is if you see him, just
don't go back out here and like,
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you know, give me a call and if
I can come come by, I'll swing
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around.
So yeah.
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That's why you were late.
Yeah, that contributed.
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So I got into the truck and
that's why I was like, this has
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taken longer than what I had
accounted for and there's not
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even a snake here 'cause if
there was a snake there, I could
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have just grabbed it and gone.
Like work, you know, a couple
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things from that story.
That's how you're gonna die.
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You're gonna go to someone's
house.
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You said they have a snake, and
they're gonna trap you in their
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basement and you're just gonna
be dead.
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They're gonna.
Yeah.
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If you go missing, I bet it's
from a state relation relocation
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call.
So.
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Well, that was the main thing.
Other thing.
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Oh, yeah.
Other thing was, yeah, I made a
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joke.
You know, whenever Michael says
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to meet you at 5, I already
pinched out that way.
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And I was like, we got some
time.
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It'll be 530.
We got time. 5:30 Then he said
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5:30 so I was like noon.
It's like, you know, I made the
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joke.
It's like Eastern Central time.
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There's like Zach Michael time.
But you know what?
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It's consistent.
You know, I know what to expect.
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Yeah.
Yeah, I know the conversion.
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You know how many?
It's like you do.
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And I feel like maybe this would
be more useful if I baked more,
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but it's like an elementary
learned, like how many quarts
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are in a pint?
It's like, I know how many.
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How many?
Quarts are in a pint.
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Pints in a quart?
Well, you could do a half a
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quart.
Oh yeah, but yeah, there's a
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half a quart in a pint.
There you go.
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So you memorize all these
things, but you got to do the
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conversion, right, Right.
So I got the the Michael Zach
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time conversion.
Well, we're on our third man
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episode on the books of Ezra
Nehemiah or the book of Ezra
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Nehemiah.
And we just talked about unmet
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expectations and our last
episode kind of talked about
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maybe he's rubable having some
unmet, unmet expectations and
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and perhaps Nehemiah or Ezra, I
think we'll be talking about
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Ezra, right?
He's he's met, yeah.
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He'll have some unmet
expectations as well.
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Yeah, you couldn't.
You couldn't frame it better.
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Unmet expectations.
Let's go ahead.
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Let's jump into it.
Let's take it to the next level
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from the hearts of the Low
Country in South Carolina.
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It's the Take Two podcast where
we take theology to the next
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level.
Episode 3 looking at closing out
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Esther we're going to jump
through.
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Sorry, you're like what?
I wasn't prepared.
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Ezra, Ezra, sorry Ezra.
Chapter 7 through 10 we heard
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all about Zerubbabel.
Now we're to the next guy.
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We, we kind of mentioned 3
movements, 3 different
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characters with three different
missions with three different
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kings, all without position, all
with mixed results, very
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repetitive to prove a point.
And so I'm glancing at the first
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few verses and they look like
there's a lot of hard names.
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So, Michael, can you read verses
one through 6 to kick us off?
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Of Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Now after
these things, the reign of
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Artaxerxes, king of Persia,
there went up Ezra son of Syria,
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son of Azaria, son of Ilkia, son
of Shalom, son of Zadok.
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I wonder if that's Zadok, the
priest who dedicated the.
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Temple, I was going to make a
note.
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Of it, son of Ahitab, son of
Amaria, son of Azaria, son of
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Marioth, son of Zerahiah, son of
Ozzy.
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So probably, I think that's
probably the the word I heard
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that's probably not Ozza the one
who.
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Yeah, Ozzy related to Fuzzy?
Never.
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Mind, son of Buki, son of
Abishua, son of Phineas, son of
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Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief
priest.
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This Ezra went up from Babylon,
and he was a scribe, skilled in
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the law of Moses, which the Lord
God of Israel had given.
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And the king granted him all he
requested, because the hand of
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the Lord God was upon him.
How much?
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Nice.
That's perfect.
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That is perfect.
We'll start.
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Who was the king?
Well, we moved on.
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We kind of started the last time
with Cyrus, moved into Darius,
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now we're on Arctic Xerxes.
This is depending on what source
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you're looking at.
This is 50 years later, maybe up
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to 80 years later after Zuribol
and Jeshua rebuilt the temple.
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According to the ESP study
Bible, Ester has happened.
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I think probably closer to here
than closer to there.
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I'm just looking at my notes
now, but maybe the same universe
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that that's according to the
dates a little bit different,
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but I think people are making
their best yes, if you so this.
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Is that that actually makes
sense to me because like I've
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said before, there's gonna be a,
a part in here where it says and
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the queen was there when, when?
No, no, that's Nehemiah, isn't?
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It so yeah.
So maybe it's different.
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I will for the record, I will
say ESP study Bible I think
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places this movement 60 to 80
years after durable.
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The Bible project places it 50
years.
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So there's like 30 years that it
could go either.
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Way they're trying to figure out
the timeline.
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Yeah, exactly.
And so anyway, we know a lot of
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people are back in Jerusalem.
There were waves of people
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coming back, that first wave.
Do you remember how many people
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were were in it?
There was a lot of people at at
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least 42,000, you know, maybe
more of women and children.
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I don't know how they counted
all of this.
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And then we're introduced to the
man of the hour, the man whose
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namesake is this book, Ezra.
And it's, it's probably
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worthwhile to spend a little
time on Ezra because those first
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6 verses you read, really we're
all pointing to Ezra like
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painstakingly like saying this,
this guy is a good guy.
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Also Ezra probably wrote this
scroll not not making any
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connections.
Moses was the most humble of all
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the people.
Just sliding that and there.
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But you what made this astute
observation.
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I mentioned this last time that
people talk about all this
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craftsmanship.
If you look at this genealogy,
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it's also very symmetrical.
You've got 7 priests before the
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temple destruction, 7 after, and
then right in the middle Zadox.
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And it that that's like on
purpose.
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And it's all building up to
establishing this credibility
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that it's.
Yeah, exactly.
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It's like right there and it's
on purpose.
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And I think this is the first
scribe we're introduced in all
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of scripture.
And so when you're, this is like
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where it starts to be a thing
around this time.
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And so you look at the Pharisees
and the scribe Sadducees, like
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when you think scribe, they're
in their mind probably like, I
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wanna be like Ezra, like Ezra's
like the standard.
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He is the scribe.
He brings, you know, Zerubbel
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built the temple.
Ezra's bringing Torah or
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bringing worship.
He's bringing scripture back to
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the temple 'cause he doesn't
build a wall, he doesn't build a
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temple.
He's like just bringing.
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The worship.
He's building the people.
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I love that.
Yeah, exactly.
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And so that's kind of where we
get all of this stuff.
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You know, it looks, you know,
you read about scribes and
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people point to Ezra because he
actually carried authority.
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It wasn't like he was just a
copyist.
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He, you know, he did write down
the he was very familiar with
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the law, but he actually acted
on it.
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A teacher and something that
probably many really wanted to
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be.
You see the priestly line?
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Yeah, we mentioned that and we
see, you know, God was with him,
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blessed him, it granted him,
like everything he asked.
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So setting the stage for some
pretty, pretty big things.
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Do you want to read verses 7
through 10?
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Sure, some of the sons of Israel
and some of the priests, the
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Levites, the singers, the
gatekeepers, and the temple
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servants went up to Jerusalem in
the seventh year of King
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Artaxerxes.
He came to Jerusalem in the 5th
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month, which was in the seventh
year of the king.
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For on the first day of the
first month he began to go up
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from Babylon.
And on the first of the 5th
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month he came to Jerusalem,
because the good hand of his God
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was upon him.
For Ezra had set his heart to
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study the law of the Lord, and
to practice it, and to teach his
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statutes and ordinances in
Israel.
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So where we're getting an
overview of, of what's going to
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happen kind of, and then we're
going to get into details, kind
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of setting the stage.
We'll get into specifics later.
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Also it, you know, we can note
that it's like over and over.
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God was with it.
God was with Ezra.
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We see this kind of thing all
over the place.
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Ezra set his heart to study the
law of the Lord.
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He loved the Torah, set his
heart on it, memorize it, obeyed
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it, taught it.
He he was so connected in a very
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important way.
And then what we probably do
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want to know, how long would it
take for Ezra to travel?
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It's probably about four months.
This is one of the areas I
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really like the NLTI think it's
pretty accurate, but they, they
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never say like the actual Hebrew
months.
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They're like in on November 4th,
he did this and you're like, oh,
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OK, it's probably this time of
year.
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And so this is probably like
April to August.
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00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,560
It's a it's four months.
It's not like we read this and
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00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:16,960
it's like, oh, they're there.
It's probably so it's a long
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00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:18,200
journey.
It's not like you get there
218
00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,680
automatically and then once
again.
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00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,920
Does the NLT also tell you the
month and date when Jesus was
220
00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:25,680
born?
I don't.
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00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,480
I don't.
Know that that would solve so
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00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:29,680
much.
Yeah, we would know.
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00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,600
We should have looked at that
during our Christmas episodes.
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00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,160
We missed the NLT.
That's great.
225
00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,920
I'm going to just do a just
jumping around at a few verses
226
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:43,120
of things to keep keep in mind
as they make this travel back.
227
00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,600
They they give us a copy of the
letter that came Artaxerxes gave
228
00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,640
to Ezra.
And we learn in places like
229
00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,520
verse 13 that he makes a decree
that any one of the people of
230
00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:56,360
Israel or their priests or
Levites in his Kingdom who want
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00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:57,960
to go to Jerusalem, they're free
to go.
232
00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,160
You can carry the silver if you
skip to 15 and the gold that the
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00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,040
king and his counselors has
offered.
234
00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,520
Bring all these resources for
free will offering skipping down
235
00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:11,880
to verse 22, up to 100 talents
of silver, 100 cores of wheat,
236
00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,240
100 bags of wine, 100 bags of
oil and salt without prescribing
237
00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,600
how much whatever is secured by
the God of heaven and let it be
238
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done in full for the House of
the God of heaven unless his
239
00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:23,960
wrath be against the realm of
the king and his sons.
240
00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,280
Verse 26, whoever won't obey the
law of your God and the law of
241
00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,000
the king, let judgement be
strictly executed on him,
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00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,600
whether for death or for
banishment or for confiscation
243
00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,000
of his goods or for
imprisonment.
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00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:39,600
I just kind of glanced at a few
of these things, but king wants
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00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,600
people to go, says here's a
bunch of resources and again,
246
00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,320
don't stand in their way or bad
things are going to happen, but
247
00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,480
just entering it's a different
Persian king just saying the
248
00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,880
same kind of thing.
And so you see again, kind of
249
00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,760
these expectations set, you
could kind of go, man, this is
250
00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:57,520
going to be it.
We're going in, Zerubbabel built
251
00:12:57,520 --> 00:12:59,240
the temple and now we're coming
back.
252
00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,760
We got all this stuff.
We're we're going in like
253
00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,080
gangbusters.
Expectations are high.
254
00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,520
Even this is totally different.
But even like today, if
255
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,440
President Trump was like, hey,
here's half of the US Treasury
256
00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,520
let's Jews work, you know, with
Israel, it's like that's like,
257
00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:14,920
that'd be such a big deal, you
know?
258
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,600
And it's like the world would
like go crazy.
259
00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:18,920
So you can.
Yeah.
260
00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,840
Like you're saying, it's like,
man, if they're giving this much
261
00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:23,440
stuff as much salt as you want,
that's.
262
00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:25,320
I don't know.
Yeah, that's great.
263
00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:32,880
So we'll camp out or start back
up in verse 27 through 28 if you
264
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,000
want to read that, Michael.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of
265
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,160
our fathers, who has put such a
thing as this in the King's
266
00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:45,640
heart to adorn the House of the
Lord which is in Jerusalem, and
267
00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,440
has extended loving kindness to
me before the king and his
268
00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,440
counsellors, and before the
kings of mighty Princess.
269
00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:55,680
Thus I was strengthened
according to the hand of the
270
00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:59,320
Lord my God upon me, and I
gathered, leading men from
271
00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:03,800
Israel to go up with me.
So we see a shift here, third
272
00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,200
person all in Ezra.
Now it's first person.
273
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,280
Ezra's talking about himself and
the first person praising God
274
00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:14,240
knows God is with him, gathered
men to go and you can see
275
00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:15,520
things.
Things look pretty good.
276
00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,040
You know, we got the king on
board.
277
00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,280
Ezra seems like a great guy.
Then we get to chapter 8.
278
00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,440
Verses one through 14 will not
make you listen to that because
279
00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,640
again, it's name after name
after name.
280
00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,840
One thing that is of no is
wizardable 42,000 people went
281
00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,080
you read this list.
It says I don't know if it
282
00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,440
numbers it, but if you do the
math, it's like 6007 thousand.
283
00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,000
So it's still a lot of people,
but it's, you know, the first
284
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,800
wave was like the big wave.
I don't know if that means
285
00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,360
people are jaded.
I don't know what the deal is,
286
00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,840
you know, or maybe there's just
less people to go that kind of
287
00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,440
thing.
And then we get to like this
288
00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,200
weird section in verses 15
through 20.
289
00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,120
At the end of verse 15, you
know, they're on their way.
290
00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,880
And Ezra says, I found we didn't
have any Levites with us.
291
00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,720
We forgot the Levites.
And verse 17, he's like, we got
292
00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,480
to send, we need a Levites.
We need to send ministers for
293
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:08,880
the House of God.
We need to like we can't come
294
00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,840
back and bring Torah to the
Temple and Levites aren't with
295
00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,320
us.
Yeah, that's confusing because
296
00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:17,160
he's a direct he would he
consider himself a Levite 'cause
297
00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,880
I that may have not was there
just one didn't weren't there
298
00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,520
three different sects of the of
Aaron's descendants?
299
00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:28,360
So is he looking for a specific
sect?
300
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:29,920
I I don't know.
Yeah, I'm trying.
301
00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:33,360
I don't think I I'll have to
look back in my more extensive
302
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,760
notes, but I don't have anything
in the in our podcast notes
303
00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:41,000
where he's like looking around
and he's like, uh oh, let's go,
304
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,000
let's go find people and he
rounds up people.
305
00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:48,000
It's still not a ton, a ton, but
he gets he gets at least some
306
00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,760
people to come with them because
you got to have Levites if you
307
00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,160
are going to, but that might be
worth to maybe we can look it up
308
00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,120
it.
Says 220 of the temple servants
309
00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,960
whom David and the Princess had
given for their service of the
310
00:15:57,960 --> 00:15:59,800
Levites, all of them designated
by name.
311
00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,520
That's in verse 20.
OK, Yeah, yeah.
312
00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,280
So they get a chunk compared to
the 7000 people or whatever.
313
00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,600
And I think part of this too is
this might not be in this part,
314
00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,600
but another part, there are some
people who are like, they might
315
00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,000
be saying they're Levites, but
it's like you can't prove.
316
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:17,920
It's like they lost.
They're saying they're part of
317
00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:20,760
this family, but they don't have
that that record.
318
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,600
So it's like, well, we can't
really count you for sure in
319
00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,600
this.
We probably want to pause in
320
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,720
this paragraph, Michael, if you
want to read verses 21 through
321
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,480
23.
Then I proclaimed a fast there
322
00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,160
at the river Ahava, that we
might humble ourselves before
323
00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:41,680
our God to seek Him from, seek
from Him a safe journey for us,
324
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,400
our little ones, and all our
possessions.
325
00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,640
For I was ashamed to request
from the king, troops and
326
00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:51,160
horsemen to protect us from the
enemy on the way, because we had
327
00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:55,560
said to the king, The hand of
our God is favorably disposed to
328
00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:59,440
all those who seek Him, but His
power and his anger are against
329
00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,480
those who forsake Him.
So we fasted and sought our God
330
00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,400
concerning this matter, and he
listened to our entreaty.
331
00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:08,359
Great.
So we see some fasting, some
332
00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,319
prayer for protection, and the
King's like, hey, I got
333
00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:12,160
bodyguards.
He's like, no, no, no, I've
334
00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:13,680
been, I've been talking a big
game about God.
335
00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:16,160
Maybe it's a weird look and I'm
like, actually, give me those
336
00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:17,280
bodyguards.
And.
337
00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,520
Maybe you pick this up I as you
read through Ezra and Nehemiah.
338
00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,800
They're the same, but they're
difference.
339
00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,640
Nehemiah, he's going to say,
give me all the bodyguards you
340
00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,000
want.
And that's probably the
341
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,000
difference between a priest and
like a governor.
342
00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:34,400
Like like it's like a different.
It's leadership with Nehemiah.
343
00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,160
Yeah, yeah, he's, he's, he's
coming.
344
00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,120
But they've got kind of
different things in their mind
345
00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:41,000
and do different things.
But they're both, you know, good
346
00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:43,160
leaders.
I wouldn't say 1's wrong.
347
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:44,680
Right.
That that's the point.
348
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,840
There's different, and as you
look through these different
349
00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,480
things, there's different
judgments, different things.
350
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:51,600
And it's not, yeah, like you're
saying, not right or wrong.
351
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,160
It's just a judgement call.
Yeah, 'cause I could see, you
352
00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:57,960
know, me saying, yeah, give us
the bodyguards because that's.
353
00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:01,680
You're doing four months right
over, you know, a bunch of land.
354
00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:02,760
Yeah.
But I could see.
355
00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,120
With all this gold and all this
wheats man.
356
00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,520
Right Or, but maybe some
missionary, he's like, no, we
357
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,840
don't need bodyguards.
We're we're going straight to
358
00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,960
you name the city and and God's
going to have his hand on us and
359
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,960
and then God protects them.
And I think both of those are
360
00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,680
fine models.
Absolutely and something that
361
00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,520
we'll probably talk about again
and again, Ezra, Nehemiah, it's
362
00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,200
one of those places if you just
want to like clip out all the
363
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:26,360
different prayers that they
pray.
364
00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,680
There's a lot of like great
prayers that are, you know,
365
00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:32,080
prayers are confession prayers
for the people right here,
366
00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,240
fasted, prayed to God and it
says in verse 23, God listened
367
00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,120
to us.
I like that you kind of get the
368
00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:42,200
both sides of it.
If we continue on in verse 24
369
00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,000
through the end of the chapter,
a lot of text, I'm just going to
370
00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:47,840
summarize.
Ezra appointed 12 leaders to
371
00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:50,720
guard the treasures like once
they like during their trip,
372
00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,640
even though they weren't taking
bodyguards, they had people that
373
00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:54,640
are gonna watch over this very
valuable things.
374
00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,040
They actually were ambushed,
survived an ambush and made it
375
00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,040
safely, keeping all the gold and
silver intact.
376
00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,840
Then they offered offerings to
God.
377
00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,720
So again, things seem really,
really good.
378
00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:08,840
So you want to take a guess at
least stay that way.
379
00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:11,680
It's too, too good.
No, each movement's gonna have
380
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:16,080
like this good king leader and
then opposition, something else
381
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:17,800
maybe we'll highlight as we go
throughout.
382
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,040
It's interesting, the
opposition's all over the place
383
00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:22,600
in these stories.
There's some from within, from
384
00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:24,240
without.
It's kind of showing different,
385
00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,360
different sides of opposition.
And so we're going to get to
386
00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:33,400
some, I think, what can be
challenging things to deal with
387
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,280
about intermarriage.
So we've got verses one through
388
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,160
5 and maybe, well, some
discussion and intermarriage so
389
00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,520
we can summarize.
Or actually, if you just want to
390
00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:46,080
read the first 5 verses, it
might be good.
391
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,320
Now when these things had been
completed, the Princess
392
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:53,120
approached me, saying, The
people of Israel and the priests
393
00:19:53,120 --> 00:19:55,680
and the Levites have not
separated themselves from the
394
00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,880
people of the lands according to
their abominations.
395
00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,200
Those are the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the
396
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,920
Jebusites, the Ammonites, the
Moabites, the Egyptians, and the
397
00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:09,120
Amorites.
For they have taken some of
398
00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:12,360
their daughters as wives for
themselves and for their sons.
399
00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:16,200
So that the holy race has
intermingled with the peoples of
400
00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,640
the lands.
Indeed, the hands of the
401
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,600
Princess and the rulers have
been foremost in this
402
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,480
unfaithfulness.
When I heard about this matter,
403
00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,720
I tore my garment and my robe.
I pulled some of the hair from
404
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,000
my head and my beard, and I sat
down appalled.
405
00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,840
Then everyone who trembled at
the words of the God of Israel
406
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:40,720
on account of the unfaithfulness
of the Exiles, gathered to me,
407
00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:44,320
and I sat appalled until the
evening offering.
408
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,200
But at the evening offering I
rose from my humiliation, even
409
00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,720
with my garments and my robe
torn, and I fell on my knees and
410
00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,080
stretched out my hands to the
Lord my God.
411
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,160
Great.
We we hear the word appalled a
412
00:20:58,160 --> 00:20:59,920
lot in there.
I know he's he's appalled.
413
00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,320
When was the last time you
pulled out your beard 'cause you
414
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,440
were so upset at something?
You gotta be pretty.
415
00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,480
I don't think I ever have.
He's pulling hair from his head,
416
00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,480
his beard.
It's not a good situation.
417
00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,360
We see again, you know, Ezra,
very familiar with the Torah.
418
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:15,360
He's bringing all these
illusions he talks about.
419
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:20,240
This reads straight out like all
these people are of these Ites
420
00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:23,520
and Egyptians, but the Bible
Project says no, these are just
421
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,760
people who didn't leave the land
and so, but maybe, maybe it's
422
00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:29,400
the same.
Maybe those are one.
423
00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:34,240
And the same, I think the
argument, I think it's unclear
424
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,560
in our English translations.
I think in the Hebrew there
425
00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,520
leaves more work, there's more
if it's like, oh, this is an
426
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,800
allusion to the Torah.
We're repeating the same things
427
00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,680
that are not direct descendants.
But I think it, I think it could
428
00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:46,200
go either way.
It depends on how you're reading
429
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,560
it.
And it's like in the in like the
430
00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,560
same spot, you know what I mean?
Like you just see.
431
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:53,680
So I don't know if it's a
literal thing or not because
432
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:54,920
different people say different
things.
433
00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,920
I mean the people that like the
Bible product they appeal to the
434
00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:00,600
underlying Hebrew is vague or
something like that.
435
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,040
Yeah, and it's not clear to me
that all of those, every single
436
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,920
one of those people were
banished from the land anyways,
437
00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,480
so.
Anyway, yeah, that's.
438
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:09,600
Right.
So maybe those people are
439
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:10,920
hanging around.
There might be some.
440
00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:14,480
Yeah, exactly.
And so we have this situation
441
00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,360
where there's been marriages.
The people have not separated
442
00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:21,880
themselves.
They, I think Ezra does a good
443
00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,360
job of highlighting that they're
living with their abominations.
444
00:22:24,360 --> 00:22:26,640
It's not necessarily just the
marriages.
445
00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,800
You look back in the ancient
Near East, you know, marriage
446
00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:31,520
wasn't always because you're in
love with someone.
447
00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:33,840
You know, a lot of times it was
like more for utility.
448
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,560
And there's like, you know,
treaties, economics.
449
00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:37,880
Yeah, Yeah.
There's a lot of things that
450
00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,320
maybe you're trying to embrace
and these kind of things.
451
00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:44,400
And it's not like it's been
totally smooth sailing for the
452
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:45,680
Jews.
Like, they're probably like,
453
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,240
man, they got some resources.
I mean, this might be expedient
454
00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,080
for me.
It's been like, we've been like
455
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:52,400
building the city for a long
time.
456
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:57,760
It's like not been great.
Yeah, And I wonder if, you know,
457
00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,120
this is in Ezra's mind.
He's like, This is why
458
00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:03,960
everything's not clicking.
You know I found the sin.
459
00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:05,640
Probably, Yeah.
Yeah, That's a good point.
460
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,560
Is like, haven't you guys read
the Torah?
461
00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:09,800
These are the same things that
have happened in the past, and
462
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:11,120
we're doing the same thing.
We're not.
463
00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:12,120
Being faithful.
No wonder.
464
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,840
No wonder things haven't
returned to the glory of.
465
00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:16,360
No wonder.
Like we.
466
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:17,640
Yeah.
And I made this note because I
467
00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,160
think it's hilarious talking
about the word of Paul Taurus
468
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,440
cloak his government.
I when I was teaching impact, I
469
00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:25,560
said, imagine the scene.
What if there's someone you
470
00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,240
really respected?
What if Pastor Danny tore off
471
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,400
his sideburns?
You would know it would be a big
472
00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,000
deal.
If I saw Danny take off his
473
00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:33,880
sideburns, I'd be like, what's
going on it?
474
00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,680
Would.
Be it would be a a a big a big
475
00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:43,360
thing mentions prayer.
So, you know, I think critics of
476
00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:46,480
Scripture would point to text
like this among others and say,
477
00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:50,200
man, bunch of racist, these
Jews, you know what I mean?
478
00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,400
That's like, that's like the
charge that it's like, man, you
479
00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,200
just can't, you know, marry
someone else.
480
00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,640
I wonder if anyone used this
text as a basis for prohibition
481
00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,440
against interracial marriage?
That would be very interesting.
482
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,880
Because I'm not even.
It's not clear to me that you
483
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,760
know you.
This is descriptive.
484
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,600
I don't know that this is
proscriptive or prescriptive.
485
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,320
I, I think that's like nailing
it too.
486
00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:17,760
That's what I I wrote down where
it's it's not giving us a
487
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,760
pattern to live by.
Cause Paul would say some stuff
488
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:21,960
that's different.
That's what, yeah.
489
00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:23,560
Yeah, Yeah, yeah.
Of course it's New Covenant
490
00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,320
versus Old Covenant.
So it's it's hard to judge.
491
00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,240
Ezra's operating, yeah, off of
the Torah, like pretty strictly.
492
00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,120
It's like you almost can't blame
him necessarily.
493
00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:38,000
And it is more complicated where
it is mixed up with practices
494
00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,760
where I can see people like
truly racists using this to be
495
00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,200
like, well, you know, there's
cultures, they, you know what I
496
00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:45,520
mean?
And like ascribing some sin,
497
00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,200
which might be true, but it's
like you're, it's like, you
498
00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,120
know, you're trying to conflate
everything to prove your points.
499
00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,120
Yeah.
And then the the the Bible
500
00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,440
project also mentioned,
hopefully I'm not stealing any.
501
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,240
That's great.
Malachi is prophesying during
502
00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:58,200
this time.
That's what's going to say.
503
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:00,280
I was going to, I was going to
open it by talking about the
504
00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,240
Italian prophet Malachi.
Malachi.
505
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:07,400
But yeah, so people again,
Malachi, no one knows when to
506
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,840
date it.
It's like 400, but it might be a
507
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,360
little bit older than that, you
know?
508
00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:17,760
And then and it kind of does fit
with like if the Exiles had come
509
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,960
back, maybe they weren't giving
like they should have.
510
00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,000
Maybe they weren't the the they
were divorced.
511
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,760
And you see all of these,
whatever they call it, the back
512
00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,360
and forth of Malachi where God's
calling them out.
513
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,120
Kind of makes sense that it
would be during this time.
514
00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:33,160
But Malachi says God says I hate
divorce.
515
00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,640
And now, yeah.
And so people look at that, I
516
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:37,520
think, and maybe the Bible
projects at this too.
517
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,280
There's like might be the
Malachi criticizing Ezra's
518
00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,720
actions, you know, a little bit,
or may, I don't know, or you
519
00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,680
know anyway.
Or maybe this happened and they
520
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,240
thought divorce is nothing and
so now they have they have a low
521
00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:53,200
view of marriage after that.
You, you just don't know.
522
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:54,480
We're not giving all those
details.
523
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:56,640
But I love that you brought
Malachi into it because it's yet
524
00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,960
another like, it's like all this
stuff is going on at the same
525
00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:02,440
time.
And me growing up, I was not
526
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,880
putting Malachi with Ezra.
Like, you know, it's like good
527
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:07,720
to think about these people.
Too, Because Ezra's like here in
528
00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,560
the Old Testament and Malachi's
way over here almost until we
529
00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,360
get to the New Testament.
It's so far away.
530
00:26:12,360 --> 00:26:13,640
How?
Could those be the same?
531
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,480
Yeah, it's, it's great.
That was again, I love studying
532
00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,680
this, these two, this one scroll
because it's like everything
533
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,040
like kind of comes together and
you see it.
534
00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:27,280
Let's look at Ezra's response.
I'll read some of this.
535
00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:29,600
This is kind of his.
He's appalled.
536
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,440
And then he prays and he says,
Oh my God, I am ashamed and
537
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:34,960
blessed to look my face to you,
my God.
538
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,040
For our iniquities have risen
higher than our heads and our
539
00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:39,440
guilt has mounted up to the
heavens.
540
00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:42,320
From the days of our fathers to
this day, we've been in great
541
00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:43,400
guilt.
Something, I'll pause here,
542
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,320
something you'll see is a lot of
times he's recounting all of
543
00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,200
Israel's history over and over
and over again to show you that
544
00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,800
this is not just, it's like this
is a pattern in the people.
545
00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:57,080
Verse 7 continues.
And for our iniquities, we, our
546
00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,360
kings and our priests, have been
given to the hand of the kings
547
00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:01,920
of the lands, to the sword, to
captivity, to plundering, and to
548
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:07,080
utter shame, as it is today.
But now for a brief moment favor
549
00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,840
has been shown by the Lord our
God to leave us a remnants, and
550
00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:13,520
to give us a secure hold within
His holy place, that our God may
551
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,920
brighten our eyes and grant us a
little reviving in our slavery.
552
00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,560
For we are slaves, yet our God
has not forsaken us in our
553
00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,040
slavery, but has extended us to
a steadfast love before the
554
00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,400
kings of Persia, to grant us
some reviving, to set up the
555
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,400
House of our God, to repair its
ruins, and to give us protection
556
00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,720
in Judea and Jerusalem.
And again, another, another like
557
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,440
great prayer, humility,
confession, we don't really
558
00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,720
have.
I mean, Ezra did not partake in
559
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:42,600
this intermarriage, in this sin,
but he's asking forgiveness like
560
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,040
he's including himself.
Like I'm part of the people.
561
00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:48,120
It's this intercessory prayer.
Corporate intercession.
562
00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:53,040
It's great and then he praises
God for his mercy and he goes on
563
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,720
to say we've forsaken your
commandments, their abominations
564
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,840
and uncleanliness is everywhere.
Evil deeds, great guilts.
565
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,200
Are we going to continue to
break commandments, intermarry
566
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:02,840
with people who practice these
sins?
567
00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,440
Don't be angry with us.
You're just, but give us your
568
00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,040
mercy, confessing guilts, owning
up to we didn't do what you
569
00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:15,400
said, but please give us, give
us a, a break here with your
570
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:18,760
mercy God.
And that leads us into Ezra
571
00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:22,760
chapter 10, where the people
kind of come around and confess
572
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,480
their sentence.
Like we hit this hard point and
573
00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:27,680
then it's kind of we're we're
kind of coming into this.
574
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:29,640
I'm going to summarize some of
this.
575
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:33,240
We see men, women, children,
they're gathered and the people
576
00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,800
are weeping bitterly.
They, there's this guy
577
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,800
Shecheniah in Impact.
We were really hoping that
578
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,000
Christopher and Emily would name
their kid Shecheniah based on
579
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:43,280
this, right?
People don't, there's a lot of
580
00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:44,440
Bible names.
People don't name their kid
581
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,800
Shecheniah.
They did not end up going with
582
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:47,600
that.
Obviously they went with
583
00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,680
Christopher or something.
Like that, you know some family
584
00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:53,120
name.
He basically said we've broken
585
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,520
faith with God, we've married
foreign women, but now there is
586
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,640
hope.
Therefore let's make a covenant
587
00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,320
with God and divorce these wives
and children.
588
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:07,520
This sounds rough to push the
children away too, according to
589
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,240
the counsel of my Lord and those
who tremble at the commandments
590
00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:11,760
of our God.
Let it be done according to the
591
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:13,920
law.
Ezra listens to Jacob second
592
00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:16,240
night says you make some good
points, let's do it.
593
00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:18,000
And so we see a lot of different
things.
594
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,040
I think the point of this is we
see repentance and godly sorrow
595
00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:26,720
that they are broken over this.
And then some of the leaders
596
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,400
come together.
Shekinah has this solution,
597
00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,680
which again, like you're saying,
maybe the new covenant, maybe
598
00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,560
Paul's, he's he may be telling
people in first Peter three and
599
00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,400
1st Corinthians 7, like you
don't have to divorce your
600
00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:38,920
spouse.
You can you can win them over
601
00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,960
that kind of thing, but
different time.
602
00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,480
I think it's hard to grasp what
culture was like and that kind
603
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,440
of thing.
And you made the good point.
604
00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:49,840
It's like, you know, old
covenant versus new covenant.
605
00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:51,040
The new covenant is a better
covenant.
606
00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:51,560
You know what?
I mean.
607
00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,600
That's great.
Anything else on that before we
608
00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:00,680
continue on in Chapter 10?
No, I think that's good.
609
00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:04,880
So we're going to talk about
even a mixed result out of this,
610
00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:05,680
right?
Yep.
611
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,920
Yeah, yeah, we're going to get
there.
612
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,920
If you want to read verse 6,
verses 6 through 8.
613
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,800
Sure.
Then Ezra rose before the House
614
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:20,640
of God and went into the Chamber
of Jehoan Jeho Hanan, the son of
615
00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:22,360
Elishab.
Elishab.
616
00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:26,240
Although he went there, he did
not eat bread nor drink water,
617
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,520
for he was mourning over the
unfaithfulness of the Exiles.
618
00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,720
They made a proclamation
throughout Judah and Jerusalem
619
00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,000
to all the Exiles, that they
should assemble at Jerusalem and
620
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,800
that whoever would not come
within three days, according to
621
00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,640
the council, the leaders and the
elders, all his possessions
622
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,440
should be forfeited and he
himself excluded from the
623
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,000
assembly of the Exiles.
So we're we're about to
624
00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:51,360
implement some of this, some of
the what they just said they're
625
00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:52,560
going to do.
We're going to start doing this.
626
00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:54,120
He's like, everyone's got to
come here or you know, you're
627
00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,360
going to be banned like this is
that importance.
628
00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,560
There was heavy rain.
Verse 10 says that Ezra stood up
629
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:01,800
and told him you've broken
faith.
630
00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:03,800
You've married foreign women,
you've increased the guilt of
631
00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:05,200
Israel.
Now you have to confess to the
632
00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,160
Lord, the God of your father,
separate yourselves from the
633
00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:14,200
land, from the foreign wives.
You keep jumping down and we see
634
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,120
kind of the timing of it on the
first day of the 10th month.
635
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,160
By the first day of the first
month, they've kind of figured
636
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:24,480
all of this out.
And we get to the end of the
637
00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:27,600
chapter in verse 19.
We see they pledged themselves
638
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,600
to put away their lives and
their guilt offering was a lamb
639
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,280
of the flock for their guilt.
It names names a lot of names
640
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,320
and talks about at the end, all
of these had married foreign
641
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,440
women and some of the women had
even borne children that they
642
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,360
ended up putting away.
So it's interesting that we got
643
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,680
like everyone named here.
Like, that's pretty incredible
644
00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:49,480
to like.
Like men, I do anything to have
645
00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:52,080
my name in the Bible.
Well, not here.
646
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:54,360
Yeah, be careful.
Here's.
647
00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,800
Here's, you know, your own
faithful like Demas who has done
648
00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:58,320
me great harm or something like
that.
649
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,640
And so we see the the leaders
come together throughout this,
650
00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:02,880
what we're going to do, they
implement it.
651
00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,880
And then it basically says they
put away these women, even these
652
00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,720
women and children.
And then it ends.
653
00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:10,520
And it just like a weird way to
end the book.
654
00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:12,320
It doesn't like wrap it up with
a bow.
655
00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,240
It's kind of like that.
Seems weird.
656
00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:19,000
Yeah, and and the the Bible guys
say that the Bible project guys
657
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:22,720
say some of them end up not
following through is that but I
658
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:23,800
was.
Like, yeah, there's some people
659
00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:26,040
I think, I don't know if they're
mentioned by name too, but I
660
00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:31,240
think it, it says like I would
need to read it again, but I, I
661
00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:36,640
think you're exactly right where
some of these people didn't show
662
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:39,120
up or whatever it is.
Yeah, it's like it's a rainy
663
00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:41,200
season.
They can't show up, let our
664
00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,400
leaders, you know, go.
And so, yeah, So I think there's
665
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,840
somewhat of a mixed response.
So again, that there is like,
666
00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,320
you know, this expectation
everyone's going to kind of
667
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,960
really be on the up and up and
then we don't really fall
668
00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,280
through with what we say we're
going to do.
669
00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,640
That's exactly right.
And it didn't just like ends it
670
00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,480
just like if you're telling a
story, you just don't leave it
671
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:02,000
like that.
You like have a moral of the
672
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:03,600
story or a lesson or like this
was bad.
673
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,800
But this and that's kind of what
we're going to see with Nehemiah
674
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,960
as well.
And again, it's for this is like
675
00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,320
a literary device that's like
proving a point that it's
676
00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:17,160
amazing you know, not to pick up
on this if you aren't familiar
677
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,120
with the overall structure
because when you see it, you're
678
00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,040
like, oh, it's like in your
face.
679
00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:22,840
It's on purpose.
Yeah, it does smack in the.
680
00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,080
Face, but it's like you just
don't pay attention to this kind
681
00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:26,840
of stuff.
I don't know that I've ever seen
682
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:31,040
anyone teach or preach and have
that as the point, because it's
683
00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:34,880
always rah rah.
Rah, 'cause like I don't, I
684
00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,320
don't want my church point.
I don't want whatever to end up
685
00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:38,480
like that.
That's not what I want.
686
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:40,240
You know, it's like you're
missing the point.
687
00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:41,640
You're getting like the
storyline, right?
688
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:44,480
These are good men we want.
Jesus and the apostles and the
689
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,920
prophets as the foundation of
our church, not Nehemiah.
690
00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,280
Not Nehemiah, that's right,
that's right, exactly.
691
00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:54,280
I love it.
So that is episode #3 I need to
692
00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:57,040
condense.
I'm working on condensing my
693
00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,840
notes for maybe two more
splitting up Nehemiah into two
694
00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:04,920
sections and we'll continue on.
So this will be good.
695
00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:06,560
So read Ezra name I if you
haven't.
696
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,880
It's great.
It's fascinating and I just.
697
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,159
Love the exilic prophets too.
Yeah, yeah.
698
00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:14,760
Hey, actually just read the Old
Testament.
699
00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:15,880
Actually just read the whole
Bible.
700
00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,320
Just go just knock that out
before next Black Castle will be
701
00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:19,800
good.
Then you'll then you'll know
702
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:21,520
everything.
Then when we apply it to Jesus,
703
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,000
it's like, great, you know, or I
could bring the.
704
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:24,239
You'll be good.
That's great.
705
00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,280
Well, thanks for hanging in
there 'cause I think it's one of
706
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:29,000
those things there's a lot going
on and even you don't grasp it
707
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,440
all.
Just like it's just amazing to
708
00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:31,600
see all these things kind of
connect.
709
00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:36,639
So anyway, that's our take.
Thanks for listening to Take
710
00:34:36,639 --> 00:34:38,840
Two.
Find us wherever you find
711
00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,360
podcasts and on YouTube for
those who want to watch our
712
00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:42,040
video cast.