July 27, 2014
Scripture:
Let’s read a verse in 2 Corinthians 5. I was thinking of the words read in Isaiah, “He was wounded… We are healed.” V. 21. Think of the wages of sin. He was made sin and received our judgement for them. We are made righteous because of the work of the cross.
Hymn 230 – When we walk with the Lord
Prayer
As we have gone through the first six chapters of the book of Ezra, we have not heard of Ezra once. Between chapters 6 and 7, forty-seven years go by. It has been quite a while since Zerubable headed to Jerusalem with the first group of people. At the beginning of chapter 7, we meet Ezra; and he is allowed to take another group to Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:1-10
Ezra was a descendent of Aaron, Moses’ brother. Aaron was also the very first high priest. Next, we learn that Ezra was a scribe. Simply, a scribe is someone who writes things down for someone else. Ezra was a scribe of the books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). Ezra studied and learned all about them.
Ezra wanted to take a trip to Jerusalem. It was a 900 mile journey, and would take 5 months. That is pretty much like a trip from Toronto to Rockway and back. Ezra needed to get permission from the king of Babylon to go to Jerusalem. Thankfully, the king gave him the permission to go. Ezra’s purpose for the trip was to encourage the people that were already at Jerusalem. We see here that God worked through the King in allowing him to go to Jerusalem. God works through our authorities. Sometimes we ask our parents for something or to do something and they don’t give you the answer that you want to hear. God is doing everything in a way that is best for us.
In v. 10 we are told that Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord to do it and to teach it. Ezra knew God’s laws so well that he could teach it. Sometimes, there are things in our hearts that squeeze out the Lord’s things. Throughout this passage, every time Ezra is mentioned, it is mentioned that he studied the law of God. In Psalm 1, we are reminded of the importance of delighting in the Lord. Ezra mentioned several times that the hand of the Lord was on him. Ezra was blessed for his commitment to studying God’s word. May he be an encouragement to us!
Acts 15:22—41
This chapter has been about how the early church dealt with the issue of the Gentiles having to keep the law. Certain Judaisers stirred up the controversy in Antioch, but—in order to keep the unity of the church—the question was taken to Jerusalem and decided in an assembly meeting. We looked at that meeting last week.
The brethren in Jerusalem decided to write a letter to inform those in Antioch of the decision not to put the Gentiles under the law. The “whole church” (v.22) agreed, and that’s important to note. If you look down through history, select councils—under the direction of political leaders—have often made doctrinal decisions. That’s not what this was. This wasn’t a majority-decides or voting system either. The whole church reached a consensus. That’s part of what is so beautiful about this story: the issue could have split the church, but it didn’t. Everybody agreed to the decision, and all agreed on how to deal with it. They chose men to go to Antioch, and they wrote a letter for them to take. That’s good practice.
If a doctrinal issue arose among us, we would do something similar to what the brethren did here. We would arrange a time and place where the principal brothers could meet—the meeting being open for all who wanted to attend—and spread the issue before the Lord. Even in event of a division, it is still good to have letters written to explain why the division took place.
Those in Jerusalem sent both letter and men to Antioch. When they arrived, they called the whole multitude together to hear the letter. That’s another important point: a letter written to the assembly is read to the assembly. The believers rejoiced to hear that the Gentiles wouldn’t have the burden of the law. Judas and Silas were also prophets, and they took this opportunity to bring a word to the brethren.
Let’s take a look at the letter that the brethren in Jerusalem sent.
Firstly, the brethren in Jerusalem made it clear that they didn’t send the sect that called for the keeping of the law. “The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.”
They also told that it wasn’t a single person that wrote the letter or made the decision, but it was done as an assembly. It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord…
They then commended the brethren that they sent with Barnabas and Paul. Judas and Silas had hazarded their lives for Jesus Christ; not a cause, but a Person. To send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
All this was said and written by men that had been seeking heavenly guidance, and had been given this by the Holy Spirit. The few instructions given went past Moses back to Noah, and are still doctrine for us today. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Notice that these brethren kept the unity of the Spirit. Not just unity of spirit, but unity of the Spirit. We may all agree on something, but it might be wrong. Here, the Holy Spirit and the whole church were agreed. That’s the unity of the Spirit.
Paul, Barnabas, and Silas continued in Antioch for a while after this. Then Paul suggested to Barnabas that they go and see how the brethren were in the cities they had visited and preached at. What happened next is sad. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them again, but Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea, and there was sharp contention between them over the matter. Just earlier in the chapter everyone was in beautiful unity, but now there is conflict between these two brothers. Mark was later restored to his usefulness as a servant, even to Paul. Perhaps Barnabas was a good influence on him, for we believe it was Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark, the gospel that portrays Jesus as a servant.
Once again, the brethren commended Paul and his companion—this time Silas—to the grace of God, and he “went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.”
Hymn 362—Two little eyes to look to God
Prayer