證道重溫

2020-08-30
Second Generation Returnees

分類

講員

時段

Rev. Keith Lai

English Worship

證道搜尋




Today’s Sermon: Second Generation Returnees

Ezra 7 (ESV)
1 Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest—
6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.
7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants.
8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes for Israel:
12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now
13 I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand,
15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
16 with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem.
17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God.
19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury.
21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence,
22 up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.
24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach.
26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”
27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,
28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.


Acts: 4:27-28 (ESV)
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.


Sermon Notes


Introduction:

Fleeing or Fighting
As Chinese…
As Jews…


Outline:

1. Two kinds of Return



- The Return of the Teachers



- The Return of the Community





2. Two kinds of Decrees

-   The kings’ decrees (v.11-20)



-   God’s decree (v.23)





3. Two sets of Hands

-   God’s Hand (v.6, 9, 18)

-   Our hand (v.14, 25)


Applications:

1. Seeing God’s hand



2. Discerning God’s decree



3.    Bring about the return of the Kingdom





創世記 第 1 章



1 : 1   起初, 神創造天地。
1 : 2   地是空虛混沌,深淵上面一片黑暗; 神的靈 運行在水面上。
1 : 3    神說:「要有光」,就有了光。
1 : 4    神看光是好的,於是 神就把光和暗分開。
1 : 5    神稱光為「晝」,稱暗為「夜」。有晚上,有早晨,這是第一日。
1 : 6    神說:「眾水之間要有穹蒼,把水和水分開。」
1 : 7    神就造了穹蒼,把穹蒼以下的水和穹蒼以上的水分開。事就這樣成了。
1 : 8    神稱穹蒼為「天」。有晚上,有早晨,這是第二日。
1 : 9    神說:「天下面的水要聚集在一處,使乾地露出來。」事就這樣成了。
1 : 10    神稱乾地為「地」,稱聚集在一起的水為「海」。 神看為好的。
1 : 11    神說:「地要長出植物,就是含種子的五穀菜蔬,和會結果子、果子裏有種子的樹,在地上各從其類。」事就這樣成了。
1 : 12   於是地長出了植物:含種子的五穀菜蔬,各從其類;會結果子、果子裏有種子的樹,各從其類。 神看為好的。
1 : 13   有晚上,有早晨,這是第三日。
1 : 14    神說:「天上要有光體來分晝夜,讓它們作記號,定季節、日子、年份,
1 : 15   它們要在天空發光,照在地上。」事就這樣成了。
1 : 16   於是 神造了兩個大光體,大的管晝,小的管夜,又造了星辰。
1 : 17    神把這些光體擺列在天空,照在地上,
1 : 18   管理晝夜,分別光暗。 神看為好的。
1 : 19   有晚上,有早晨,這是第四日。
1 : 20    神說:「水要滋生眾多有生命之物;要有鳥飛在地面以上,天空之中。」
1 : 21    神就創造了大魚和在水裏滋生的各樣活動的生物,各從其類,以及各樣有翅膀的鳥,各從其類。 神看為好的。
1 : 22    神就賜福給這一切,說:「要繁殖增多,充滿在海的水裏;飛鳥也要在地上增多。」
1 : 23   有晚上,有早晨,這是第五日。
1 : 24    神說:「地要生出有生命之物,各從其類,就是牲畜、爬行動物、地上的走獸,各從其類。」事就這樣成了。
1 : 25   於是 神造了地上的走獸,各從其類;牲畜,各從其類;和地上一切的爬行動物,各從其類。 神看為好的。
1 : 26    神說:「我們要照着我們的形像,按着我們的樣式造人,使他們管理海裏的魚、天空的鳥、地上的牲畜和全地,以及地上爬的一切爬行動物。」
1 : 27    神就照着他的形像創造人,照着 神的形像創造他們;他創造了他們,有男有女。
1 : 28    神賜福給他們, 神對他們說:「要生養眾多,遍滿這地,治理它;要管理海裏的魚、天空的鳥和地上各樣活動的生物。」
1 : 29    神說:「看哪,我把全地一切含種子的五穀菜蔬和一切會結果子、果子裏有種子的樹,都賜給你們;這些都可作食物。
1 : 30   至於地上一切的走獸、天空一切的飛鳥,並一切在地上爬行的,有生命的動物,我把綠色植物賜給牠們作食物。」事就這樣成了。
1 : 31    神看一切所造的,看哪,都非常好。有晚上,有早晨,這是第六日。