CALL TO BE GOD'S AMBASSADOR

 

Ezra 7:11-20

 

March 13, 2021

 

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: “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace.  And now  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.  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, 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,  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.   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.   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.   The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem.   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.

 

Are you a learned in the matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes?  If the answer is no, why?  Have you no understanding of your calling, for we all who have entered into Christ and He has entered into us have been called to be His ambassadors.  2 Corinthians 5:20,  “Therefore,  we are ambassadors for Christ,  God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

 

It is apparent why King Artaxerxes trusted Ezra to be his ambassador to Jerusalem, but can you and I be trusted by the Creator to carry out the assignments He has assigned to us?   As I went back and reread this, it became clear to myself I was asking myself those questions, often I get so busy with being a husband, neighbor, and friend, a dad, and granddad that I forget those are not my total calling I'm an Ambassador of Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Robert Rice

Ezra Sent to Teach the People

 Ezra 7:1-11

March 11, 2021

Ezra Sent to Teach the People

“Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest— 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.

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.   And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.   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.   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.”

In the reign of Artaxerxes God once more God’s man a scribe called Ezra from the lineage of Aaron listened and did as the Lord’s Spirit led him.  The hand of the Lord was on Ezra and the King granted him all that he requested.  When you read that Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord and to do it and teach his statutes and rules in Israel, I wonder what if the Church's goal was to do that.  What change would the people of God see in their daily lives?  What if you and I set our hearts on doing so, how would life change, if dads set their hearts on studying the Word of God and doing and teaching it?

 

In Ezra's case, the king granted him all that he asked, I can only imagine such, they had been in captivity for 70 years, many of you have never known the fear of God, have never known obedience so you have never had the hand of God resting on your life.  But if you are willing to try all the programs of self-improvement, why not study with the intent of doing all the Lord Spirit teaches you, teaching your family?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Passover Celebrated

 

Ezra 6:19-22

 March 10, 2021

 

 

Passover Celebrated

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover.  For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So, they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.   It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by everyone who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel.   And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

 

When the Scripture talks about being clean and how the Jewish people and the priest when about the process, do you have an understanding of being clean?  If one is very religious but does not do as instructed by God’s word, “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman that needs not to be a shame.” They will not understand Isaiah 1:16-18.

 

Let us give thought to how one becomes clean and what God has allowed the prophet Isaiah to see in the future.  “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.  “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

 

A  person who is like Martin Luther who wrestles with being clean before a holy God tries everything in his power to win God’s approval.  But the Scriptures declare our good deeds are like filthy rags in Isaiah 64:6, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”  Is Isaiah teaching it round and square or has God allowed him in on what is coming?

 

We find the answer in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  It should be clear that we all have a problem with sin and God sent His only Son to solve our problem.  We find the answer in 2 Corinthians 5;16,17, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.^[  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  It should be clear your identity is not in your flesh.  The old has passed away; you are a new spirit, with a lot of unlearning to be able to walk in this new truth.  The answer is; to get into God’s Word and see how He accomplished this.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Not a good day for the Enemy of Israel

                                                                         Ezra 6:8-12

March 5, 2021

 

 

Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River.   And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail,  that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.   Also, I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill.   May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

 

Have you had one of those days where things didn't go as planned, what is happening to Tattenai and his other governor buddies on the other side of the river?  Their goal was to stop the Temple from being rebuilt, but it backfired on them, King Darius has told them they will take from the royal revenue, of the tribute of the province from beyond the River.  And not only that but any livestock needed for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, plus wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests of Jerusalem require, not once but each day without fail.  Now King Darius had more fear and faith in the God of Heaven than many who go by the name Christian, for he desired the priest to pray for him and his sons.

 

Often when things do not go as planned it a not your worst day, but the King is not through, he adds to King Cyrus’s degree with this statement:   Also, I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill.   May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.”

 

If your goal was to stop the worship of God, you did not have any understanding with whom you were picking a fight with!  These governors did not nor do the governors today whom they have taken on.  But I pray that the ones today experience the same end as these guys.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Angered the God of Heaven

Ezra 5:12-17

 

March 3, 2021

 

 

But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.   However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt.   And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor;  and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.”  Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.’   Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.”

 

We have been in the USA inundated by lies and misleading statements coming from most of the Liberal media, like the New York Times and CNN, and many others.  When a news source misleads or lies to the Public they have lost our trust, and trust is a hard thing to ever get back.  

 

But as I stated yesterday that was not the case with the letter being sent to King Darius by governor Tattenai.   He gave the king an honest account, it seems that he did not believe that Cyrus King of Babylon ever made such a degree.

 

But that is not the real news that came back in verse five, “But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.”

 

What is our takeaway, if God’s eyes are on us, it is clearly saying God's favor and righteous right hand were watching over them, for they were doing His will?  Be sure you are about the kingdom business of God and not your desires to keep a kingdom you desire.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

 

Mankind living in a Perfect World

 Mankind living in a Perfect World

 

Will you allow your imagination to Go there?

 

 

What would a world like that be like; it would not have any health problems, no fear of the unknown, peace, and contentment.  Who in their right mind would walk away from such a world?  Are you willing to stop, be still and ponder on such a place?  I quote;  “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”  How true that statement is, and Blaise Pascal was born in 1623-1662, on our standards today, very short life of 39 years, but look at what this man left a world that lost its ability to do that.  Noise is everywhere, as a people we always had a problem being still, and discerning to whom we are hearing, I call it Channel One, the Deception Channel, and Channel Two, the Spirit of God.  Channel One is much like the Commercials on TV, much louder than the programs.  And the noise has increased by over 1000 percent since the 1600s.

 

Most have never used the imagination we had as children, and today with computers, and cell phones, very small children do not need to use the ability to wonder, they ask a phone or computer to give them the information.  How Channel Two ( The Spirit of God) is not loud, and one has to get away from the noise to hear it.  What Channel are you tuning into?

 

So let us be honest, most of you will not take the time to be still, without talking, and turning on some music, but for the few that will, this is a great prayer, Father in heaven, I’m listening, I need you, I’ve been deceived by the cultures and the lies of Channel One, a need You to guide me back to Truth, Jesus is the Truth, for He told us so in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

For the ones that will get to a place where they can hear, shall we answer the question: “Who in their right mind would walk away from such a world?”  Adam and Eve!

 

To get an understanding of why we must begin at the beginning, Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.   The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  It is important to recall that Satan, has many titles, but he was created good, but at that time must have had a choice to choose, and he chose to usurp God’s power, and lead a rebellion against God and the good angels, he lost and that is how he became known by so many names, such as Father of Lies, for he is a liar, and a deceiver and those are two of his names.  I’m assuming he lost the battle and will do anything to try to destroy all that God says is good.  So, after the battle, he looked on in the darkness and saw God’s amazing creation of the universe and this one place God has made for a new critter called man.  Now listen to what God has done; In Genesis 1: 26-31, “Then God said, “Let us make ma^] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”   And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.   And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”  A very good man, a man without sin, got to live in a world without sin, a place to walk and talk with God in the evening.  I can only imagine such a life, no one would mess that up, wrong!

Some who believe getting your hands dirty while working is below your status in life, need to stop and see what God’s plan is for man.  It is found in Genesis 2:15-17, The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.   And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

More about God’s plan for man, It was God who took a rib from Adam and made a woman, she was to complete the man, in fact, dads & mom’s part of the plan was to get the young man out of your home and to begin a life with his new wife, and have babies and become one.  A man and a woman, that is God’s plan.

 

Satan, being in the darkness watching, but do not forget God sees in the darkest times of our lives, and so God knew Satan ever move and allowed it.  This is the account of that time in the history of man and how it changed everything.  “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.”

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”   In Revelation 12:9a, John gets insight from the Holy Spirit on the identity of that serpent, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the age-old serpent who is called the devil and Satan, he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world;” and the woman being clueless of who she was engaging enter into a conversation with the dude.  If only Adam would have been there to protect his lady, what does the Scripture tell us about where he was?  You’re not going to believe where Adam was!  Genesis 3;4-6, tells the story of how sin came into the world and man’s fall, from perfect to needing a redeemer.   ^“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.   For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”  Yes, right by her side, allowing her to be the head, and the dude, when passive and it was he that allowed the fall to take place.  God's plan was for the man to lead the wife and to protect, Adam dropped the ball, and he left a perfect world for a world controlled by sinful, greedy, and evil, men and women, that have the same goals as Eve, to run the show, be a god.  If you are following Eve's path, how is it working?

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Tattenai's Letter to King Darius

 

 

March 2, 2021

 

Ezra 5:6-11

 

Tattenai's Letter to King Darius

This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king.   They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace.   Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.   Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’   We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders.   And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 

 

The letter sent to King Darius from Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River was a very accurate account of what took place.   The answer given by the Jewish leadership was not what the governor was looking for but it was all he got. 

 

They did not give him their name, but they identified who they were, and why they were doing it.  Is it not the answer you and I should be giving, “ ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth” and we are busy doing the will of our Father in heaven.

 

But many who go by the name Christian do not have any understanding of their true identity, if they did they would remove the little gods they have trusted in such, as self, wealth, and government, and look to who God has said they are,  When that happens the Christian army will be a mighty army of the power of our God, and we will answer “we are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are about His business.   

(Note: We will address verses 12-17, tomorrow.)

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Rebuilding Begins Anew

 

 Ezra 5:1-5

 

March 1, 2021

 

 

Rebuilding Begins Anew

“Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.   Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

At the same time, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?”   They also asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?”   But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.”

 

What did Haggai and Zechariah understand that many who go by the name Christian have little understanding of true authority.  We find the answer in Romans 13:1,  “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

 

One might believe that Haggai and Zechariah were false prophets and that Zerubbabel and Jeshua were rebels, in today's Church, those who listen to civil authority and ignore the commands of God.  But, stop for a minute and give some thought to who put into the heart of Cyrus king of Persia you will find that in 2 Chronicles 36:23, “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”  (Note: Cyrus was not a Jew, he was a pagan king)  But God, it was God that was in charge then and it is God who is in charge now.  These men were acting like they had a full understanding of who was in charge and it was not king Artaxerxes, it was God, the ruler of heaven and earth, the Creator of all that has been or will be.

 

The answer was they were not in rebellion in fact these men had a clear understanding of who leadership they were following.  Many of you who go by the name of Christian will bow your knee to the government no matter what ungodly laws they pass, but as far as me and my house we will serve the LORD, no matter the cost.  And let me be clear,  “The Equality Act” is the most against God action ever taken in the history of the USA and as a follower of Jesus I will stand with the word of God and proclaim it to be of the devil and anyone who supports to be antiChrist.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Nehemiah's Generosity

 

Nehemiah 5:13-19

 

May 17, 2022

 

Nehemiah's Generosity

“Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.   The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.   I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.   Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews, and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.   Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this, I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.   Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.”

 

You will not find greed, but love, you will not see a man who seeks power to rule over but a desire to restore and rebuild a great nation to honor not them, but God.  Yes, Nehemiah was not like the group that now holding power over the United States of America.   They are into building up but tearing down the foundation that made the United States, different from all nations.  Yes we have made a few bad mistakes, yes we have had leaders who made some bad decisions, but we have never till this area, had leaders that wanted to destroy the dependence on God, and His authority over all.

 

Could what is taking place in our nation be, the needless crime, the greed for more, whatever the more is, and the murder of people of different, in skin color, or has a belief that we are not in agreement with, be under control by their father the devil, will set out to destroy.  If you believe this is a new thing, you have not been observing our culture.  We have lowered our schools of high learning with people who taught lies and revised history to make this nation sound like our founding fathers were evil and not seeking to be Nehemiah.  Sure they made mistakes, but so do you and I, why can we not understand, that we are all in need of the leadership of the Spirit of God.

 

How can a nation that is divided be restored, it has to do as the people of Nehemiah day, and have a great outcry against the evil that is taking place in the leadership of our nation.  We have to pray for God to forgive us for the taking of lies, as we have done in the abortion business, and it is a business, the business of taking life.  When one life has no meaning, you will soon see a nation that is like our once great nation, where every week we see the murder of people.

 

Yes, the United States of America needs God, but does God need us, greedy people who worship stuff, and self.  The answer is found not in a political party, nor in a man unless they are God’s man with a heart like Nehemiah.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

A Great Outcry

 

Nehemiah 5:1-13

 

May 16, 2022

 

 

Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.   For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”   There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”   And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and our vineyards.   Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.  I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.   So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nation’s our enemies?   Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.   Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”   Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.   I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

 

My dad always said; “The old is forever new” and would follow up with, “We learn nothing from history, If we did it would not be repeated.”  In this great nation, God has blessed us to live in, and if you had the opportunity to travel to other nations, you know that to be true, the foundations are being destroyed.  Our children for years have been taught lies about the history of this great nation and the cost of living free, with rights to worship, speak and obey the authority of both God and man.  They are being taught good is evil, and evil is good.  And yet the Church,  and that is not some denotation, or building where a person goes to worship, it is you and me who have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We as a nation of people have as a whole never been slaves, yet to our shame, both the blacks and the Irish early in our history have.  We call that history, but many godly white men pay a great price to remove this evil from our nation.

 

Not true with the people of Israel and Judah, they had a history of rebelling against the Lord and had known the price of rebelling against God, we are as a nation heading in that direction.  Many are already enslaved to many things and to ignorance yet too oblivious to understand the price of sin against both God and others.

 

First, there was an outcry, then they caught the ear of a man who walked and talked with God, and God gave him the authority to confront the leaders of the day.  

 

The priests were not the only ones that had to agree to give back what they had taken from the under-resource of the nation, but to return the interest and what they had made off the land and the people did as they had promised.  What if we as a Church also did as we promised our Lord and others?

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The King Orders the Work to Cease

 

Ezra 4: 17-24

 

February 28, 2021

 

 

 

The King Orders the Work to Cease

The king sent an answer: “To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now the letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me.   And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.   And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid.    Therefore, make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt until a decree is made by me.   And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”

Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.   Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

 

I often fall back on my experience as a salesperson and the many things I learned from what looks like a defeat.  First, no does not always mean no, it often means you did not do a good job of helping me see the advantages of your product.  So far the competitor we will refer to as the neighbors of the Jewish people did a better job of getting the ear of the king.

 

This happens often in a salesperson's career, they have worked hard for a company to earn their business, and new management comes in and does not know the relationship, may even have a relationship with the competitor and overnight he out in the cold.

 

It sure looks like the Jewish people have lost the sale, but God, and those of us who are so upset over what is happening in our nation, need to pray and confess the sin of our nation, and with on God to change hearts of the people of this great nation.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

 

 

Ezra 4:7-16

 

February 27, 2021

 

 

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:   Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,  and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.   (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes, the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.   Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired.   Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,  in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.  We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”

 

Why would they write such a letter, it is not built on facts or truth, today we refer to such news as fake news, and as you can read it is based on fear and hate, not on truth.  It should be of interest to all who oppose fear, hate, and lies to watch how the Jewish people handle this and how God changes the heart of the king.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice