 disturbing but it's encouraging to have others there with us. We're gonna continue now in a time of worship by giving and we're gonna go back to chapter one of Ezra. And we're gonna look at verses two to six and while you're turning there after the offertory, Clyde is gonna come up and lead us in an intercessory prayer. Ezra one verses two to six. Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia. All the kingdoms of the earth, the Lord God of heaven has given me and he has commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all his people? May his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel. He is God which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells let the men of his place help him with silver and gold with goods and livestock besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. Then the heads of the father's houses of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites with all whose spirits God had moved arose to go up and build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And all those who were around them encouraged them with articles of silver and gold with goods and livestock and with precious things besides all that was willingly offered. A few years ago in small group we went through the book of Ezra and it was a tremendous blessing as we went through those chapters, how we could see God working out his plans and fulfilling his promises and accomplishing his purposes by using people who are acting according to their own will and ability some seeing the hand of God and others oblivious to him. We see even in these first few verses of this chapter this concurrence as theologians call it in play but we're gonna focus on just one aspect of this greater plan that God is executing here and that's how he provides what his committed followers need in order to do the works that he has prepared for them. In fulfillment of prophecy the exiled Jews are released to return to Jerusalem and this had to happen not only because Jeremiah and Isaiah had said that it would but because as Derek Thomas put it the story of Israel cannot end in obscurity and Babylon. A remnant of true believers must return to Jerusalem and continue the story because God has not forgotten his promise to save his people and how does he do it? With the treasure of the kingdom that had presided over their captivity with the gifts of the people who had subdued them with treasure from those within their own community of exiles who preferred to remain in bondage rather than overcome in faith the difficulties of serving their God. Here's one comment by Matthew Henry that described this astounding turn of events. Besides what was willingly offered by the Jews themselves who stayed behind from a principle of love to God and his house much was offered as one may say unwillingly by the Babylonians who were influenced to do it by divine power on their minds of which they themselves could give no account. It's amazing really. Those who braved this 900 mile trek back to Jerusalem where they had no idea how they'd manage when they got there returned even with much of the treasure that had been stolen from the temple when Jerusalem had been conquered years earlier. In some respects it's not unlike the Jews' deliverance in the exodus. They left there with vast riches handed over to them by the Egyptians to whom they had been enslaved just a short while before. Think about the account in exodus 12 verses 35 and 36. Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold and clothing. And the Lord had given the people a favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. He just says, just ask him for it and I'll give it to you. So what we see is that God is in control of everything in all the world. Not the least of which are the resources needed by his people to do the good work that he has prepared for them. In the exodus it was to make it to the promised land where the first temple would be built. In the return from Babylon it was to rebuild the temple. And in our day it's to build up the house of God as the living stones that form, as Peter says, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. What is required of you is what was required of the Jews returning from Babylon. Trust in God and faithfulness. When you commit yourselves to be faithful, even faithful in giving, God will provide what you need. He has proven himself over and over. Amen, let's pray. Father in heaven, you indeed have opened for us the windows of heaven and poured out for us such a blessing that we cannot fully even comprehend the abundance of your kindness to us. We thank you for making it possible for us to worship you this way. Amen.