Moved By the Spirit
Ezra 1:5-6
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While reading the book of Ezra, the Lord wouldn’t allow me to go beyond the first chapter, verse six, and to specifically meditate on verses five and six.
Ezra begins by taking us back to Jeremiah’s prophecy that after 70 years of captivity to the Babylonians; God would bring the Jews back to their homeland, the land of Israel. (Jeremiah 29:10)
And then Ezra talked about who was going to go, and what those who remained did for those who went.
“Then the heads of the fathers' 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.” (Ezra 1:5-6 NKJV)
I hope this message is both practical and inspirational, and my hope is that it will encourage us to find God’s calling and purpose for wherever we may be at this present time.
What we see here are the types of people that make ministry happen.
Called by God
It says this in the very first part of verse 5, “Then the heads of the fathers' 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.” (Ezra 1:5 NKJV)
God had specifically called the tribe of Levi to minister before Him and to minster to the people on His behalf (Numbers 18:26). And from each tribe of Judah and Benjamin, or the southern two tribes of the house of Israel, wherein the city of Jerusalem was located, which were those tribes taken by Babylon. And those who God had called were the heads of each of those two families.
These were the ones that God called to go and start the rebuilding of the new temple (Ezra 3:8). These are the ones God called to ministry.
But what about today? How will we know if we are called by God?
Let me just say that God will raise up those that He calls, and everyone will know it. But if we say that God has called us, if we have to promote ourselves, then there is a good chance that it’s self-promotion, not God.
I’ve had people come into my office in Las Vegas and tell me that God has called them as a prophet and ask if they can get in front of the congregation and give their message. My answer had been no, because after some questioning, they couldn’t even define the prophetic office.
I also had people tell me that God has given them this or that giftedness, and when I dig deeper, they start using the “God Card” on me, saying, “God has called me, and God knows my heart.” At this juncture I usually thank them, but inside I just want to say, “Well God does know your heart, and he says in Jeremiah 17:9, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and beyond cure, and no one knows just how truly bad it is.’ (paraphrase)
What I have found is that those who revert to the “God Card” to validate their ministry or message by using, “God told me,” usually haven’t been called and are dealing with some pretty serious problems, deep seated issues that they haven’t worked out and they are using God as a buffer.
I mean, how do you answer or refute someone who says, “God said.” I rarely if ever use this or “Thus saith the Lord.” Those are some scary words to start bantering around.
There is a truism that we will never develop and will hamper spiritual maturity if there are issues we’re dealing with that we haven’t given to the Lord and asked Him to help us with.
I’ve seen this when someone says they have a message from God for the church, and the elders or pastor say, “Not at this time,” or “Now isn’t the right time for that,” and they get all bent out of shape and say how the church isn’t spirit filled because they won’t let them use their gift. This is nothing less than immaturity with rebellion on the side.
But I have digressed. When you are called by God, others will know it. They knew who the Levites were and their calling.
But what about today, how will we know? Well, we’ll know because they will already be operating within that gift. If God has called you to be a teacher, then you’re already teaching in some way. Teaching, you might say, is in your blood.
Ilona, our oldest granddaughter, will probably be a teacher someday. Now, I can’t say for sure that this is a prophetic word, but when she lived with us for the first five years, she would pull out all her stuff animals into a classroom setting and began teaching them. I have no idea what she was teaching but she was teaching. There were even times when some of the animals had to go to time out because they weren’t listening.
For myself, I knew that I was called to be a teacher, and in my spirit, I also knew that I was to be a pastor, although I really didn’t want the job. But when I was asked to teach a home fellowship and some Bible classes, I followed the pastor’s lead, and God did the rest.
Was everything in order in my life, no, and guess what, it still isn’t. No one is ever without problems or difficulties. What is important is that we’re dealing with them in accordance to God‘s word.
One person said, “My house isn’t in order.” I asked, “Are you taking the necessary steps to remedy the problem,” and they said how they were, and I said, “Tag, you’re it.” He turned out to be a great worship leader, teacher, and pastor.
Just a short story about myself and hopefully you will catch the drift. I was asked if I would start teaching a morning worship service. I told my pastor that I would pray about it. He said, “Dennis, for you to pray about it is sin.” Now, while that sounds harsh, it was true. You see I was using prayer as a way of escape. But, you will never lead until you learn how to follow. Since he was the senior pastor of the church, I followed. And again, God did the rest.
Has God called you? Do others see it and affirm God’s calling? Has the leadership asked you to step up? There you go. You are called.
Moved by the Spirit
We find this in the second part of verse 5. “Then the heads of the fathers' 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.” (Ezra 1:5 NKJV)
Now this is not saying that those who have been called weren’t moved by the Spirit as well, but here there is a specific move of the Holy Spirit upon a person’s life. These are those who God had given special gifts and talents to be used in reestablishing Jerusalem and rebuilding the Temple.
We see such a move by the Spirit in the building of the tabernacle. The Lord told Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel (Be-ZAL-el) the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab (a-ho-li'-ab) the son of Ahisamach, (a-lish’-a-mash) of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you.” (Exodus 31:2-6 NKJV)
These are also those who I call seconds, and I use that in a very respectful way. Take for instance Joshua. He was Moses’s second, or understudy. His spirit was moved to follow and to serve Moses and God. What I find interesting is that if you ever wanted to find Joshua, all you had to do was go to the tabernacle, and he’d be sitting outside the door.
In the New Testament, Paul had several seconds, like Silas. You don’t hear much about him except he joined Paul on his 2nd missionary journey. You also have Timothy, who joined in with Paul and learned the ministry from him.
Today, those who’s spirits are moved in this same sort of way are those God has called to help, to stand alongside and be helpers to the leadership. Take for instance Aaron and Hur. They stood beside Moses and held his arms up while the battle raged below.
We have names for these individuals within the church, often times they are called deacons, that is, those who serve, because that is what the word means. But let me just say, that we don’t need a title to serve God. Often times I have found these titles a hindrance to ministry.
Now, what I have seen is that when people are faithful in serving in their particular area, God usually moves them up, often times to head up a ministry, or become leaders within the church. But still, some remain right where God wants them to be, because they perform a vital function within the body of Christ.
The Bible says, “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.” (Luke 16:10 NKJV)
Encouragers
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.” (Ezra 1:6 NKJV)
Because this is in the next verse, and it doesn’t say the Spirit moved upon them, we automatically say this isn’t as much of a move of the Spirit as those who were sent, and this is wrong, because each play a vital role in the ministry.
The first thing we see is that they encouraged them. Now, within the context of the passage it says it was with monetary means. And I’ll get to that in my next section, but I want us to focus on the idea of encouragement.
Paul said, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)
And the writer of Hebrews said, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13 NIV)
Unfortunately, today Christians are known more for shooting their wounded than for their encouragement.
For a time, prior to my becoming a Christian, I was a Dale Carnegie assistant. And I always remembered a saying he had. “Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.”
But truthfully, I see little if any of this within the church. Instead of saying, “Way to go, we’re behind you all the way, we’ve got your back,” we’re talking smack behind their backs, and sometimes even to their face.
I kind of like Jesus’s statement to those about ready to stone the woman to death. He said, “Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7 paraphrase) Or better when Jesus said, “Hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:5 NIV)
But this is nothing new. We see the same thing with the Israelites. We’re they grateful to God and Moses for their deliverance, yes, but also no.
It says that the people complained, and God sent down fire from heaven and consumed them (Numbers 11:1-3). It also said they didn’t like the manna and so they craved some meat, so God sent them lots and lots of quail, and while the meat was still between their teeth, God struck them with a severe plague (Numbers 11:4-35).
But the two that stand out the most for me is when Aaron and Miriam rebelled against Moses’s leadership saying they were as much leaders and Moses, and because Aaron was God’s High Priest, God never struck him with leprosy, but Miriam, was so stricken and placed outside the camp until she was pronounced clean (Numbers 12).
And let’s not forget Korah from the tribe of Levi along with 250 leaders of the Jews. They opposed Moses saying He had gone too far, and they were just as holy, that is, set apart by God as he was. And so, as they were burning incense before the Lord it says the earth opened up and Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, along with their families and possessions fell straight into the fires of hell, and the 250 leaders who are offering the sacrifices, were consumed with a fire sent down by God (Numbers 16).
Aren’t you glad we’re in the days where God gives us mercy and grace? Otherwise, we’d all be crispy critters.
The writer of Hebrews tells us to obey and submit to those in leadership because they watch out for our souls. And the reason is so that they can do so with joy and not be grieved, because in the end that would be unprofitable for us (Hebrews 13:17).
Willing Givers
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.” (Ezra 1:6 NKJV)
When the first tabernacle was being built, it says that people were bringing so many offerings that there was more than enough and then some. And what I find amazing is when it says that the people were restrained from bringing in any more (Exodus 36:5-7).
Frankly, I have yet to see that in today’s church. Instead, what I have seen are all these pledge cards and vision casting for people to give more. In fact, I have seen where there are some church leaders who target the big donors.
Please understand that the one thing I hate most is talking about giving, which is why I put it as a chapter in my book, “Wells of Living Waters.” So, I can just say, see chapter 11, and leave it at that.
But I will say that I sent this chapter to someone whose family was struggling in this area. I was told that it brought not only clarity, but harmony and unity as well. And not only were they blessed, but God blessed them through their giving.
Both willing and abundant giving are found within the Bible.
We see Paul thanking the church Philippi saying that no church shared in giving as they did. They even sent this guy, Epaphroditus, to help Paul out. And Paul also thanked the church in Thessalonica for sending monetary gifts again and again to meet his needs. And I love Paul’s response, in that he didn’t so much seek the gift as he did the fruit that they would receive because of their sacrificial giving (Philippians 4:15-19).
Some time ago I wrote either a devotional or a thought entitled, “Let’s Stop Counting.” This came from something Jesus said about our charitable deeds. He said, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3 NKJV)
What I find amazing is how meticulous we are when it comes to recounting our good deeds and/or how much we give. We’re much like those Pharisees Jesus commented about saying how meticulous they were in the tithe, even giving a tenth of a leaf of a particular spice, all the while forgetting what it is truly all about, or what Jesus calls the weightier matters of the law; justice, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23).
In the end, we have to stop all this trying to figure out how much we’re supposed to give God, what exactly is a tenth, and start giving, not only the tithe, but also the offering and alms. And this is to be led wholly by the Holy Spirit, that is, we are to be moved by the Spirit in our giving and to be willing to give as God directs.
What I find interesting is that we pray for God supernatural intervention in our finances but are unwilling to follow His instructions in our giving. And by the way, doesn’t God own it all anyway.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV)
Conclusion
Now I know that when many of you saw the title of today’s message you were probably thinking I was going to talk about being filled and baptized in the Holy Spirit, and how we can see God move in a mighty way in words of knowledge and wisdom, not to mention prayer for healing and power.
But can I say this. When we’re moved by the Spirit into these areas of doing things God’s way, instead of man’s way, then we will see the Spirit move in our midst. Why? Because we’re doing it God’s way, and God will honor it.
Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:26 NKJV)
