Don Graham Revival Ministries

"Revival In Bondage"

Ezra 9:8

Text: " ...andgive us a little reviving in our bondage. " Ezra 9:8

Woven into the fabric of the story of Israel's return home from the seventy year Babylonian captivity are the principles of revival and restoration. Follow the steps of Ezra as God uses him as a catalyst for great revival

I. Ezra Comes to Jerusalem (Ezra 7-8)

Ezra's coming meant

A. Preparation (7:10) Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the face of God and obey the law of God. "According to the good hand of his God upon him " there was provided—

1. Protection by the heathen King Artaxerxes.
2. Provisions out of the King's vast treasury to fund the trip! (7:15-22)
3. Praise to the King of Kings who "turneth" the heart of the King "whithersoever He will. " (Proverbs 21:1)

B. Proclamation (8:21) Facing the rigors of travel and the entrenched enemies all along the way, Ezra proclaimed a fast for-
1. Affliction-Fasting will "humble " a man's soul (Psa. 35:13) as well as "chasten" the soul. (Psa. 69:10)
2. Direction-As they fasted they sought "a right way" . (8:21)
3. Concentration-Fasting enabled them to focus and concentrate upon the reputation and character of God. (8:22)

A veteran soldier was being charged by the Duke of Wellington to assume a difficult and dangerous position. The soldier replied, "I will go, sir, but first give me a grip of your conquering hand." With the hand of God upon him, seeking the face of God, Ezra becomes a viable candidate to call his people to revival.

II. Ezra Confesses the Sin of the People (Ezra 9)

No sooner has a Teacher of the Word arrived than the Word begins to reveal sin.(Heb. 4:12) Upon arriving at Jerusalem Ezra discovers that the people so quickly have fallen into sin and are intermarrying with the heathen around them.(9:l-3) Ezra's heart is broken as he confesses the sin of his people. Note that authentic confession is characterized by
A. Recognition (vs. 1-2) There was the recognition of the root Cause as the people "have not separated themselves from the people of the lands". as well as recognition of the real sin, i.e., the mingling of the holy seed! One must be specific in confessing his sin. We must name sin sin! We must call it what He calls it! We must abhor sin as God does.
B. Contrition (vs. 3-4) There is both burden (v.3) and breaking (v.4), tears and tearing. Ezra is so burdened over the sins of his people that he tore his garment publicly in sorrow and repentance and "trembled" before the Lord. (cf. Isaiah 66:1-2)
C. Intercession (vs. 5-15) Observe how Ezra confesses corporate responsibility for corporate sin. The people of God have sinned grievously. Ezra did not enter into that sin—yet, he assumes corporate responsibility for the sin of the body. What a great pattern for the church today to follow. When a church sins she needs to clear her conscience just as an individual does. That must begin by every member of the body understanding they bear that corporate guilt and must be willing to confess that fact. His admission (v. 13) is followed by an appeal for mercy.

III. Ezra Cleanses the Nation (Ezra 10)

Following his heart-rending confessional prayer there gathered before Ezra a large congregation of the people in the streets before the temple and confessed their sin as revival broke out in the steady downpour of rain. On December 20, 457, the people of God obeyed II Chronicles 7:14 and entered into the fresh reviving of their land—"If my people, who are called by my name, shall... "
A. "Humble themselves..."-Pride succumbs as the people cry out, "We have trespassed against our God... " (v. 2) Ezra soon discovers that rebuilding the temple is easier than reforming the people.
B. "...and pray..."-Prayerlessness haunts the weakened church of today as we turn to every known method, program and gimmick to muster some turning of the tide all the while refusing God's only means of authentic revival, "If my people will...pray... "
C. "...seek my face..."-The posture of a broken people—oh, see how they "wept very sore", (v. 1) It was not enough for the leader to pray for them. They had to cry out to God. They began to "tremble" at the commandment of God (v.3). Ezra maintained the posture of continued fasting before God (v.6), so overwhelmed by the desperate need for revival that even the normal, necessary desires of the body are subjugated to a higher purpose.
D. "...turn from their wicked ways..."-The pollution of the people was purged as they sat trembling in a steady rain (v.9) making confession and separation. Determining and vowing "to put away" all the strange wives. Seventeen priests, ten Levites and eighty-six men were found guilty and signed public documents admitting their sin (vs. 19-44). Forever their names live publicly engraved before us in sacred Scripture. A sure mark of a man's willingness to come clean with God is his determination to quit hiding and get honest. Flaming across the Bible is the injunction, "He that covereth his sin shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

Oh, Lord, hasten the return of the day when men will tremble at the Word of God, tremble over the enormity of their sin and acknowledge their sin openly. Do you need to do that? Does the church you are a part of need to experience corporate confession and brokenness in order to restore its witness to a watching and skeptical community. Determine with Ezra to not turn back or slack up until He "gives us a little reviving in our bondage. "