Ezra 4
June 29, 2014
OPPOSITION & FRUSTRATION
 Opposition
 The enemies of God’s People make a subtle attempt to
stop the rebuilding (vv. 1-2).
 Who was it that made this seemingly friendly offer?
(See 2 Kings 17:24-41)
 SYNCRETISM is deadly.
 The adversaries’ heart is revealed:
 Deliberate attempts to discourage
 Desire to make them afraid to continue
 Powerful political opposition
 There are real dangers for us today, and a real enemy
who seeks our destruction.
 Standing Firm
 There is conviction, clarity, and boldness by the leaders.
 Not compromising has real consequences.
 Our faith and commitment will be tested too.
Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right
Whate’er my God ordains is right: His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er he doth and follow where he guideth.
He is my God; though dark my road, he holds me that I shall not fall:
wherefore to him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right: he never will deceive me;
he leads me by the proper path; I know he will not leave me.
I take, content, what he hath sent; his hand can turn my griefs away,
and patiently I wait his day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right: though now this cup, in drinking,
may bitter seem to my faint heart, I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
and pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right: here shall my stand be taken;
though sorrow, need, or death be mine, yet am I not forsaken. My
Father’s care is round me there; he holds me that I shall not fall; and
 Frustration
 The enemy is persistent (vv. 6-23).
 The work of rebuilding is stopped for a time.
 How do we react to delay?
 The Final Word Belongs to the LORD.
 God’s purposes are not frustrated; His plans will come
to pass.
 Christ is victorious; the gates of hell will not prevail
against His Church.
so to him I leave it all.
Samuel Rodigast, 1675
“Have Christians compromised their stand on truth and morality until there
is almost nothing they will speak out against?” (from the cover of The Great
Evangelical Disaster) Recommended books on our commitment to Christ:
Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity & Liberalism. Eerdmans, 2009.
Schaeffer, Francis. The Great Evangelical Disaster. Crossway, 1984.
White, John. The Cost of Commitment. Intervarsity Press, 1976.