Grace Explodes for God's Glory

Let's open our Bibles together to Ezra chapter 2. We're going to finish this chapter today—verses 68 through 70. A few weeks ago we walked through 67 verses. Name after name. Family after family. 42,360 people whose names mattered enough to God that He wrote them down. Today we're looking at just three verses. Three verses. But I'm telling you right now—these three verses will open up the entire universe to you if you'll let them. Before we read them, I want us to do something together. Take a deep breath with me. Ready? One... two... three... I'm asking us to pause because the moment some of you see these verses, you're going to tense up. You're going to see the word "gave" in verse 68, and you're going to think, Oh great. Here comes the stewardship sermon. Here comes the guilt trip about giving. But I need you to hear me. This is not about funding a budget. This is not about meeting a goal. This is not about manipulation or guilt or obligation. What we're about to see in these three verses is going to blow the roof off of what you think giving is about. We're going to go beneath the surface. We're going to go beneath the numbers and the gold and the silver. And we're going to see something that will take your breath away. We're going to see grace blooming to accomplish what God planned before the foundation of the world. Listen as I read. Ezra 2:68-70: "When they came to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of families gave freewill offerings for the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priestly garments. The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns." Let's pray. Father, we come desperate for You. Open our eyes. This is Your Word, living and active. Show us what grace does. Show us what You planned before creation. Show us hearts on fire for Your glory. Help us treasure Christ above all. In Jesus' name, amen.

The Eternal Purpose

Before we look at what's happening in these three verses, I need to show you where this is going. Because if you don't see the destination, you'll miss what's happening on the road. Turn with me to Ephesians 1. Verse 4. This is where we have to start. Because what happens in Ezra 2:68-70 didn't start in Ezra 2:68-70. It started here. Before creation. Ephesians 1:4-6: "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." Did you catch that phrase? "To the praise of the glory of his grace." Let me say this as clearly as I can: Everything in the universe exists for this. The stars. The galaxies. History. Nations rising and falling. Your life. My life. All of it exists for one purpose: to the praise of the glory of his grace. And here’s the good news: God is most glorified when that grace is not just proclaimed, but received. Now here's what you need to understand. God has a lot of glorious attributes. His power is glorious. His justice is glorious. His holiness is glorious. His wrath is glorious. But if the glory of God is Mount Everest, grace is the peak. Grace is the apex. Grace is the pinnacle. Romans 9:22-23 makes this clear. Listen to what Paul says: "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy." Do you see it? Wrath and grace are not equal. Wrath is not ultimate. Wrath serves mercy. God’s justice and wrath reveal the seriousness of sin so that His grace might be seen as infinitely more glorious. Wrath is part of the mountain. But when you reach the summit, you don’t meet wrath. You meet mercy. And God planned this. Before creation. Before Adam. Before anything existed. In the fellowship of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit purposed together that the highest display of God’s glory would be the Son giving Himself in grace. And that redeemed people would spend eternity not marveling at an idea, but worshiping a Savior, praising forever the glory of His grace revealed in Jesus Christ. That's where Ezra 2:68-70 is going. That's what's happening beneath the surface. These aren't administrative details. This is grace detonating in history to accomplish what God planned before time began. You see, grace is not passive. Grace doesn't just sit there. Grace blossoms in the heart of people that are touch by it. Grace accomplishes and fulfills the eternal purpose of God. And what we're about to see in these three verses is grace at work—accomplishing the will of God for the glory of the Father.

Grace Explodes In Restoration

Verse 68 Look at verse 68. "When they came to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, some of the heads of families gave freewill offerings for the rebuilding of the house of God on its site." Now, on the surface, what do you see? You see people arriving. You see people giving. Freewill offerings. Gold. Silver. That's the surface. Go one level deeper. What made them give? Gratitude. They were grateful. They we’re in exile. But They got restoration. Gratitude wells up. That's one level deeper. But I want to take you to bedrock. What's happening beneath the gratitude? Grace is being experienced to accomplish God's eternal purpose. Let me show you what I mean. Notice the word "freewill" in verse 68. Freewill offerings. Why does the text call them that? Think about what a will is. Your will is what you want. It's your desires. It's what you reach for when no one is making you reach for anything. And here's the problem. Before grace, our wills are bent. Curved inward. We want what we want. We protect what we have. We hold on tight because we're not sure there's more coming. We calculate and compare and wonder what other people are giving before we decide what we'll give. That's a bound will. A will in chains. A will that can't help itself. But look at these families. Nobody twisted their arm. Nobody guilted them. Nobody stood at the front with a thermometer chart tracking the goal. The text says they gave freewill offerings. So what happened? Grace got to their wills before the offering plate did. You see, these are the same people—the descendants of the same people—who mocked God's prophets. Who despised His words. Who scoffed until there was no remedy. Their wills were so bound to rebellion that God sent them into exile for seventy years. And now they're giving freely? Joyfully? Without compulsion? Something changed. Something broke the chains. Something got down into the deepest part of who they were—the part that wants and desires and reaches—and set it free. Grace did that. Grace came to them while they were still in Babylon. Grace stirred the heart of a pagan king. Grace opened the door they couldn't open. Grace carried them nine hundred miles through desert. Grace brought them home. And when grace like that gets inside you, it doesn't just change what you do. It changes what you want. That's a free will. Not free from God—free for God. Free to want what you were made to want. Free to give without gripping. Free to open your hands because you finally believe there's more where that came from. These families gave freewill offerings because grace had already given them free wills.

And when grace that is undeserved, that overwhelming, that sovereign captures your heart, it doesn't just forgive you. It frees you. Paul says it in 1 Corinthians 15:10: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." Do you hear that? "It was not I." When grace is planted in your heart, your response doesn't come from you. It comes from grace working in you. Now watch what God is doing here. This moment in Ezra 2:68 is pointing forward. It's a shadow. A preview. A signpost. Of whats to come… Look to Hebrews 10:5-7. This is Jesus speaking: "Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 'Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, "Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book."'" Do you see it? These freewill offerings in Ezra 2:68 are pointing to THE freewill offering. The Son of God saying, "A body you have prepared for me. I have come to do your will, O God." Jesus didn't go to the cross because the Father forced Him. He went freely. Willingly. Why? Because grace had made His will one with the Father's will. And when we give—when grace is planted in us, we can't help but respond—we're caught up in that. We're participating in the freewill offering of the Son. But here's what I really want you to see. What is grace accomplishing in this moment? Lets go back to Ephesians 1:6. "To the praise of the glory of his grace." That's what's happening. Right here. In Ezra 2:68. Grace is accomplishing its eternal purpose. Grace is fulfilling what God planned before creation. Grace is making God's glory visible. This is not just about rebuilding a temple. This is about the praise of the glory of his grace. Church, when grace is planted in you, and you respond to God’s grace, you’re not just being generous. You're participating in the eternal purpose of God.

Grace Explodes In Worship

Verse 69 Now look at verse 69. "According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments." On the surface, what do you see? Numbers. Gold. Silver. Garments. That's the surface. One level deeper: They gave according to their ability. Some gave more. Some gave less. But everyone gave what they could. That's deeper. But what's happening at bedrock? Grace is exploding in worship. Look at that phrase: "According to their ability they gave." These are finite people giving finite resources. But this phrase is pointing forward to something infinite. Turn to Romans 8:32. "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" God gave according to His ability. And God's ability is infinite. These families gave 61,000 darics of gold. God gave His Son. These families gave 5,000 minas of silver. God gave the blood of the Lamb. These families gave 100 priestly garments. God gave us robes of righteousness. Do you see what's happening? All this gold and silver is pointing to something of infinite worth. And what is it? Turn to John 2:19-21. Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. The true treasury is the body of Christ. All the gold in Ezra 2:69 points to the infinite worth of the Son. But I want you to see something else. Look beneath the numbers. Beneath the 61,000 darics and the 5,000 minas. What do you see? Hearts on fire. These people aren't doing math. They're not calculating percentages. They're not trying to impress anyone. Grace has exploded in their hearts, and they're on fire for the glory of God. You remember what Hudson Taylor said? After a lifetime of missionary hardship—persecution, sickness, death of his children—he said, "I never made a sacrifice." How could he say that? Because when you've been brought home from exile—when you've been saved from what you deserved—giving isn't loss. It's privilege. When grace captures you, you don't count the cost. You don't weigh the pros and cons. You don't hold back. You participate. And here's what grace is accomplishing: worship. Not just internal worship. Not just feelings in your heart. Visible worship. Public worship. Worship that the world can see. 2 Corinthians 4:15 says it like this: "It is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God." Grace spreads. Thanksgiving increases. And God gets glory. That's what's happening in Ezra 2:69. Grace is spreading to these families. Thanksgiving is erupting in their hearts. And God is getting glory as they pour out their treasures. This is the dual purpose of grace. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:15 that his ministry is "for your sake" so that grace can increase thanksgiving "to the glory of God." For your sake. And for God's glory. These are not in competition. When you get to participate in grace—when you get to express joy in gratitude—God gets exalted as the gracious Giver. God's glory and your gladness are not at odds. They're one. And what makes them one is grace exploding in thanksgiving.

Grace Explodes In Glory

Verses 69b-70 Now look at the end of verse 69 and into verse 70. "The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns." On the surface: People settling in towns. Priests taking up residence. That's the surface. One level deeper: Worship is becoming visible. The infrastructure for temple worship is being rebuilt. That's deeper. But what's happening at bedrock? Grace is exploding in glory. The priests are settling. The Levites are settling. The singers are settling. The gatekeepers are settling. Why? Because worship is about to resume. The temple is going to be rebuilt. The altar is going to smoke again. The songs are going to rise. The gates are going to be watched. And all of it—all of it—is grace accomplishing its purpose. But this isn't the end. This is a signpost. This is a shadow. This is pointing forward. Turn to 1 Peter 2:9. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." These priests settling in Ezra 2:70 are pointing to you. You're the royal priesthood. You're the ones called out of darkness. You're the ones who proclaim His excellencies. And where is this all going? Revelation 21:3. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'" The priests settling in their towns points to the dwelling place of God with man forever. The temple being rebuilt points to God dwelling with us in the New Jerusalem. The worship resuming points to Revelation 5:9-10, where the multitude sings, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God." Do you see the arc? From Ezra to Revelation. From the temple in Jerusalem to the New Jerusalem. From priests settling in towns to a royal priesthood dwelling with God forever. And all of it—all of it—is "to the praise of the glory of his grace."

The Cable Of Hope

Now let me show you one more thing before we close. Because I want you to see how secure this is. How certain this is. How unbreakable this is. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, Paul uses this phrase: God "chose you from the beginning to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." And then in verse 15 he says, "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught." Now, I want you to imagine something with me. Imagine a pilot named Henry Dempsey flying a small plane at 4,000 feet. Suddenly, turbulence hits. The rear door flies open. And he's sucked part way out of the plane. He falls face down on the steps, and his body is hanging out over the Atlantic Ocean. What does he do? He grabs the railing. And he holds on with a life-and-death grip. His fingers clinch around that rail so tight that when the plane lands, they have to pry his hands open. This actually happened. The news called him hang on Hank… And I want you to hear this: The life-and-death grip with which Henry Dempsey held on to that railing is the kind of grip we should have on the grace of God. Because there is a cable of hope. And this cable has six strands of steel. And every one of those strands is a work of God. Strand one: God's love. "Brethren beloved by the Lord" (2 Thess 2:13). You are not loved generally. You are loved particularly. Distinguishingly. Effectually. Eternally. Strand two: God's election. "God chose you from the beginning" (2 Thess 2:13). Before you chose Him, He chose you. Strand three: God's salvation. "Chose you to be saved" (2 Thess 2:13). You are destined for glory. Strand four: God's sanctification. "Through sanctification by the Spirit" (2 Thess 2:13). The Holy Spirit is making you holy. Strand five: God's call. "To this he called you through our gospel" (2 Thess 2:14). God's call overcomes all resistance. Strand six: God's gospel. The good news that Jesus Christ died for sinners. And when you take hold of this cable—when you cling to it with a life-and-death grip—grace explodes in you. You can't help but respond. You can't help but worship. You can't help but give. Why? Because you're not an exile anymore. You're home.

For Your Sake

Now I need to tell you why this was all recorded. Why did God put Ezra 2:68-70 in the Bible? Turn to 1 Timothy 1:15-16. Paul says, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." Did you catch that? Paul says his conversion was recorded "for an example to those who were to believe." God had you in view when He saved Paul. And God had you in view when He brought these families home from Babylon. This is recorded for your sake. So you would see how sovereign grace works. So you would see "the whole of God's longsuffering." So you would take hope. If God brought rebels home from Babylon... If God saved the chief of sinners on the Damascus road... Then God can save anyone. Including you. Including the person you're praying for who shows no signs of interest. Paul's conversion was sudden and unexpected. So was Israel's return. And that means the same can happen for others. Don't despair. Keep praying. Keep speaking the truth in love. Because sovereign grace turns enemies into worshipers.

Caught Up In Eternity

Church, let me bring this home, as the worship team comes up… to lead us. When you give—when grace explodes in your heart and you can't help but respond—you're not just being generous. You're not just expressing gratitude. You're not just helping with the budget. You're participating in what God planned before the foundation of the world. Before Babylon. Before Jerusalem. Before Abraham. Before Adam. Before the universe existed. God planned "to the praise of the glory of his grace." And when grace detonates in you, you're caught up in that eternal purpose. Your giving isn't functional. It's praise. It's not about numbers. It's about hearts on fire. It's not about what we need. It's about the glory of the Father. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When you invest your treasure in the kingdom of God, your heart follows. And when your heart is caught up in the kingdom, grace explodes in worship. And God gets glory. That's the point. That's always been the point. From before creation to eternity future. "To the praise of the glory of his grace."

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