Ezra 9:8 "And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave a remnant to escape, to give us a peg (nail) in His holy place that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage." Ezra has returned to Jerusalem, completely unprepared for what he is to find. He comes across a people going about their business.Everything seems as it should be, then he is informed that the people have mingled with the defiled and gentiles of the surrounding areas. In all the history of Israel, it never failed that when they mingled with others, when they joined themselves to those of the world, they began to lose their distinctiveness, and soon after would regress to idolatry. Right now, the "Church,' is in a similar situation to those Israelites of Ezra'a period. We have joined ourselves to the world, and the we have lost our distinctiveness. It is no surprise that the world cannot tell us apart from them. In 9:12 The Holy Spirit speaks prophetically through the priest and says "Now therefore , do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever." We, as the church here on earth have given our children, sons and daughters in marriage to the world. We have sought peace by giving up our principles and turning from the word of God. We have sought prosperity and the things of the world and we are not strong. We are entering into the days of the Lords indignation. God says to us in Ezekiel 22:24" You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey, they have devoured people:26: Her priests have violated My law and profaned My Holy things, they have not distinguished between the holy and the unholy.27: " Her leaders are like wolves tearing the prey .........to get dishonest gain." Yes brothers and sisters, we are entering a time of judgment, and judgment will absolutely begin at the house of the Lord. The Lord will begin to tear down that which is unclean, that which has one foot in the world and one foot in the church. He will begin by withdrawing His rain. A city of old without rain was a dirty city. The longer the city went without the cleansing rain the stronger the smell became. That which passes for the church will begin to suffer a similar fate as the Lord withholds the rains of His presence and what is left begins to grow foul. Where would any of us be without His presence? And yet, as always, there will be a remnant, this is the Lords way and it has always been so. Ezra 9:8 "And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave a remnant to escape and to give us a peg(nail) in His Holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage." What is this peg, this nail? A nail, in this context is "a time of peace." It is a sure place , a nail bears weight and burden. Isaiah 22:22-23 "The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder, so he shall open and no one will shut. And he shall shut and no one shall open. I will fasten him as a nail in a secure place and he will become a glorious throne to his fathers house." Although this is referencing Eliakim, it is prophetic of the Lord Jesus . Rev 3:7" "He who is holy, He who is true , He who has the Key of David, He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens." This key on the shoulder of Jesus is the cross itself. The cross of Calvary has become the key to victory, the key to life itself, the key to the throne room of heaven where we access all the treasure of the lord our God. The scriptures reference Jesus as the nail. He is our secure place. The key of Eliakim was an actual key that opened the doors of all the precious things, the silver and the gold, it also opened the house of armor and all the treasures. Our place of peace, our nail, our Jesus opens the doors of the treasures of heaven through the cross of Calvary. The silver and the gold of the throne room of heaven are the purified saints, cleansed in the furnace of the Lords making. Jesus opens the doors with the key of David to all the treasures of heaven, the treasures of love and joy and peace. He opens the doors to forgiveness and sanctification. He opens the doors of the armory and equips us with the truth, with the breastplate of righteousness, He gives us shoes to walk in the Gospel of peace, He gives each and every one of us a shield with which we quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. He covers our head with His salvation and He gives us a mighty sword, which by the Spirit is the word of God. It is with these gifts that we shall stand apart from the world. He will once again cause us to become distinct. Those who refuse, those who look back to the world and long for the things of it, will, likes Lots wife, turn to stone. When the rain of His presence is withheld, what is left brothers and sisters?It is only in His presence that we are alive. There is nothing in this world that is worth more than our relationship with Him. How pale the things of the world are in comparison to an intimate fellowship with our heavenly Father?. He cries out to His people," Come away with me my Bride." Shall we take His hand and walk with Him? In order to do this you must lay down that which you have gathered up.You may have a handful of stuff, throw it down right now and grab a hold of His hand. Let Him lead you where He will, for what does it matter as long as we hold His hand, we might not know where He is taking us, but we know we are safe when we walk hand in hand with Him. This comfort, this trust, this sure knowledge is our sure place, is our nail on which we can hang all that we have, this is our place of peace and it is without price. Two thousand years ago, three nails bore the weight and the burden of the whole world. Jesus had become the weight and the burden of the world. And the place of peace is Calvary. As we lift up our eyes to Jesus, then just as in the desert, we are healed. For He bore our burdens and now He promises us peace in the midst of the storm. Those who seek rest for their weary souls will find it by hanging all their cares upon the nail, for it is well able to bear the weight of anything that is hung upon it. This nail is tried and tested, there is nothing to heavy to hang upon it, for this nail is Jesus Christ. In the beauty of Holiness Frank
