Some Nails We have to Hold To

Ezra 9:8 - And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horse-shoe nail.

Ezra was being to lead a group out of captivity back to the Promised Land.. and in the midst of that, he leads the group to stop and fast and pray. Our text comes from that prayer. In that prayer he thanks God for His Grace in allowing them to return to the Land of Promise and for allowing them to rebuild the Temple... he calls that Temple a NAIL!

Turn with me to another place in the Bible where we find the same symbolism used..

Isaiah 22:23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.
24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.
25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Twice we've read seen the symbolism of the nail. What is being it portrayed is this... In a strong part of the wall or timber, where it shall not fail, or be removed, or cut down, and so let drop what is hung upon it you would place the nail. The nail speaks of the stability and continuance, and of the strength and support he should be of unto others;

I. The Church and it's Support

John Buchan (1875-1940) said, An atheist is a man without any invisible means of support.

God built His Church.... It's the Pillar and Ground of the Truth... It's the place where we believers may come and find strength and help and encouragement.... and support.. The world, the flesh, and the devil, would like to cut you off from this Life Line.. You cannot let that happen..

Everyone in every place doesn't have a Church.. that is hard for us to imagine.. Example of Yemen - Torture and arrested for having a bible.. no church in the whole country.

Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

One frustrated oppressor of Christianity in the former Soviet Union once said, "Religion is like a nail. The harder you hit it the deeper it goes into the wood." We need to learn that the harder we are hit the deeper we need to go...

II. The Bible and it's Strength

Ezra 9:8 - that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

God is going to use this Bible as to shed light in a dark day.

Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

America is what is because we've looked to Bible for Light in bygone days.. Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) said,

"The foundation of our society and of our government rests so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings should cease." It's sad, but we've choosen to let go of this most important Nail.

Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

May I say a sure word of From God's book is better than a 1000 words from Worlds' counselors..

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Some one said, "Enough research will tend to support your theory." -- Thanks Be Unto God that His Word does not waiver and change with whatever we are trying to prove..

Ecclesiastes 12:11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

Asher Ben Jehiel (1250-1327) said, "Don't rely on the broken reed of human support." Not so with the Bible..

III. The Son of God and His Security

Zech 10:1-4
1 Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
2 For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.
3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
4 Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow, out of him every oppressor together.

He is the Corner or Corner Stone -- strength and support of the building, which knits, cements, and keeps the whole together: Christ is a beautiful and precious cornerstone, which gives glory and lustre to the church, and is the support, yea, the foundation of it; and who joins and unites together men and angels;

Out of Him is the Nail -- The allusion is either to a nail, by which the timber in the building is compacted together, and the whole is strengthened, as the church is by Christ: or to a nail to which the cords of tents are fastened, as those of shepherds, travellers, or soldiers; the church is as such a tent; Christ is the nail to which its cords are fastened, which denotes the stability and security of it: or to a nail fixed in a wall, on which things are hung; on Christ are hung all the vessels of mercy; the covenant of grace, and all its promises and blessings; and all the glory of his Father's house, of his building, the temple, and of the salvation of his people, is to be hung on him.

Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Ps. 52: 1 To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.>> Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

Do you know this Nail.. this Saviour?

Isaiah 22:23 speaks of this nail being cut off.. dealing with our Nail dieing for our sins.. what a Saviour.. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. 25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

One time at the City Temple in London, there was in the congregation a restaurateur named Emil Mettler, who was a close friend of Albert Schweitzer and a kind of agent for Schweitzer in Britain. Mettler would never allow a Christian worker to pay for a meal in his restaurant, but once he did happen to open his cash register in the presence of a secretary of the London Missionary Society. The secretary was astonished to see among the bills and coins a six-inch nail. What was it doing there? Mettler explained, "I keep this nail with my money to remind me of the price that Christ paid for my salvation and of what I owe Him in return."