Rebuilding the Temple – Ezra

As the book opens (Ezra 1:1-6), we find Cyrus, king of Persia, making a proclamation throughout his kingdom permitting the Jews who were captives in his kingdom to return to Jerusalem. 200 years before, God had prophesied that he would do this.

At Cyrus’s first call in 537 B C (Ezra 1:1-4), no more than 50000 Jews availed themselves of the opportunity of returning to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel. Cyrus gave back to Zerubbabel the golden vessels Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:5-11). They started back over 700 miles of barren desert from Babylon to Jerusalem. Everything was taken care by God who is in charge. Not only money for rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, but also travelling expenses and all other needs were provided by God at Cyrus’s direction (Ezra 1:4,6).

The names of those who returned are given in chapter 2. They laid the foundation of the Temple. It is interesting to notice that before they built homes for themselves they first thought of a house for The Lord. They did not build the Temple first, but the alter (Ezra 3:2). Read about the hindrances to all the work (Ezra 4:1-22). The opposition disheartened them. Haggai and Zechariah, the prophets, encouraged the people from within the ranks (Ezra 4:23 – 5:17), and within 4 years the Temple was completed and dedicated (Ezra 6).

Ezra appears in the 7th chapter. 60 years after the Jews had first returned to Jerusalem, he led a second expedition from Babylon to reinforce the struggling colonists in Judah. We can find in Ezra 7:25, how impressed the king was with Ezra’s love of God’s word. Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel (Ezra 7:10). Under Ezra we see a great revival.

Ezra and Nehemiah tell the history of the return of God’s chosen people after the exile. They give the record of one of the most important events in Jewish history – the return from exile in Babylon. The purpose of God may sometimes seem delayed, but they are never abandoned. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell us how God remembered and how He brought back his people from exile. If you trust in God and live accordingly, the blessings and promises God provides to you may delayed. It may be because of your disobedience or even God’s plan. But when you call upon Him and plead your submission, He will hear and answer all your desires according to His riches and glory in Jesus Christ.

In Ezra, we see the first thing what they did was to build an alter to offer sacrifices for their sins. The place where sin must be dealt with must come first in every life. The heart must be right if God is to bless. The alter was the center of the Jewish people, the Cross the center of the Christian faith. If you are urging for a miracle in life, first thing is to repent your sins before God and accept the salvation.

May the Spirit of Lord guide you in repentance and salvation, to grow in Christ and live a holy life.

Corruption of Israel – 2 Kings

2 Kings starts with Elisha succeeding Elijah. Elijah trained Elisha as his successor. Elisha’s ministry lasted 50 years. Most of the miracles which God did through him were deeds of kindness and mercy.

2 Kings 1 to 7 talks about the corruption of Israel. Jeroboam, the ruler of Israel, the Northern Kingdom, made Shechem his capital. It was the center of the land. It was the custom, according to the law, to go up to Jerusalem regularly to worship (Deuteronomy 12:11,14; 16:6,15,16; 1 Samuel 1:3,7). Jeroboam was afraid to have the 10 tribe’s journey to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, Rehoboam’s kingdom, to worship God. So he made two golden calves and placed them in convenient spots – Bethel and Dan in the northern end of the kingdom, so people would not have to go to Jerusalem. For more than 20 times we see his name mentioned as “Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin”. It shows us to beware of man-made religion. After 200 years, the people were carried into captivity by the king of Assyria (2 kings 17). Many of God’s prophets had warned Israel of captivity, but they would not turn from their idolatry to Jehovah.

For 80 years there was continuous war between them. Then there was a period of 80 years of peace between these two kingdoms following the marriage of the son of Jehoshaphat (Judah) to the daughter of Ahab (Israel). In Judea (southern kingdom), there was only one dynasty (David) from King Rehoboam to Zedekiah. The great prophets of that day were Nathan, Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Joel and Zephaniah.

About 136 years after the Northern kingdom (Israel) had been taken into captivity by Assyria, the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple burned and the princes led away. It is because the people had forgotten God and refused to listen to the warnings of the prophets.

There is a great difference between the fall of Israel and Judah. Israel was scattered throughout the nations for an indefinite period, but God specified the length of Judah’s captivity to seventy years. Judah was to return to Jerusalem, which happened later. The Messiah was to come out to Judah and God was preparing the way for him to come there and not to Babylon or Assyria. God was using even the rulers of foreign nations to work out His plan.

The history of Jews is a record of Gods dealings with disobedient children. In all punishment, He is kind and merciful for He loves them still. As new Israel, we the people in Christ needs to learn from the mistakes these people did against God by being obedient to Him and live a life that pleases Him.