Month: April 2024

Ezra 6:14 And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

Cyrus had made a decree that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. But they faced fierce opposition from their enemies in the land, until King Darius decreed that they should find Cyrus’ original decree in the archives. He reissued the decree and the work went on unhindered.

With the encouragement of the Word of God through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the Jews responded to God’s Commandment and they built and finished the temple. With the word from God through the prophets, and with God guiding the civil authorities, the Jews built and finished the work.

We are also commanded to build a worship life, a life of faith and good works, based on and motivated by prophetic words of Law and Gospel. We expect opposition from our spiritual enemies, but by faith we will still build a place for God in the heart where He always resides. We respond to God’s strong word of grace by faith in Jesus.

Ezra 5:1-2 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zerubbabel the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

The work of resettling the city and rebuilding the temple was a daunting task, especially with the Enemy opposing them. But for strength and encouragement the Lord raised up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to stir the people up to begin and to finish the rebuilding effort. These prophets were used by the Lord to bring His Word to bear on those who were to do the work of the Lord.

The response of Zerubbabel and Jeshua to God’s prophetic Word was to rise up and begin to build. The encouraging word from God’s Word was effective to stir up the leaders with resolve and courage and strength to do God’s will and finish His work.

The prophetic word of Law and Gospel is powerful in our lives. We have been “saved through faith…created in Christ Jesus for good works [Ephesians 2:8-10].” And Philippians 2:13 promises: “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his pleasure.” The Word and the Spirit gives us the desire and the ability to rise up and build. Trust the words of the prophets to stir us up to good works.

Ezra.4:4-5 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

The Enemies of God use the peoples of the world to respond to God’s work with discouragement and fear. They weaken the hands of God’s people, trouble the work of God, and frustrate their purpose. The people of Judah were trying to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, but they were being opposed by the people in the land.

Discouragement and fear are two of the greatest obstacles to completing God’s work. Discouragement eats away at our motivation, and fear paralyzes us so we don’t act at all. We respond by recognizing these common barriers. We remember that God’s people in every age have faced these problems and with God’s help have overcome them. We can respond by standing together with other believers, prevail over discouragement and fear, and fulfill God’s purposes for our life. We respond to any enemy attack by standing firm on the promises of God through faith and prayer.

It should be noted that the strong faith of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel prevailed and succeeded in rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. So also will the Lord restore and rebuild our lives in the face of the Enemy’s opposition.

Ezra 3:10-11 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

After the return of Israel from captivity under Ezra, the people began to rebuild the temple, first laying the foundation. The response of the people to this miraculous salvation was to praise the Lord with singing, with instruments, and with shouting. This would have been some event to see and hear, and entirely appropriate, for the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.

We respond to the preaching and hearing of the Gospel with an exuberant celebration of praise and singing and shouting, for God is good all the time and has brought us back from captivity every day. Praising the Lord fills our daily lives, while we sing and make melody to the Lord in our heart. Everything we think, say, and do is accompanied by praise and thanks. Then we gather together on Sunday to raise a shout and make a joyful noise. For God is good.

Ezra 3:4-5 They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required. And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a free will offering unto the Lord.

When the Jews returned from captivity they immediately laid the foundation of the temple and built an altar. The response to God’s salvation and restoration was to worship and to offer offerings to the Lord. They praised and thanked God in the yearly festivals, observed the weekly Sabbath, and offered the daily burnt offerings. This pattern of worship is meant to penetrate all of life.

This example of yearly, weekly, and daily worship is the pattern that permeates all of our life. For God is always good, He is always our Deliverer, and He is always worthy of praise. Our whole life is a joyful, thankful, worshipful response to the God who saved us, continues to save, and will save us in the end. Our daily living is an offering to God, whether it is a thankful attitude in the heart, or praise with our lips, or kind words spoken to one another, or loving actions toward others. God is good, and we respond with worship.

Ezra 2:68-69 And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place. They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work three score and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.

There was great joy and excitement among the people upon the return from captivity and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. They were so full of joy that they offered freely for the rebuilding of the temple. And they gave abundantly to the treasures of the temple.

Joy in the Lord’s work stirs up the heart to want to give generously and to offer freely to the Lord’s church and to His work of preaching the gospel. Hearing the gospel and receiving it gladly naturally stirs up the response of generous giving. We are so moved and touched that we want to offer freely and cheerfully give out of a cleansed and renewed heart. This same kind of generous response occurred when Moses built the tabernacle. It is similar to the willingness of the first believers to share with one another in the early church.

2 Chronicles 36:22-23 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord given me, and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up,

An unbelieving and godless pagan ruler was used by God do God’s will and carry out His purposes for His people. God stirred him up to make a proclamation that the Jewish people could go back to their land and rebuild the temple. Cyrus responded to the Lord’s charge, knowingly or unknowingly, to fulfill the plan and purpose of God. Although he says it was the Lord who gave him the kingdoms of the earth, it is doubtful that he was converted to believe in the Lord as God. Yet this heathen unbeliever responded positively to the stirring of God. God can use anyone, even a dumb donkey, to get His will done for His people.

The Lord even used the devil, the pagan Roman government, and the unbelieving Jewish authorities to get His Son crucified for our good and for the salvation of all. Even though the response of our enemies was motivated by evil intent, God used their response for our good. They reluctantly and unconsciously did God’s will. God in His love can move heaven and earth, and even the hearts of enemies, to do His will. The most stubborn anti-God person in the world can be used of God to save and love His beloved.

Therefore, we pray, “Thy will be done,” despite the opposition to the will of God. When things were at their most hopeless, the faithful people of God prayed in Captivity, and God answered their prayers in the most unexpected way possible.

This kind of story strengthens our faith and encourages our hope, even in times of dire trouble. God hears our prayers and delivers us from captivity to sin, death, and every evil. Our response: pray for God’s will!

2 Chronicles 36:16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

The kings and the people of God kept on sinning against the Commandments and worshipping false gods. Therefore, the curses of the Covenant must come into effect and the nation be destroyed. However, the Lord still had compassion on them and wanted them to turn to Him in repentance and be blessed and restored. So He sent messengers to call them to repent and return. However, they did not listen, and so the wrath of God came against them until there was no remedy.

But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and misused His prophets. God came to them with His Word because He had compassion on them, but they rejected His warnings and ignored His love. We also need to listen to the Lord speaking to us, calling us to repent and return. If we respond to God’s words and messengers with indifference we do so at our own peril. We listen and respond to the Word.

2 Chronicles 36:12, 13 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he rebelled against king Nebuchnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel.

Zedekiah continues a string of evil kings of Judah, and he becomes the last king before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and Babylon taking God’s people into captivity. This is God’s judgment.

He responded to God’s Word spoken through Jeremiah by not listening, not repenting, and not humbling himself before the Word of the Lord. The purpose of God’s Word of Law and judgment is to bring us to humility and repentance, and to trust in grace and mercy.

Judgment will come. Count on it. Therefore, humble yourself, repent, and turn to the Lord for escape from judgment, for mercy and grace. Hear the Gospel, be forgiven, and allow yourself to be humbled by believing God to do everything necessary for life and salvation. We knock down pride by giving everything to Jesus.

We by nature see full of pride and harden our heart to grace and help and letting God do it all. The choice is remaining hard and stubborn or letting the Law soften the heart to receive the Gospel. The Spirit must do it all through the Word.

2 Chronicles 35:6, 17 So kill the Passover and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses….And the children of Israel that were present kept the Passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

After Josiah had cleansed and repaired the temple and restored proper worship of the Lord, he led the people in the celebration of the Passover Feast. And they killed the Passover lamb and kept the Passover feast that day. No Passover like that was ever kept since the days of Samuel. What a glorious day that must have been! Josiah’s response to the Lord was truly remarkable, just keeping the commandments of the Law as God instituted.

Today we are privileged to respond to God’s Grace with a grand celebration every Sunday in Holy Communion. In the Communion Service we remember the killing of the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, who was sacrificed for us. The Lamb was crucified once for all time for all people, and in Communion we receive by faith the benefits and blessings of that crucifixion for our present day living. In faith and in remembrance we see the Passover Lamb killed for us.

If we only had eyes to see what is really going on in Holy Communion with the killing of the Passover Lamb we would never be the same again. Indeed, this continues every day when we confess and believe in our quiet time with God. Heaven rejoices with us and our joy is complete.