The Work Begins
Book of Ezra
Six months have
passed since we began our study of the Book of John and now, we will
spend some time in the Old Testament.
In 539 BC the
Persians and the Medes under King Cyrus had defeated the Babylonians
in a fierce battle for world domination just as the Prophet Daniel
had predicted.
It was Isaiah that
had predicted that Cyrus would do these things about 100 years before
Cyrus had been born.
Isa 44:28 That
saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure:
even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy
foundation shall be laid.
Isa 45:1 Thus saith
the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden,
to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to
open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be
shut;
Isa 45:2 I will go
before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in
pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Isa 45:3 And I will
give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret
places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by
thy name, am the God of Israel.
It was Jeremiah who
had said that Jews would only be in captivity for 70 years.
Dan_9:2 In the
first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of
the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet,
that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of
Jerusalem.
Jer 25:11 And this
whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these
nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12 And it
shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will
punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for
their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it
perpetual desolations.
The Book of Ezra was
written by Ezra and Ezra was a Jewish Priest.
There were three
groups who returned from Babylon, but not one group included any from
the Northern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom had been carried off by
the Assyrians and never returned to the Promise Land during this
period.
Cyrus had captured
all the lands of the Babylonians which included the land of the
Assyrians and any of those Jews who had remained could have the same
freedom to return to Israel.
Let's begin:
*****Ezr 1:1 Now in
the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by
the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, 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,
Ezr 1:2 Thus saith
Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the
kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house
at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Cyrus was the son of
Cambyses, king of Persia and Mandane the daughter of Astyages, king
of Media.
King Cyrus claimed
himself to be the liberator of all peoples.
He allowed any group
that were captured by the Babylonians to return to their homeland not
just the Jews, after all he now ruled all those homelands.
He had first allowed
Zerubbabel to lead the first group of the Jews back to Jerusalem. So
many things had happened that were against the Word of God that not
much work was done in Jerusalem.
It was Ezra who led
the second group charged with the rebuilding of the Temple which was
financed by King Cyrus and any free will offerings.
Cyrus also returned
to the Jews all the valuables stolen from the Temple of Solomon.
Later Nehemiah would
lead a third group of Jews back to Jerusalem charged with rebuilding
the walls of Jerusalem.
By all these things
we should have no doubt that it is God that puts in place the leaders
of this world!
A lot of things are
said about the Jews good and bad, but one thing stands out, they are
dedicated builders of their nation when they get the opportunity!
They were cured of
their idolatry, that had come between them and Jehovah.
If we ask what is
wrong with our world today, it should be obvious that all our
problems come because of sin.
We see that Cyrus
was a king who believed that all his success came because of the Lord
God of Heaven and Earth.
Cyrus was no
Christian, but he knew where his power came from, he was not an
atheist.
To the Jews, Cyrus
was Kuresh, the King of Persia.
We should be able to
see that God can touch the heart of any ruler at any time as He says
in the Book of Isaiah.
Isa 45:13 I have
raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he
shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price
nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
God knows what is
going to happen in this world before it happens!
God knows that the
Jews want to see Israel survive even if many of them will never make
it back home!
What did Cyrus ask
the Jewish people?
*****Ezr 1:3 Who is
there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him
go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the
LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:4 And
whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of
his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and
with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that
is in Jerusalem.
Cyrus did not demand
that all the Jews leave, and many did not, but he did allow anyone
who chose to go home and be a part of the rebuilding of the Temple
and there homes the freedom to do so.
We should understand
that these things were all recorded in the history of Persia and are
all true.
The Persia we are
familiar with are now the nations of Iraq and Iran.
Any Jew that was
alive from the time of captivity would remember the preaching
Jeremiah and Isaiah and the other prophets that had come true and
they knew it was their sin that had brought on all these things.
All these are
lessons for the Church. We can see again that God will always do what
He says, and it is God who places rulers into power.
Our Holy God still
rules this world!
The date of this
proclamation of Cyrus was 538 BC the very first year of his reign
over Babylon.
Cyrus had a personal
reason for these things he did.
He wanted all people
to pray to their god for a long life "for him" even after
he had stated that it was it was the Lord God of Heaven who had given
him the victory.
Just as so many do
today, he had thoughts of all people worshiping the same God which is
not true. Jehovah God is a jealous God who will not share His worship
with others.
What did Jehovah
teach the Jews?
Exo 20:5 Thou shalt
not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Exo 34:14 For thou
shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a
jealous God:
Deu 6:15 (For the
LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD
thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face
of the earth.
Many of the Jews
were ready, for they knew what God had said to the prophets.
*****Ezr 1:5 Then
rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the
priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised,
to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:6 And all
they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of
silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious
things, beside all that was willingly offered.
We should clearly
understand that the chastening of the Lord is never about punishment
it is always about reform. The Jews had been given the task of
preserving the Word of God and they could not do this if they ignored
the Word of God!
It is much like that
today, the chastisement we go through is not about punishment it is
about keeping us moving in the right direction toward eternal life in
God's Heaven.
God was working on
His people all the time they were in captivity! They had been cured
of their idolatry! They now rejected all pagan gods!
They longed for the
Living God!
They had a new
devotion to the Lord's sanctuary, the Temple.
You see we must have
a devotion to the House of God!
Heb 10:24 And let
us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some
is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the
day approaching.
Nebuchadnezzar had
captured Jerusalem in 604 BC.
The proclamation of
Cyrus was in 538 BC.
Leaving time for the
people to gather their belongings and make the long trip to
Jerusalem, the work on the Temple began May 534 BC the 70 years had
been completed just as Jeremiah had said by the Holy Spirit.
What caused Cyrus to
do these things, besides wanting a prayer of thanks from these Jews?
His own advisers had
told him of the prophesies of the prophet Isaiah.
If we cannot see the
hand of God in all these things, then we do not understand the Lord
as much as we think we do!
Just as God had done
in Egypt, He had encouraged those who lived among the Jews to make a
free will offering to them.
Cyrus would provide
the funds for rebuilding the Temple.
Cyrus would provide
a military unit for their protection for a time.
These people needed
a free will offering in order to sustain themselves until they could
get their homes rebuilt and grow their own crops.
We have missions and
ministries that cannot survive today without free will offerings.
2Co 9:7 Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2Co 9:8 And God is
able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
2Co 9:9 (As it is
written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his
righteousness remaineth for ever.
After a rough start
the children of Israel began the work of rebuilding the Temple.
*****Ezr 3:9 Then
stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons,
the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house
of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the
Levites.
Ezr 3:10 And 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.
Verse 9 is not part
of our lesson, but it is hard to miss that name Jeshua. In Hebrew it
means "he will save". In reality it is another form of the
name Joshua which in the Greek is Jesus.
Jesus is the
foundation of the Church and if you cannot accept the work of Jesus
for your salvation, you cannot be saved!
For those who use
typology, we can see the importance of this man named Jeshua!
In the Book of
Nehemiah this same Jeshua was one of the men who gave the meaning of
the Laws of Moses.
Neh 8:7 Also
Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah,
Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites,
caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in
their place.
Neh 8:8 So they
read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,
and caused them to understand the reading.
We know that our
Lord Jesus Christ has been involved in the safe keeping of the Word
of God from the beginning.
Now this man was not
Jesus in any way, but he could be considered a type of Jesus.
Even before the
foundation of the Temple was laid the altar was repaired and
offerings were made to Jehovah God.
A continuous burnt
offering was made, and all the feast were kept during the rebuilding
of the Temple.
These people had
learned by a sad experience that they were dependent upon God!
The materials for
the Temple were gathered from many nations such as Tyre and Sidon and
the forest of Lebanon.
Have you ever
noticed how God utilizes nations to move the Gospel?
The Romans built new
roads to move their army quickly, but God used those same roads to
proclaim the "Gospel".
Today we see all
sort of modern ways to communication but at the same time these
things can be used to spread the "Gospel".
We must never be
afraid of these things. We must send the "Gospel" out in
every way we can use because we know that the Word of God will not
come back void and the Word of God cannot be stopped.
Christianity must be
a uniting force and not be forced upon anyone like it was during the
time of the crusades. God's Word will make a way because it’s He
who sends it!
The priests in their
apparel blew the trumpets, the Psalmist with the cymbals, there was
something going on at God's House and all were invited to lay a stone
on the foundation!
You want to build a
Church, this is the best way!
There was singing
and shouting, and praise being offered to Jehovah God for His true
Word.
*****Ezr 3:11 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.
Psalm 136 which is
probably used here, tells of the great power of God but the emphasis
is on God's goodness and God's mercy.
Mercy can be
understood as compassion for those who miserable! These Jews were in
captivity for 70 years. Some fared well, but I suppose many of them
were no more than slaves.
God had realized
these things from His beginning, and He decided, He would be more
like a Father than as a Deity who cared not for His creation!
God not only has
"mercy" he also expects us to show mercy even to our
enemies.
Mat 18:33 Shouldest
not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had
pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his
lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should
pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So
likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your
hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
When we understand
the mercy of God, we can begin our climb out of the miry clay of sin
and then we will also praise the Lord for His goodness.
A good man knows the
difference in right and wrong and he will choose right every time!
Without God's
goodness and God's mercy, we would never get to see God's "GRACE".
Today the morality
level and the goodness level in America, is almost nonexisting!
Being back home was
a great feeling for the Jews.
Many of them had
never even seen Jerusalem as they were born in captivity, but during
those years their parents had continued to share the Word of God with
them.
Many of those who
had seen the Temple of Solomon knew that this rebuilt Temple would
not possess the grandeur of Solomon's Temple.
The things we will
miss if we do look closely are:
1) This became a
working church
2) They all worked
together
3) They were
obedient to the Word of God
4) They worked
without ceasing
5) They celebrated
singing worship songs
6) They were
thankful
We know that today
the Bible says we are a Temple of God. How are we working compared to
these Jews?
1Pe 2:2 As newborn
babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1Pe 2:3 If so be ye
have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1Pe 2:4 To whom
coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen
of God, and precious,
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as
lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
What did Paul
preach?
1Co 3:9 For we are
labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's
building.
1Co 3:10 According
to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let
every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
We must realize that
a Temple that has fallen will never be as grand as it was before it
fell and we must remember that today each Christian ia a Temple of
God!
The second Temple
would not ever reach the splendor of Solomon's Temple. If we allow
our temple to fall back into sin and return to the Lord with full
forgiveness, we will never be the witness we could have been!
*****Ezr 3:12 But
many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were
ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of
this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and
many shouted aloud for joy:
Ezr 3:13 So that
the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the
noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a
loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
The first and the
second Temple were built in the exact same place, they had nearly the
same foundation, they were both built with the same design.
The Temple that we
raise, that our forefathers saw, is built upon the foundation of the
Apostles and the Prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself the Chief Corner
Stone.
We have the same
"gospel", we have the same Savior, and the same Holy Spirit
who lives within us for conversion, edification, support, and
comfort!
For the Jews the
first Temple surpassed the second Temple because it was built with
better materials.
But we today as
sinners who were not fit to be a Temple of God, are built into a
glorious Temple of God.
As a Temple of God
we must be Holy!
1Co_3:17 If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of
God is holy, which temple ye are.
Just as the second
Temple was dedicated to God. so we are to be dedicated to God.
This is where the
Church of today fails the most!
In fact there are so
many that have rejected the truth of God, the Church is tarnished.
We must remember
Jesus did not say the Word of God was true, Jesus said the Word of
God is the "Truth"!
There is no higher
authority anywhere on this planet and there never will be, until the
Lord returns!
Joh_17:17 Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Ezra is considered
to the father of Jewish religion and he gave his life to keep the
Jews in line with the Word of God.
This the same period
when the Pharisees got started and this began with good intentions to
keep the people in line with the Word of God.
It later days, the
they begin to add their own interpretation, their own words, making
their own words, the words of man, to be greater than the Word of
God.
Again this is the
same thing happening in our world today. The Church has allowed the
world inside the Church and the words of man and politicians to be
greater than the Word of God.
Some people today
cannot discern the truth from the man-made laws because they refuse
to study the Word of God themselves and they depend on some man to
lead them in the right way. It is a shame!
When the world gets
inside the Church then the work of God will cease.
*****Ezr 4:24 Then
ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it
ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
We must understand
that the tactics of Satan and those who reject the only God, Jehovah
are wicked!
If they cannot bend
the goodness of the Church to their own wishes, they will change
their tactics and call the good bad and the bad good.
They will hire
politicians to frustrate the work of the Church.
They will seek out
men with no scruples who will deliberately use their influence and
their pocketbooks, in an evil cause for their own gain!
When we get away
from the promises of God and listen to the false promises of the
world, the Church will cease to exist.
If not for the Holy
Spirit this would take place!
As our world removes
more and more of the history of our lives, they gain more control.
As the world takes
control of the minds of our young people, they gain more control.
As the world
tramples on the Word of God, they gain more control.
We must wake up to
these tactics, take our stand on the Word of God, and refuse to move
until the Lord comes.
We are not to be
timid with the Word of God, we are to be bold!
Eph 6:11 Put on the
whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
When the Church will
not take a stand, the world will roll right over us, as we see today!
Amen
Let's Pray!
