The experiences of Ezra, Nehemiah and all of the exiles who returned from captivity serve as a great example for believers today. Through the narrative of Ezra, God demonstrates a model that we as builders of His House (our local Churches and Congregations) must follow. Beginning in the book of Ezra, we see the hand of God preparing the way for the exiles to return back home. The Lord declared two centuries earlier through the prophet Isaiah that He would bring His people back and He would use a man named Cyrus to do so (Isaiah 44:28). Friends, we can see that God’s plan will come to pass in His appointed time. Moreover, God chooses whomever He wishes. Cyrus was a Gentile, but God chose him before he was ever born. God has sovereignty over all creation and when He chooses someone, He will make sure that person will do exactly His will, not swaying to the right or to the left. The Lord did not appear to Cyrus in a supernatural manifestation, rather He moved the heart of Cyrus, showing us that God operates in the heart of man.
In Ezra 1:5, the scriptures state that only a remnant responded to the prophetic and supernatural move of God. Again, it was those whose hearts were moved to react to what God was doing. They realized that it was God’s move and thus left their comfort level. The trip took 4 months (about 720 miles). The exiles were on a mission to rebuild God’s Temple and restore the proper place of Worship. The temple represented the House of God and His presence in their midst. The House of God was worth sacrificing their lives for because they had experienced life without the Presence of the Lord while they were in captivity. Like those who left Persia, only certain people will respond to what God is doing in His Church today. Those who have His Vision, will be willing to walk out of their comfort zone and set out to be builders of the House of God because they know what life is like without the House of God and His Presence.
Ezra 3:2 states that first step in the building project was the altar. The altar was crucial because it was upon it that the Jews could bring their sacrifices. As soon as the altar was finished, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles as written in the Law of Moses. Amazingly, the exiles from the moment they arrived began to diligently obey the Word of God and to restore the function of the temple as soon as possible. Evidently, they were hungry for God after been so long in exile away from their promised land and from the Presence of God. Restoring the supremacy of God’s Word is the first step of the building project. As builders of God’s House, our first task is to build up, support and love the teaching and preaching God’s Word and its application to our lives. We are on the right track when we allow the Word to penetrate our daily lives as the exiles did once they came back and returned to the ways of God (celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles).
Ezra 3:7- Once the altar was in place, the exiles began giving towards the construction of the temple. Giving came after the people heard the Word of the Lord. They reacted to the Word and began to give anything that could contribute to the building of God’s House. Those who had the skills and abilities began working with their talents. Once the Word is in place in our hearts, we will begin to apply God’s Word and be moved to give up ourselves to the building of God’s House. Not just financially contributing but allowing our skills to be used for the construction of His house.
Ezra 3:10-12- Once a strong foundation was completed, the people rejoiced because they knew that the most important part of the rebuilding process was complete. They took to song and declared that God’s Love endures forever. They recognized the prophetic fulfillment of God’s promises to His people in bringing them back to their land. We as believers have not experienced true victory until we see the Word take root in our lives and anchor us into God’s agenda. When our local congregations are rooted in the Word of God and built upon Yeshua, the solid Rock, we can be assured that our Congregations and Churches will be strong.
Ezra 4:1-4- Building God’s House does not happen without strong opposition from the enemy. The enemies of God’s people were jealous of their accomplishments and did not want the temple to be rebuilt. Thus, they began to oppose the project with a two pier strategy. First, they approached the exiles and asked to be partners in the building project. The Jews knew that these people did not fully serve the Lord and were idol worshippers. The exiles operating in the Fear of God, did not want the building project to be contaminated, so they refused their help. The second strategy was then to discourage the builders using a killer weapon, their tongues. They accused the exiles of attempting to rebel against the King as soon as the temple was completed. Satan will not stand still when we are building up God’s House, especially once the foundation is set and is strong. Satan uses compromise and false accusations to either stop or dismantle the work of the Lord in the building of His house. When we allow people, whose hearts and intentions are not right because they do not fully serve the Lord but worship idols, to be part of the building process, we put the whole project in jeopardy. Through these people, Satan works to destroy the foundation which is the Word of God. Those who do not submit their lives to the Word will always hinder or get in the way with the rest of God’s people. The project will erode from within. Sin will be tolerated, faith will be minimized and man will be exalted. The second tactic is less discrete but just as destructive in force. Those who are against the building project will accuse the builders of wrong intentions and will seek to arouse people against them in order to hinder their work. The tactic of false accusation is powerful because the basis of it lies in jealousy. Moreover, false accusations are usually believed more than the truth and have the power to discourage even the courageous builder because they feel powerless in their own strength to deal with the accusers tongue.
As a result of the false accusations, the exiles stopped building the House of God and began to focus on their own lives. God quickly steps in and rebukes the exiles for abandoning His House (see Haggai 1:3-10). The Lord declares that by abandoning the building project, they will never be prosperous, no matter how hard they work. God commands them to continue His work regardless of the opposition, because no man can change the set plans of the Lord. Moreover, if they continue building, the Lord promised to bless His people. Often in times of opposition, we the builders of God’s House stop our focus on God’s agenda and turn and follow our own. We begin to concentrate our energy towards our personal lives. As a result, the blessing of God is cut off from our lives. God demonstrates a principle here that is important. We cannot except to be blessed if we abandon the building of God’s House.
Ezra 7:1,6- Ezra was a priest who studied and taught God’s Word. Once Ezra had arrived, the building of the temple was well on the way. He was given permission by the King to appoint priests and administer the exiles. Even though He was the leader, his main role was to preach and teach the Word of God. The process of building was given to the people. God brought Ezra to the exiles because Ezra was called to minister and lead the people. He was sanctified as a Priest and thus served the spiritual needs of the community. There is an important truth embedded in this portion of scripture. The leaders that are called to the Lord’s House are not the ones who are to build it. Their function is to minister, administer and feed the builders with the Word of God and encourage them to continue building. The Pastor or leader of your congregation should not be building it. It should be you, dear friends, those who are called to that particular congregation or Church, building and contributing to God’s work.
Ezra 9:1-4- The first problem Ezra faced was intermarriage between the Jews and the nations around them. Ezra’s reaction is truly significant because He knew the Word of God and it was his responsibility as a leader to deal with the crisis. It was a crisis in deed because intermarriage with non-Jews was strictly forbidden in the Law of Moses. Inter-marriage had always led the people to idolatry and had turned their hearts away from God. Ezra, knowing the scriptures, quickly confronts the people and sharply rebukes them. The exiles would have to get rid of all those who were not God’s people in order to maintain the work of God and to pursue it to completion. Intermarriage in the Old Testament is spiritually equal to compromise today. Compromise is simply being influenced and attracted by non-believers and allowing their spiritual condition to affect ours. Those who are not part of the family of God will never support the building of God’s house; rather they will criticize, mock and despise it. Satan knows that a House not completed is a House that can be overcome. That is why the Leadership must preach God’s Word and to continually remain faithful and resist compromise. And that is why Ezra was not afraid to declare God’s truth without apology. Victory lies in the completion of God’s House and Satan will do his best to prevent that from happening. |
