Category: Ezra

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The returnees began well, but stopped building the new smaller temple because political opposition led to the government of the day banning any further work for seventeen years. We too should expect opposition from both individuals and governments to the building of that spiritual temple the Church. The message is: don’t give up! Keep on!

SJA Notes

* God in Heaven, You by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding You established the heavens.

“Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

How the frustrations of the evil one can bear us down!

Bad men, adversaries, conspired against the exiles, playing politics of the worst kind.

The new king ordered work to stop.

And the people stopped.

Yet God does not stop working good for His people.

We see that while the physical work of rebuilding the bricks-and-mortar temple stopped for a time, the work of God in His people did not.

God was not thwarted!

This is a wonderful truth for us to wrestle with when life gets tough, as we are worn down or even sometimes hard-stopped.

God is not rendered powerless by man’s design or the spiritual workings of demons and lying spirits. God is not broken by the machinations of the devil.

No.

Satan was crushed! Jesus won the victory! Death and hell defeated.

This is our king. Praise God, Hallelujah!

* Gracious God,

Please help us to see Your work in us, building Your church in us, Your Spirit at work refining us toward You.

Please remind us of Your sovereignty, Your power without equal, Your good and absolute intent.

Thank You for the hope we have in You, Lord God.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Ezra recounts the return of some exiles to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. The focus in this list of returnees is on those who came to rebuild the Temple. They are mentioned by name! What God had promised through Jeremiah and Ezekiel came true!

SJA Notes

* God Above, may we not despise Your discipline, or be weary of Your reproof – For You reprove those who You love, as a father the son in whom he delights.

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”

Here we see God at work, the king’s heart a stream of water in His hand, turning it as He sees fit.

A king, even a non-Israelite one like Cyrus, is directed by God to build a house of Jerusalem.

We have read of a similar direction to a king many generations before.

In 2 Chronicles 6, Solomon details God’s words to his father David,

“Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.”

Just as with Cyrus, God calls Solomon the king to build Him a house.

But these kings, and the houses they built, were temporary – bricks and mortar.

In Jesus we have a king who is building a house (the temple of His body, John 2) that is everlasting.

In Jesus we are joined as living stones being built up as spiritual house (1 Peter 2).

This passage reminds us that God continues to build His church through the ages – We are His house, little tabernacles where God dwells – Hallelujah!

* Holy God,

Thank You for building Your church through the ages.

Thank You that the rulers of this age are not outside Your will, their hearts are a stream of water in Your hand that You direct as You see fit.

Thank You for saving us, rebirthing us, transforming us, Your Spirit writing Your word on our hearts.

Please show us what You want us to know today.

Amen.