Week 38: Ezra and Psalms 74 – 80

Isn’t it amazing when you stumble onto a portion of Scripture that feels like it was written to you personally!  It is absolutely true that not all Scripture is about us, but certainly all Scripture is for us!  While the book of Ezra was written nearly two and a half millennium ago, to a people coming out of real-life exile, rebuilding a real-life temple in the face of real-life opposition…I still felt like Ezra’s words were a personal letter of encouragement and hope from God to me.  What Paul wrote to Timothy proved true for me once again:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17

For me, the book Ezra resounded with the themes of perseverance, trust in God’s faithfulness to provide what we need when we need it, and the beauty of how God uses others to sanctify and center us.

With the help of commentators on the book of Ezra, I was able to get a better understanding of the timeline marked out in the accounts.  Being so far removed from the actual events, I can forget to consider the length of time different passages of Scripture are covering.  What may have been a period of 100 years, or the span of several generations, I assume took place in a matter of weeks.  It does not help that the references to time are according to a calendar that is not familiar to us and political reigns that are just names on a page from our side of history.

All that to say, I learned that Cyrus’ edict in Ezra chapter 1 was given in 538 BC.  The rebuilding of the temple was then completed in 516 BC.  Ezra did not actually come onto the scene in Jerusalem until about 457 or 458 BC.  Taken at face value, I would have assumed the whole book of Ezra played out in less than a decade.

Counting backwards, that means it took 22 years for the temple to be completed after God’s remnant people heard those sweet words of release from Cyrus the Great.  During that time, they were faced with opposition of every sort.  In Ezra 4, we saw that the people of the land used fear tactics to try to intimidate God’s people (v.4).  Then the people “beyond the river” wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes that completely misrepresented the character and intent of God’s people (v.15).  Finally, the opponents of God’s remnant used force and power to make them stop their work on the house of God (v.23).  It wasn’t until 520 BC (after 18 years of discouragement and opposition) that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah came along and exhorted those in Jerusalem to continue on with the work that God had called them to do.

Taking a quick side trip over to the book of Haggai, I learned a bit more about his exhortation to those who had all but given up on the temple rebuild project.  In the face of all the opposition, they had ceased work on the temple and turned instead to building their own houses.  Their focus had become making sure their lives were comfortable and safe rather than setting their face like flint towards the rebuilding of God’s dwelling place.  The word of the LORD came through Haggai to show them the error of their ways and set them back on the right path.  At the heart of Haggai’s prophesy was the reassurance of God’s precious promise:

“I am with you, declares the LORD.” Haggai 1:13, 2:4

With the support of King Darius of Persia and the renewed zeal from the prophesies of Haggai and Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua took up their cause once again and completed the work that God had for them.

“They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia…And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.”  Ezra 6:14-16

It took time.  It took a decree from God and decrees from very unexpected outside sources.  It took encouragement and correction from people who cared.  It took remembering who they were, Whose they were, and what they were called to do (5:11).  It took the support and covering of so many different people along the way.  Then it took more help down the road when Ezra came along to disciple and teach them God’s intended way of living.  The returned exiles, God’s remnant people, could not have completed the work that God had for them to do without all of these things.  God knew that, and He provided each and every person along the way.

To me, this feels like the narrative of a life in service to our God.  There are things that it would seem the LORD has planted in our heart to do, giving us a “decree” of sorts.  Other people may encourage us and give their “decrees” if you will.  We may then imagine what we think it will look like and set out many a time with great enthusiasm and ambition.  But then, the opposition comes, whether through doubts, fears, circumstances, voices of discouragement, etc.  As a result, we get derailed and our focus becomes building safety and security for ourselves rather than pressing into the work that God has given us to do.  But finally, in His perfect way, the word of the LORD comes.  Our eyes are opened and we see that He has provided the necessary provisions and support to keep moving forward.  He is so good like that.

What work has God given you to do?  In light of all that He has done to bring you out of exile, giving your life new purpose and meaning, what is His decree over you?  Are you facing opposition and discouragement at this time?  Have you become distracted, trying to safeguard yourself against those who oppose you?  Take the story of Ezra to heart.  We are God’s remnant people with a job to do.  In the face of opposition, let the response of God’s people from Ezra 5 remind you of who you are, Whose you are, and what you are called to do.

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago.”  Ezra 5:11