Back to the Future

November 27, 2024November 27, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁴Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. ²⁵And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. ²⁶I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, ²⁷20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. ²⁸And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. ²⁹Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” ³⁰So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

³¹Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. ³²We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. ³³On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. ³⁴The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

³⁵At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. ³⁶They also delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God. – Ezra 8:24-36 ESV

Having successfully recruited the additional Levitical priests and temple servants he required, Ezra led the returning exiles in a time of fasting and prayer (vs 21-23). This brief worship service was intended to seek God’s protection and provision for their journey and remind all involved of the holiness of their mission. They were on a divinely ordained assignment from Yahweh to return the sacred vessels to the Temple in Jerusalem. Among the returning exiles was a sizeable contingent of Levitical priests to assist Ezra in teaching God’s Law to the people of Judah. The journey ahead would be long and fraught with danger. It didn’t help that they would carry vast amounts of silver and gold and the priceless sacred vessels stored in the Babylonian treasury for 80 years.

In a display of wise leadership, Ezra delegated responsibility for the treasure to 12 hand-picked priests. It has been estimated that the total weight of the silver and gold was as much as 28 tons. The value of this precious cargo was inestimable but not just because of its financial worth. The gold and silver represented the offerings of Artaxerxes and the people of Judah who remained behind in Babylon. These donations were gifts to Yahweh and were to be considered holy. As Ezra distributed the treasure among the priestly leaders, he conveyed to them the seriousness of their assignment and the sacredness of their cargo.

“You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the Lord. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 8:28-29 NLT

Ezra wanted these men to know they were “holy” (qōḏeš). As Levitical priests, they had been consecrated to God and served at His pleasure. They belonged to Him. Even though they had spent their lives living in exile in Babylon, nothing had changed their set-apart status as God’s servants. Now they were returning to Jerusalem and would be reinstated to their role as the caretakers of the Temple and the mediators between Yahweh and the people. Ezra wanted them to embrace their priestly responsibilities and take seriously the consecrated nature of their heritage. As Levites, they were descendants of Aaron the first high priest, and were expected to carry on the legacy of spiritual leadership that God had graciously bestowed on their tribe.

Centuries earlier, God had chosen the Levites as His own, setting them apart as His servants, the caretakers of His house, and the teachers of His Law.

“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.” – Num ber 8:16-19 NLT

After a lengthy trip, Ezra and his entourage arrived safely in Jerusalem. Their request for God’s protection had been answered and Ezra gratefully acknowledged Yahweh’s providential role behind it all.

…the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. – Ezra 8:31 NLT

No travelers were lost, no gold or silver was stolen, and no Temple treasures were misplaced or missing.

Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded. – Ezra 8:34 NLT

After four days of rest, the people gathered at the Temple for a sacred assembly at which they offered sacrifices to Yahweh. This must have been an emotional occasion for these recently returned exiled. Most, if not all of them, were too young to remember the former glory of Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon had built. These people had been born and raised in Babylon, the descendants of those who had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar decades earlier. This was a new generation of Judahites who received a crash course in the worship of Yahweh and the intricacies of the sacrificial system. It must have been a sensory overload as they witnessed the sacrifices of 12 bulls, 96 rams, 77 male lambs, and 12 male goats. They would have never experienced anything like this during their days in Babylon.

As the people watched, their unblemished bulls, rams, lambs, and goats were ceremoniously sacrificed by the Levitical priests and offered as atonement for their sins. There was deep and meaningful symbolism behind every action. The blood of the animals was spilled and sprinkled on the altar.

“If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you may be accepted by the Lord. Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him. Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the animal’s blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest will build a wood fire on the altar. They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” – Leviticus 1:3-9 NLT

This was a participatory event. No spectators or uninvolved observers were permitted. This religious ritual was intended to remind God’s people of their sinfulness and their need for atonement. The author of Hebrews points out the significance of the sacrificial system when he writes, “…according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT).

Centuries earlier, God had told the people of Israel, “…the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible” (Leviticus 17:11 NLT). As the recently returned remnant looked on, copious amounts of blood flowed as hundreds of innocent animals were slaughtered by the priests. This gruesome spectacle must have been difficult to watch and even harder to reconcile. They had no precedent for understanding what they were observing. None of them had ever offered a sacrifice at the Temple before. This was a new experience for each of them and it’s likely that Ezra, as an expert in the Mosaic Law, had to explain all that was taking place. Even the Levitical priests found themselves in the difficult spot of having to perform sacred duties with which they were totally unfamiliar. This entire event was literally a baptism by fire as the participants rekindled their devotion to Yahweh and received unmerited atonement for their sins.

They were back in the land and because of their sacrifices, they were back in right standing with Yahweh. Their sacrifices had been accepted and their sins atoned for. Now the real work would begin as Ezra attempted to teach the people the code of conduct God had ordained for them. He and his priestly assistants face the formidable task of instructing the people about God’s expectations of them.

Despite their 70-year exile in Babylon, God’s view of the Israelites had not changed. He still held them to a higher standard. When He delivered them out of their captivity in Egypt, God had declared His non-negotiable requirements as His chosen people.

“For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.” – Deuteronomy 7:6-11 NLT

God’s Law had not been altered or amended. His expectations of them had not changed. Their ancestors had disobeyed and been punished. Now it was their turn to hear God’s Laws and decide whether they were willing to keep them. God had proven Himself faithful. But would they?

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Good Hand of Our Great God

November 26, 2024November 26, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: ²Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush. ³Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men. ⁴Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men. ⁵Of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men. ⁶Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men. ⁷Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men. ⁸Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men. ⁹Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men. ¹⁰Of the sons of Bani, Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men. ¹¹Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men. ¹²Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men. ¹³Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men. ¹⁴Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

¹⁵I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi. ¹⁶Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, ¹⁷and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. ¹⁸And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; ¹⁹also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; ²⁰besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.

²¹Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. ²²For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” ²³So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. – Ezra 8:1-23 ESV

The opening verses of chapter 8 provide a more detailed account of the summary in chapter 7, verses 7-9. In this chapter, Ezra recounts his preparations to lead a second wave of exiles back to the promised land. It had been nearly 80 years since King Cyrus had issued his decree authorizing the return of Judah’s captured citizens and underwriting their rebuilding of Jerusalem and its Temple. Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin and a descendant of King David, led a relatively small contingent of Judahites who could prove they were the rightful claimants to the land of their forefathers. Upon their return, this initial group of repatriated citizens found the atmosphere in Jerusalem to be anything but welcoming. They were met with opposition and faced with the formidable task of rebuilding a city that had been decimated by the Babylonians 70 years earlier. The long-abandoned city had become a home to squatters who occupied any still-standing structures. The walls lay in ruins and the once-magnificent Temple had been reduced to rubble. But over the next eight decades, despite relentless opposition and oppressive conditions, the people labored to rebuild, restore, and reclaim the City of David as their own.

A series of kings had ruled the vast Persian Empire with Artaxerxes being the latest. He had authorized Ezra’s request to return to Judah with a contingent of exiles comprised of “priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants” (Ezra 7:7 NLT). These men would assist Ezra in his quest to reeducate the people of Judah in the ways of Yahweh. Nearly 150 years had passed since the nation of Judah had fallen to the Babylonians and during that time, the people had long ago abandoned their worship of Yahweh. Their Temple had been destroyed, leaving them with no sacrificial system or a means of receiving forgiveness or atonement. During their days of exile, the Mosaic Law had become an afterthought. With no Temple in which to perform their priestly duties, the Levites faded into obscurity. Yet, God had given these men explicit orders to teach the people of Israel His laws.

“You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 NLT

Moses outlined the two main job descriptions of the Levites.

“They teach your regulations to Jacob;
they give your instructions to Israel.
They present incense before you
and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.” – Deuteronomy 33:10 NLT

Teaching and sacrifice. Those were the two primary responsibilities of the Levites and, though the Temple had been destroyed, their commission to teach the Law to the people had never been revoked.

Chapter Seven revealed that the main focus behind Ezra’s return was to reacquaint God’s people with His Law.

Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel. – Ezra 7:10 NLT

To accomplish this task, Ezra would need the assistance of qualified men, so he set out to recruit worthy candidates from among the remaining exiles. Verses 1-14 of Chapter Eight contain a partial list of those he found. It appears that this list includes the names of the descendants of the priestly and royal families along with those whose relatives had made the trip 80 years earlier.

After assembling all those who had volunteered to make the arduous trip back to Judah, Ezra reviewed his trip manifest and made a disconcerting discovery.

“I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along.” – Ezra 8:15 NLT

This news left Ezra with no choice but to delay his departure so he could launch a recruitment effort to find and enlist additional Levites. It is clear from Chapter Six that there was a contingent of Levites already in Jerusalem.

…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. They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. – Ezra 6:16-18 ESV

But Ezra knew that he would need additional Levites if he was to accomplish his goal of teaching the Law to the people of Judah. Knowing that his recruitment efforts would be met with resistance, Ezra chose nine qualified leaders to relay his invitation. Two additional men joined the expedition who were known for their discernment and wisdom. With the help of Yahweh (Ezra 8:18), Ezra’s recruitment team proved successful and returned with 38 Levites and 220 temple servants.

With his list completed, Ezra prepared to begin the long trek to Judah. But before starting, he called on Yahweh for divine provision and protection.

“I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.” – Ezra 8:21 NLT

Ezra knew they would need God’s assistance because it would be a long and potentially dangerous trip. His call for a fast was partially motivated by his knowledge that there would be no royal military escort to accompany them on their way. It seems that King Artaxerxes had offered the services of his troops but Ezra was too embarrassed to make the request. He had boldly told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him” (Ezra 8:22 NLT). This left him with no option but to trust God; a potentially frightening but providential place to be. Ezra confidently states, “we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer” (Ezra 8:23 NLT).

It’s difficult to tell whether this statement reflects Ezra’s faith and confidence at the moment they prayed or if was written in hindsight after Ezra and his fellow travelers arrived in Judah safely. But, either way, Ezra believed in the power and provision of Yahweh. He trusted that his call to return to Judah was of God. He had faith to believe that their trip would be providentially overseen by God. He was confident that their mission to teach the Law of God to the people of God would be successfully carried out by the power of God.

Sovereign Over All

November 23, 2024November 23, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹³Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. ¹⁴And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; ¹⁵and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

¹⁶And 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. ¹⁷They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

¹⁹On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. ²⁰For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. ²¹It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. ²²And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. – Ezra 6:13-22 ESV

When reading a story like this, it is easy to see the machinations of men as they plot and scheme their way to a chosen outcome. Local governors and high officials pose questions, cast dispersions, and sow seeds of doubt. Disgruntled citizens write letters of protest containing a list of their grievances and demanding immediate redress. Kings examine royal records, deliberate with learned men, and issue binding and irrevocable decrees. But behind all men’s intrigues and self-interested strategies lies God’s sovereignty. He controls the narrative and orchestrates events so that His will is accomplished.

It was God who moved Cyrus to issue the original decree giving the people of Judah permission to return to Judah and rebuild their capital city and its once-glorious Temple.

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom… – Ezra 1:1 NLT

This pagan king of the Persian Empire made the fateful decision to end the 70-year exile of the people of Judah and allow them to return home. But he also acknowledged that Yahweh, the God of the Jews, had commissioned him with the task of rebuilding the Temple.

“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!” – Ezra 1:2-3 NLT

His decision and ultimate decree were the result of God’s leading. He would not have done what he did had God not intervened and moved his idolatrous heart to fulfill a divine decree issued 70 years earlier. God had orchestrated Judah’s fall to Babylon but had also promised their eventual return.

“This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.” – Jeremiah 25:11-12 NLT

“You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT

God had raised up Cyrus and the Persian Empire to defeat the Babylonians. This fulfilled God’s promise of judgment against the Babylonians for their role in Judah’s demise. But it also set the stage for the next phase of God’s plan: the return of His people to the land of their inheritance. He had promised they would return and was providentially ensuring that it happened on time and in keeping with His will.

Yet, the remnant who returned to Jerusalem found a city in disarray and a Temple that was nothing but a pile of rubble. The city’s walls had been destroyed and many of the surrounding towns and villages had been claimed by displaced immigrants sent to Judah by the king of Assyria. In the intervening decades, these foreigners had intermarried with the Jews who had been left behind, creating a new mixed-race people group that came to be known as Samaritans. Having settled in the land that once belonged to Judah, the Samaritans were not thrilled with the arrival of the returning Jews. They opposed the plans to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. They plotted against the Jews and tried to curtail all construction efforts through verbal attacks and acts of subterfuge. At times, their strategies proved to be effective. As despair set in, the people of Judah set aside their trowels and shovels. They lost sight of God’s plan and gave up hope of seeing their work completed.

But God was not done. He used three different Persian kings to ensure His plan was carried out. Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes each played a significant role in fulfilling God’s will for His chosen people. These pagan and idolatrous kings were instruments in the hands of Yahweh, motivated by His Spirit and obedient to His divine will – each in their own way and at just the right time. And as God moved in the lives of these Persian potentates, He also spoke to and through His prophets; men like Haggai and Zechariah who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned His messages to the people of Judah. It was Haggai who wrote a letter to Zerubbabel and Jehozadak the high priest, commanding that the people restart construction on the Temple.

When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” – Haggai 1:12-13 NLT

Regardless of their circumstances or the efforts of their enemies, God was with them and He always had been. The promises God had made to Zechariah would be fulfilled.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Zechariah 8:4-6 NLT

God had plans for them but He also had the power to bring those plans about. What seemed impossible to them was no problem for Yahweh. He could and would accomplish all that He had promised to do. But the people needed to remain firm in their faith and determined to carry out God’s will, even in the face of opposition. That is exactly the message God delivered to His dispirited people through Zechariah.

“Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.

“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings. Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” – Zechariah 8:9-13 NLT

Ezra reveals that the people heeded the words of God’s prophets and accomplished the task at hand.

…the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. – Ezra 6:14 NLT

The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius’s reign. This momentous occasion was accompanied by feasting and sacrifices. The work was done and the worship began. The Levites renewed their role as God’s priests, offering sacrifices on behalf of the people and atoning for the sins of the nation through the shedding of the innocent blood of an unblemished lamb. Forgiveness was made available and a right standing with God was made possible – for the first time in a very long time. This is an important point because, during their 70 years in exile, the Israelites had no Temple in which to offer sacrifices. No atonement was available because there was no Holy of Holies or Mercy Seat. In fact, even after the newly constructed Temple was finished, the Holy of Holies remained empty because the Ark of the Covenant had been pillaged by the Babylonians, never to be returned. It was once a year on the Day of Atonement that the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the atoning blood on the Mercy Seat located on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Temple was restored, but things would never be quite the same.

Just over a month later, the people celebrated the Passover together. This ancient annual festival was a celebration and commemoration of God’s miraculous deliverance of His chosen people when the death angel passed over the nation of Egypt. All firstborn males living in the homes where the blood of the Passover lamb was sprinkled on the doorpost and lintel were spared (Exodus 12). This night of divine deliverance was to be celebrated every year without fail for perpetuity. There is no indication that the Jews were able to keep the Passover during their seven decades in captivity. So, this day was especially significant for the remnant who returned. It was a reminder of God’s deliverance of Israel from their captivity in Egypt and a celebration of His more recent deliverance from captivity in Babylon.

The final celebration was the seven-day-long Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed Passover. Leaven, which symbolized sin and impurity, was to be avoided during this week-long celebration. The people of Israel were to set aside all leaven, thus setting themselves apart as holy to God. This symbolic act was meant to illustrate their unique status as God’s chosen people. They had been set apart by God and provided with a distinctive relationship with Him based on a covenant and marked by a one-of-a-kind standard of conduct.

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5-6 NLT

They were back in the land. The Temple had been rebuilt. Atonement had been made. Forgiveness had been given. Now it was time for them to live up to their original calling as God’s chosen people. This was a joyous occasion marked by relief and a sense of hope for the future. But while the people could rejoice over the work they had accomplished, there was more to be done. Something was missing. During their 70 years of captivity, the people had lost their knowledge of God. They could reinstitute the sacrificial system and keep the annual feasts and festivals, but none of it would matter if they failed to know and understand the One behind it all: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Out of Sight But Never Out of Control

November 22, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. ²And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. ³In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, ⁴with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. ⁵And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

⁶“Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. ⁷Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. ⁸Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. ⁹And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, ¹⁰that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. ¹¹Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. ¹²May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” – Ezra 6:1-12 ESV

The letter was sent and received, prompting King Darius to order a search of the royal archives for any record of a decree issued by his predecessor, King Cyrus. Much to the surprise of Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai, a scroll was found in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media. This long-forgotten document contained the following statement from King Cyrus:

“In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem.

“Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God.” – Ezra 6:3-5 NLT

Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai had assumed that the Jews’ claim of having an official edict from King Cyrus was a figment of their imagination. They believed that the Jews had fabricated this official decree to justify their return to the land and their rebuilding efforts. But there it was in black and white, written on an official document and stored in the royal archives. The Jews had not been lying.

The discovery of Cyrus’ decree left King Darius with no choice but to ensure its enforcement. He was obligated by what was known as “the law of the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 6:8 ESV). This ancient law code stated that edicts authorized by the king were irrevocable and unchangeable. Not even a future king had the authority to countermand a previous edict. In their estimation, the king was the law, and the law could not contradict itself. Darius himself had fallen prey to the binding nature of this legal code when he passed a law that prohibited the worship of anyone or anything but himself for a period of 30 days. His high officials and straps had given him the idea and convinced him to carry it out.

“Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” – Daniel 6:6-8 NLT

In signing his name to the document, Darius made the law official and irrevocable, which proved to be a problem when he discovered the intentions of his royal counselors. Their motives had been self-serving and designed to entrap another of the king’s royal counselors. Daniel was a young Jewish boy who had been taken captive when the Babylonians invaded Judah and destroyed Jerusalem. Through a series of divinely-orchestrated events, Daniel had risen to prominence in the administration of King Nebuchadnezzar. Now, he served as a high official in the court of King Darius. But his fellow administrative companions were jealous of his success and less than enthusiastic about his worship of the Hebrew God. So, they devised a trap which the king inadvertently signed into law. When Daniel violated the king’s edict, he was forced to face the consequences. He was thrown to the lions and there was nothing Darius could do to save him. But God intervened and Daniel was miraculously spared.

When this very same Darius discovered the edict of Cyrus, he knew he was obligated to enforce it, which he did. He even added a word of warning to Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and all the local administrative officials in Judah.

“…stay away from there! Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work.” – Ezra 6:6-7 NLT

The very same men who had sent the letter to King Darius were given an order to cease and desist. They were to avoid any and all contact with the Jews, allowing them to carry out the decree of Cyrus with no interference or harassment. He also ordered them to use the royal treasury to fund the construction work and the king’s herds to supply animals for their sacrifices. The governor and his companions must have been stunned by this unexpected turn of events. This was not what they had expected. But they were not alone. Even the Jews must have stood by in wide-eyed wonder as they heard the content of the king’s letter.

Ever since their return to Judah, they had faced ongoing opposition, leaving them to wonder if God was really with them. There are times when it appears as if God is not around. Because of our circumstances, we assume that He must be busy somewhere else or is simply unaware of what is happening in our lives. But that is not the God of the Bible. He is never distracted, disinterested, or distant. He is always there, always watching, and always completely aware of what is going on – every moment of every day.

The people of God who returned to build the Temple and restore Jerusalem would learn that truth from personal experience. Things had not gone well for them upon their return. They faced opposition and constant threats. At one point they were forced to halt construction because of a royal edict. When they started back up again, their enemies relaunched their attacks and did everything in their power to demotivate and distract God’s people from their task.

It would have been easy for them to assume that God was unaware of their plight or disinterested. But nothing could have been further from the truth. We can’t judge the faithfulness or nearness of God based on our circumstances. We read in verse five that “their God was watching over them.” He had not taken His eyes off of them. He had not removed His hand of protection from them. From their limited perspective, it looked as if God had abandoned them. But He was there and He cared. He was still in control. And despite the attempts of their enemies to stir up trouble, God had other plans.

When Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai wrote their letter to King Darius, they had expected a royal decree commanding the Jews to cease and desist in their rebuilding efforts. But to their shock and surprise, the message from Darius contained an official edict to “let the Temple be rebuilt” (Ezra 6:3). Not only that, the very men who had attempted to thwart the efforts of the Jews to rebuild the Temple and reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem, were commanded to provide assistance.

What a God we serve. He was not only aware of what was going on, but He used the plans of the enemies of Israel to accomplish His will. He turned what they meant for evil into good. The Jews received unexpected funding and assistance from an unlikely source, the very people who had been trying to put a stop to their efforts.

It would have been natural for them to take a look at their circumstances and assume that God had abandoned them, or that He was somehow punishing them. But they would have been wrong. God was working behind the scenes in ways they could never have imagined. Assuming God’s absence or indifference is a dangerous thing to do. When we do, we doubt the faithfulness of God and reject the promises found in His Word. God is constantly faithful and ever-present. His love endures forever. We must judge God based on His Word and His character, not our circumstances. What is visible is not always an accurate indicator of what is going on. God’s efforts are not always visible to our eyes or apparent to our senses, but that doesn’t mean He is attentive or active. Our God is always watching out for us and working on behalf of us, whether we see it or believe it. No matter what difficulty we face, He is always there and He is always working on our behalf.

The Constant Danger of Unbelief

November 21, 2024November 22, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. ²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

³At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” ⁴They also asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” ⁵But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.

⁶This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. ⁷They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. ⁸Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. ⁹Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ ¹⁰We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders. ¹¹And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. ¹²But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. ¹³However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. ¹⁴And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; ¹⁵and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” ¹⁶Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.’ ¹⁷Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.” – Ezra 5:1-17 ESV

Unbelief is a constant reality – even for the believer. But how can you be a believer and yet not believe? It’s simple. Belief is a state of mind that must always be accompanied by action. In other words, belief must be visibly tied to faith. During the days of Ezra, the returned exiles were attempting to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, according to the decree issued by Cyrus the Persian king. But because of local opposition, the Jews abandoned their efforts “all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” (Ezra 4:5 ESV. For 16 years, all construction activity on the Temple stopped, even though God had miraculously arranged their return to the land and even prompted King Cyrus to fund their efforts.

What happened? The people stopped believing. Rather than stepping out in faith and trusting that God would protect them, they simply gave in and shut down all construction until the prophets of God intervened. God prompted Haggai and Zechariah to write letters to the Jews in Judah encouraging them to stop fearing and take action.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.” – Haggai 1:7-9 NLT

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.

“But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” – Zechariah 1:9-10, 12 NLT

These words of encouragement had a powerful impact on the defeated and disillusioned remnant in Judah.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” – Haggai 1:12-13 NLT

Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, the people put their faith in action and began to build once again, despite the opposition. Yet, they were immediately confronted by their enemies who questioned where they had received the authority to restart the construction. Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates tried to frighten the Jews but, rather than giving in to the pressure, the workers continued to believe and build.

Unhappy with the renewed building efforts, the local authorities sent a letter to the king requesting that he search the royal archives for evidence of any past decrees authorizing the construction of the Temple. Their letter opened with a first-hand description of the revitalized and energetic actions of the returned exiles.

“The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.” – Ezra 5:8 NLT

The letter also outlined the interrogation of Judah’s leadership, who explained their actions as being ordained by God and authorized by King Cyrus.

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel.” – Ezra 5:11 NLT

“King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.” – Ezra 5:13 NLT

Tattenai, the Persian-appointed governor of the province was unconvinced that the Jews were telling the truth, which prompted the letter to the king. He was hoping that the Jews would be proven to be liars and that the king would take action against them.

But in the meantime, the people of God needed to believe in their God. He had told them to rebuild and provided everything they needed to make it happen, including the assistance of a pagan king. The problem came when the people started facing opposition. Doubt began to creep in and doubt almost always leads to disbelief. Then disbelief leads to disobedience. And disobedience inevitably results in a lack of God’s rest.

Throughout the history of the Hebrew nation, God kept trying to prove to His people just how trustworthy He was. He bailed them out time and time again. He provided miracle after miracle. He defeated their enemies for them. He clothed and fed them. He made them a mighty nation. But they continually struggled with unbelief. They lacked faith. They could claim to believe in God, but their actions proved otherwise. And yet, God still wanted to prove His trustworthiness to them.

When Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to keep on building and they obeyed, despite the opposition, it was an act of faith. They had no idea how the king would respond to the letter. They had no guarantee that the king would act favorably. But faith doesn’t dwell on possibilities. It focuses on the God of the impossible. Jesus said of His Heavenly Father, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ESV). When faced with a test of his faith, Moses was reminded by God, “Is the LORD’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not” (Numbers 11:23 ESV). The prophet Isaiah told the people of Israel, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1 ESV).

God is the God of the impossible, but we must not only believe it cognitively; we must put shoe leather to our belief and act on it in faith.

Obedience Is Never Easy

November 19, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁸Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: ⁹Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, ¹⁰and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. ¹¹(This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now ¹²be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. ¹⁴Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, ¹⁵in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. ¹⁶We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.” – Ezra 4:8-16 ESV

This incident was inserted into the text to illustrate the long-term nature of the assault against Judah’s repatriation. The letter mentioned was likely sent around 446 B.C. when Artaxerxes ruled the Persian Empire (464 to 424 B.C.). He was the successor to Xerxes (Ahasuerus) and the fifth in line to the crown passed down from Cyrus. Nearly 92 years had passed when the disgruntled Samaritans wrote their letter to Artaxerxes decrying the ongoing efforts of the Judaens to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. By this time in the narrative, the Temple would have already been completed and the rebuilding efforts would have shifted the city’s walls.

In the book that bears his name, Nehemiah shares how he heard about the disheveled condition of Jerusalem’s walls and the demoralized state of the people.

In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” – Nehemiah 1:1-3 NLT

All of this points to the fact that the people of Judah endured nearly 100 years of relentless persecution and attack from “the people of the land.” From the moment they arrived in Judah, God’s people faced intense opposition from the hodge-podge of transplanted people groups who were determined to maintain their hold on the land.

Sometime during the reign of Artaxerxes, three prominent dissidents decided to draft a letter of protest, outlining their concerns and grievances to the king. These men enlisted the support of other local leaders which included “Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites” (Ezra 4:9 ESV). Evidently, all of these men signed their names to the letter in a show of solidarity. The letter begins with a reminder to Artaxerxes that they had been placed in the land by order of Osnappar (Ashurbanipal), the former Assyrian ruler. They wanted Artaxerxes to honor their rights as the legal occupants of the land. In essence, they asserted that Cyrus had been wrong to award the city of Jerusalem to the returning Jewish exiles because it was not his to give.

But the main focus of the letter was to convince the Persian king that the Jews were a rebellious and unruly people who would never submit to outside control. If he allowed them to complete the construction of Jerusalem’s walls, they would revolt and refuse to pay tribute to their Persian overlords.

“The king should know that the Jews who came here to Jerusalem from Babylon are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city. They have already laid the foundation and will soon finish its walls. And the king should know that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, it will be much to your disadvantage, for the Jews will then refuse to pay their tribute, customs, and tolls to you.” – Ezra 4:12-13 NLT

The Jews mentioned in this letter would have been those who returned in 458 B.C. under the leadership of Ezra. As chapter seven makes clear, Ezra had been commissioned by Artaxerxes himself to rebuild the Temple.

“I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River: ‘You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you. You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited supply of salt. Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons?” – Ezra 7:21-23 NLT

With the Temple completed, the Jews had turned their attention to the walls of the city, prompting the local residents to fire off their inflammatory missive to the king. They wanted him to know that his earlier edict granting the Jews permission to rebuild the Temple was going to come back to haunt him. The Jews had not been satisfied with restoring their sacred worship center; now, they wanted to restore the entire city, including its walls and battlements.

This letter attempted to portray the Jews in as negative a light as possible. It describes them as rebellious and threatening the Persian’s hold on the land. If Artaxerxes allowed the Jews to rebuild the walls of the city, they would do what they always did, foment rebellion and foster a spirit of stubborn independence in the region.

“We declare to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the province west of the Euphrates River will be lost to you.” – Ezra 4:16 NLT

They asserted that a thorough search of the royal records would provide more than enough evidence of Judah’s seditious past.

“We suggest that a search be made in your ancestors’ records, where you will discover what a rebellious city this has been in the past. In fact, it was destroyed because of its long and troublesome history of revolt against the kings and countries who controlled it.” – Ezra 4:15 NLT

“The historical justification for the claim that Jerusalem is a chronically rebellious city will have consisted in such events as Hezekiah’s withholding of tribute from Assyria (2 Kings 18:7, ca. 724 B.C.) and Zedekiah’s abortive bid for freedom from the Babylonians, which led to the cataclysm of 587 (2 Kings 24:20ff). The Assyrian and Babylonian annals were evidently available to the Persian kings. And it is clear that a nerve is touched.” – J. G. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Daily Study Bible series

The authors of the letter were desperate to portray the Judahites as dangerous insurrectionists and revolutionaries. Their use of overwrought and inflammatory rhetoric was meant to convince Artaxerxes to send in troops to put a stop to the rebuilding efforts. Little did they know that they were opposing God Almighty. God had ordained the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem and was behind the decree issued by Cyrus that made it all possible. God had also prompted Artaxerxes to issue his own edict providing Ezra with permission to rebuild the Temple. Yet God knew that the rebuilding and repopulating of Judah would not take place without a fight. There would be resistance. The enemy would stand opposed. And, even as the rest of chapter four will reveal, there would be setbacks. But God’s will would prevail.

The Sacrifice Before the Sacrifice

November 17, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. ²Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. ³They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. ⁴And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, ⁵and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. ⁶From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid. ⁷So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

⁸Now in the second year after their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their kinsmen, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the Lord. ⁹And Jeshua with his sons and his brothers, and Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together supervised the workmen in the house of God, along with the sons of Henadad and the Levites, their sons and brothers.

¹⁰And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. ¹¹And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever 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. ¹²But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, ¹³so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. – Ezra 3:1-13 ESV

The text does not indicate when the exiles began to arrive in Jerusalem. Cyrus’ decree was issued in 538 B.C., so it is likely that the first wave of returnees did not arrive until later the following year. The reference to the “seventh month” indicates that the events of this chapter occurred during the month of Tishri (around late September or early October). According to the Jewish sacred calendar, the month of Tishri was especially important because it featured three different annual feasts: The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. The Jews also had a civil calendar that featured the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the New Year.

Verse six states, “From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord” (Ezra 3:6 ESV). This indicates that not long after they arrived in Judah, the Jews began to reinstitute the prescribed feasts and festivals with their accompanying sacrifices. The Book of Numbers outlines God’s requirements for celebrating the Feast of Booths.

“On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.” – Numbers 29:1-6 ESV

These recently relocated Jews were going to discover that they had their work cut out for them. They would soon discover that their new lives would be difficult and fraught with suffering, setbacks, and intense opposition. But they began their efforts in the right way; offering sacrifices to God that were in keeping with His commands. They had no Temple but they could worship Yahweh by celebrating His prescribed feasts and offering atonement for their sins. These initial efforts were led by Jeshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin.

During their captivity, the Jews had been forced to abandon many of their sacred traditions. With the destruction of the Temple and the looting of the sacred items used in their sacrificial system, they were left without a way to fulfill God’s law or a means of atonement for sin. So, as one of their first official acts, Jeshua and Zerubbabel reestablished the Law as the basis for their relationship with God. Now that they were back in the land, they were obligated to live according to God’s righteous standards. Their ancestors’ failure to keep God’s commands had resulted in the fall of Judah and the Babylonian captivity. They were not interested in repeating the mistakes of the earlier generation.

But living godly lives in a godless world would not be easy. Attempting to conduct their lives according to God’s will while surrounded by those who opposed them was guaranteed to be difficult and, sometimes, impossible. The people of God had been allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, but when they arrived they found their land occupied by foreigners, people who had been relocated to Israel when the Babylonians conquered the Israelites and took them captive. These people had migrated down into the south and taken up residence in Judah while the Israelites were in exile in Babylon. So when the people of God returned to Jerusalem, they found themselves surrounded by enemies who were opposed to their presence and would do anything to prevent their relocation and rebuilding efforts.

But the first thing the people of God did was build an altar to offer sacrifices to Him. In the face of their enemies and despite their own fears, the people proved to be obedient, building the altar and reinstituting the sacrificial system Moses had established years before. Along with the feasts and festivals, the Jews reinstituted the daily sacrifices. All of this took place before beginning their efforts to build the Temple. They knew they had to get their hearts right before they went about building God’s house. They also knew that the Temple had to be their highest priority. It was the house or earthly dwelling place of their God and He had to come first. Getting their spiritual lives in order was paramount. They knew a rebuilt city with strong walls was useless without the presence and power of God to protect them.

They had learned that painful lesson from experience. So, they began to build, and when the foundation for the Temple was laid, the people celebrated. Some rejoiced the significance of this important accomplishment. But others wept because they knew that the new Temple would never match the glory of the old one. This mixture of joy and sadness is reflected in the text.

…the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. – Ezra 3:13 ESV

Some were singing the praises of God, declaring, “he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel” (Ezra 3:11 ESV). But some of the older members of their congregation wept bitterly as they recalled the glory of Solomon’s Temple. For them, the celebration brought back memories of Judah’s glory days. They remembered how things used to be before the Babylonians invaded and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. The glorious Temple had been ransacked and reduced to rubble. Now, as they surveyed the disheveled state of Jerusalem and considered the scope of the work ahead of them, they wept.

But they were faithful to do what God had called them to do. They faced their fears, stood up against their enemies, and they built. It would take them four years to finish the Temple and, after its completion, they were faced with rebuilding the city itself, including its perimeter walls. This would be a gargantuan task, and they did it all under constant pressure and attack from the opposition. God never told them it would be easy. But they would soon discover that He was in their midst and would guide and sustain their efforts. He was there and He cared.

Godly living is not easy and it was never meant to be. It takes effort, courage, obedience, and faith. The presence of opposition is not an indication of God’s absence, but a reminder that we need His power. Our weakness is a great opportunity for Him to reveal His strength. We just need to be faithful and do our part. He will do His.

Moved by the Almighty

November 15, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁵Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. ⁶And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. ⁷Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. ⁸Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. ⁹And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, ¹⁰30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; ¹¹all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem. – Ezra 1:5-11 ESV

More than a century before the events of Ezra 1 took place, the prophet Isaiah recorded God’s divine prediction that they would.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
    who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made all things,
    who alone stretched out the heavens,
    who spread out the earth by myself,
who frustrates the signs of liars
    and makes fools of diviners,
who turns wise men back
    and makes their knowledge foolish,
who confirms the word of his servant
    and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
    and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
    and I will raise up their ruins’;
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry;
    I will dry up your rivers’;
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
    and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
    and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” – Isaiah 44:24-28 ESV

God pre-ordained the eventual fall and exile of Judah, handpicking the not-yet-existent Cyrus as His chosen servant to carry out the judgment He had planned for His rebellious and unrepentant people.

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
    whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
    and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
    that gates may not be closed… – Isaiah 45:1 ESV

God sovereignly orchestrated Cyrus’ rise to power so he might carry out the plan for the Israelites’ return to the land of Judah.

“For the sake of my servant Jacob,
    and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
    I name you, though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
    besides me there is no God;
    I equip you, though you do not know me,
that people may know, from the rising of the sun
    and from the west, that there is none besides me;
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.” – Isaiah 45:4-6 ESV

God had used Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army to bring about Judah’s fall and Jerusalem’s destruction. Years later, God arranged for the Medo-Persian forces to defeat the Babylonians, setting the stage for Cyrus’ rise to power and prominence.

“Cyrus inherited the throne of Anshan, a small state near the Persian Gulf, in 559 B.C. Due to his great leadership ability he was able to unite the Persian people. He then attacked the neighboring Medes and took their capital city, Ecbatana, without a battle. The Median soldiers abandoned their king to side with Cyrus. He then welded these two great peoples into the Medo-Persian Empire. He next conquered Lydia and Anatolia (in the western part of modern Turkey) in 547-546 B.C. The Babylonian Empire was then in a weakened condition. Cyrus invaded its capital, Babylon, by diverting the waters of the Euphrates River that ran through the city and marching under the city wall on the riverbed. This took place in 539 B.C. This victory enabled Cyrus to establish Medo-Persia as the major political power in the ancient Near East.” – Thomas L. Constable, Study Notes on Ezra

Ezra’s rather brief and matter-of-fact description of Cyrus’ decree fails to convey the magnitude of God’s well-planned and carefully orchestrated oversight of Judah’s fall and eventual restoration. This was not a case of karma, kismet, good luck, good fortune, or blind fate. God had ordained and ordered every single facet of Judah’s exile and eventual repatriation. Nearly 150 years before Nebuchadnezzar’s forces descended on Jerusalem, Jeremiah recorded God’s prophetic forewarning.

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations.

“This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste. I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.” – Jeremiah 25:8-9, 11-14 ESV

God eventually repaid the Babylonians for their role in Judah’s fall, orchestrating the rise of the Medo-Persian empire under Cyrus and their defeat of the Babylonians in 539 B.C.

Verses 2-4 might leave the impression that Cyrus was a worshiper of Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But Isaiah’s prophecy clarifies that Cyrus had no personal knowledge of or relationship with Israel’s God.

“I call you by your name,
    I name you, though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
    besides me there is no God;
    I equip you, though you do not know me…” – Isaiah 45:4-5 ESV

Cyrus was a polytheist and an equal-opportunity idolater. His primary god was Marduk but he believed in and embraced other deities, including those of the nations he had conquered. His reference to “the LORD, the God of heaven” (Yahweh) should not be interpreted as a statement of faith or allegiance. If anything, it is intended to convey God’s sovereign control over Cyrus’ life and kingdom. It may even indicate that Cyrus was aware of Jeremiah’s prophecy and viewed himself as the chosen servant of this foreign deity. Notice that Cyrus describes Yahweh as “the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3 ESV). This conveys the common understanding that gods were territorial and relegated to particular regions or domains. According to Cyrus, Yahweh’s influence was confined to a geographic location, so he sanctioned the return of the Israelites to Judah so they could rebuild Yahweh’s Temple – “the house of God that is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:4 ESV).

This powerful world ruler had no obligation to accommodate the Israelites or to underwrite their efforts to reclaim their lost homeland. But Cyrus was being motivated by forces beyond his control. Like Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus was unwittingly being used as an instrument in the hand of God to accomplish His divine will concerning the people of Israel. Cyrus’ decree provided the impetus and legal authorization for the Jews to return to Judah, but it was Yahweh who moved their hearts to take the next step.

God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. – Ezra 1:5 NLT

After seven decades in the land of Babylon, the Israelites would have become comfortable and complacent. They had acclimated to their surroundings and had few memories of what life had been like in Judah. Yet, God moved their hearts to go and motivated their friends and neighbors to underwrite their journey.

…all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings. – Ezra 1:6 NLT

God ensured they would have adequate resources to make the long journey home and the funds to begin the painstaking and expensive process of rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple. He even prompted Cyrus to return “the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods” (Ezra 1:7 NLT). During their destruction of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar’s forces pillaged the Temple and confiscated all the holy vessels used in the sacrificial system and the worship of Yahweh.

The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars in front of the Lord’s Temple, the bronze water carts, and the great bronze basin called the Sea, and they carried all the bronze away to Babylon. They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, ladles, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple. The captain of the guard also took the incense burners and basins, and all the other articles made of pure gold or silver. – 2 Kings 25:13-15 NLT

These sacred items had been preserved for seven decades in the royal treasury. They had not been lost, repurposed, or melted down. The Book of Daniel records a time when King Belshazzar used some of these sacred treasures to entertain guests at a royal feast.

King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. – Daniel 5:1-4 NLT

Yet, God preserved these holy vessels and orchestrated their safe return to Jerusalem. No detail was overlooked. God had set apart those vessels for His use and had protected them for 70 years so that they might once again be used for His glory.

God was moving behind the scenes, orchestrating every facet of the plan so that His will would be accomplished concerning His chosen people. Their days of exile were coming to an end and it was time to return to the land of promise. But the only way that could happen was if God stepped in and used His sovereign power to move hearts and motivate pagan kings to do His will.

Jehovah-Shammah

October 5, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. ²And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. ³And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. ⁴As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, ⁵the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.– Ezekiel 43:1-5 ESV

YHWH–šāmmāh – “The LORD is There.” The closing chapters of the Book of Ezekiel contain God’s promise of a restored nation of Israel in a revived kingdom complete with a new-and-improved Temple. This eschatological glimpse into Israel’s future was intended to provide hope and remind Ezekiel’s original audience of God’s faithfulness.

Ezekiel began his prophetic ministry while living as an exile in Babylon. A former priest, Ezekiel was part of the 10,000 Jews sent to Babylon as captives during Nebuchadnezzar’s second deportation of Jerusalemites in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:12-17). During his exile, Ezekiel received a vision that portrayed the glory of Yahweh in a strange and bewildering manner. The vision was a spectacular sight and contained visual imagery difficult for Ezekiel to comprehend. But he knew he had seen the LORD, Yahweh.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. – Ezekiel 1:

The vision was accompanied by a message from Yahweh, providing Ezekiel with a commission to serve as His spokesman.

“Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’” – Ezekiel 2:3-4 ESV

As part of his vision, Ezekiel was provided with a scroll that “had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe” (Ezekiel 2:10 ESV). Ezekiel was commanded to consume the scroll and regurgitate its content to “a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:9 ESV) with “a hard forehead and a stubborn heart” (Ezekiel 3:7 ESV).

Ezekiel was warned that his message would not be well-received and that his efforts among the exiled people of Israel would prove fruitless. But despite the less-than-encouraging nature of his assignment, Ezekiel was assured that the vision and message had come from Yahweh Himself. He heard a sound like an earthquake and a voice thundering from heaven.

“Blessed be the glory of the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) from its place!” – Ezekiel 3:12 ESV

Yahweh had spoken. But it is important to note that, at this point in the story, Yahweh remains in His “place.” He has visited Ezekiel in a vision but has not come to dwell among His exiled people. But fast-forward to the end of the book and Yahweh provides Ezekiel with a much-different vision of a much-improved future when He will dwell among His restored people in a reconstituted kingdom.

It begins in chapter 40, where Ezekiel receives another vision. On this occasion, he is transported back to Judah and placed on a high peak where he can view the city of Jerusalem spread out before him. But what he sees is dramatically different than the disheveled pile of rubble the Babylonians had left behind. Ezekiel is taken on a guided tour of the city, beginning with the newly restored Temple. Everything is immaculate and perfect. No detail has been overlooked. What the Babylonians destroyed, God has restored. But there is one thing missing: Yahweh’s glory. The city has been restored and the Temple has been rebuilt, but it all means nothing without the presence of Yahweh. In his vision, Ezekiel is privileged to see the glory of Yahweh return, accompanied by a reassuring message of hope.

“Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.” – Ezekiel 43:7 ESV

In the remaining chapters of his book, Ezekiel describes the nature of this new kingdom in which Yahweh will dwell with His people. Ezekiel is given a detailed layout of the tribal allotment within the Millennial Kingdom. Beginning in the north and working his way down, he describes God’s plan for the geographical arrangement of the 12 tribes. Each tribe will occupy a portion of the land of promise that extends from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Jordan River in the east. The tribes of Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad will have the “Brook of Egypt” as their western border. Unlike the division of the land under Joshua, the Millennial Kingdom will allot equal portions of real estate to each of the tribes. When Moses had set aside the land for the people of Israel, he had done so based on the population size of each tribe. But in the Millennial Kingdom, the land distribution will be based on a different criteria. Rather than size, it appears to be based on faithfulness.

In examining the north-to-south allotment of the land, it becomes clear that there is an intended progression to the order. Dan, one of the most unfaithful tribes, will find itself located in the far north of the land. The tribe of Gad will bookend the land from its location in the south. It’s interesting to note that the four sons born to Jacob’s concubines (Dan, Asher, Naphtali, and Gad) all occupy land on the extreme edges of the Kingdom. Yet Judah and Benjamin are located on either side of the holy district, the site of the Millennial Temple. These were the two tribes that made up the southern kingdom of Judah after God split Solomon’s kingdom in two. During the days of the divided kingdom, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin displayed the greatest degree of faithfulness to Yahweh and yielded the largest number of godly kings. Their reward for their faithfulness will be in the form of land allotments on either side of the holy district. The rest of the sons born to Jacob’s two wives, Leah and Rachel, will occupy land toward the center of the kingdom.

Proximity to the Millennial Temple seems to be the point in all of this because that is where God’s presence will dwell. Ezekiel saw the vision of God’s glory reentering the new temple and taking up residence in the Most Holy Place (Ezekiel 43:4). The Millennial Temple will sit within the holy city, and Ezekiel describes this future Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:8) as being six miles in circumference. It will have 12 gates, three on each side, dedicated to the 12 tribes of Israel.

His description of the city and its gates mirrors the one given by the apostle John in the book of Revelation. But John was describing the New Jerusalem.

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. – Revelation 21:10-13 ESV

He was not describing the Jerusalem of the Millennial Kingdom, but yet another iteration of the holy city that will appear at the end of the millennial age when God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). This New Jerusalem will have 12 gates named after the 12 tribes of Israel, but it will also feature 12 foundations, dedicated to the 12 apostles.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. – Revelation 21:14 ESV

The greatest difference between these two versions of the city of Jerusalem appears to be the timing of their appearance. The Jerusalem that will exist during the Millennial Kingdom will feature a Temple and a reinstated sacrificial system. The city will be occupied by both Jews and Gentiles, but not all will be Christ followers. In the New Jerusalem, the occupants will be from every tribe, nation, and tongue, and share a common faith in Christ. It will be filled with the elect of God from all eras, including both Jews and Gentiles.

The Millennial Kingdom is dedicated to the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Its very existence culminates God’s covenant promises to the patriarchs and fulfills every commitment He made to them. But that kingdom will come to an end and be replaced by the New Jerusalem and the eternal state, and at that time, “it will be ‘true’ Israel—those who have trusted in Jesus Christ—that will enter the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is through the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem that the true tribal people—believers of Jewish descent as well as Gentiles who have been ‘grafted in’ with God’s people (Romans 11:17–25)—will enter the joy of the Lord (see Matthew 25:21). (https://www.gotquestions.org/twelve-gates-Revelation.html).

But there is one important factor that both Jerusalems have in common: The presence of Yahweh. John describes his vision of the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4 ESV

The dwelling place of God will be with man. He will dwell with them. God himself will be with them as their God. There is a promise of permanence in this passage. God will come to live among His people – on earth. Our final destination is not heaven, but earth. All the redeemed will live in perfect unity with God the Father and God the Son – for all eternity. And in this future Jerusalem, there will be no temple.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it… – Revelation 21:22-24 ESV

But the Jerusalem of the Millennial Kingdom, with its glorious Temple, filled with Yahweh’s glory, will also enjoy His presence. In fact, the very name of the main gate that will lead into this future city is Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35 ESV).

The book of Ezekiel has finally come to an end. It has been 22 years since Ezekiel first saw his vision of God and received his commission as God’s prophet to the people of Judah. His ministry began with an unbelievable glimpse of the glory of God. He was given a word to deliver from the very mouth of God, predicting the coming siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and the deportation of the people of Judah to Babylon. In chapter ten, Ezekiel is shown the real tragedy of it all – the glory of God departing the temple. The very presence and power of God were removed from the midst of the people due to their sin and rebellion. But two decades later, God gave Ezekiel another vision of a rebuilt temple, a restored Jerusalem, and a revived relationship with the people of God.

The book of Ezekiel ends with the city of Jerusalem referred to by the name, “The Lord Is There.” It is a statement of God’s faithfulness and a reminder of His desire to live among His people. The abiding presence of God is a powerful image with which to sum up this book. While God had to punish His people for their sins, He never abandoned them completely. He remained faithful and committed to His plan for them. Even while they were in exile, He sent His prophets to communicate His message to them. And ultimately, God returned them to the land. But there is a day when God will complete His plan for the people of Israel and fully fulfill His promises to them. He will once again make His place among them so that the city of Jerusalem can truly be called “Jehovah-Shammah, The Lord Is There.”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

All for the Glory of God

September 22, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. ²So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. ³Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: ⁴3,000 talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, ⁵and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?”

⁶Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work. ⁷They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. ⁸And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

¹⁰Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. ¹¹Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹²Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

¹⁴“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. ¹⁵For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. ¹⁶O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. ¹⁷I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. ¹⁸O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. ¹⁹Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”

²⁰Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and paid homage to the Lord and to the king. ²¹And they offered sacrifices to the Lord, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the Lord, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. ²²And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness. – 1 Chronicles 29:1-22 ESV

The chronicler has come to the end of the first half of his book and the final days of David’s life and reign as king of Israel. The author has dedicated a large percentage of the closing portion of his narrative to recording David’s preparations for the construction of the Temple. The elderly king has spent the closing days of his life and much of his personal fortune to ensure that his son accomplishes the task of building a house suitable for God.

Part of the motivation behind David’s obsession with the Temple was his awareness of Solomon’s young age and lack of experience. He freely admitted to the gathered assembly that his son might not be up to the task.

“My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the Lord God himself!” – 1 Chronicles 29:1 NLT

This must have been difficult for Solomon to hear, but it was true. David feared that his son might be overwhelmed by the pressures of serving as king. David knew that his son would face temptations and distractions. The authority and affluence that came with the crown could cause his son to lose sight of his primary role as shepherd to the people of Israel. Without a healthy reliance upon Yahweh, Solomon could easily fall prey to the excesses that come with power and privilege.

Knowing that his days were numbered and he would not be around to provide Solomon with counsel and fatherly support, David asked God to protect his young son.

“Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.” – 1 Chronicles 29:19 NLT

David knew from personal experience that wealth and power were gifts from God and were to be treated with proper reverence and appreciation.

“Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.” – 1 Chronicles 29:12 NLT

Solomon was about to inherit the crown and the kingdom but he needed to understand that he had done nothing to earn or deserve it. He was not even the firstborn son, so his selection as king went against normal protocol. His anointing as king was not the result of personal achievement or man’s initiative, but the sovereign will of God.

In his prayer before the assembly, David acknowledged the glory and greatness of God.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” – 1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT

David’s powerful closing prayer served as a reminder to Solomon and the assembled leaders of Israel that they owed God their undivided allegiance and obedience. Their very existence as a people was the result of God’s gracious will. They were the descendants of Abram, a pagan from the land of Ur whom God had chosen to be the patriarch of a “great nation” that would become a blessing to the entire world.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:1-3 NLT

God had kept that promise, creating from this elderly man and his barren wife a nation that now occupied the land of Canaan and enjoyed unprecedented power, prosperity, and peace. But they were about to begin a new chapter in their history as Solomon took the throne as the third king of Israel. They were on the cusp of a new era that would come with new opportunities to see God work among them.

So, as David wrapped up his address to the leaders of Israel, he took one last opportunity to model his devotion to God by donating a sizeable portion of his personal wealth to the future Temple.

“And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. I am donating more than 112 tons of gold from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen.” – 1 Chronicles 29:3-5 NLT

This was not money from the royal treasury. In other words, David was not using tax dollars to fund the construction of the Temple; he was putting his money where his mouth was. In his determination to see that the Temple was of the highest quality, he sacrificed greatly and willingly, and then he encouraged the leaders of Israel to do the same thing.

“Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?” – 1 Chronicles 29:5 NLT

The people responded with enthusiasm, providing “about 188 tons of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3,750 tons of iron” (1 Chronicles 29:7 NLT), along with an abundance of precious stones. This remarkable expression of generosity was completely uncoerced and spontaneous and left a powerful impression on all those who participated.

The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy. – 1 Chronicles 29:9 NLT

This section of the closing chapter of 1 Chronicles must have had a powerful impact on the original audience who read of the generosity of David and the people of Israel. Those returned exiles were living in a far different Jerusalem. Their city was not the opulent and well-appointed capital that David had built. It was a shadow of its former glory, having been destroyed by the Babylonians 70 years earlier. The remnant of Jews who returned from exile in Babylon discovered an abandoned and disheveled city with broken-down walls, no gates, empty houses, and a totally destroyed Temple.

The Book of Haggai reveals that the first thing the people did was to build houses for themselves. It only makes sense that they would need proper shelter as they began their reoccupation of the city, but God ended up indicting them for their oversight of His Temple. They had displayed wrong priorities.

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” – Haggai 1:4-6 NLT

Their failure to make the Temple their highest priority had cost them dearly. God had withheld His blessings because they had withheld their reverence for His glory. But He gave them a second chance, declaring, “Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord” (Haggai 1:8 NLT).

The people obeyed and the Temple was built. But even when the final stone was laid and the doors of the Temple were opened for business, the final product was a far cry from the Temple Solomon built. The prophet Haggai delivered a message from God to Zerubbabel the governor, reminding him that it was the glory of God, not the glory of the Temple that should be the source of their hope.

“Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.” – Haggai 2:3-5 NLT

David and his leaders donated staggering sums to see that the original Temple would be built. But even David knew that their gifts were nothing when compared with the greatness and glory of God.

“O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!” – 1 Chronicles 29:13-14 NLT

The size and the sumptuousness of the Temple was not the point. The grandeur of the building was not what set it apart; it was the presence and power of God. The remnant of Israelites were not to be embarrassed by their less-than-grand Temple. Its diminished state did nothing to diminish the power of their faithful, ever-present God. David, Solomon, Haggai, Zerubbabel, and all the people of Israel from all generations were to understand that it was God alone who deserved their worship, honor, praise, and glory. So, when David finished his prayer of praise for the generosity of his people, he declared, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” (1 Chronicles 29:20 NLT).

Devotionary

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Temple