The request for King Darius to investigate the legitimacy of the Jews’ claim that King Cyrus gave a decree for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and also generously contributed to it was done and found to be authentic. Thus, King Darius instructed the Persian governor not to interfere with the rebuilding, but underwrite its expenses out of the royal treasury and to punish anyone that rebelled against his edict. Plus, King Darius requested the Jews to pray for the wellbeing of him and his sons.
After four years the rebuilding project was completed, the order of the priest and Levites was reestablished, and the dedicatory service of the temple was celebrated with great jubilation and sacrifices, followed several weeks later by the observance of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.
The incredible gleaning points that I received from this chapter are:
- God’s plans for His people will come to fruition.
- God will make your opposition assist you in your righteous endeavors.
- Rejoice in the blessings and provisions of God.
- God is a God of order; therefore, correct disorder.
- Even heathens acknowledge they need divine intervention in their lives.
Fifteen years have passed, and the temple has not been completed; however, in the second year of King Darius’s reign, God sends Words to the Jews through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah which encourages and inspires the Jews to complete the work despite the previous command for them to stop by King Artaxerxes.
When the Persian opposition heard that the work had been restarted, they confronted the Jews wanting to know who authorized them to do the work and who were the principal promoters and directors of this undertaking. Also, they sent an unbiased letter to King Darius requesting him to investigate the legitimacy of the Jews’ claim that King Cyrus gave a decree for this rebuilding to be done and also generously contributed to it.
The gleaning points that I received from this chapter are:
- There are times in the life of believers when they stop doing the work that God has assigned them to do, and God sends a Word that motivates and revives them. For the Jews, it took the admonishment of Haggai and Zechariah to do this, and it is the Word of God spoken by Haggai in Haggai 1: 3-10 that often speaks to me when I become slothful. Haggai told the Jews too, “Consider your ways” because they were focused on themselves rather than God, and the result was poverty rather than prosperity.
- There are those that will question your actions and will attempt to hinder you from going forward; however, the blessing of God will be with you when you do His work.
- Failure in your life is the consequence of negligence.
After the news was spread abroad of the temple rebuilding project, the Samaritans and other people of the land became upset. In a duplicitous manner, they approached the Jews and asked if they could assist with the building since they sought and sacrificed to the same God; however, the Jews denied them their subversive partnership request.
Consequently, for the next fifteen years and the reign of three Persian kings, these people used adversarial tactics in hindering the rebuilding of the temple. First, they hired counselors to misrepresent and lie about the Jews to the Persian king. Later they wrote a letter to King Ahasuerus with false accusations against the Jews and lastly a letter was sent to King Artaxerxes questioning the loyalty of the Jews and their willingness to pay future taxes if they were allowed to rebuild Jerusalem. After reviewing and researching the claims of the opposition, King Artaxerxes sent a command for the work to cease which the opposition read to the Jews and cruelly enforced.
The statement, “There is nothing new under the sun” remains true. The methods that the opposers utilized in the days of Ezra are the same methods that are used against believers today. As I read the text, I saw deception, attempted infiltration, lies, threats, intimidation, complaints, and frustration. Since the first line of attack did not work over the years, the enemy relentlessly continued their endeavors until they finally got what they wanted.
Reading this chapter reminded me of the words of Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Our enemy has an arsenal of weapons that he uses on believers, and he will attempt to stop us from doing God’s business, but we must endure, we must pray for discernment, we must reject compromise, and we must continue to press forward despite opposition. This is my gleaning points from Ezra chapter four.
After traveling safely from Babylon to Jerusalem in the spring of the year, the Jews set up their residence in each of their family’s hometown. Aware of the hostility of the Samaritans, in September they gathered together and rebuilt the altar on its old foundation, reestablished the ritual of offering burnt offerings morning and evening, celebrated the feast of the tabernacles and observed the other set feast of the Lord.
Freewill offerings were taken to hire workers and purchase the material for the rebuilding of the temple, and by the second month in their second year in Jerusalem, the workers were able to lay the foundation of the temple while the Levites and priest with their instruments and the singers praised and gave thanks to God.
The chapter ends with varying sentiments expressed by the assembly. The younger generation rejoiced while, the older generation who remembered the glory of the first temple wept.
The gleaning points that I received from this chapter are:
- After settling in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, the Israelites remembered the instructions given to them by God through Moses and as a unified body, they came together to offer sacrificial worship. Thus, before they started building the temple, they restored worship. No doubt during their seventy years of captivity they were unable to practice these customs; however, they realized that to endure and be successful in a hostile environment they needed to have a right relationship with God which meant following His laws, statutes, and commandments.
- Praising and thanking God for His goodness and mercy never goes out of style.
- Seniors tend to look back with heartfelt emotions on times that were prosperous in their lives, while the youth are living in the moment.
A large portion of chapter two is sharing the registry of the faithful family remnant that responded positively to the edict of King Cyrus and the prompting of God to return to Jerusalem. In the registry, there was a priest, Levites, leaders, general population, offsprings of Solomon’s servants, and individuals of questionable genealogical claims.
Ezra chapter one revealed there were Jews who choose to stay in Babylon rather than return to Jerusalem and become involved with the rebuilding project. For those that went, it was a faith walk for they did not know what they would find when they returned, but they were willing to go and do the work.
When the Southern Tribe of Israel was taken into captivity, they were stripped of their worldly goods; however, the remnant returned to Jerusalem with substantial assets. Thus, upon arrival, the chief of the fathers according to their ability gave freely for the rebuilding of the temple.
The last verse in Ezra 2 states, “So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.” Hence, the returning families settled in their towns and villages of their ancestors; there was no disputing; everyone went to their formerly assigned homestead.
The gleaning points that I received from this chapter are:
- God has people that will respond to His call.
- God gives seed to the sower.
- We are to give according to our ability.
- Everyone has an assigned place.
Unlike the story of Moses who was sent to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt and the thirteen individuals in the book of Judges that delivered Israel out of the hand of various oppressors, this time God does things differently. The seventy years of captivity that was prophesied to Judah has ended, and now it is time for Israel to return home.
Chapter one opens introducing Cyrus Cylinder the pagan king of Medio-Persia who conquered Babylon in 539 B.C. and the person whom Isaiah prophesied about in Isaiah 44:28-45:13. During his first year of reign in Babylon, King Cyrus was stirred by God, and he made a proclamation that was heralded throughout the land. In this proclamation Cyrus acknowledged that the Lord God of heaven enabled him to conquer the kingdoms of the earth, that he was charged with rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem by repatriating the captive Jews, and he informed those Jews and other residents that choose to stay in Babylon that they were to support this venture with tangible donations and freewill offerings.
Further in the chapter, the spirit of God moved on the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin, priest, and Levites to respond to the proclamation. These individuals along with Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel) who Cyrus appointed to take the people back to Jerusalem and to be the governor of Jerusalem received the donations and freewill offerings from the people. Plus, King Cyrus gave them the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem to Babylon.
I believe chapter one displays that God uses who he chooses to accomplish His Word. God used a pagan king to bless His people who confirm the words of Solomon in Proverbs 21:1 that says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Historians believed Cyrus’s motive for restoring the religious practices and autonomy to the nations that he conquered was political for he hoped to secure the respect and loyalty of these subjects by his actions. Whatever may have been his reason, God was in control. Also, He used the king to instruct others to support the building project. So, the Jews were not only freed from their captivity, but they returned home laden with provisions to meet their needs and rebuild the temple.
Often we look for help from the household of faith when God has outsiders in the wings waiting to assist us. Therefore, the lesson to be learned from this chapter is not to limit your resources but rather expect help from unexpected sources.
I’ve been prompted in my spirit to blog on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah; so, I am starting with Ezra and then will move on to Nehemiah. Over the next several months, I will probably blog a chapter each week except for the chapters that are revealing the genealogy of the participants. I believe as I proceed, I will get a better understanding of why I have been led in this direction, and I will share that information as it is revealed to me
On this week before I start blogging on the chapters, I want to give you some background information on this book which Ezra reportedly only wrote the later portion of it and the identity of the other writer is unknown.
During the reign of Rehoboam Solomon’s son, the twelve tribes of Israel were divided into two groups: the Southern Tribe which was Judah and Benjamin and the Northern Tribe which was composed of the other ten tribes. Both of these groups forsook the laws and statues of God and ended up in captivity. The Northern Tribe was taken captive and deported to Assyria, and two centuries later the Southern Tribe was exiled to Babylon when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem. As prophesied by Jeremiah to Judah, they would be in captivity for seventy years, and then God would return them to Jerusalem and restore their land. Also, the prophecy that Isaiah made about someone named Cyrus, who would be used of God to rebuild the temple was about to come to fruition (Isaiah 44:28-45:4).This is where the first chapter of Ezra begins sharing the story of the two groups of willing Jews that return to their heritage. The first group of approximately fifty thousand Jews is led by Zerubbabel, and over fifty years later, the second group of roughly two thousand Jews is escorted by Ezra the priest and scribe.
I am excited to see what God will reveal to me as I proceed with this series, and I invite you to read it as I do my weekly blog.
One of the persons whose books I enjoy reading is Evangelist Mike Murdock, and over the years he has written numerous books. In 1997 he published a book that I cherish titled, “THE ASSIGNMENT.” Since that publication, he took that book and made it into a four-volume book series contrasting the various elements in a person’s assignment. I highly recommend that if you have not read any of these that you purchase the four-volume series; it will be a wise investment for you to make.
In all of these books, Evangelist Murdock shares invaluable nuggets, and it is one of these nuggets that I am highlighting in my blog today. Evangelist Murdock quotes, “People will be assigned by hell to distract, delay, discourage and derail your assignment.” This says to me that there is a plan in place to hinder me from doing what God has planned for my life and if I think hell is working in concert with God and not in opposition, I am sadly mistaken and delusional.
Let me briefly share the meaning of the four damaging “d” words in this nugget.
Distract = to get someone’s attention and prevent them from concentrating on something.
Delay = a situation in which something happens later or more slowly than you expected.
Discourage = to make someone feel less confident or hopeful.
Derail = to prevent something from happening or developing correctly.
With the understanding of this nugget comes the revelation that I must be careful of the people that I allow in my life and I must monitor their interaction with me to make sure that they are a blessing and not a hindrance. Therefore, I must take time and evaluate whether an individual has come to distract, delay, discourage, or derail my assignment. If I perceive that this is their assignment I must stop or limit their access to my life because they are preventing my advancement in the kingdom, and it is my responsibility not to allow this to happen.
As you read this blog today, I pray it has been helpful to you, and if you have not done this in the past, that you will begin to view people differently, and ask yourself the question, “Why have they come?”
I started this blog several months ago, but I never completed it, and I even forgot I had started writing it; however, on today as I was deleting documents off my computer’s hard drive, I came across it and decided to complete it for this week’s blog. I pray it inspires you and that the reason I did not complete it, is because it was needed for such a time as this.
I must confess that I find a major problem in my life, is self-discipline. People who are acquainted with me and my lifestyle would believe that I am a disciplined person; however, in the most important area of my life, I do need help. I like Paul in Romans 7 can say, “What I would, that do I not.”
For me, there are principles and instructions that I know and have taught numerous times, yet, I fail to be consistent in practicing them. I know that applying them will assist me in my Christian walk and spiritual warfare, but I allow myself to become lazy and complacent. On the one hand, this experience is good for me, for it allows me to experience what many others are experiencing, and it helps me to realize the struggle to be disciplined is not easy.
The definition of discipline is’ “Training oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.” In keeping with this definition, I must set aside time to maintain a standard that is productive and rewarding. So now, I am trying to take one day at a time, and daily do those things that I know will lead to victory. Also, remembering, I am in a war, and my enemy will be relentless in his endeavors to distract me if I allow him. My success lies in my hands. I confess the scripture “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” and this means I can be self-disciplined and guess what? So can you.
Sometime in life, most of us will compare ourselves with someone else, and usually, this is because we admire some quality that is manifested in that individual. We are not jealous of them; we just want to be able to do what they do because we feel that there is a deficit in our lives. This is what I experienced this week, and the Holy Spirit sweetly reminded me to accept who God divinely made me be, and I am qualified to do what He has called me to do. I realized trying to duplicate others is saying to God, “You made a mistake, I know better than you, and there are some skills missing with which I should have been born.” I was also reminded of the saying, “Get comfortable in your skin,” in others words, “Accept yourself as you are.”
Besides the chiding of the Holy Spirit, the Word gave me counsel. Listen to what the Word says about the creation of man:
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalms 139: 14b)
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! (Psalms 139:17)
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. (Jeremiah 1:5a)
But now God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (1 Corinthians 12:18)
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:30)
I am now resting in the fact that I possess everything I need to fulfill my assignment here on earth for God; my creator had His hands on me since my inception. Now, all I need to do is go forth confident in the fact I am divinely made.
The Teacher's Pick 