Jesus in Ezra: Restoring Hopes
Ezra is all about restoring hope. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon finally there was hope of Israel being restored. Amazingly Isaiah had predicted 161 years earlier that a Persian King named Cyrus would give the command to rebuild the temple. Not only was King Cyrus not even born at that time but the temple was standing and had not yet been destroyed, Isaiah 44:28 / 45:1.
All the excitement and all the enthusiasm and all the momentum was interrupted by opposition after the foundation was built.
Ever had something great happen and then something frustrating followed? Life’s events can be like getting a new fish tank. The glass and water are so beautiful with all the new fish swimming around and suddenly algae starts trying to grow.
The water is like our attitude. If we clean it up the bad stuff won’t grow! As a pool owner I’ve learned you have to not only kill the algae. You have to kill what feeds the algae. This is the same in our lives as we work to keep the attitude of honoring God.
Ezra 4:24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill… NIV
Ezra’s number one focus was the altar of the hearts of God’s people.
Ezra 7:6 Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses. The king granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. NIV
Ezra 7:10 Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. NIV
Jesus is the ultimate Ezra – he’s the ultimate reformer and to rebuild your public life or your personal life you must start with the altar which affects the atmosphere of every area of your life.
Ultimately God turned the situation around and the temple was rebuilt. God is in control!!!
Going Deeper:
John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! NLT
Jesus is typified in Zerubbabel, the rebuilder of the temple (Ezra 4)
Jesus typified in Ezra as a man of the Word and prayer. He was passionate for the purity of God’s people, seeking to bring God’s Kingdom and to do God’s will on earth as in heaven…
Ezra 1:1-2 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus to make a proclamation: 2 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: " 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. NIV
There had been incredible sadness that was now being met with credible hope. God’s Word revealed God’s plan to restore Jerusalem!
Today some of you here have had incredible sadness in your life and you need to come face-to-face with credible hope. God is a God who restores broken places in our lives.
As you read you’ll find that there is a process to restoring Jerusalem and this is the same process to restoring our situations.
1. Rebuild altar
2. Rebuild temple
3. Rebuild City
4. Rebuild Wall
We see the character of God in the priorities revealed in this progression. When you think about rebuilding a city it’s likely that the last thing you would think to rebuild would be the altar.
However with God the altar is where it all begins!
They only got as far as having the foundation laid before opposition came.
Ezra 4:1 The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD. NIV
Ezra 4:24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill… NIV
God always starts at the altar of our hearts.
Even when God is in control it doesn’t mean there’s not a fight but we need to understand the difference between the fight to which we are invited and the fight to which we are called!
We don’t fight for victory. We fight from victory. Our fight is the fight for an atmosphere of faith in our hearts and among God’s people!
2 Chron 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. NIV
They didn’t rally troops to fight against the king and his decree. They started at the altar praying, seeking God and getting their hearts right with God. The Bible says God turned the hearts of these secular rulers and that changed everything.
Prov 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. NIV
God visits these leaders in their vulnerable moments. When we hunt for vulnerability hoping to conquer we position ourselves to fight like the world fights. Militant reactions produce militant reactions and your fighting positions them to fight harder. Your praying positions them to be visited by God!
Ezra’s number one focus was the altar of the hearts of God’s people.
Ezra 7:6 Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses. The king granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him. NIV
Ezra 7:10 Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. NIV
Jesus is the ultimate Ezra – he’s the ultimate reformer and to rebuild your public life or your personal life you must start with the altar which affects the atmosphere of every area of your life.
God is in control!!!
I have some advice for you today. Stick to the fundamentals of the faith. Every great athlete became great at the fundamentals before they became great at the game.
In our faith the fundamentals are seeking God, prayer, Word, fasting and prayer, devote yourselves to the gathering of the church and meet from house-to-house in some small group format that works for you and your family. Community Group.
We need you to focus on the fundamentals and we need you in the game. There are people within your reach every day.
GP4RL: Every day turn the page. Journal dates at the top of your Bible as you read it through.