Return from Exile: Ezra 1-3 (5)

Pray Psalm 86.10-12.
For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.

Sing Psalm 86.10-12.
(Andrews: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven)
For You are great, You wondrous deeds do; You are the only and sovereign Lord.
Teach me Your way, let me give heed to, with all my heart, Savior, all Your Word!
Lord, be gracious to me, Lord, be gracious to me!
Praise Your Name forever, Lord!

Read Ezra 3.1-9; meditate on verses 2, 3.

Preparation
1. What did the people build first?

2. What did this allow them to do?

Meditation
Someone, at least, had their priorities straight. Among the returning leaders were Jeshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, a descendant of David. They seem to have been rightly focused on the order of operations that needed to prevail in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Start with that place where you get right with and worship the LORD (vv. 1-3). This is always the place to start, every day and all day long. Go back to God in prayer. Renew yourself in Him and His promises. Trust in Him no matter what fears or concerns lie ahead of you. The people feared the pagan peoples around them; but they feared God more. At least certain of their leaders did.

The Church in every generation needs leaders and followers who have their fears right, who fear and love the Lord more than they fear any of their enemies. And who fear displeasing God even more than they fear not being successful.  

The people seemed ready to return to the LORD. Once the altar was built, they began the morning and evening sacrifices, just as the Law prescribed (vv. 4, 5). Then followed the Feast of Tabernacles, the daily burnt offerings, and the rest of the regular offerings commanded in the Law (vv. 5, 6). They took up offerings to pay those who would be doing the work of building the temple (v. 7), and they set to work, two years after having arrived, building the temple of God (vv. 8, 9). We might wonder what they were doing for two years? We shall see.

This looks like a good start. But looks can be deceiving.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
How do some people manage to be in fearful situations (Ezra 3.3), and yet not crumble under the adversity?
Instead, they seem to thrive.

Daniel was just such a person. When special decrees had been written, just to catch and punish him, he went about his daily activities as if nothing had happened. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Dan. 6.10, 11). And sure enough, Daniel’s enemies found him “praying and making supplication before his God.” Daniel’s day continued right on schedule. “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Prov. 24.10).

And Daniel’s friends had the same courageous boldness when they refused to bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s gods: “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Dan. 3.17, 18). Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had “their fears right”. They feared God more than they feared any of their enemies.

“The Church in every generation needs leaders and followers who have their fears right.” After all, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1.7).

When we wholeheartedly believe this truth, we can courageously say with the Apostle Paul: “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2. Tim. 1.12).

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24, 25).

We must not look around at our circumstances and be afraid.
We must always look to Jesus and find great courage to build our necessary altars to God.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4.16).

For reflection
1. Why is it so important that we ask the Lord to unite our hearts to fear Him (Ps. 86.11)?

2. Why did the Jews fear their pagan neighbors? What are some reasons we might fear people?

3. How can believers encourage one another to keep their fears straight? Whom will you encourage today?

They could not at once have a temple, but they would not be without an altar. Fear of danger should stir us to our duty. Have we many enemies? Then it is good to have God our Friend, and to keep up communion with him. Matthew Henry (1662-1714),Commentary on Ezra 3.1-3

Pray Psalm 86.13-17.
What do you fear? What concerns you as you think about working your Personal Mission Field? Call on the Lord for mercy and grace to help in your time of need. Remember His great salvation and thank Him for it. Lean on His strength as you pray through your work for the day ahead.

Sing Psalm 86.13-17.
(Andrews: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven)
Great is Your mercy, Lord, toward me; You have delivered my soul from hell.
Though dreadful foes and threats arrayed be, You will Your grace and Your mercy tell!
Lord, be gracious to me, Lord, be gracious to me,
slow to anger, loving well!

Turn to me, Lord; be gracious to me; grant me Your strength; save Your servant, Lord!
Let me a sign of something good see; shame all who hate me beneath Your Word.
Lord, be gracious to me, Lord, be gracious to me,
for You help me, sovereign Lord!

T. M. and Susie Moore

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available free by clicking here.