Ezra 5
by Pastor Mark Hudson

In Ezra 5, we need to consider chapters 5-6 as one unit. But we will focus on chapter 5 as part one in this devotion of this 2-chapter section. We see a restart in v. 1. “Now the prophets, Haggai, and Zechariah . . . prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem….” The word of God initiates the work as we saw in 1:1, “the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus . . . .” So, it might be helpful to read about Haggai and Zechariah.

Haggai covers 4 months. Yet he was used mightily by God. Zechariah’s ministry covered about two years. Compared to Isaiah’ 64 years, these men had a short ministry. I heard a story about a short-lived revival. The minister said that one night we went to bed as a lamb and woke up as a lion. Then, not long after that, he went to bed as a lion and woke up a lamb. You may enjoy a long life or a short life. Both can be used by God.

If you read Ezra only, the work is stopped by opposition from the people of the land. There does not seem to be any guilt associated with the work stoppage. But in Haggai, the prophet castigates the people for neglecting the building of the temple. That aspect of God’s people does not interest Ezra. He does stress the work of the word of God who spoke “in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.” Verse one of our chapter stresses God and His word in this rebuilding. Verse 2 stresses the leaders Zerubbabel and Jeshua along with the prophets of God (Haggai and Zechariah) who were with them, supporting them. The stress is on God’s word who initiates work and ministry.

Yet, we are not done with opposition. In verse 3ff, Tattenai, the regional political leader and his scribe, inspector, or helper: Shethar-bozenai seem surprised and unaware of what is happening and why. They want to know who gave the decree and they want names of the people building. This time, the Jews did not stop because “the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews.” This phrase, the eye of their God, may have been used since these inspectors were called the eyes of the king. As the king of Persia has eyes, so does God.

Upon asking the Jews these questions, Tattenai is given this truthful response. “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house . . . . Because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar . . . .” This is a remarkable introduction. We are servants of a great God. We are linked with God and associated with God but only as His servants. We are not important. God is.

The next aspect of their response is the honesty of how they found themselves in the predicament they are in. We angered God by our sin. It is our fault we returning to land that is ours and to a temple that is ours. You may not know why we are here, but we do. We got ourselves into this mess. This is our history, our past. But the past is not our future. We are rebuilding our temple and, in a sense, rebuilding our present and future. We are here, also, because our God stirred up the heart of your King to commission us for this work. Our God is mightier than your king.

These early returnees knew who they were, why they were there and who sent them. They never stopped this time. They were rebuked and encouraged by the prophets. Recently energized by the word of God, they would complete the work in 515 BC.

In chapter 3:3ff, we see that they had open-air services where they sacrificed but not in the temple. They were in a long process to rebuild the city and the temple. The rebuilding of the temple meant God-ordained worship. Worship is meant to be the center of our lives as believers. The temple also represented community for God’s people. We must not neglect the community God is forming. There is no such things as Christianity without the church. You will often hear people say that they believe but do not attend church. This is a serious mistake, and a distortion of what God intends. As our confession states in 25:2, “The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion;[2] and of their children:[3] and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,[4] the house and family of God,[5] out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.

Dear Heavenly Father, You are the center of the universe and worshipped around the globe and are praised now by us as we consider Your purity. The Triune God ought to be loved, obeyed, and cherished in this life. We do but only because Your Spirit has stirred our hearts first. Lord we are Your servants. We claim You as the Master of our lives and submit to Your will. How we love You and thank you for Your tender mercies. For the glory of Christ. Amen.