The Work on The Temple Progresses

I tend to be a tosser when something doesn’t work, I will toss it out, I will buy a replacement. So when the lawn mower stops working, I take it out to the garbage and go buy a new one. But we have a neighbor who is wonderfully skilled in repairing things. So he will come out and … More

Rebuilding

Governor Tattenai, Shethar Bozenai, and their advisors sent a report to King Darius wishing him the best (vv. 6-7). They tell how they went to Judah, where the temple of the great God is being built with huge stones and wooden beams set in the walls (v. 8). Everyone is working hard, and the building is going up fast. They explain how they asked those in charge to tell them who gave  permission to rebuild the temple (v. 9). They also asked for the names of their leaders, so they could write them down for them (v. 10).

They claimed to be servants of the God who rules heaven and earth. And they said they were rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago by one of Israel’s greatest kings (v. 11). They were told that their people had made God angry, and he let them be captured by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who took them away as captives to Babylonia (v. 12). Nebuchadnezzar tore down their temple, took its gold and silver articles, and put them in the temple of his own god in Babylon (vv. 13-15). They also said that during the first year Cyrus was king of Babylonia, he gave orders for God’s temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem where it had stood before. So Cyrus appointed Sheshbazzar governor of Judah and sent these gold and silver articles for him to put in the temple.

Sheshbazzar then went to Jerusalem and laid the foundation for the temple, and  since that time until now it has been in the process of being rebuilt and is not completed yet (v. 16). If it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon to see if it is true that King Cyrus really did give orders to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem. He says we will do whatever you think we should (v. 17).

Application

I am thankful that God is in the business of rebuilding me into what he wants me to be.

Ezra 5:6-17 (English Standard Version)


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