Ezra and the Temple

Whether it is physical, mental, emotional or most importantly spiritual…all the answers to our questions are in Him. God will finish what He starts!

Trust God to do what we cannot! 

Setting aside our pride and  in our humility He works all things out for our good and the good of the Body of Christ.

When we are in the midst of the problem, it’s difficult to see a way out. When we have limited resources, it’s difficult to imagine being able to work with what we have. But God already knows how he will solve your problem, my friend. And God has infinite resources. You are the human; he is the divine being. Let Him help you. Let him intervene. Max Lucado

Anavah is the Hebrew word translated Humility. In his book Everyday Holiness, Alan Morinis, sheds light and the insight is helpful. Anavah (Humility) means to occupy or take up our proper space, neither too much, nor too little. Sabbath Moments

Frederick Buechner "Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”

Ezra 5:11-17

11 And thus they returned us an answer, saying: “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed. 12 But because our fathers provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and carried the people away to Babylon. 13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to build this house of God. 14 Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem and carried into the temple of Babylon—those King Cyrus took from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. 15 And he said to him, ‘Take these articles; go, carry them to the temple site that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its former site.’ 16 Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; but from that time even until now it has been under construction, and it is not finished.”

17 Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there in Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was issued by King Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send us his pleasure concerning this matter.

Ezra 6:1-5

1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:

3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: “Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, 4 with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king’s treasury. 5 Also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple which is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and taken back to the temple which is in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God”—

The Aramaic term used here, dikhron, is related to a Hebrew word for “memorial” (zikkaron) that can designate a commemorative symbol including a text. The same Aramaic term was used in a document granting permission to the Jews at Elephantine to build a temple there. This title was usually placed on records of lists and inventories. Faithlife Bible.

This portion of Tattenai’s letter to King Cyrus describes the events that led to the official Persian decree to rebuild the temple. Note that the delay described in chapter 4 is not mentioned here. Sheshbazzar may have been the Persian name for Zerubbabel. Alternatively he may have been the Jewish prince who was first appointed to lead the temple rebuilding efforts, but who did not survive and was replaced by Zerubbabel.

Apparently the king’s treasure house contained the official records as well as the treasury. Tattenai’s request to find the original decree issued by King Cyrus delayed the rebuilding. The trip from Jerusalem to Babylon took eight months. The search for official documents also took time. The entire process could have taken as long as a year.

At the suggestion of Tattenai and his aides, King Darius ordered his staff to search the official records in the archives, or “house of the books,” to see whether Cyrus had authorized the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem. Apparently nothing was found in Babylon, and the search moved on to Achmetha, the summer residence of the Persian kings. NKJ Bible.

While employed in God’s work, we are under his special protection; his eye is upon us for good. This should keep us to our duty, and encourage us therein, when difficulties are ever so discouraging. Matthew Henry Commentary.

Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,