Finishing The Temple
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Ezra 1:1-11; Ephesians 2:19-22
Have you ever gotten a project started with great enthusiasm? You hit it hard and fast and made a great deal of headway in a short time. But then something came up that distracted you and then something else and then something else. Suddenly you looked and realized you hadn't done anything in months or years about the project. It just sat there languishing. You kept looking at it thinking you should do something, but you couldn't get back into the groove with it? I've been there a dozen times. We are in good company. The restored children of Israel faced this exact same situation in Ezra when they returned to rebuild the temple.
In about 537 B.C., Cyrus, emperor of the Medo-Persian Empire, granted liberty to the Jews who had been deported in the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 1:1-4). However, not everyone returned to Judah. Ezra 1 :5 describes a particular kind of person returning :" …everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem" (ESV).
So, 42,360 Israelites made the nearly 800 mile journey through the Fertile Crescent back home and immediately began to rebuild the temple of Jehovah (Ezra 2:64 ).
Within a year, they had rebuilt the altar, reestablished the festivals and feasts of the Law and laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:8-13 ).
These were a people who, though surrounded by false religion, were striving to restore the worship and work of God's original law for them . Isn't that what we are striving for? These were a people who were rebuilding the temple of the LORD.
We too are a people striving to build the temple (Ephesians 2:19-22). As we consider these Jews at the end of the captivity, we can see parallels to ourselves and our work. This is important to note as we continue the story. Because, while they were stirred up enough to travel nearly 800 miles, to begin sacrificing, to gather materials and get started. It wasn't long before the people quit working on the temple. In fact, after the foundation was laid, it was at least another 16 years before anymore work was done on the temple. What happened? How did such an excited, enthusiastic people turn from their goals so quickly? And then how did they overcome those weaknesses and refocus on their goals? Answering these questions can help us today.
What Stopped the Rebuilding of the Temple?
What Stopped the Rebuilding of the Temple?
The first attack on their unity was resisted.
Before noticing what stopped them, notice the first attack against their work that didn't stop them.
In Ezra 4:1-2, the people from the provinces surrounding them offered help. They claimed to worship Jehovah as well.
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
This was only partially true. Remember the story of 2 Kings 17:24-41? Those seeking to help them were the descendents of those brought into the land following the Assyrian conquest of Israel.
These were people of mixed religion. They feared Jehovah, but not enough to follow Him fully or put away all their false gods.
These of mixed religion wanted to be united in work with the restored Israelites. Yet, Ezra is quite clear that they were enemies.
Those of mixed religion were not friends because their very practices of idolatry would destroy and corrupt the temple worship God had commanded.
Today, there are many of mixed religion around us.
They fear Jehovah, but not enough to follow fully the pattern of God revealed in scripture.
They want to add their own forms of worship, their own teachings and their own plan of salvation.
These mixed religions are today crying out for unity among the churches. They want us to be able to work together on the temple.
But we must be strong, as were the Israelites, recognizing we have nothing in common with those of mixed religion (Ezra 4:3).
This is in accord with Paul's words of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. We must not be in "union" with unbelievers. There is no room for mixed religion in the building of Christ's temple.
Their purpose was frustrated by wicked counselors.
Though the Israelites overcame the first attack by denying unity with those in mixed religion, they were quickly thwarted by the very people from whom they refused to accept help.
In Ezra 4:4-5, the men of mixed religion began to discourage the Jews. They began to frighten them and hire counselors against them. They did this for 16 years until the reign of Darius.
Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
I do not know exactly what these lawyers and counselors said. However, based on what I hear from those in mixed religion today, I can guess.
How often have we been attacked with lies and misrepresentations.
"You guys think you are the only ones going to heaven ."
"You are legalists ."
"You sound just like the Pharisees ."
On and on the lies and misrepresentations go.
How many times have "counselors" been hired to thwart good counsel, clearly given by scripture?
On a subject as simple as baptism, the "lawyers" of the denominational mixed religions cloud the issue to discourage us from teaching the truth.
Their approach is not based on clarifying God's counsel but clouding it.
They attack John 3:5, claiming "water'' can mean all kinds of things, not just water.
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
They attack Mark 16:16 by allowing the last half of the verse to deny the first half.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
They attack Acts 2:38, saying "for" is used on "Wanted" posters meaning "because of ' not " in order to".
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
They attack 1 Peter 3:21 , claiming the baptism that is a like figure to the water of the flood, and thus is not water baptism.
There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
They ask questions about the thief on the cross.
They make up scenarios about deathbeds and car wrecks involving people who just couldn't make it to the water.
Most of the time, these people will claim they are not telling us not to be baptized. Rather, they tell us, since all these questions are there, "We can 't be so dogmatic one way or the other. "
Regrettably, too many times these silly arguments, situational ethics and lies about the Bible are effective and Christians quit being so dogmatic about God's truth.
The same thing is done with church organization, worship , institutionalism , social Gospel, etc.
The Jews overcame the first attack, but the second foundered them.
We must not be overcome by this same maneuvering and subtle deceit.
We face it today from the modern mainstream religionists who mix the Bible with their man written creeds.
They want false unity and when we won't give it to them, they will hire their "counselors" against us.
We must stand firm and strive together, not alarmed by our opponents (Philippians 1:27-28).
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
Their work was stifled by their personal pursuits.
At the same time the enemies were attacking from without, there was an internal struggle with the Jews themselves. The prophet Haggai reveals this struggle in Haggai 1:1-6. The people were distracted by their own pursuits.
In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”
Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
“You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
They had their houses to build. They had their fields to plant. They had their kids to raise. They had their parents to take care of. They had jobs to hold. They had spouses to please. They had wealth to attain.
They had all the same things to distract them that we have today.
I have no doubt it worked for them the same way it does for us.
They were discouraged from doing the work God wanted, but were able to justify it in their minds because it was something they were going to get to, as soon as they reached a certain goal.
Joseph Casimiere: This reminds me of two similar discussions I had when I lived in Dyersburg, TN with Mason Harris, an older preacher.
Older preacher mentioned once about contribution. He said it is interesting when you talk to people about their contribution.
When they are young, they don't have much money because they are saving for college and plan to give more when that is covered. After college, they are newly married and can barely make ends meet. But they will give more when they are more on their feet.
As they get more on their feet they start having kids and can barely feed and clothe them, but they will give more when the kids are gone.
When the kids are gone, they are now paying for their kids' college. But they will give more when that is taken care of.
After their kids' college is paid for, they are on a fixed income and can't give very much. But they have a clause in their life insurance policy to have some given to the church when they die.
In other words, "When I finally don't have any use for my money, I will let God have some of it. "
The other regarded time spent doing the work of the church, conducting Bible studies, teaching Bible class, helping brethren, even just attending the classes and assemblies. It follows the same pattern.
Mason said, when they are young , they have school but will become more involved when that is finished.
But then they get married and have to devote time to their spouse, but they will devote more time to the church in a few years.
But then they have kids with soccer, baseball, gymnastics, plays and piano lessons. But they will devote more time when the kids are older.
But then they finally are retired and want to do some travelling. When they've gone everywhere they will have more time for work.
But when that is completed, they are old and say, "Preacher, I've spent my time in the trenches, its time for the younger people to step up to the plate." And it all starts over.
How easy it is to become distracted by our own pursuits and not build up the temple. How easy it is to lose perspective of our priorities. Paul commands us to keep our minds on things above for just this reason (Colossians 3:2 ).
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
How Did they Restart their Work on the Temple?
How Did they Restart their Work on the Temple?
The foundation was bare for 16 years, and then God sent his prophets Haggai and Zechariah to stir up the hearts of the people to build the temple (Ezra 5:1-2).
God has always worked through men to proclaim His will for the people.
Unlike Ezekiel's day when people listened to the preacher like a pleasant song, for entertainment but not for purpose (Ezekiel 33:30-33), these people listened to the prophets and obeyed.
“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
The prophets essentially made three points that encouraged the people to prioritize the work of the temple. Within four years the temple was completed (Ezra 4:24; 6:15).
Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
Those who refused to work would fall into judgment and perdition.
Haggai proclaimed judgment was already being meted out against the people (Haggai 1 :7-11 ).
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
The point was, just because God has been merciful and brought them back to the Promised Land did not mean He could not bring judgment upon them again.
Zechariah proclaimed God's judgment several times.
In Zechariah 1:18-21, God revealed His coming judgment on the nations who had been against Israel.
Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”
So he answered me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?”
So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
In Zechariah 7, God revealed that He would bring judgment on those who had returned just as He did their fathers, if they would not be faithful servants. Note especially Zechariah 7:8-12 .
Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion
Everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,
The alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart
Against his brother.’
But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.
Finally, in Zechariah 14:2 , God revealed not all of the Jews were marked as faithful and those who were not would be cut off from the city of God. This is a prophecy of the 70 A.D. destruction of Jerusalem. But the point remains the same, judgment would come on those who did not serve God according to His plan, pattern and will.
For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Just so, judgment will come upon us if we do not obey the will of God. 2 Pet 3:1-8 If we turn from His path and go on sinning willfully, even after coming to a knowledge of the truth, all that remains is certain terrifying expectation of coming judgment (Hebrews 10:26-27).
God’s Prophets told the Israelites what They needed and We need to Hear!
God’s Prophets told the Israelites what They needed and We need to Hear!
God is with you if you are with Him.
Because of their discouragement, the people had obviously thought God had forsaken them.
In their own minds, this was confirmed because of the judgment they had brought upon themselves in Haggai 1. But the message of the prophets was , "God is with you" (Haggai 1:13 ).
Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.”
Zechariah had a stirring vision to demonstrate this message to the people in Zechariah 4.
While we may easily get bogged down in some of the details of this vision, we can never lose sight of the fact that God tells us exactly what was His point in this vision. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit" (Zechariah 4:6 , ESV). He goes on to say Zerubbabel (the ancestor of Christ, Matt 1:12-13) would be successful in building the temple because God was with him (Zech 4:6-10). Over and again the message of God's presence with the people was a source of encouragement to them.
So he answered and said to me:
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ”
Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
“The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the Lord,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
Just so, God is with us today.
Hebrews 13:5-6 gives us this hope.
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
Romans 8:31-39 provides this same comfort, demonstrating that God is on our side so our enemies do not matter.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No matter the attacks of the "counselors ", when we stay devoted to God's plan, God is with us and we will overcome.
God has plans for you if you obey Him.
Both of the prophets looked to God's plans for Israel.
Of course, this ultimately came about in the coming Messiah (Zechariah 9:9-10). But other events are also mentioned.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to you;
He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
The battle bow shall be cut off.
He shall speak peace to the nations;
His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.’
Zechariah 9:13 prophesies the conflict between the Jews and Greeks, which came about under Antiochus Epiphanes and Judas Maccabee.
For I have bent Judah, My bow,
Fitted the bow with Ephraim,
And raised up your sons, O Zion,
Against your sons, O Greece,
And made you like the sword of a mighty man.”
Zechariah 13:7-9 foretells the death of the Messiah and the ensuing testing of His people.
“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:
I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
Haggai 2:21-22 speaks of the established church, destruction of Jerusalem and victory of the church over the nations as demonstrated in Hebrews 12:22-29 . God had plans for the Jews. Therefore they could have confidence in their coming victory.
“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:
‘I will shake heaven and earth.
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
In the same way, God has plans for us, if we will simply obey Him.
Romans 8:28-29 demonstrates His plans for us. If we love Him, God has predetermined that we will be conformed to the image of Christ. He will bring that about, if we submit to Him.
In Ephesians 3:8-13, God demonstrates His plan to use us to bring the mystery of God's grace to all people to the world.
And most importantly, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 demonstrates God's plan for us in eternity. He will take this perishable and make it imperishable and we will dwell with Him for eternity in an inheritance reserved for us in heaven (1 Peter 1 :4-5).
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The response of Israel to the prophets gave us a great example.
Haggai 1:14 demonstrates the people's response. It is the response we need to make.
So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,
Notice three points from this verse.
The people came.
The people worked.
It was all the people.
In Ezra 6:15 , in the sixth year of Darius, the temple was completed.
Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
From the beginning, it took them about 20 years to accomplish the task that should have been done in less than 5.
We can do one of two things with this story .
We can simply view it historically and discuss the facts of the story, learning the details, dates and personalities.
Or we can realize that this is our story. We are reading about us.
We all individually go through these times of discouragement and distraction. When we make that realization, we can apply the lessons to our lives, remembering that God will judge us even though we have become His children, if we do not endure in His service. We can have confidence, that if we remain faithful, God is with us and has plans for us.
These things will help us persevere in building the temple. They will help us teach others. They will help us be devoted to worship. They will help us become one heart and soul. Where are you in this story?