"the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia" (Ezra 1:1)
"everyone whose spirit God had stirred" (Ezra 1:5)

God stirred up Cyrus in keeping with His prophetic word through the prophet Jeremiah to bring the people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of God after seventy years of captivity. God also stirred up the people to have the desire and courage to return and do this.

At the same time, we learn that the people were terrified of the surrounding nations (Ezra 3:3), as they were vulnerable. They had no army to protect them. They had no fortified walls. They were defenseless, except... the LORD was with them.

The same LORD who stirred them up to do this was with them. The same LORD who stirred up Cyrus to make the decree for them to return and rebuild His Temple was with them. The same LORD who prophesied this seventy years before was with them (Jeremiah 29:10). The same LORD who predicted the birth, the naming, and the enthronment of King Cyrus hundreds of years before this was with them (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1).

Friends, when God stirs us up to do a great work, He does not always take away every fear. He does not always make it easy. He does not remove every obstacle.

Consider the trials, difficulties and obstacles David faced in coming to the throne of Israel. Even the building of the Temple did not go smoothly, easily and quickly. After the altar was built and the foundation was laid, work stopped and did not resume until sixteen years later, when the people were inspired by the prophet Haggai to resume building. 

Therefore, dear friends, if you are stirred by God to do some work, work whole-heartedly and faithfully, trusting that God is with you. Don't be deterred by obstacles, difficulties, fears, and challenges. Everyone that God used mightily in the Bible faced such things and overcame. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2).

King Cyrus ruled Persia from 539-530 B.C. It was during this period that he issued the decree in Ezra 1:1 for the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. About 150 years earlier, the prophet Isaiah (740-701 B.C.) was rebuking the Jews for trusting in idols, who could neither deliver them nor tell them what was to come (Isaiah 41:22-23). In contrast, Isaiah told them that the LORD controlled both the present and the future. As evidence, Isaiah told them that God would raise up a king, who would restore the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem and decree the rebuilding of the temple. In Isaiah's day this may have sounded like a joke, because the temple had not been destroyed and the Jews had not yet been exiled. Isaiah goes further to even name the very king that would be born and bring these things to pass. His name would be "Cyrus" (Isaiah 44:28; 45:13). By this, they would know that there was no other god but the LORD (Isaiah 45:21).

The unbelievers of Isaiah's day would not benefit from Isaiah's prophecy. It was for future generations, even ours, to appreciate. The New Testament is in large part a fulfillment of prophecies made in the Old Testament. There are still other prophecies yet to be fulfilled in the future. 

Friends, by these demonstrations God shows that nothing surprises Him, and He always has everything under His control. He is God, and there is no other. Therefore, we can trust Him completely. Ezra's historical account of Cyrus and the restoration of the temple are amazing fulfillments of biblical prophecy. Yet, when you read the account, what is your response to it? Are you amazed? Or are you skeptical? Or are does it not affect you one way or another? Your response may indicate the temperature of your passion for God. 

May the Lord stir you to always have a passion for His Name!

Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy (Ezra 3:12).

When the temple was completed, the young people rejoiced, but the elders wept. The youth knew nothing more than the current temple and that it was completed, but over seventy years before, a much grander temple stood, one built by King Solomon. 

Everything was different. Once there were millions of Jews in the land, and Jerusalem and her king were the envy of nations. Now, just about 50,000  (Ezra 2:64-67) returned to a desolate land. 

Even though they completed the temple, there was no ark of the covenant to signify the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Historically, the last mention of it was in 2 Chronicles 35:3 under the reign of King Josiah. There was no Shekinah glory to fill the temple. 

So, the elders wept.

Yet, we read this prophecy from Haggai:

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:6-9)

Haggai described a future glory of the present temple that would outshine even the glory of Solomon's temple. This glory would not be manifest in temporal and destructible materials like gold and silver but in the indestructible and eternal presence of the Creator Himself. The One "desired by all nations" points to Jesus the Messiah, who would first darken the courts of this same temple as a young boy, amazing the elders of His day because He was wiser than they (Luke 2:46-47). 

Even though Solomon's temple was gone, One greater than Solomon would come (Matthew 12:42).

Even though the ark was absent, One greater than the ark would come. Jeremiah gives a hint of it when speaking of the last days and the restoration of Israel's greatness:

In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made (Jeremiah 3:16).

God once told the prophet Samuel, who was tasked with annointing the king that would succeed Saul, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). In the same way, even though the outward appearance of Zerubbabel's temple was small and unflattering, one day the Lord Jesus would come into this very temple, and He would bring with Him a message of peace that the former temple could never provide.

Friends, could we not find an analogy here to our present lives? There is no glory now. Instead, we face daily uncertainty, frustration, suffering and loss. Oftentmes, the good that we do goes unrecognized while evildoers continue to prosper. Yet, like a shadow, this present life will be eclipsed by an eternal glory. So Paul can write, 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

This glory, the glory of Jesus, is in us! Again, Paul writes,

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 1:20).

What more precious truth is there than this, that we are the temple of God, that He lives within us. We have this promise:

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

He has given us His Spirit. It is the Spirit of Christ who is in us, and who secures for us our eternal inheritance in Christ:

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you (Romans 8:9-11).

As Christ Jesus was raised from the dead by the Spirit, so we too shall be raised to eternal life. Hallelujah!

The biblical books Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther take place during the time of the Persian Empire. Here are the Persian kings that provide the historical backdrop to the last three historical books of the Old Testament. This information was taken from this website:

THE KINGS OF PERSIA

As you read the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, you will come across the names of different kings. These men were Persian kings. When you read the names of these kings you can look on this list which will help you to understand who the king was and when he lived.

1. CYRUS THE GREAT (550-530 B.C.)

This is the king that Isaiah had long ago promised would come and deliver the children of Israel (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-5). He conquered the Babylonians and then allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and to rebuild their temple (Ezra chapter 1). Daniel was still alive when Cyrus was king (Daniel 1:21; 10:1).

2. CAMBYSES (530-522 B.C.)

3. SMERDIS  (He ruled less than a year.)

4. DARIUS THE GREAT (522-486 B.C.)

Darius made a decree that the work of the temple should be continued without any hindrance (Ezra chapter 6). It was during his reign that the temple was completed (Ezra chapter 6).

Note: Don’t confuse this king with Darius the Mede who is mentioned in the book of Daniel (see Daniel 5:31; 6:1). Darius the Mede was the governor of Babylon under Cyrus the Great.

5. AHASUERUS or XERXES (486-464 B.C.)

This is the king that we read about in the book of Esther. Esther became his queen. He is also mentioned in Ezra 4:6.

6. ARTAXERXES I (464-423 B.C.)

At first this king sent a decree ordering the Jews to stop rebuilding the city and the walls (see Ezra 4:6-23). Later, however, he allowed his cupbearer, Nehemiah, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls (Nehemiah chapters 1-2). This is also the same king who had earlier allowed Ezra to return (Ezra chapters 7-8).

Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening(Ezra 3:2-3).

When the people came back to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, they came back to ruins. There were no fortified cities, for all the walls were broken down. They were at the mercy of marauders or any neighboring peoples and nations that wanted to take advantage of their weak situation. Rather than rebuilding their walls, they prioritized rebuilding the altar of God, so that they might make their appeals to the LORD, who alone could protect them. 

Here then is the benefit of crises and suffering: People learn to depend upon the LORD. When every earthly security is gone, then believers find their security in the LORD.

Friends, we ought to be concerned, not when things are going badly, but when things are going too well, for this is when complacency can set in and we forget to trust in the LORD. When there are no concerns for our own security, we may find ourselves slacking in worship and in obeying His Word. 

Let us, then, welcome adversity, which may remind us that God is in control and we are not. Adversity can burn away the idols of false security and teach us to more fully trust in the LORD and be more concerned about honoring Him in our lives. 

When we find ourselves prosperous, let us be more generous. When we find times of ease, let us increase our devotion. When we experience an outpouring of blessing, let us humble ourselves even more. In other words, let us strengthen our faith in the LORD when times are hard, and do it even more when times are easy.

Let us remember the command and promise of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD each morning and evening. (Ezra 3:3 NLT)

Sherry made an important observation in an earlier entry on this date a couple of years ago. She wrote,

The people built the Temple before the city wall. They knew that the strongest stone wall would not protect them if God were not with them, so they put Him first. PUT GOD FIRST!

Amen! "If God is for us, who can ever be against us!" (Romans 8:31). The whole history of the kings reveal that no fortification could protect against the wrath of God (e.g. consider the fall of Jericho's mighty walls) and no army could stand against the LORD when He fought on behalf of those that trusted in Him (e.g. consider the destruction of the mighty Assyrian army in the days of Hezekiah). 

The first group returning from exile understood that their first priority back in the land was to worship the LORD. If there was one enduring spiritual benefit from the people's long experience of exile it was this: Ancient idolatry, particularly the worship of the likes of Baal and Molech, was pretty much eradicated from the hearts of God's people. In the post-exilic period we hear no more of this being a problem for the people of Israel. Sometimes the best revivals happen through severe judgment. 

Now, while the ancient idols made of gold, silver and stone did not tempt Israel as in the days of old, they faced new challenges, even new idols, of moral and spiritual apathy, immorality, and the abuse of power. Over time it became clear that their God-centered interests were being replaced by self-interest. And it did not take long, for even as they were building the Temple, they left off building, first for legitimate reasons but then for illegitimate ones. They became too busy taking care of themselves and forgot about God. For this reason, the prophet Haggai wrote his book to rebuke the people and encourage them to refocus on God. While they did repent and were blessed by God, in the days of Nehemiah, who God led to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the people again returned to their sinful self-interest.

It was also during these post-exilic years that new sects would form to lead Israel, namely, the Pharisees and Sadduccees. But the sins of the people also infected these religious leaders, for they would create large volumes of traditions after their own ideals to "help" the people achieve God's standard of righteousness. Jesus would later blast these traditions as counter to the true worship of God:

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition.” (Mark 7:6-9, 13 NLT)

If you read about these hundreds and thousands of new laws and practices that constituted the "man-made ideas," while some seem ridiculous, even humorous to us, they do not sound evil or wrong. Jesus did not condemn them because they sounded evil or wrong in themselves but because they went both beyond and against the "Word of God." 

Friends, let us learn three things from our meditation today. First, let us remember to make God the priority. The people coming back from exile were afraid of the locals, but this did not deter them from putting God first. They built the altar and worshipped at the altar before doing anything else. This was right and good. Now, they lost sight of this priority midway through the building of the Temple until Haggai reminded them.

So, second, let us remember to keep God the priority. So often we start by dedicating this or that to God, and then forget all about Him as we go about our own business. Or we go to a revival service or retreat and shout and cry out to God and renew our commitment to follow Him, but when the spiritual "high" wears off, we return to our moral and spiritual apathy. Atleast until our next fix. Let us learn to daily keep God a priority. This is why Jesus said,

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 TNIV)

Jesus calls every believer (for believers were called "disciples" before they ever became known as "Christians") to DAILY put Christ first and foremost in their life. Daily means not just on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights but every day of the week.

Finally, we should take care not to think that we are free from idolatry because we are not tempted to bow down to images of gold, silver or stone. As it was for post-exilic Israel, so it is also for us, the new idols involve self-interest, immorality and the abuse of power. We must be alert, prayerful and diligent not to fall for these temptations, but take to heart the counsel of the New Testament for Christians:

Set your minds on things above, not earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God...Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry...anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other...Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness. Bear with each and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:2-14).

These are the things that should shape our behaviors in Christ, not how often you "go to church" or how much you "tithe," or how well you "serve" in the various ministries at church. None of these things are commanded in Scripture and, when they substitute for clear New Testament commands, they get dangerously close to the same kind of "traditions" and "man-made ideas" Jesus warned against. Words like "Church," "tithe," and "serve" are indeed biblical ideas but they are often distorted and taken out of context to serve ecclesiastical and organizational interests. Be careful that you don't fall into this trap. Therefore, stay daily and thoughtfully in the Scriptures so that you can be free of this. As Jesus taught,

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32 TNIV)

 The LORD our God is absolutely sovereign over the affairs of mankind and his purposes will come to fruition. It is because of His sovereignty that we can trust in the promises that He makes and therefore live in obedience to His commands. 

 why the weeping?

I see in Ezra 6:3 that it was rebuilt to be 90' high and same width, bigger.   Weeping since it was not as the original?

I thought it was interesting that the people built the Temple before the city wall.  They knew the strongest stone wall would not protect them if God was not with them so they put Him first. What a valuable lesson!  PUT GOD FIRST!