Bible Studies
The Prophets Prompt the Rebuilding (Ezra 5:1-5)
Series: Studies In EzraIntroduction:
1. Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and about 50,000 exiles have returned to Jerusalem. 2. Their task is to rebuild the temple of God and reestablish themselves in the land of Israel, following 70 years in Babylonian captivity. 3. The people of the land are a source of discouragement to their work.a. They initially volunteered to build with them, but were not part of the people of God. The leaders of the people of God said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God.”
b. The people of the nations were polytheistic idolaters and truly had nothing in common with the people of God.
c. They were effective, however, in appealing to the King of Persia to get the construction of the temple stopped.
4. God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, with messages that prompted the Jews to get back to work. 5. Tattenai, the governor of the province, and other provincial officials questioned whether they had authority for what they were doing, but they kept right on building, while King Darius investigated the matter, searching the king’s archives to see if his predecessor, King Cyrus, had actually authorized their work. 6. It was learned that not only had he authorized it he had authorized funds from the royal treasury to pay the full cost of the work. So Tattenai and the other officials had to use income from their provincial taxes to finance the building of the house of God. Truly the work they were doing was the work of God.Discussion:
I. God himself prompted the restart of the work, through Haggai.A. According to Haggai 1:1 Haggai received a message from God in the second year of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month.
1. The message was pointed (Hag. 1:2-9).
2. The Lord’s house was being neglected while everyone focused on his own house.
3. The Lord must occupy first place in the lives of His people.
a. Haggai said they were living in their paneled houses and the house of the Lord lay desolate.
b. This past week I listened to a pediatrician Meg Meeker speak on the subject, Teaching Biblical Values to a New Generation. She said, “The problem with most parents is they start off parenting with the wrong perspective. They think their role is to make their child successful and happy, to provide them with ample opportunities and to build their self-esteem. We cannot raise godly kids if we fail to fear the Lord first and instead put children as the center of our home.
c. The people of Haggai’s day were not putting the Lord first and so the house of the Lord was neglected. Dr. Meeker is observing that some today do not put the Lord first but make idols of their family. When the Lord occupies first place He defines all other priorities.
4. The Lord stirred up the spirit of the people. They obeyed His voice and they showed reverence for the Lord. They put their hands to work on the house of the Lord.
5. The Lord interpreted what they were doing in light of the great promise that He had made to His people when they came out of Egypt (Hag. 2:5-9).
a. Observe that it has been about 1,000 years since Egypt.
b. God interpreted their current work of rebuilding this temple as part of His activity for His special people.
c. Their work was founded on their special relationship with Him (2:10-23). Zerubbabel is singled out. God said, “I have chosen you.”
d. This passage is suggestive of something more (2:6). God said, “Once more I am going to shake the heavens and the earth and all nations will come and fill this house with glory.”
e. You might recall how Ezekiel had seen the glory of God leave Solomon’s temple before Israel was taken into captivity (Ezek. 10:4, 18; 11:22-23). Although the people would go into exile God promised to bring them back and put a new spirit within them (Ezek. 11:14ff, esp. 19-21).
II. The temple had always been representative of God’s special relationship with His people.A. God had led the people out of Egypt identifying them as His people.
1. The pillar of cloud by day and fire by night marked God’s presence with them.
2. After the construction of the tabernacle Ex. 40:34-35 says, “The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”
3. The tabernacle and the glory of the Lord marked their special relationship as God’s people.
B. Later David determined to build the temple in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 7).
1. He said, “I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.”
2. He determined to build a house for the Lord.
3. God said, “NO! I will build a house for you.” God promised to raise up offspring for David and to establish his throne forever.
4. God had more in mind than a physical house.
5. Nevertheless, Solomon constructed the temple. 1 Kings 8:6-10 says that when the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant into the most holy place the cloud filled the house of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. O they knew that God did not dwell in the temple like men dwell in houses. Solomon in his prayer of dedication said, “Will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, much less this house which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:22ff).
C. The glory of the Lord had left the house of the Lord because of the idolatry of Israel.
D. Now they had returned from exile as God had promised and they were rebuilding the house of the Lord. Listen to Ezra 5:11ff as they interpreted their history for King Darius. Even though they completed their work, the glory of the Lord’s presence in the cloud was noticeable absent.
E. Years later, in N.T. days, King Herod remolded and added on to the temple.
1. This was the temple that Jesus and the disciples knew.
2. It was truly a magnificent structure.
3. But the glory of the Lord did not return there.
III. The prophet Zechariah had a transcendent message about the temple.A. His prophecies are dated only two months after Haggai’s (Zech. 1:1).
B. God said, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion: My house will be built in it” (Zech. 1:16).
C. “I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” He said (2:10). “Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people” (2:11-12). It says that the Lord will again choose Jerusalem (2:12).
D. God uses Joshua, the high priest as a symbol for God’s Servant whom he is going to bring. He identifies him as “The Branch” (3:8).
1. This Branch will build the temple of the Lord; combine the offices of priest and king and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices (6:12-13). Cf. Jer. 23:5-6.
2. God promised that He would return to dwell in Jerusalem (Zech. 8:3-8).
E. Not only will Judah and Israel be saved (8:13), but many peoples and many nations will come to seek the Lord in Jerusalem (8:20ff).
F. There will be no Canaanites in the house of the Lord, but only those HOLY TO THE LORD (14:20ff).
IV. What is this temple, this house of the Lord?A. Eph. 2:11ff speaks of Jesus making Jews and the nations into one group and bringing about peace. Note verses 18-22.
B. In 1 Cor. 3:10ff Paul writes of a building of God listen to what he says. Reading of 10-17.
C. So what is the temple of God? It is the people of God, saved by Jesus Christ (the Branch, the shoot off the root of Jesse), forgiven of their sins, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, who are being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirit.
Conclusion:
1. Beginning with the Tabernacle built by Moses and following through the Temple built by Solomon, the Temple built by Zerubbabel, and the temple of the first century God has communicated His presence to His people. 2. All of these Temple structures are types or shadows of God’s ultimate relationship to His people. 3. Today this relationship is evidenced in the church, the people of God. We are stones in the temple of God. The Spirit of God dwells in His people. 4. We are the house of God.
