Will you please turn to the book of Ezra? The book of Ezra.
Ezra 1. We will read the first five verses.
And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying:
Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord, the God of heaven, given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Whosoever there is among you of all His people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—He is God—which is in Jerusalem.
And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
Then rose up the heads of fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
The same book, Ezra 6, verses 14 and 15.
And the elders of the Jews builded and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
The same book, Ezra 7. We begin with verses 6 through 10.
This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.
And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.
The same chapter, verses 27 and 28.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;
And hath extended lovingkindness unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Shall we pray?
Dear Heavenly Father, we do praise and thank Thee through the blood of Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, and the new and living way that He has opened for us through His flesh. We dare to come into Thy presence—not only to come into Thy presence, but to remain in Thy presence. Oh, how we praise and thank Thee for this honor and privilege.
And Father, we just pray that, as we are continuing in Thy presence, the light of Thy countenance will shine upon our hearts; that Thy Word will be spoken to our hearts and made life and spirit to us; that Thou mayest be glorified with us. In the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
The book of Ezra is a continuation of the history given in 2 Chronicles. You will find that the closing words in 2 Chronicles are the opening words of the book of Ezra. This, in a way, proves to us that the same author composed these two different books.
The book of Ezra begins with the return from the captivity of the remnant of the children of Israel. That happened around the year 536 BC. It ends with the second return from captivity of the remnant of the children of Israel under Ezra, and that happened in 458 BC.
So, roughly, you will find that the history in the book of Ezra covers seventy-eight years—around eighty years. From Ezra 1 through Ezra 6, it roughly covers twenty years of history. Then we find a gap of fifty-eight years between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7, and we know that this gap is filled with the story of Esther. Then from Ezra 7 through Ezra 10, it roughly covers a year. So that is the history we find in the book of Ezra.
We know that the children of Israel were taken into Babylonian captivity because of their unfaithfulness to God. But God is faithful. Before they were taken into captivity, God promised them through Jeremiah that the captivity would be seventy years, and after seventy years, He would bring His people back to the land.
This was recorded in Jeremiah 29:10:
For thus saith the Lord, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
The children of Israel were in the land of captivity. In the first year of King Darius, Daniel was in captivity. He read the book—the book of Jeremiah—and understood that the captivity would soon be over, within two years.
So we find in Daniel 9 that he gave himself to prayer, to prevailing prayer. He confessed his sin and the sin of the nation before God, and he asked God to forgive and to bring the people back to the promised land.
So, in answer to the travailing prayer of Daniel, in the first year of King Cyrus, he gave a royal decree. In that royal decree, he said, “God has given all the lands to me, and now all those who are of His people—whosoever there is who is God’s people—may go back to Jerusalem to build the house of God.”
Now, brothers and sisters, probably we would wonder: How could a Gentile king, Cyrus, who did not know God, give such a royal decree?
We must remember that Daniel was still there at that time with King Cyrus. Most likely, it was Daniel who shared with King Cyrus what God had prophesied about him two hundred and fifty years ago.
God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah. We know that the prophet Isaiah lived around 800 BC. There, in Isaiah 44:28 and at the beginning of Isaiah 45, God prophesied and named Cyrus by name. He said, “Cyrus is My shepherd. I have given all these things to him, that he may do My will.” And that was to rebuild His house.
Now, as Daniel shared this prophecy with Cyrus, even though Cyrus did not know God, he must have been deeply touched. He acknowledged that it must be God who gave him all the empire. In order to show his respect to God, he issued this royal decree, allowing all the children of God who were in captivity to return and build the house of God.
We must remember, however, that it was not the faithfulness of the people. It was the faithfulness of God that started, or initiated, this return and the rebuilding of the house of God.
Ezra put together a history—the history of the return from captivity. As he composed this book, he had one thing in view: to show us the faithfulness of God to His own Word. We may be unfaithful, but God remains faithful.
He also wants to show us that, in fulfilling His own promise, He is able to stir the hearts of Gentile kings and able to raise up instrument-vessels to fulfill His promise. That is our God, and that should encourage us.
The children of Israel were in Babylonian captivity, but then you find God began to move. As God moved, in this book we find two returns.
The first return was under Zerubbabel, and then we find a second return under Ezra. The first return was for the purpose of rebuilding the house of God. The second return was for the purpose of beautifying, or strengthening, the house of God—in other words, strengthening the service of the house.
Now, brothers and sisters, we are here this morning not just to review a past history. We are here to learn the lessons that God wants us to learn.
You know, in a way, the history of the children of Israel is a type of the spiritual history of the church, God’s people today. The children of Israel were God’s earthly chosen people, but the church of God is God’s heavenly chosen people. The principles behind them are often the same.
In 1 Peter 2:5, we find that the church of God is a holy nation. Of course, this holy nation is different from all the nations of the earth because it is heavenly and spiritual in nature. Nevertheless, it is a holy nation.
And it is not only a holy nation; it is a holy priesthood. In 1 Peter 2:5, we are told that we are built up together as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. So, on the one hand, we are a holy nation; on the other hand, we are a holy priesthood.
As the children of Israel, we have not been faithful to God. As we look back into the two-thousand-year history of the church, we find that very quickly the church left its original position. We find that the church has degenerated and has fallen into the world. The church in general is in Babylonian captivity.
If you ever read the history of the Reformation, you find that Luther and the other Reformers mentioned that the church at that time was in Babylonian captivity. Brothers and sisters, even though we find that God was calling at that time for a return, we have to say that even today, the church, generally speaking, is still in Babylonian captivity.
Babylon is different from Egypt. God brought His people out of Egypt, and Egypt represents the world: the riches of the world, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh. That is Egypt.
God brought His children out of Egypt into the promised land—Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey—which represents the fullness of Christ. Yet you find that the children of Israel, because of their unfaithfulness, fell into Babylon.
Babylon also is a representation of the world, but it is the religious world. You will find that all the religions in this world can be traced back to Babylon. They came out of the world as it was, and now they fell into the religious world.
Now, brothers and sisters, how true it is with the church of God today. God has called us out of every nation, every tribe, every people, and every tongue—out of the world—and gathered us together as one under Christ Jesus. It is His desire that we should remain in Christ and enjoy His fullness.
But unfortunately, we find the church was not faithful. Because of unfaithfulness, the church was, and is still, in Babylonian captivity. In other words, we find that the church today has become a religious system, not much different from the other religions in the world.
Babylon means confusion, and we do find that there is much confusion among God’s people even today. Throughout church history, after the church has gone into Babylonian captivity, God has been calling His people back—back into Jerusalem, and to rebuild the house of God.
This calling has been going on for centuries and centuries. It is not only at the time of the Reformation. We can trace it back even to the second century, when God, again and again, was calling His people back to Jerusalem—to the city of peace, to simplicity, and to purity—and there to rebuild His house, His testimony. This call has been going out throughout the centuries.
This is the history that we want to learn from the book of Ezra.
Another thing before we go into this book: as you read the book of Ezra, you will find that these returns were not a political restoration of the nation. Instead, these returns represent a recovery of the spiritual, or moral, condition of the people.
They came back under the decree of the kings of Persia. They were not a free people. Even their coming back was permitted and ordered by the Gentile kings. So you find that it was not a political recovery; it was a religious or moral recovery.
As a matter of fact, after the Babylonian captivity, the nation of Israel was never politically restored until 1948. Even though there was a short period during the Maccabean era when they had independence, throughout all that long history, even though they were back in the land, they were not free at all. They were under Gentile rule—different kingdoms and different realms.
So these returns do not represent a political restoration; they represent a religious or moral recovery. Why do I mention this? Because we find, according to God’s principle, that spiritual recovery precedes political or physical restoration.
God looks upon the heart, and man always looks at appearance. What God is after is always the heart, the spiritual reality. When there is spiritual reality, then the outward appearance will be manifested sooner or later. Spiritual reality precedes outward manifestation.
But you know, this is something that we as human beings think differently about. That is the reason why, when our Lord Jesus came upon this earth two thousand years ago, the Jews rejected Him. Why? Because they wanted a political recovery, yet the Lord Jesus wanted a spiritual recovery first.
So, brothers and sisters, when we come to this matter of the church, after the church has fallen into Babylonian captivity, do not look for an outward recovery of its outward glory. Rather, remember that what God is doing today is first to recover the spiritual reality among His people.
Unless the spiritual reality is recovered, what is the use of an outward appearance? Unfortunately, we find God’s people today are all looking for outward glory instead of inward reality.
One day, that glorious church will be manifested—the bride of the Lamb—and will reign with Christ. But brothers and sisters, today, when we study the history and the principle of recovery, remember: it is always the inward reality, not the outward appearance.
All right, we can go now to the book of Ezra. In the first year of King Cyrus, he made a royal proclamation allowing the children of Israel who were in captivity to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of God.
As we said before, the children of Israel in captivity were not free. They were slaves. They could not just go back as they wished; they had to wait until the king allowed them to return.
The proclamation included all of God’s people in captivity. They all could return. The decree was specific: they returned to do one thing, and that was to rebuild the house of God and nothing else.
We would think that when such a decree was issued, all the children of Israel in the land of captivity would rise up and return. Surely, that is what they would do. Suppose we were in captivity and one day were allowed to go home. Would you not go home? Certainly, you would.
But strangely, this did not happen at that time. Even though all Israel was allowed to return, only a remnant returned.
The call ought to stir the hearts of God’s people. But unfortunately, only a remnant, whose spirits were stirred by God, returned. In other words, all the rest did not return, as if they had not heard. They were not stirred at all. They did not care.
Now, why was it so? We know that the children of Israel, after they were taken into Babylonian captivity, even though they were slaves, were actually given much liberty under the reigns of Babylon and Persia.
They were allowed to build their own houses. They were allowed to build up their businesses, and you know how they could do business. So they prospered in the land of captivity during those seventy years. They sent their roots deep down into the land of captivity.
More than that, they were given religious freedom. As a matter of fact, it was the Babylonian captivity that healed the children of Israel from idolatry. God said, “All right, you want to worship idols? Go to the land of idols, and they will cure you of it.”
In the land of captivity, they wanted to go and worship God, but they could not. Why? Because Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple was destroyed. How could they worship?
Here you find human ingenuity coming to the rescue. They were so clever that they invented a most ingenious system that exists even until today. Everywhere the Jews go, you find it, and that is the synagogue.
The synagogue was invented during that period. They did not have the temple, but they wanted to worship God. How could they do it? All right, they invented something, humanly speaking, better than God’s plan.
There was only one temple, but there could be countless synagogues. If you have ten Jewish men of leisure—by leisure, I mean men who are able and willing to spend time for religious purposes—you can have a synagogue.
During the time of captivity, synagogues sprung up everywhere. It was so convenient. You did not need to travel too much; you could have a synagogue next door. If you did not like certain people, you could organize your own synagogue. If you did not like that way, then you could have your own way of synagogue.
Even in the time of the apostles, you find the synagogues of the guilds. If you were masons, you could have a masons’ synagogue. If you were mechanics, you could have a mechanics’ synagogue. In other words, you could have a synagogue of your liking. Now, is that not convenient?
In the synagogue, they read the Torah, the law of Moses. They read the prophets. In the synagogue, they sang the Psalms. In the synagogue, they could pray, and they could exhort one another.
As a matter of fact, you find in the time of the apostles how free they were. When the apostle Paul came into a synagogue, the ruler of the synagogue would come and say, “Well, gentlemen, do you have anything to say?” Why, you could say anything you wanted to. There was such liberty there in the synagogue. Is that not marvelous?
The only thing the synagogue could not do was offer sacrifices, because God said, “You cannot offer anywhere in the world but in the one place where I put My name.” That is the temple in Jerusalem. So they could not offer sacrifices.
But the Word says, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission.” You can have everything religious, but not the remission of sin. In other words, the most fundamental, basic thing is missing.
Everything there can satisfy your conscience, can bribe your conscience, and make you feel religious. But there is nothing there that can restore your relationship with God.
The Jewish people in captivity who lived for themselves had everything they desired. They had all the material good things, and they also had a religious system that bribed their conscience and made them feel religious.
They were self-centered; they were self-contented. That is the reason why they did not feel any urge to go back. Why should they be uprooted? Why should they face the danger of the journey? Why should they go back to Jerusalem, a city of ruin? Why should they build the house of God and live in tents? Why should they do that?
Their spirits were lulled to sleep by material and religious things. They cared for themselves; they did not care for God and His interests.
Remember, during the days of captivity, God was no longer mentioned as the God of the heavens and of the earth. He was addressed as the God of heaven. He was dismissed from earth. Why? Because He put His name among His own people, and the people were in captivity. There was no testimony of Him on earth.
Only those people whose spirits were still alert toward God, only those people who loved God more than themselves, who were interested in God’s interests rather than their own interests—their spirits were stirred. They wanted to go back to rebuild the house of God, that the name of God might be on earth and that the testimony of God might be restored upon this earth.
Brothers and sisters, these were the people who returned.
They came back under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. You know, the very name Zerubbabel means “born in Babylon,” or “seed of Babylon.” In other words, this young man was born in Babylon. He had never seen Jerusalem. He had never seen the old temple.
But how was it that he wanted to go back? He had never seen his motherland. He had never seen the old temple. Babylon was his home. How was it that he wanted to go back?
We remember that Zerubbabel was the grandson of Jehoiachin the king. Jehoiachin was taken into Babylonian captivity. But if you read 2 Kings 25, the last few verses, you will find that in the thirty-seventh year of his captivity, the king of Babylon raised him up from prison and made him a friend of the king.
In other words, Jehoiachin, in his later years, actually lived in the royal palace. He became a friend of the king. Evidently, Zerubbabel, when he was born, must have been born into a very good environment, even in captivity.
Being in the royal court, he must have seen one man—and you know who he was: Daniel. Daniel was in the royal court. Evidently, Daniel, the old man—for he must have been an old man by that time—shared with this young friend, Zerubbabel, the purpose of God, the will of God, the name of God, the house of God, and the glory of God.
As Daniel shared these things with this young man, his heart was burning within him. He had a burning desire for God and for His glory.
So when the decree was published, he was the one who led the people back to Jerusalem to build the house of God. All those who returned with him had the same spirit.
They returned—fifty thousand of them. After they returned to Jerusalem, the first thing they did was to build an altar, to call upon the name of the Lord because of the fear of the enemies around them.
In the second year, they began to lay the foundation of the house of God. When the foundation was laid, the old men who returned, who had seen the old temple before—they must have been over seventy, eighty, or ninety years old—wept. But the young people who had never seen the temple before shouted.
The enemies heard, and they tried every means to stop them. In their weakness, the work was stopped for about fourteen years. During those days, until God raised up the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the work remained stopped.
Through the prophesying of these two prophets, they came back and rebuilt. In four years, they had the house of God rebuilt. Thank God for that.
Brothers and sisters, there is a similarity between the recovery of the house of God in Jerusalem and the recovery of the testimony of Jesus today.
We mentioned that the church today is in Babylonian captivity. In other words, there is much confusion among God’s people.
Not only are God’s people seeking earthly material gains, just like the people of the world; you find God’s people running here and there, seeking things that perish, just like the people of this world. We are thinking of building our own house, our business, our own welfare—everything for ourselves—even though we know we are in captivity.
Brothers and sisters, how ingenious is the system we have invented. You find that God’s people today do not need to worship as one. You can worship in whatever way you like. You can even have your own church.
Is it not true that our conscience seems to be bribed into sleep? We think that we are religious; we are worshiping God. But it is to fulfill our desire.
How about the testimony of Jesus? Where is the testimony of Jesus? Where is the oneness of the body of Christ? Brothers and sisters, God’s people today are in great confusion.
Yet the call is there: “Come out of Babylon. Return to Jerusalem and build My house.”
Is it not time, brothers and sisters, that we begin to think of God’s interests? Is it not time that we should be God-centered instead of self-centered, even in religious pursuits and activities?
Is it not time for us to think of the testimony of Jesus upon this earth instead of our own welfare? Is it not time that we should come out of all confusion and return to the purity and simplicity that are in Christ Jesus?
We have become too complicated, too complex. We need to return to simplicity and sincerity in Christ Jesus. There we are to build the house of God.
We are the house of God. God wants to dwell among His people. He wants to build us together as living stones, built together upon one foundation in Christ Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, is our spirit stirred? Can we remain in Babylon? Shall we not rise up, willing to face all the dangers and go back to almost nothing, that God’s house may be built?
May Christ be the center, the Head of the church, and may God’s people be joined together as one, that the name of Jesus may be glorified.
We may never have seen the glory of the early church. We have not. But we have heard of it; we have read of it in the Book.
Are our spirits stirred? Can we continue to be in lethargy and complacency, as if nothing is needed? Where is the testimony of Jesus? Who are the people whose spirits are stirred to go back to simplicity and to rebuild God’s house?
May His altar be erected. May the foundation be laid. And may His house be built.
Thank God, throughout the centuries in church history, you may not find it in the official church history. But if you really make research, you will find throughout the twenty centuries an unofficial spiritual history of the church.
You find that in every age there have been, and there are, people who have heard the call: “Come out of Babylon, return to Jerusalem, and build the house of God.”
Fifty-eight years passed. In 458 BC, Ezra, a scribe—a ready scribe—appeared. You know, Ezra means “help.” As a matter of fact, to the Jews, Ezra is considered the scribe.
He set his heart to seek the law of God, to do it, and to teach it to God’s people. He was an honored person, a scholar, living comfortably in the Persian court, respected even by the king. Yet his heart was with the people, the remnant in Jerusalem. He wanted to go back to teach them.
Here you find the second return under Ezra. A few thousand people returned with him.
His return had a different purpose from the return under Zerubbabel. Why? Because the temple was already built and the temple service had been going on. But during those fifty-eight years, the service had become weak.
The taxation was very heavy. You know, it is not just today; even in those days, taxation was very heavy. Because the taxes were very heavy upon the people, even the priests and Levites had to make a living. They had to go back to the fields to till the ground.
The offerings were so meager that, even though the temple service was still going on, there were not sufficient sacrifices. There were not enough priests to do the work. In other words, the temple was there and the service was going on, but it was very weak. The testimony of God was weak.
So Ezra had a burden to go back to beautify the house of God. By beautifying, it means strengthening the temple service.
He was a person who knew the Word of God by heart, and he was a person who knew the hand of God. Sometimes a scribe is supposed to know the Word of God, but he may not know the hand of God. Ezra was a person who knew both. He knew the Word of God, and he knew the hand of God upon him. That is to say, he knew God Himself.
God answered his prayer, and he went back.
He was allowed to go back to strengthen the temple service. There would be more bullocks, more lambs, more sheep, and more resources. The Persian king even said that the treasury of the king would back this up, and the treasury of the empire of Persia was almost limitless.
He also exempted the Levites and the priests from taxes, so they did not need to pay tax. They could devote themselves to the temple service. In one sense, you find how Ezra was able to build up the temple service.
At the same time, he was able to purify the people. During those fifty-eight years, God’s chosen people, who were supposed to be separated from all the nations, began to intermarry with the surrounding peoples. Because of all those impurities, they were being led away from God.
So, in beautifying the temple, you have to beautify, or purify, the people. The people were purified and remained a pure people unto God. This is very important.
It is not only for the testimony of that time; it has greater significance. One day, the Messiah was to come through them. So God had to keep a people for Himself in order to prepare for the coming of the Messiah.
Thank God, the temple service was strengthened, the people were purified, and God’s testimony was recovered.
Now, brothers and sisters, we mentioned before that we are not only a holy temple, a spiritual house of God; we are also a holy priesthood. It is the will of God that we shall be built up together.
Under one Head, Christ; built together upon one foundation, Christ; built and linked together with one cornerstone, Christ, so that God may dwell among us and be satisfied.
This building together is not just an outward thing. This building together is an organic thing. The Holy Spirit is to build us together as one.
One in spirit, one in soul, one in love; bearing and forbearing one another; keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Growing together into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—this is what God desires for His people.
But more than that, He wants us to be a holy priesthood in the house of God.
The temple is to be, as our Lord Jesus said, “My Father’s house.” It is to be a house of prayer for all nations. But in the time of our Lord Jesus, it had degenerated into a house of merchandise, a den of robbers.
The church of God, according to 1 Timothy 3:15, is the house of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Great is the mystery of godliness.
Yet in 2 Timothy 2:20, it has become a great house. There are vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. Is it not time that we should purify ourselves from being vessels of dishonor, to be vessels of honor, fit for the Master’s use?
We are a holy priesthood: the universal priesthood of believers. You know, even in Luther’s time, Luther preached the universal priesthood of believers. Can you believe that? The Reformers knew it, but they did not put it into practice.
Instead of the universal priesthood of believers, you have the sacerdotal system. You find the laity and the clergy.
Is it not time that all God’s people should come and beautify the house of God? Is it not time that we should all rise up and function together as members of the body of Christ, according to the gift and grace that God has given to each?
There is no one who is not needed. There is no one who can do everything. Under the headship of Christ, all the members of the body of Christ are functioning together as a holy priesthood, that God may be served.
Brothers and sisters, this is what God wants to restore and recover in His people.
There are unlimited resources, because the treasure of heaven is backing you up. All the spiritual gifts and all the grace of Christ Jesus are yours. There should be no lack.
But the thing is: Do we set our hearts to seek the Word of God and to do it? Otherwise, how can we teach people?
Do we know the Word of God? Do we know the hand of God in our lives? Otherwise, it will be academic; it is not spiritual.
God wants all of us to rise up and serve as a holy priesthood in His house.
How glorious it will be. How rich it will be. How greatly God will be served.
May the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Dear Heavenly Father, may Thy people hear Thy voice, and may the spirits of Thy people be stirred.
O our heavenly Father, we pray that Thy people will rise up to rebuild and to strengthen; that Thou mayest be exalted and Thou mayest be served, because Thou art our God, our Father, our Lord, our King, the Lord worthy.
We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.