Day 34: Ezra

So I got a bit caught up in the dates of Xerxes/Ahasuerus, Artexerxes and Darius.  Of course, all my Bibles are still packed and well, I'm still not sure.  Sometimes titles are given instead of names and that makes sense, so Xerxes/Ahasuerus is probably not Xerxes the I, but the son of Cyrus and that makes sense as well.  Xerxes is the Greek for Ahasuerus which is the Hebrew for another Persian word which is a title.  Okay, good to know.  I know I said I wasn't going to be all scholarly, but for my peace of mind, I needed to know and that's okay too.

Moving on, Ezra: this is a book of hope, perseverance, obedience and repentance.  Where do I get that?  Well, let's find out, shall we?

Hope: Ezra picks up where Chronicles leaves off and repeats the same decree of Cyrus, but adds "...let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.  And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem."

So they do.  Again, God is concerned with matters of the heart and so it comes across in His word, Ch.1:5, "everyone whose heart God had moved - prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem."  Cyrus also gives them articles from the temple that were taken by Nebuchadnezzar.  I just think God is awesome.  He worked in the King's heart to allow his people to return, just as he promised and he allowed them to save some face as well.  Yeah, He's pretty cool.

Then we have a list of those who return 42,360 plus servants and animals.  That is sad because it truly is only a remnant.  But then there is rejoicing because the first thing they go about doing is building the altar and they celebrate to the LORD, the Feast of Tabernacles and burnt offerings.  Then they lay the foundation for the temple, bittersweet, joyful that the LORD's temple is being rebuilt, sad because it is only a shadow of what it once was.

Next comes the trickiness of it all.  So I'm guessing the "enemies of Judah and Benjamin" are probably the Samaritans who kind of sort of want to worship, have kind of sort of been "sacrificing" to God along with all of their other gods.  I'm pretty sure God said He is a jealous God, so I think it may be safe to say that it's kind of like facebook, they just want to have as many friends/gods as they can get.  The Israelites say no, and then trouble starts.  Eventually it ends with Darius (hence my timeline confusion), but because he does his homework and he too, like Cyrus, recognizes the LORD God.  Again the Israelites go with gusto and the temple is finally finished, Passover is celebrated (obedience), and then enter Ezra.

So even amidst obstacles from neighbors and edicts from kings, the Israelites persevere.  They do put off the building of the temple for a while, but they pick it back up despite the edict not to.  They build, despite fear for their safety.  They press on because God is worth it.

Ezra brings with him more support from the King, a different King again at this time, and the Law.  Ezra's account may seem, perhaps a little pretentious, but it is also transparent.  I believe he really did seek the LORD and encourage the Israelites to do so.  That was his calling, his job.  He was like the high priest, at least descended from him and how many other people could really claim that lineage... just saying.  God was with and he led the people to repentance.  Despite the past sin, God showed mercy and allowed his people, albeit a remnant, to return home.  He also showed them mercy again as they had committed the same sins, marrying the people of the other nations around them.  To try and start things right again, this time, Ezra calls them into account, to obey, immediately, and asks them to do what God had asked them to do from the beginning.  Harsh?  Perhaps, but this path had led them to destruction before.  Ezra is trying to keep them from making the same mistakes.

I think I could use an Ezra, someone to point me toward truth and right and God's way.  Oh wait, I do have Ezras.  I have Dani and Kelly and my mom and Janine and Paula and Kelsey and Kyla and Stacia and Erin and so many more.  Thank you for allowing me to see your example of faith.  Thank you for pushing me to follow, persevere, obey and repent.  Thank you for giving me hope.  May I be that for you as well.  Blessings to you all!