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Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends, welcome to the weekend!
Have you ever been part of something historic? Something so extravagant that you knew books will be written about it, maybe even movies made. In our ongoing study of Israel’s exciting history which points us to Christmas, let’s join one of the greatest moments in history. A huge parade of about 50,000 people, with all their belongings, are heading up the road TOWARD the rubble that once was Jerusalem! You’ll find the story in Ezra 1.
48 years before, many of these same people were on this very same road, but heading the opposite direction. That time they were prisoners of war, leaving smoldering Jerusalem which had been destroyed by king Nebuchadnezzar’s army. They were angry, brokenhearted, hopeless. They had left everything behind, and in shackles, they knew their future would be slavery in captivity. Over the years, many who had been on that trek to Babylon had died there. But this day the atmosphere was totally different! This huge throng of 50,000 people had carts filled with all their belongings and even some very precious things which had been taken from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar’s army, now being returned with this new generation of Jews who are anxious to rebuild their city.
What miracle changed the course of history, you might ask? Jeremiah the prophet had spoken God’s Word to Jerusalem nearly 70 years before: “This is what the LORD says: When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill My promise to bring you back to this place (Jerusalem). For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back from captivity…” (Jeremiah 29:10-14) By the way, the 70 year calculation is usually viewed in two ways. The primary way is from the destruction of the great Temple of God in Jerusalem in 586bc till the dedication of the second, rebuilt temple in 515bc. (Ezra 6:13-18) Some also consider the time to be from the first deportation of captives, including Daniel in 605bc till this return of 50,000 exiles in 537bc.
How did this miracle happen, you might ask? King Cyrus of the Persian kingdom had defeated the Babylonians and one of the first executive edicts he issued was this: “The LORD the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of His people, anywhere in the empire, may go up to Jerusalem and build the Temple of the LORD the God of Israel…and may their God be with them. And in any region where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide the Jews with silver and gold and freewill offerings for rebuilding the temple of God in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:2-4)
Now that is a miracle, would you agree? As we walk along with this huge crowd of 50,000 people heading up the road to Jerusalem, the oldest people around us are heading home again, their minds filled with memories, their hearts overflowing with gratitude to God. The young ones around us were born in Babylon. They’ve heard the stories, centuries of stories, going all the way back to king David, and their hope has no bounds. They will actually have the privilege of being part of history in rebuilding the great city of their ancestors.
And then those carts over there, covered with animal skins to protect from the dust and sun… oh my the treasures that are under those coverings! Listen to Ezra’s description: “King Cyrus brought out the treasures belonging to the temple of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem…In all there were 5400 articles of gold and silver. Sheshbazzar, the leader of this caravan, brought all these treasures along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:7-11)
So my friends, when in your life has God done miraculous things, amazing things, things you tell your children and grandchildren about when the family get together at Christmas time? Will some very special things happen in your life, your family, your church, your community yet in these last few days of 2020? Things you will thank God for the rest of your life? Are you ready and watching closely so you don’t miss it?
Finally, after weeks of slow travel, this huge caravan crested over the hills to see what some of them had left nearly 50 years before. What do you suppose they saw, my friends? How much has changed in your city in the past 50 years? Yes, they saw the rubble of the great wall which had once stood tall and strong around Jerusalem but had been broken down as Nebuchadnezzar’s armies demolished the city. And yes, there was still some rubble where there used to be houses and businesses, but there were now many new houses and new businesses, hundreds of them, for in these 5 decades many people had moved in and settled in this abandoned city. This was now their town and these 50,000 travelers from Babylon would have to either fight them or learn how to live among them!
And over there, on the hilltop… that rubble is all that’s left of what once was one of the greatest buildings in the world, the great temple king Solomon had built 500 years ago. Nebuchadnezzar had demolished it and burned it to the ground nearly 50 years ago! I imagine many of the older folks simply wept as they remembered how glorious it was and how horrific its demolition had been. They had been eyewitnesses and would never forget. (2 Kings 25)
I imagine the 50,000 exiles simply stood on the brow of the hills overlooking this amazing scene for a long time, trying to figure out where to start their rebuild and what to do about all these people who had moved into the area! May I ask, as you reflect back over 2020 and look ahead into 2021 are you somewhat stunned, trying to figure out how to rebuild life to something like it once was pre-Coronavirus? Ezra 3 gives us some insight into what they did. Many of them settled outside Jerusalem, forming new towns and villages. After seven months, they gathered together in Jerusalem and began putting their shoulder to the task of clearing the rubble from the site of the great old Temple, and began by rebuilding the great altar which had been in front of the temple.
It was vital that they begin their worship of Almighty God, the God of Israel, even if they didn’t have a temple. May I ask you my friends, all around the world, how has your spiritual journey been this Coronavirus year? What are your plans for Christmas worship this next week with COVID church closures or restrictions everywhere? What are your plans to rally your family and friends to honor Jesus Christ in glorious worship, regardless of the limitations on the churches in your town?
Look closely at the record: “Despite their fear of the people around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings to the LORD, both morning and evening sacrifices… Then they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles…” (Ezra 3:1-4) Can you imagine the excitement of these Jewish exiles to be back on the hilltop where their Temple had stood, once again celebrating their great God and thank Him for keeping them alive in Babylon and bringing them back to their homeland, just as He had promised?
How appropriate that they celebrated this “Festival of Tabernacles”, today called “Sukkot”. It was an annual, week-long festival which celebrated God’s provision for and protection of His people during their 40 years of wandering in the desert with Moses. It began on the 15th day of the 7th month in the year, with a full day of holy worship, and then other festivities the rest of the week. The people built temporary tents or shelters close together on the hillsides, to live in during that week remembering that their ancestors lived in tents, frequently on the move, following the cloud of God by day and pillar of fire by night in the desert. Can you imagine friends how wonderful this week of festival must have been for these exiles returned to their homeland, thanking God for how He sustained them during their decades in Babylon!
In closing today, let’s just spend a moment watching the worship, the singing and dancing, the children frolicking around and little tents and shelters all around us. Now look forward in time… in this very same spot, about 500 years, to the day the old priest Zechariah is walking over this very same hilltop, on his way to Jerusalem for another week of his priestly privileges at the great Temple. Jerusalem is now a huge city, Zechariah one of hundreds of priests, but during this week Zechariah’s life will change, as he will have an encounter in that Temple, with the angel Gabriel! We’ll look at that event tomorrow as we walk together toward Christmas day! For today, spend some time thanking God for His faithfulness, His goodness to you in this difficult, chaotic year when perhaps you sometimes felt like you were living in exile. Worship Jesus Christ in a wonderful way this weekend my friends!
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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