Ezra: The Lord HelpsSample

We have seen the historical setting of the book of Ezra: God’s people are in exile, but the Lord has moved the heart of Cyrus (v. 1). In verses 2–4 we read what happens as a result: Cyrus makes a proclamation throughout his realm (v. 1), telling God’s people that they could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (vv. 2–3). 

When the temple was first built by King Solomon, it was a most glorious structure. It wasn’t ever listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, but it might well have made the top 10! But at the time of Ezra, the temple was like a bomb site. After years of neglect, it was in ruins. This really mattered, not because it was a monument to be preserved for historical and architectural reasons but because of its theological significance. 

The temple was the only place where people could go to meet God. At its center was the altar because sinners could only meet Him through sacrifice. Understanding that helps us to see the significance of the book of Ezra for Christians. It points us towards Jesus: today the one way God can be met is through Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross. 

That’s why the Jewish temple, having been raised to the ground in AD 70, was never rebuilt. It’s no longer needed. Jesus said that His body was the temple (John 2:21). He is the one we go to in order to meet God. 

But there’s a second New Testament understanding of the temple. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians teach that the church, God’s people, is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16–17; 2 Cor. 6:16). By His Spirit, God dwells in us (individually) and among us (corporately). We also act as a temple as we proclaim Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross, enabling others to come to know God too. 

The book of Ezra speaks so powerfully to us here. Then the physical temple (its bricks and mortar) was in ruins and needing to be rebuilt. Today the church (the people of God) is also a building project. ‘Ecclesia semper reformanda’ – we need to be continually reformed, to be built into the people we should be. We can see that very clearly in the West, where very often the church is in ruins.

Reflection

Consider how the church needs to be rebuilt. Pray that God would move to do that work, first in you, then in your church family and throughout the church in your nation, and even in the hearts of powerful, unbelieving rulers.