Ezra: The Lord HelpsSample

Some years back, my wife and I embarked upon our own personal building project. It involved knocking down a wall in our house, moving doors, and tons of plumbing and rewiring. That work is way beyond anything I can do, so we hired builders who did a terrific job. As I watched them, one of the things that impressed me most was how they knew exactly what to do first. 

Knowing where to start in a building project is no small thing. It was the same with rebuilding the temple. In verse 1 the people of Judah have arrived and settled in Jerusalem after their epic migration from Babylon. Now they need to start the work they’ve gone there to do. 

On the first day, you can imagine them getting up early, having a hearty breakfast, and turning up at the building site keen as mustard and enthusiastic for the task ahead – all wearing their new overalls. The temple is in tatters and the city looks as if a bomb’s hit it. What’s the priority? What should they do first? Verse 2 tells us they start work on the altar. 

The altar is at the heart of the temple. It’s the one place – given by God Himself – where men and women can be put right with God through sacrifice for sin and therefore meet with Him. So they start rebuilding the altar first because their biggest need is to have their sin atoned for; to be forgiven. 

Today our biggest need is the same as back then: to be put right with God. Likewise, our priority in building the church is to be sure to point people to the cross of Christ. Jesus’ cross is the only place where, through His sacrifice, we can meet and know God. If we’re to see the church built up in this land, and reformed to be what it should be, the sacrificial death of Jesus needs to be given the central place. We need to keep the cross of Christ at the heart of everything we do. That’s obvious when we think about it. The cross is the symbol of the Christian faith. While there are other symbols, the cross towers above them all. 

That’s why, hundreds of years before Christ, the people of Judah in Ezra’s time began by building the altar – their place of sacrifice.

Reflection

Thank God for the cross of Jesus that brings us to God. Consider how often you think about the cross. Ask God to help you make the cross central to your Christian life and the life of your church family.