Stone Hearts

THE BOOK OF EZRA

I’m reading through the Book of Ezra and I came across an interesting passage.  The nation of Israel had been living in exile away from their home country for 50+ years, but a guy named Zerubbabel got special permission from Cyrus the King of Persia to go back to their country to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1-4; 3:8).  As Zerubbabel is leading the Temple construction, we come to this passage:

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel. So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.”

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”

 (Ezra 4:1-3)

The people who approached Zerubbabel wanted to help build the Temple.  They claimed to worship the same God as the Israelites, even after God led the nation of Israel away into exile.  Their claims are probably true, because Israel’s neighbors were often held accountable to God for their actions since they knew the God of Israel.  These people were also “old enemies” (MSG) of Israel.  Because of this, Zerubabbel’s response was essentially: “get lost.”

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Think about what’s happening here.  People are trying to seek God, but God’s own people reject them.

And look at their response:

Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Even later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, the enemies of Judah, led by Bishlam, Mithredath, and Tabeel, sent a letter to Artaxerxes in the Aramaic language, and it was translated for the king.

Rehum the governor and Shimshai the court secretary wrote the letter, telling King Artaxerxes about the situation in Jerusalem.

(Ezra 4:5-8)

The people’s response to Zerubbabel’s rejection was to discourage and frighten God’s people from doing their work.  Later, they even responded politically by appealing to the king of Persia.  As we read on, we discover that the king halted the building of the Temple for several years, and construction didn’t begin again until a new king came in place.

TO CHRISTIANS EVERYWHERE…

What I find significant is that God’s people caused their own misfortune.  How true is this for Christians in America today?  As I read this I pictured the Church celebrating what Jesus has done for them, and when people from the outside are curious to be part of it, the Church dismisses them because they are viewed as “old enemies.”  Those rejected people respond by causing confusion within Christian circles, leading people to halt their work for God, and then eventually responding politically by involving the government in shutting down church affairs.

The story in Ezra eventually concludes with the people of Israel completing the Temple and celebrating God, but later on we find out that people are not respecting the Temple, God’s laws, or each other.  They needed a change of heart.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

-Jesus (Matthew 7:7-8)

Let this not be the story of our generation.  We must welcome those who are seeking God!  Instead of excluding others, may we embrace those who are different than us in worshiping God.  It doesn’t matter if Christians deem them “sinful,” or if they don’t “believe” all of Christian doctrine…all are welcome to worship God.

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

(Romans 10:13)