Ezra 6:1-22
6:1-2 The people of Judah were accused of building the temple without permission. In response to the accusations, they encouraged King Darius to search for the very proof of their granted permission in Babylon.
6:1-5 King Darius ordered a search for the document and found that they people of Judah had made a truthful claim: King Cyrus had issued the decree for Judah to return to its kingdom to rebuild. In fact, king Cyrus gave very generous permission. He allowed Judah to return the treasures of the house of the Lord back to Jerusalem.
6:6-7 Moreover, the people of Judah were to be left in peace to rebuild. If Judah had written the decree themselves it might not have supported them as well! God wields the details to provide us what we need.
6:8-10 God's blessings always exceed our expectations. The people of Judah were freed from captivity, allowed to return home, allowed to rebuild their home, allowed to restore their home with former treasures, allowed to be left in peace and were compensated for their work at the king's own expense! Whatever they needed to restore their home, they were permitted to have it.
When we build a life with God, a temple for Him within us, He provides ample material and the best conditions for us to do so.
6:11-12 To ensure that Judah would be allowed to rebuild, the decree had a clause which threatened anyone who went against the decree. Death and destruction awaited anyone who thwarted Judah's progress.
6:13-14 The decree silenced and stilled Judah's enemies. So Judah built and they began to thrive. Through repentance and discipline, faith and determination, Judah began to breathe in freedom again. Stand with strength and dignity again. As individual's, the same process done with God delivers us into freedom, strength, clarity and blessing.
6:15 When the temple was finished, Judah celebrated. The arduous journey of faith culminated into something beautiful. Our relationship with God is beautiful and eternal, entirely worth the work of a righteous life on earth.
6:16-17 All of Judah celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. A child of God is at all times within His holy residence. Even in difficult times, we can find joy in the residence of our God. Joy in the fact that He is present and powerful, arching over us in all directions.
6:17 Judah made offerings and sacrifices to God; they dedicated the best of what they had to God. It was symbolic: their offerings spoke of His worthiness and their gratitude. Offerings and sacrifices in our day look differently than they used to. We do not offer animals, we offer empathy. We offer our attention to His word. We sacrifice time and give it to Him to do with us what He wants to. We sacrifice selfish desire for a humble lifestyle.
No matter what we give to God, He utilizes it constructively. He grows it. Blesses it. Lightens it. Strengthens it. Colors it. Yet we must learn to live lifestyles of offering and sacrifice for that to happen. We have to trust Him with the best of what we have.
6:18 The people of Judah began to organize. In the days of Moses, God charged the priests and Levites to teach and keep the faith of the people. They had just left captivity. Their faith was fresh and new but also fragile; they needed a system in place to cultivate and grow their relationship with God to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Even we require order and dedication to maintain and grow our relationship with God. They decided on their priorities and made them the foundation and system of their lives.
6:19-20 Judah reintroduced the traditions of their ancestors: celebrations of God graciousness in their history. God kept retrieving them from the pits they repeatedly, stubbornly, wickedly insisted on walking themselves into.
6:21 The people who had made personal, lifestyle choices to separate from corruption came together to seek the Lord. Ultimately, that is what every child of God is constantly, consistently doing: seeking God in all things. We seek His presence, His counsel, His comfort, His direction, protection, provision... our physical, emotional and spiritual lives are all a focused effort to be closer to and more like Him.
6:22 God blesses such sincere dedication. God intricately turns situations and people and events into our favor. Our God is fiercely compassionate. We are not subject to the world. He moves what for us is immovable. He makes impossible, not just possible but certain. If not for God, Judah would not have been freed. They would not have been allowed to return to and rebuild their home. They would not be protected by a decree of peace from their former captor!
It's special to study the moments when God's people come into blessing; but we cannot forget the journey that occurred beforehand. They had to learn and grow and fail and experience some ugly elements of life before they reached a point that was undeniably beautiful. They had rejected God, opposed Him, nearly lost Him, lost everything else: their home, themselves, their freedom. But they learned from all of that loss and regression and destruction. They allowed God to teach them and lead them. We are so blessed that He offers to do so!
Graciously, God sees beauty in us during every part of our journey, the ugly and arduous, the beautiful and easy. To some degree, we must also see the beauty in every part of our journey. Each season of life possesses crucial material to be learned from. Know that our lives always culminate in beauty and grace when we dedicate them to God. Dedication is an arduous journey but a beautiful one.
