Ezra 1-3 – September 16

I love what Ezra 1:1 says: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying…” The LORD knows how to fulfill His Word regardless of any circumstance. If it wasn’t possible to fulfill, He could have never made the promise in the first place. He inhabits eternity (Is 57:15) and, He is the Alpha and Omega; He always will be faithful to accomplish the work He begins.

In chapter 3, verse 12 some shouted for joy while others wept; who was right? I don’t think one group was right and the other wrong; they were responding to what they saw based on their perspective. The older group had seen the glory of the first Temple and mourned that the new one paled in comparison in their eyes. The new generation just rejoiced in the progress they were making. It is good to get the perspective of different people in things, but most importantly, we must get God’s perspective. The LORD would soon speak through the prophet Haggai that the rebuilding of the temple did look “as nothing” (Hag. 2:3) to the former generation, but He promised in Haggai 2:9, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former.”