Ezra 1:1-11
The Book of Ezra is a very fascinating book giving an account of the return and restoration of Israel from exile in Babylon. Here is the story of the restoration of a collapsed nation. Nations collapse, families, marriages, businesses, dreams, finances etc.
They collapse for many and different reasons. We are currently witnessing the economy of the world collapse under the weight of the Coronavirus pandemic.
We may look at the reasons for collapse some other time but in this message, we are concerned with the restoration which God brought about.
It was not just a physical, territorial, political, ethnic, and material restoration; it was also a deeply spiritual restoration. The northern kingdom of Israel went first into exile by the Assyrians and 130 years later, the southern kingdom of Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians during the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar. Disobedience and total disregard for God and His commandments led to judgment.
There were 3 waves of return:
The first under the leadership of Zerubbabel took place in 538BC. 50,000 people returned. They completely rebuilt the temple in 20 years. They had tremendous opposition, but they finished the work.
The second wave took place 80 years later under the leadership of Ezra. He confronted the disobedience of the people and restored temple worship.
The third wave of return of a small group of people was led by Nehemiah who led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem about 13 years later.
The Assyrian and Babylonian empires that took Israel captive crumbled and were subdued by the emerging power – the Medo-Persian Empire whose first king was Cyrus. In his first year, he ordered the release and return of the exiles.
God will overthrow any wicked authority over you and raise a new one that will favour you. God will connect you to all those who are ordained to contribute to your restoration in Jesus name!
In chapter one, the Bible describes how the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia in order to fulfil the Word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, to make and document a proclamation of release. It detailed the items that were released, and the favour God granted.
Chapter two gives a list of those who participated in this first wave of return. It was not everyone that caught this train.
Your name is on the list of those to enjoy full restoration in Jesus name. Those who could not trace their genealogy to Abraham were excluded. There are people in the church who are not of the church. They need to give their lives to Christ else they will be excluded.
Chapter three describes the commencement of the rebuilding of the temple. It specifically mentions that they rebuilt the altar of sacrifice first and began to offer daily sacrifices unto the Lord. They first reconstructed the altar – their communion with God, their prayer lives, their fellowship with God. The laying of the foundation of the temple provoked mixed emotions of joy and tears. I see you shouting for joy as you lay the foundation of the restoration of your life, dream, marriage, etc.
Chapter four describes the opposition to the rebuilding of the temple. They came disguised as friends, but their mission was to scatter. But God gave discernment to Zerubbabel and the other leaders. May the Lord expose your enemies – the wolves in sheep’s clothing!
Permit me to share a few thoughts with you from this account.
1. Affliction, lack, captivity is not forever ~ 2Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”. God has fixed the time of your recovery. He told Abraham, Israel will be in Egyptian soil and bondage for 400 years. He told Jeremiah, Israel will be in captivity 70 years. Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Your deliverance was prophesied before you went into captivity. The time for the fulfilment of your prophecy has come!
2. God’s promises never fail ~ 2Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us”. His Word will not return to Him void ~ Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”. Heaven and earth will pass away but not a jot of His Word will pass away (Matthew 5:18).
3. This is what I am trying to get you to understand: Your recovery is inevitable. You’re programmed to recover from a loss just as a stretched rubber is programmed to return to its resting state. A timed device goes off when the time it’s programmed to go off comes. You do not recover by chance; it is a deliberate act of God. Isaiah 55:11 is saying that your recovery has already taken place. Your breakthrough has already taken place. It happened when God spoke it! It’s too late to fail. The promises of God will not fail in your life!
4. Your promises outlive your enemies. Your prophecies outlive your opposition. God removes those obstructing your progress when the time of your restoration comes. All those obstructing your progress shall be removed. They shall go!
5. Your prophecy is your enemies’ doom. There was enough power in the word of Jesus to reverse four days of decay to bring Lazarus back from the dead. Just as there was enough power to raise Jesus from the dead. God’s Word is released with the power to accomplish. God watches over His Word to perform it. When it was time to free Israel from Egyptian bondage He did ten crippling miracles on Egypt. The power was not really in the rod; it was in the prophecy. Get this, GOD KEEPS HIS WORD!
(To be continued…)
Bishop Dr. Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l. Website: www.dayspringcmi.org e-mail: [email protected] Help line: 08035150515
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