Led by their governor, Zerubbabel, a large group of exiles returned to Jerusalem under the decree of Cyrus the Great and began the work of rebuilding the temple. Governor Zerubbabel was a grandson of the last of the kings in the line of Judah, and is named in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, in Matthew 1. He is an important link between the human royal line, the kings of Judah, and the new, divine one, fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel. Matthew 1:12 (NASB)
It was the beginning of a new era. The people were again putting God first in their lives, following His ways rather than just doing whatever seemed right in their own minds. No longer would they pursue idol worship and its associated evil practices – their idolatry had, perhaps, been the single greatest cause for their Babylonian exile – God’s unwanted, but necessary, means of putting an end to their idolatry.
The returning exiles’ focus now was on rebuilding the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, His chosen venue for worship, and on again performing there the offerings and sacrifices outlined in the law of Moses.
When Jesus came, He became the prescribed sacrifice for sin. His living temple is now worldwide, found within the hearts of believers, by the presence of the Holy Spirit. The prophets tell us that Christ will one day return to Jerusalem, to rule and reign from a new throne and temple there, and people will come from all over the globe to worship Him. But first, the foundation of the temple must be reestablished by returning Zerubbabel, and its construction begun.
8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites who were twenty years old and upward to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. Ezra 3:8 (NASB)
The people began their efforts by worshiping the Lord and dedicating their work to Him. This is a great way to start any endeavor. They built an altar to the Lord and performed Mose’s prescribed sin sacrifices upon it, for purification and cleansing. These sacrifices were God’s remedy for sin prior to, and pointing at, the coming of Christ. All sin, though covered by the blood of bulls and goats, was still held on account until Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross would wipe them all away. As written in the book of Hebrews:
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:4 (NASB)
The sin of all believers – past, present, and future – was dealt with, once and for all, on the “altar” of the cross of Christ at Calvary.
Continuing from the book of Ezra:
10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. 11 And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Ezra 3:10-11 (NASB)
The people had finally learned an important lesson after their seventy years of exile: put God first. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also emphasized the importance of seeking God before seeking anything else.
31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. Matthew 6:31-33 (NASB)
We can draw a valuable lesson from the returning exiles. Our day goes better if we start it out with some “God time”. It doesn’t have to be long, but, it may be. Our God-focus time may include prayer, Bible reading, and if we so choose, Bible-based meditative materials to help us to partake of and soak in the life-giving word of God.
We can thank Him with gratitude for the gift of the day, pray for others, seek guidance for the challenges ahead, ask forgiveness for our shortcomings, and seek His help in forgiving others who have offended us. Our quiet time with God also allows the Holy Spirit to bring to our attention those things which He wants to place on our hearts or in our minds.
As someone has said, if we put God first, everything else will be first class.
Reflection
What can I do to include God in what I need to do today, to walk according to His purposes and ways?
Lord, forgive us for all of our sins, including those times of anger or selfishness when we turn away from You to follow our own path of harmful behavior. We desire to live in peace with You and with those around us, in good fellowship, putting You first in everything we do. When we fail to do this, grant us forgiveness by Your mercy and grace, and help us to live better and purer lives that honor You and draw others to Christ. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Enjoy a blessed and peaceful day today as we seek to put God first in our lives.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 