Looking to the future with joy (Ezra 6:13-22)
Ezra 6:13-22
The most obvious note that marks out our passage today is the joy of the exiles as they complete the temple building. If we are cynical, we could say that it is easy for them to be joyful when things go their way, but what of times that are difficult? The apostle Paul suggests that joy is possible even in trying circumstances because wherever we are the Lord is near and we can rest our anxieties with Him (Phil 4:4-7). Paul, himself, penned those words about rejoicing in prison (Phil 1:13), not the most cheerful of places. As we look to a new year ahead with uncertainties around Covid, as well as perhaps in our personal circumstances, what can we learn from the exiles about joy?
Joy over what God has done
First, their joy is the outcome of what God has done for them in the successful building of the temple (Ezra 6:16) and this is rooted in a restored relationship with Him. As Haggai has made it clear, previously they could only see their need, the purses with empty holes and the small returns on their harvest (Hag 1:6). But now they rejoice, not over their personal advancement, but over the completion of God’s house. They also celebrate the salvation the Lord has brought in the exodus in the past (Ezra 6:22), which would have reminded them of their recent return from a foreign land too.
Dealing with the past
Secondly, this joy is not simply jubilation but rooted in coming to terms with the past. As the exiles celebrate, they offer gifts for the dedication of the temple but also sin offerings, 12 goats for the 12 tribes of Israel (Ezra 6:17). In this is a recognition that God’s people have gone astray. The exile and Israel’s troubles were not simply a misfortune, but God’s discipline on them, His wake-up call to bring them back to Himself. There is a process for coming right with God, which starts with acknowledging sin and turning away from wrong actions and attitudes (repentance). As Christians we also look to Christ who dealt with our sins through His sacrifice on the cross. For OT believers, the sin offerings were a forerunner of what Christ would achieve and taught them that sacrifice was necessary to wipe away sin.
Keeping going in the relationship with the Lord
Thirdly, there is an ongoing maintenance of the relationship with the Lord that requires His service according to God’s Word. For the exiles, this meant that the priests and Levites did their work in the temple according to what God’s law had set out (Ezra 6:18) and that both priests and laypeople came to God purified (Ezra 6:18, 20, 21). This purification involved ritual washing, for instance, symbolic of the need to approach the holy God with a pure heart and mind (Ps 24:3-4; 15:1-5; Matt 5:8). It did not mean sinless perfection, however, but a recognition that for fellowship to occur with Him, we must come with hearts prepared and ready to encounter Him.
The Lord who gives joy
Finally, the source of this joy is the Lord Himself (Ezra 6:22) and it is thus of a different quality from the gladness we feel when we get what we want. The former is a lasting joy that can weather storms because it is rooted in our unchanging God, our anchor in every storm. He can turn even an essentially hostile power to benevolence and encourage God’s people to do His work.[1]
The New Year is an opportunity for us to start afresh with the Lord, whether we did so in the year behind us or not. Like the exiles, we can confess and turn away from past sins and make God and the relationship with Him our priority. As we seek Him and align our lives with His Word, we will see Him working out His purposes in our lives and give us joy in the process. May we choose Him this year and know the joy that comes from Him.
[1] The reference to the Persian king, Darius, as ‘the king of Assyria’ in v.22 is used possibly because Assyria symbolised a power set against God’s purposes. Yet, God turned such a king to show benevolence to His people. In later understanding, Babylon was to become the epitome of evil in a similar way, used of powers like the Roman empire (see Rev 17:3-6, 9; 18:2-3). The cryptic reference above to seven heads that are seven mountains (v.9) identifies Rome built on seven hills.
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