Ezra-When Rebellion is Good

By Mary Vee
Ezra 5 

From Ezra's Journal

Photo Courtesy Bringing Cedars logs to rebuild the temple

My name is Ezra. I am a prophet sent by God to give His message to the Jews living in Jerusalem.

Haggai and Zechariah were sent by God to give messages to the people. The words meant so much to us. 

I must admit we had been slack in following through with rebuilding the temple. Our eyes had been on ourselves and our own needs. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah not only encourage us to get to work, point out our errors, but also reminded us how much God loves us.

Spies came into our city. They didn't like seeing the work. They had written a letter to the king of Babylon and he had ordered us to stop building. We did. In fear of our lives.

But God's message through Haggai and Zechariah encourage us to work no matter what the king of Babylon or the spies said. Haggai, Zechariah, and I rolled up our sleeves and worked with the others. The men of Jerusalem needed to see the prophets of God committed to God's work, too.

The spies returned. Needless to say they were not happy. Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates asked, "Who said you could rebuild this temple and restore this structure?" Before anyone could answer he raised his voice and pointed to our leaders, "What are the names of the men constructing this building?"

We stood there, not answering the questions. The spies became so angry they stomped away threatening to send King Darius a letter.

Dear King Darius:

Cordial greetings.

The king should know that we went to the district of Judah. The people are building the temple with large stones and placing timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

We asked the leaders who authorized the work and for the names of those who were working.

They answered: "We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, he issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even sent gold and silver articles from the original temple to be put back where they belonged. He said, to rebuild the temple on its original site. We have been working on the temple but have not finished it yet."

"Now it if pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter."

While the spies waited for the king to answer, we worked to rebuild the temple.

Come back next time to see what happened.

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1.  What two prophets encouraged the people to build the temple?
2.  What king did the people say gave them permission to build the temple.
3.  Who did the spies tattle to?
4.  What did the people and the prophets keep doing?
5.  Why didn't the people obey the spies?

Zechariah-Don't Be Like Those Who Disobeyed Before You

By Mary Vee
Ezra 5 and Zechariah 1, Haggai 2

From Zechariah's Journal

Photo Courtesy The Prophet Haggai

My name is Zechariah. I am a prophet sent by God to give His message to the Jews living in Jerusalem.

Haggai and I were sent by God to give messages to the people. Haggai was like a father to me. He had seen the temple before the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed it. 

He knew how magnificent the temple was. I could only imagine with what he and the other priests told me. I would have liked to have seen that temple. The good news is the message Haggai last gave the people. 

God told him to tell the older people a special message. They had cried because they remembered how wonderful the temple was. God told Haggai to tell the people "The glory of this temple will be greater than the glory of the former temple. And in this place I will grant peace," declared the Lord Almighty."

A year had gone by. The Lord spoke to me and asked me to bring a message to the people. This is what He said:

"I, the Lord was very angry with your forefathers. Return to me, and I will return to you. Don't be like your forefathers, the ones who would not turn from their evil ways.

I sent prophets to tell them, to remind them to listen, but they wouldn't. Where are they now? And will the prophets live forever to constantly remind you to turn from evil?"

"Your forefathers repented of their ways, but they waited too long. They said, 'God has done to us what our evil ways deserve. He is a just God.'"

The next month Haggai received another message from God. This one he was to deliver to those working in the house of the Lord. 

"You men who work in the house of the Lord, don't assume that because you work in the temple that you are holy. Your personal lives must be holy as well. Follow the laws that have been given to you. You are my example to the people. Holiness is to be in every part of your lives.

"Think about the seed you have tried to plant. There has not been strong crops, right? Now that you are doing the work on the temple and are obeying my words, From this day on I will bless you."

This was the last message God sent with Haggai. The people continued their work on the temple as God commanded...until...

Come back next time to see what happened.

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1.  Who is Zechariah?

2.  What message did God give Zechariah for the people?

3.  God asked Haggai to deliver one last message. What was it?

4.  Why do you think God asked certain prophets to give certain messages. Like in today's story God asked Zechariah to say one message, and he gave Haggai a different message?

Haggai-Something Amazing Will Happen In This Temple

By Mary Vee
Ezra 5 and Haggai 1

From Haggai's Journal

Photo Courtesy The Prophet Haggai

My name is Haggai. I am a prophet sent by God to give His message to the Jews living in Jerusalem.

I was sad to see the people working so hard on fixing their homes, making clothes to wear, building up businesses, planting crops to store food.

I was sad because these people who have been chosen by God have neglected the most important job for their return. King Cyrus gave them permission to return to their home and build the temple.

They were even given supplies by the Jews who chose to stay in Babylon.

I've already told them of God's unhappiness. Now I will say the next part of the message to them. This is what I said and was told to me by God:

"Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house so I may take pleasure in it and be honored. You expected to have a lot to use in building the temple but as you see, it has turned out to be a little. Why is that? Because I blew it away with everything else you have wasted. Go now and get new materials."

The people listened. Because of their fear for the Lord, they set to work and within three weeks the construction of the temple began.

God gave me a new message for the people, "I am with you." Which meant He was pleased.

A month later, God gave me a new message. He saw the older men and women crying. These were the ones who saw the temple before Nebuchadnezzar burned it. The building was much larger and wonderful to look at. God told me to say,

"Who has seen the temple in its former glory. How does it look to you now? Does it seem like nothing? Don't weep. Be strong and work. For I am with you. I will keep my promises. My Spirit will remain with you. Do not fear.

"In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is mine and the gold is mine. The glory of this temple will be greater than the glory of the former temple. And in this place I will grant peace," declared the Lord Almighty.

Like the other leaders, I thought about God's words. Something amazing would happen in this temple we were now building. 


Come back next time to see what happened.

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1.  Who is Haggai

2.  What had the people done wrong?

3.  What did they need to do to fix the problem?

4.  What happened when they obeyed?
5.  Why did the older men and women cry?
6.  How did God comfort them?

Ezra-Why We Have Failed

By Mary Vee
Ezra 5 and Haggai 1

From Ezra's Journal

Photo Courtesy The Prophet Haggai

My name is Ezra. I am with the Hebrews who chose to return to Jerusalem after the captivity. King Cyrus gave us permission to return home and rebuild the temple for the Lord. We should be happy, but aren't.

You can read in the last stories how time has passed and the temple has not been built. King Cyrus and his son have died. 

Evil men came to Jerusalem and watched the work on the temple. They didn't want us to succeed. They wrote to the king and received permission to make us stop the work.

In truth, many of the Jews in Jerusalem didn't mind. Their goal was to prosper in their homeland. Plant crops, build businesses, and great homes. Yet, no matter how hard they tried something went wrong. Unwilling to give up, the men continued to plant and care for their crops. They cared for their animals and maintained their homes. Still none of them succeeded in becoming prosperous.  

Droughts and famine came. Sickness followed. 

The men pushed forward, not understanding the problem.

One day the prophets Haggai and Zechariah came to Jerusalem with a message from God. Haggai was older, he had seen the temple before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. Zechariah was younger. He was born in Babylon but had trained with the priests and had heard about the great temple in Jerusalem.

Darius, a relative of Cyrus, was now the king of Persia where many of the Jewish captives still lived. Darius had been on the throne for two years when Haggai delivered God's message to the Jews in Jerusalem. 

He said, "You Jews in Jerusalem say the time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built. But God says, 'Is it a time for you to be living in your paneled houses while the temple remains a ruin?

"Give careful thought to your ways. You've planted but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are never warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a wallet with holes.

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. Why? because of my temple which remains a ruin while each of you is busy with your own house."

Come back next time to see what happened.

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1.  What prophets did God send with a message?

2.  What did the people in Jerusalem want?

3.  What were they sent to do?

4.  What were they doing wrong?
5.  How can they fix the problem?