Day 231 – Zerubbabel #2

• Today we start reading about the important job of the returning Israelites to begin to rebuild their city, with a focus on temple. The building of the temple, and the city around it, will dominate our studies over the next week or so, as it is an important act in the recreation of the land.
• Before any work began on the actual temple, what did the people build? Why did they do this? What kind of offerings or prayers do you think they gave to God when it was built?
• In Ezra 3:8, work began on the temple itself. What was the reaction to the completion of the foundations in Ezra 3:10-13? Why do you think the old men “wept loudly”, but some were pleased? Why do you think the reactions were so mixed? It’s worth noting that the new temple was never going to be as glorious as the old one, as they didn’t have the resources.
• Ezra 4 shows us that that the rebuilding project has its enemies. Let’s consider the setting. There were a number of people who have returned from exile, who generally were keen to have the temple rebuilt. But there were other people around too. There will have been descendants of people who had been left (and were therefore also Jewish). There would have also been people from other nations, especially Assyrians (Ezra 4:2). What do you think this meant for the harmony of the project?
• The “adversaries” claimed to be followers of God too, but it seems that Zerubbabel and Jeshua didn’t believe them. They (rightly) assumed that they didn’t want to help at all – they were out to hinder the project! They are therefore asked to stay away from the building.
• Ezra 4:4 onward shows us that they continued to try and frustrate the building work. What tactics did the “people of the land” use to annoy the builders?
• What was in the letter they sent to King Artaxerxes? Were the words in Ezra 4:12-15 truthful? Why were the people so against the rebuilding work?
• What was the frustrating reaction of the king to the letter? How do you think the people building the temple would have felt?
• Ephesians 2 likens the church to a temple being built. How is Jesus pictured? What does this mean? Everyone who is part of a church is like part of the structure. What part do you play in your church?

Jesus is the cornerstone of the church. He is the foundation of the rest of the building; the first to be laid. This is a reminder of the fact that He was the first person who defeated death. Only through Him can we do the same and therefore become the other building blocks of the church.

Can you remember when we did the rebuilding project at St John’s? That had its fair share of problems – and adversaries – just like the rebuilding of the temple. Praise God that we were able to have project finished, and that we can be gracious to those who opposed our plans.