The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Ezra 1:5,
"Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem."
Following a seventy year captivity in Babylon, the Jews were allowed by the Persian king Cyrus to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple. In verses 2-4 we read his proclamation, "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem."
We read in verse one that the Lord had "moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia" to bring about the release of the captives to return. Ezra then tells us that all "whose heart God had moved" prepared to go.
Clearly, Cyrus' heart had been manipulated by the Lord - he moved the heart of Cyrus. Is that true of the captives that prepared to go, those "whose heart God had moved"?
Or, as a second understanding of this account, was it only those who prepared to return to Jerusalem those who had a heart for God in the first place? Those who embraced the Lord in their lives apart from the move of God to bring his people back to their homeland, those whose hearts yearned for the Lord in their lives as they learned of him, as they were taught by Ezra and others?
Cyrus was manipulated, but what about these returnees in the book of Ezra? Might they be of the type Paul speaks of from the days of Elijah in Romans 11, where Paul quotes the Lord telling Elijah that in spite of appearances, there was a remnant who clung to God and did not follow the ways of the other Jews in their idolatry? These had a heart for the Lord. They were not artificially manipulated by God to follow him, but did so because they willingly gave their hearts to the Lord on their own accord.
"Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem."
Following a seventy year captivity in Babylon, the Jews were allowed by the Persian king Cyrus to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple. In verses 2-4 we read his proclamation, "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem."
We read in verse one that the Lord had "moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia" to bring about the release of the captives to return. Ezra then tells us that all "whose heart God had moved" prepared to go.
Clearly, Cyrus' heart had been manipulated by the Lord - he moved the heart of Cyrus. Is that true of the captives that prepared to go, those "whose heart God had moved"?
Or, as a second understanding of this account, was it only those who prepared to return to Jerusalem those who had a heart for God in the first place? Those who embraced the Lord in their lives apart from the move of God to bring his people back to their homeland, those whose hearts yearned for the Lord in their lives as they learned of him, as they were taught by Ezra and others?
Cyrus was manipulated, but what about these returnees in the book of Ezra? Might they be of the type Paul speaks of from the days of Elijah in Romans 11, where Paul quotes the Lord telling Elijah that in spite of appearances, there was a remnant who clung to God and did not follow the ways of the other Jews in their idolatry? These had a heart for the Lord. They were not artificially manipulated by God to follow him, but did so because they willingly gave their hearts to the Lord on their own accord.
Perhaps I'm just splitting hairs here, but it does bring to mind something of today where something/someone else may manipulate. Many may be manipulated in their religion. They attend church because their family expects them to. Some may be pressured by friends or neighbors, or tradition, the commanding voice of a childhood Sunday School teacher, or whatever....
Blessed is the one whose heart is smitten by the Lord -- for who the Lord is, what he is like, the wonderful things he has done. Herein is the domain of faith.
Are we smitten by the Lord, or bitten by manipulation?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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