Ezra 1:3-5 (King
Cyrus said,) Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and
let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD
God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth
in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with
silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill
offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Then rose up the chief of
the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them
whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is
in Jerusalem. God was working in King Cyrus to rebuild the Temple in
Jerusalem. But Jerusalem was only a pile of rocks and debris. Cyrus had Persia
to run. He couldn’t go to Jerusalem himself and rebuild the Temple. It wasn’t
even his religion. He knew and respected the God of the Jews, but Cyrus wasn’t
going to do the work. He commanded the Jews to rebuild their own Temple. It was
their
responsibility to rebuild their Temple. So God put the desire
to rebuild the Temple into the hearts of many of the people. But many others
were comfortable in Babylon. Babylon was now their home and they didn’t want to
leave and go back as pioneers to Jerusalem. But God put the desire to help to
rebuild the Temple in their hearts too! Those who did not go back to Jerusalem gave
money to those who did go back. Both groups worked together. Some went and did
the work, and some gave money so that they could go back and do the work. That’s
how missions are done today. Some go, and some give money so that they can go. Here
is a good question: which is more important? those who go or those who give
money? Actually, both are important. Missions would not happen if no one went,
and missions would not happen if they didn’t have the money to go. Both are
important. And King Cyrus knew that. He knew that some would go and some would
help them to go. And He was behind each group. And God was behind King Cyrus
moving in his heart to do God’s will.
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