A Temple Rebuilt, a People
Redeemed
Scripture Reading: Ezra 6:14b-22
and Esther 1:1–4:17.
By Pastor Jim Allen Sunday Sermon
for September 14th, 2025
Introduction
Growing up in the Wisconsin
farmlands, I learned the importance of perseverance. Whether it was pulling
rocks out of a field that seemed to multiply overnight or chasing a steer or
heifer that had decided to take a scenic tour of the neighborhood, you learned
that some tasks aren’t about brute force but about endurance and faith that the
work would get done. My wife, Carol, and I have seen that same principle in our
own lives, raising our kids and serving in ministry. Today’s scriptures are a
powerful reminder of this truth. The people of Israel, after years of delay and
opposition, finally finished the temple in Jerusalem, not by their might or
power, but by the Spirit of the Lord. And in Esther, we see a people facing annihilation,
saved not by military force, but by a quiet, persistent faith and the sovereign
hand of God working through unexpected channels. The Memory Verses we
will focus on today are Ezra 6:22 and Esther 4:14b. The Hebrew
names and words in these stories give us a deeper look into the characters’
identities and God’s surprising work.
Context and Background: The
Persian Kings and the Jewish People
The stories of Ezra and Esther don’t
happen in a vacuum; they’re woven into the tapestry of the mighty Persian
Empire. Understanding the sequence of kings shows us how God worked through
different human rulers over a period of many years to fulfill His promises.
The story begins with a major
geopolitical event: in October of 539 BC, the Medes and Persians conquer
the Babylonian Empire. The very next year, in 538 BC, King Cyrus the
Great (559–530 BC) issues a decree to allow the exiled Jews to return to
their land and rebuild the temple. A group of 42,360 people, led by
Zerubbabel and Ezra, leave Babylon. The painful lessons of the exile had
accomplished one major thing: they had finally eliminated idolatry from the
hearts of the Israelites. They immediately started rebuilding the temple, but
they soon became distracted and were met with fierce opposition. The work
stopped for about 10 years until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stirred them
back to action. Finally, the temple was completed in 515 BC.
It is important to understand that
while these kings were used by God, they were not believers in Yahweh. Both
Cyrus and Darius were devoted to their own gods, particularly Ahura Mazda,
the supreme deity of the Zoroastrian faith. Their policy of religious tolerance
was a political strategy to keep the peace and gain the loyalty of their
diverse empire. Their actions were not a matter of personal faith, but of
divine providence. As Isaiah says, God refers to Cyrus as “My shepherd” and “My
anointed” even though Cyrus did not know Him, showing that God’s plan is so
vast and powerful that He can use the hearts of pagan kings to accomplish His
will.
Fast forward a few decades, and we
find ourselves in the court of Xerxes I, whom the Bible calls Ahasuerus
(486–465 BC). This is where the story of Esther unfolds. It begins with a grand
feast where the king, in a drunken display of pride, commands his wife, Queen
Vashti, to appear before his guests. When she bravely refuses, the king’s
advisors, fearing a rebellion of wives across the empire, have her deposed.
This leads to a frantic search for a new queen. The “beauty contest” was
actually a year-long process to bring all the beautiful virgins from the empire
to the king’s harem. It was not a competition but a methodical selection.
This event, seemingly random and
fueled by a king’s whim, is exactly where God’s providence is most on display.
God uses this political and personal drama to place a young Jewish woman,
Esther, in the perfect position to save her people. We know from archaeological
discoveries at Susa, the Persian capital, that the palace was indeed a
place of extravagant feasts and royal decrees, just as the Bible describes.
Finally, decades after the temple
was finished, we have Artaxerxes I Longimanus (465–424 BC), the son of
Ahasuerus. He is the king who sends Ezra to Jerusalem to teach the law and,
later, sends his own trusted cupbearer, Nehemiah, to rebuild the city walls.
This shows us that God’s work wasn’t a single event; it was a long, patient
process spanning multiple reigns and involving different characters.
Why Context Matters: A Lesson from
Daniel
Understanding this timeline is a
crucial part of our study. For example, some parts of the Bible, like the book
of Daniel, are not written in strict chronological order. The book of Daniel is
divided into two sections: historical stories and prophetic visions. This can
be confusing if you don’t read with an eye for context.
For example, the famous story of
Daniel in the lions’ den (Daniel 6) happens after the fall of Babylon
and the writing on the wall (Daniel 5). But the vision of the four beasts in
Daniel 7 is dated to the first year of King Belshazzar, which was before
Belshazzar’s last night on earth. Reading the book of Daniel chronologically
would place the vision of the beasts first.
Another key detail is the
distinction between two different men named Darius and two men named Ahasuerus.
The figure of Darius the Mede (Daniel 5:31), who receives the kingdom
after the fall of Babylon, is not the same person as Darius I (Darius
the Great), the later king who reauthorized the temple’s rebuilding.
Furthermore, the Ahasuerus who is the father of Darius the Mede (Daniel 9:1) is
not the same person as the Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) in the book of Esther. The
Bible’s use of these names shows that “Ahasuerus” and “Darius” were likely
royal titles and that the men who bore them reigned in different centuries and
had different roles. This is a powerful reminder for us. The Bible is not just
a collection of random stories; it’s an intricately designed book of divine
revelation. To understand it fully, we have to look at the whole picture, not
just the pieces.
The Spirit Has Left the Building:
The Third Temple and a Promise Fulfilled
This whole story of rebuilding the
temple is a story about the presence of God. The Israelites understood this on
a deep level. The prophet Ezekiel, in the midst of the exile, had a terrible
vision where he watched the glory of the Lord—the very presence of
God—leave the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10-11). It was a crushing blow,
confirming that their sin had driven God’s presence away. So when they
returned, they were not just rebuilding a building; they were longing for God’s
presence to return. And God gave them a promise through the prophet Haggai:
“I am with you, says Yahweh.” And
later, God says:
“My Spirit remains among you. Don’t
be afraid.” (Haggai 2:4-5)
This promise was what sustained
them. They rebuilt, not because the circumstances were easy, but because they
believed God’s Spirit was with them. This is the ultimate hope in our lives
today. The first Temple was destroyed. The second Temple, which they built, was
a magnificent achievement. But the Bible tells us that after Christ’s coming,
we don’t need a physical temple anymore. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us,
making our bodies the Third Temple.
Now, it’s an important point for
us to understand that some of our brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly
from certain dispensational groups, believe a physical Third Temple is required
for the coming of Christ. They point to scriptures such as Daniel 9:27, Matthew
24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:4. However, as a progressive
dispensationalist, I believe we must see these verses in the larger context of
Jesus’s finished work.
You see, the prophecies in Daniel
and Matthew about the “abomination of desolation” had a primary, historical
fulfillment long ago. Daniel’s prophecy was fulfilled when Antiochus IV
Epiphanes desecrated the Second Temple by sacrificing a pig on the altar in
167 BC. Jesus then took that same prophecy and used it to describe the coming
judgment on Jerusalem, which was literally fulfilled when the Roman armies
destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD. As for Paul’s reference to the
Antichrist sitting in the “temple of God,” Paul also tells us that we, the
church, are the temple. This can be interpreted as a symbolic reference to a
person who will claim divine authority within the Christian community.
A physical rebuilt temple and the
reinstitution of animal sacrifices would be a step backward. It would be a
return to the very shadows and types that were fulfilled in Christ. The Temple,
the Ark, and the sacrifices were all a foreshadowing of Christ. He is
our ultimate sacrifice, our High Priest, and the place where we meet with God.
The Temple Institute in Jerusalem may be planning to rebuild and reinstate
sacrifices again, but whether this is a literal fulfillment of prophecy or a “prophecy
that echoes forward” is something we cannot say conclusively. We know for sure
that we are the Third Temple and the glory of God’s presence, which left the
first temple, now resides in us, His people. The Book of Revelation gives us
the final word on this. The Apostle John, in his vision of the New Jerusalem,
says he saw “no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are
its temple” (Revelation 21:22, WEB).
A Backward Priority? The Temple
Before the Walls
Now, let’s step back for a moment
and consider what the people of Judah did. The prophet Haggai had to rebuke
them for leaving the temple in ruins while they built their own houses. But
when they got back to work, they focused on a project that seems completely backward
to us: they rebuilt the temple first, before the city walls. In our
world, we would build the walls for security first, right? We’d protect
ourselves and our families before we built the church. But the returning exiles
understood something profound about their relationship with God.
Their first priority was to
rebuild the spiritual center of their lives. Without the temple, they could not
offer sacrifices or worship according to the law. Rebuilding it was a
declaration that their relationship with God was more important than
their own physical security. It was a monumental act of faith. The construction
was a massive undertaking; they didn’t just repair it. The text shows they
brought in new timber from Lebanon and hired skilled masons, starting the
entire project from the ground up. The walls would have to wait for Nehemiah,
decades later. The people were saying, “Our trust is not in stone walls, but in
the God who lives in this house.”
Comprehensive Exegesis of Key
Verses
Let’s turn to our first memory
verse, Ezra 6:22,
“And they kept the feast of
unleavened bread seven days with joy: for Yahweh had made them joyful, and had
turned the heart of the king of Assyria (Darius) to them, to strengthen their
hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”
The passage is explicit: their joy
and their strength were not their own. The Hebrew word for joy is simchah
(sˊimḥaˉh), a deep-seated gladness connected to worship. But what caused this
joy? The text says it was Yahweh who made them joyful. And what about
their strength? God “had turned the heart of the king of Assyria.” This is a
fascinating phrase. The king of “Assyria” here is a title likely referring to
the great eastern kings of Persia, in this case, King Darius. Adam
Clarke notes in his commentary on this passage, “The turning of the king’s
heart to them was a work of God.” This echoes Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart
is in the hand of Yahweh, as the watercourses: He turns it wherever he desires.”
The human instrument was Darius, but the ultimate mover was the Almighty
Himself. The long years of delay were not defeat; they were part of God’s
perfect timing.
Now, let’s look at our second
memory verse, Esther 4:14b,
“Who knows whether you have come
to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
This is one of the most famous
lines in the Old Testament, spoken by Mordecai to Esther. It’s a question, but
it’s loaded with theological weight. It forces Esther to confront her purpose.
The phrase “such a time as this” (Hebrew: la-`ēt kāzōh) suggests
that her position was not a coincidence. It was a providential appointment by
God under the reign of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I). Don Thorsen reminds us
that “God’s providential work is often seen most clearly in the ordinary
circumstances of our lives.” Esther’s rise to power, seemingly a result of a
beauty contest, was in fact a piece of God’s grand design. C.S. Lewis once
wrote, “God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in
our pains.” For Esther, the threat to her people was God’s shout, calling her
to act. She had been prepared for this moment her entire life, from her
upbringing by Mordecai to her new position in the king’s palace. Her seemingly
mundane life was a tapestry woven by God, preparing her for the divine moment
of her calling.
The Joy of Unleavened Bread:
Pointing to Entire Sanctification and the Rhythm of a Faithful Heart
The passage in Ezra 6:22 speaks of
the people keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy. This is not a
throwaway line. It connects this ancient ceremony to its fulfillment in Christ
and to our Holy Eucharist and a core concept of the Christian life.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was
instituted in Exodus to commemorate the hasty flight from Egypt. The lack of
leaven in their bread symbolized the quickness of their deliverance and,
theologically, pointed to the need to remove sin and corruption (leaven) from
their lives. The joy in Ezra was a celebration of this deliverance, now
magnified by a new act of deliverance—the completion of the temple.
This points directly to Christ and
a profound spiritual reality. The Apostle Paul tells us, “For Christ, our
Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with
old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread
of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8, WEB). Just as the Israelites were
commanded to clear out the leaven, we are called to cleanse ourselves from sin
because of Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus Himself is the ultimate fulfillment of the
bread. He is the “bread of life” (John 6:35).
This is where the spiritual rubber
meets the road. John Wesley, the great founder of our movement, called this a second
work of grace: entire sanctification or Christian perfection.
While our justification delivers us from the penalty of sin, entire
sanctification delivers us from the power of sin. It is a complete work
of grace that cleanses our heart from all unrighteousness. When the Israelites
removed all leaven, they were enacting a powerful symbol. The truth for us is
that Christ, our Passover Lamb, has cut the tap root of embedded sin in
our lives. The power of sin’s slavery has been broken. We are not just saved
from judgment; we are given the power to flee from sin and live a life of
perfect love for God and neighbor.
This is the very rhythm of a
faithful heart, a rhythm we see in Daniel, a man who, though in exile, kept his
spiritual calendar. He prayed to God three times a day, with his windows open
toward Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10). It calls us to have devotions three times a
day. In a time without a Temple, Daniel’s prayer became his sacrifice. The
Hebrew word for prayer, tefillah (תְּפִלָּה)
(teh-fee-LAH), and the verb hitpallel (הִתְפַּלֵּל)
(heet-pah-LEL), which means to “intercede” or “judge oneself,” suggest a deep,
personal act of self-examination and communion. Each prayer, timed to the
morning, afternoon, and evening Temple sacrifices, was a moment of profound
spiritual communion. It was at the time of the evening sacrifice—around 3
p.m.—when the angel Gabriel came to him with a vision (Daniel 9:21). This
is no coincidence. Jesus, our ultimate and final sacrifice, would also die at
this same hour. Daniel’s prayer, and the joy of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
all point to Christ’s death and resurrection—the joyous celebration of our
spiritual freedom from sin and our communion with God. The Holy Eucharist,
where we break the bread, is a living symbol of this covenant, a moment of
spiritual nourishment that empowers us to live out this sanctified life.
Deeper Meaning in the Names and
Words
The names of the characters and
the words used in Esther and Ezra reveal an even richer layer of meaning to
these stories of providence.
- Hadassah (הֲדַסָּה)
(hah-dah-SAH) / Esther (אֶסְתֵּר)
(es-TAIR): Esther’s Hebrew name, Hadassah, means “myrtle tree,” a symbol
of peace and prosperity. But she takes on the Persian name Esther, likely
meaning “star” or related to the goddess Ishtar. This dual identity—her
Jewish heritage hidden under a Persian veneer—shows how God’s purpose was
at work behind the scenes, using her Gentile name to give her access to
the king, even as her true identity was in Yahweh.
- Mordecai (מָרְדֳּכַי)
(mor-deh-KAI): His name, likely a form of Mardukaya, means “follower
of Marduk,” the chief Babylonian god. This name, given to him in exile,
stands in stark contrast to his actions. He risks everything for his
Jewish people, showing his allegiance to be with Yahweh, not the god of
his captors. His very name highlights the struggle of the exiles to
maintain their faith in a foreign land.
- Haman (הָמָן) (hah-MAHN): His
title, “the Agagite,” ties him directly to Agag, the king of the
Amalekites, whom King Saul (of the tribe of Benjamin, like Mordecai) was
commanded to destroy. The Amalekites were the first nation to attack the
Israelites after they left Egypt, and God swore an eternal war against
them for their wickedness. Haman, as an “Agagite,” represents this
ancient, unredeemable evil. His conflict with Mordecai is an echo of this
generations-long war.
- Pur (פּוּר) (poor): This is
the word for “lot” in Esther 3:7. Haman casts the pur to determine
the day on which to destroy the Jews, trusting in pagan chance. Yet, the
timing of the deliverance was ultimately in God’s hands, not Haman’s. The
Feast of Purim, named after this word, is a powerful reminder that God’s
plan is not left to chance but is sovereignly guided.
A Glimpse of the Cross: Haman on a
Tree
This is a point so important that
we must slow down and look closely. The end of Haman is described as a “hanging”
on a “gallows.” But the Hebrew words tell a different story. The word is ets
(עֵץ) (aytz), which means “tree” or “wood.” The
method was not a hanging with a rope, but likely impalement or crucifixion,
where a person is fixed to a post and left for public display. This was a
common and brutal form of Persian execution.
Think about the profound spiritual
foreshadowing here. Haman, a “satan type” and an enemy of God’s people,
prepares a “tree” (or stake) fifty cubits high for the righteous Mordecai. But
in a stunning act of divine reversal, Haman is the one who is hung on that very
tree. The enemy is defeated and humiliated on the device he intended for God’s
faithful servant.
This is a powerful prophetic
glimpse of the Cross. The ultimate enemy, Satan, intended for Jesus—the truly
righteous one—to be destroyed by death on a “tree” (the Cross). But in an act
of glorious reversal, Jesus took the curse of the Law (Deuteronomy 21:23) upon
Himself, not as a curse upon Him, but as our curse. He conquered sin, death,
and the devil. Haman’s defeat on the tree for his wickedness foreshadows
the ultimate, victorious purpose of Christ’s sacrifice on the tree. It
is a divine echo, a great sermon in wood and blood, showing us, that God always
turns the enemy’s evil plans into a stage for His ultimate victory.
A word of clarification for us
today: while the Amalekites were a nation under a unique historical judgment,
the Bible is clear that no modern people group is “unredeemable.” The Gospel is
for all. Every individual is wicked and defiant by nature, but the good news is
that the offer of grace through Jesus Christ is for everyone who
believes. Haman’s fate was an act of a just God against a specific, corporate
evil, but the Cross is an act of a loving God, offering salvation to all who
will receive it.
Theological Insights &
Citations
The common thread in these stories
is divine providence. The rebuilding of the temple and the deliverance of the
Jews from Haman’s plot were not accidents. They were the result of God’s
sovereign hand guiding human affairs. This is a theme that has been
contemplated by theologians for centuries.
St. Augustine of Hippo, in his
work City of God, speaks to this very idea, “No man is without some
measure of the power of God… He is not only the Creator of all things, but the
Ruler as well.” This points to the idea that God not only brings things into
being, but actively sustains and directs them.
Origen, the early Church Father
from Alexandria, wrote, “God is the supreme and universal ruler, governing all
things with wisdom and with power.” He saw God’s hand in all of creation, from
the largest star to the smallest detail of a person’s life. This is the truth
we see in Ezra and Esther. The massive construction project and the
life-or-death decision of a young queen were both under the watchful eye of
God.
John Wesley, the founder of
Methodism, believed strongly in the active hand of God in the world. He wrote, “The
wisdom, power, and goodness of God are manifested...in the smallest things as
well as in the greatest.” For Wesley, a life of faith meant seeing God’s
purpose in every circumstance, whether it was a glorious victory or a quiet
moment of decision.
Conclusion
Just as I learned on the farm,
life isn’t always about a clear path. It’s about pulling the rocks, day by day,
and having faith that the harvest will come. These stories of Ezra and Esther
are a powerful reminder that our God is a God of purpose and providence. He is
rebuilding His temple in our lives and delivering us from our enemies. So, let
us remember:
A Temple Rebuilt, a People
Redeemed: Trust in the God who moves mountains, who turns the hearts of kings,
and who places you right where you need to be. Just like the sheep I used to raise, we may not always
see the shepherd, but we can trust his hand is guiding us toward the greenest
pasture, for such a time as this.
A Temple Rebuilt, a People
Redeemed: Points to Remember
1.
Divine Providence: The central
theme is God’s active, sovereign hand working through seemingly random
historical events, human decisions, and even the hearts of pagan kings.
2.
The Temple’s Spiritual Priority: The exiles in Ezra rebuilt the Temple first, before the
city walls, as a declaration that their spiritual relationship with God was
more important than their physical security.
3.
The Third Temple: The physical
Temple is no longer needed because believers, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are
now the Third Temple. This truth is affirmed in the New Testament and
culminates in the vision of the New Jerusalem, which has no temple because God
Himself is its sanctuary (Revelation 21:22).
4.
Prophecy’s Fulfillment (Past and Future): The sermon discusses how prophecies from Daniel and
Matthew were historically fulfilled by events like the desecration of the
Second Temple by Antiochus IV Epiphanes and its destruction in 70 AD. While
this is the primary fulfillment, the sermon allows for the theological
possibility of a “prophecy that echoes forward” in future events.
5.
Wesleyan-Methodist Theology: The Feast of Unleavened Bread foreshadows entire
sanctification, John Wesley’s “second work of grace.” Just as the
Israelites were freed from Egypt, believers are not only justified from sin’s
penalty but also empowered to live free from its power because Christ has “cut
the tap root of embedded sin.”
6.
The Power of Spiritual Discipline: Daniel’s daily prayer life, even in exile, served as a
symbolic “sacrifice” that bridged the gap between his physical location and his
spiritual longing for Jerusalem. His prayers were a form of communion and a
living example of a faithful heart’s rhythm.
7.
The Cross Foreshadowed: Haman’s execution on a “tree” (the Hebrew word ets (עֵץ), meaning “tree,” referring to impalement)
is a powerful foreshadowing of Christ’s victory on the cross, where God turns
the enemy’s evil plan into the means of ultimate deliverance.
8.
The Agagite Legacy: Haman’s title “the Agagite” connects him to an ancient,
unredeemable enemy of God’s people, highlighting the spiritual warfare at play.
However, the sermon clarifies that this historical context does not apply to
any modern people group, as the Gospel is for all.
9.
The Significance of Names: The names of key characters like Hadassah/Esther and
Mordecai reveal a rich layer of meaning to the narrative.
10. The Importance of Context: The sermon uses the non-chronological order of the book
of Daniel and the distinction between the two men named Darius and two men
named Ahasuerus to underscore the importance of understanding biblical context
for accurate interpretation.
No comments:
Post a Comment