Ezra and Nehimiah

                                                   Ezra and Nehemiah

          Two Sundays ago the sermon at our church was on Ezra and Nehemiah. During this time period the Israelite kings and the people were not honoring their God. But here is an example of a time when God allowed tragedy to happen. The people refused to listen to the prophets and God let Babylon invade and take His people captive.

          Now the Israelites wanted to cry out to God in worship. They needed Him, but the kings in Babylon would not let them worship. God ordained that Persia would capture Babylon along with Israel.

           The Cyrus king of Persia was more benevolent to the Jewish people. He gave them permission to rebuild their temple.  After the temple was built the people came back to worship and remembered what it was like to be able to worship their God.

Ezra 3:11-12

 “With praise and thanksgiving they worshiped the Lord:                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ‘He is good: his love toward Israel endures forever’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, sho had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they say the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”
              Nehemiah, cup bearer to King Artaxerxes was allowed to go to Judah and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. God ordained this cup bearer to be in the right place at the right time to help His people.