Meet Nehemiah

You just never know who God is going to use. When you read through the Bible, you see Him using an endless parade of losers, cowards, weirdos, and goofballs. Don’t believe me? Let’s do a quick review. Take Noah. Before he “found favor in the eyes of God” (Gen 6:8), he was just part of the cesspool of sin that make the LORD regret ever creating man in the first place (Gen 6:5-7). Then there’s Abraham. Ah yes, Father Abraham. Most Bible scholars believe he was right there in Babel as the tower went up (Gen 11:1-9). Despite that, our gracious God promises to bless the entire world through his family (Gen 12:1-3). How does Abraham respond to God’s incredible blessing? By selling out his wife not once but twice in order to safe his own hide (Gen 12:11-13; 20:2). Don’t forget Moses. The Mighty Mo is a fugitive murderer (Ex 2:11-13). The list goes on and on and on. The big point here is that God is the Hero of the story. He specializes in selecting fools, weaklings, and the disenfranchised to prove that He’s the one behind it all (1Cor 1:27-29).  

Meet Nehemiah. When the curtain opens, our man is a slave in the royal palace. He tells us a little later that he’s a “cupbearer to the king” (Neh 1:11). If your a fan of “Downton Abbey,” Nehemiah would be one of the unnamed servants that works for the Crawleys. But his job puts him in the presence of the most important person on the planet. Before you know it, God is going to transform Nehemiah from a lowly member of the palace to a territorial governor. Where has God placed you? How can you use your position to leverage for His kingdom? We see that we’re about to read “the words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah” (v1). Our man Nehemiah’s name actually means “Yahweh comforts.” We need to remember that names are very important in the Bible. And this is the classic example. God is going to use Nehemiah to provide a boatload of comfort and encouragement to a group of people almost 1,000 miles away who on the verge of cashing in their chips. It tells us that he’s the “son of Hacaliah” (v1). We don’t have a clue who he is. But we’ll bet he’s one proud papa when it’s all said and done.

So what does it mean that these are “the words of Nehemiah” (v1)? Did he write this book? Most smart folks believe Ezra actually wrote the book that bears Nehemiah’s name. This is actually the sequel to Ezra. It takes place 13 years after the big breakup with the pagan hotties in his prequel (Ez 10:18-44). It’s probably important to know that Ezra/Nehemiah are one book in ancient versions of the Hebrew Bible. For some reason, Christians separated them in the third century. Think of Ezra more as the editor. These are Nehemiah’s words. Ezra simply compiled them and put them in order. This book contains a lot of Nehemiah’s personal records, his journal, and other official documents. The ESV Study Bible points out that it is made up of all sorts of interesting documents, such as general’s diary, governor’s report, civil record, management handbook, and memoir. Nehemiah covers only 13 years. But it’s incredibly important for a couple of reasons. First of all, it shows how God fulfills the prophecies He gave through Daniel and Malachi about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Chronologically, this is probably the last book written before Jesus arrives. Famous last words are important!

The first thing the author does is check the calendar. This is like when a movie opens and the date appears on the screen for context. “Now it happened in the month of Chislev” (v1). He’s letting us know that we’re in the Hebrew month that corresponds to November/December. It’s winter. We also find out that this is “in the twentieth year” (v1). The twentieth year of what? During the reign of King Artaxerxes I. History tells us this Persian dictator ruled from 465-424 BC. That puts the opening scene somewhere around 445-444 BC. Persian empire was the world superpower at the time. Artaxerxes had a headlock on nearly the entire Near East. The Persian dictator ruled as far as Egypt, Greece, and Turkey to the west and to Pakistan in the east. Nehemiah also gives his location, “as I was in Susa the citadel” (v1). Susa was in what we now know as Iran. Archaeologists think this is one of the oldest cities in the world and was the royal winter palace. Remember, he’s already told us that it’s wintertime. Susa is also the location for Esther (Est 9) and gets an important mention in Daniel (Dan 8:2). 

That’s where we find Nehemiah. He’s a Hebrew house slave living in Persia. He’s one of the many Jewish people still living almost 1,000 miles away from Jerusalem as the result of their exile into Babylon nearly 140 years before. It seems that God’s chosen people chose to turn their backs on Him. As a result, He sent the pagan Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to haul them off into 70 years of divine time out (2Ki 24:1-4; Dan 1:1-2). But after 70 years of captivity, Yahweh rolls up His sleeves and gets personally involved to get His people back home. In 538 BC, He taps King Cyrus of Persia to not only allow the Jews to return but to bankroll Zerubbabel as he leads several thousand Jews to return and rebuild the temple (Ez 1:1-2). In 458 BC, God orchestrates Ezra’s expedition to Jerusalem during the reign of King Artaxerxes. Now 13 years after Ezra the priest heads home, the LORD has one more mission in mind. And this one is going to be led by Nehemiah. Yeah, THAT Nehemiah. The cupbearer. 

Nehemiah’s just the next one in the line of rejects and losers God is going to use. What a great reminder in the awesome power and ridiculous grace of God. He rarely picks folks we would draft in the first round. All too often, He chooses folks who would never make anybody’s team. If you were a captain selecting your teammates on the playground, you would never dream of wanting these people. Here’s just a few that you may be familiar with. A bug-eating freak wearing animal skins (Mt 3:4). A teenage girl living in the backwater boondocks of Nazareth (Lk 1:16-33). Even the leader of a hit squad that hunts and kills Jesus’ followers (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-9). So as the camera zooms in on the palace in Susa, it doesn’t focus on the king but the his servant.

Meet Nehemiah.

The REAL King of Kings

Every once in a while, God simply shows off. Sometimes He cranks up something miraculous. You know, stuff like the pillar of cloud and fire, parting the Red Sea, and resurrecting His crucified Son from the dead. But there are other times when flexes His almighty muscles to let us know He’s really in charge of the whole deal. Case in point, Ezra 7:11-26. A pagan Persian king named Artaxerxes is the baddest man on the planet. He sits on the throne of the most powerful nation in the world. He even goes by the nickname of the king of kings. Yet for some strange reason, this bloodthirsty dictator suddenly gets all warm and fuzzy when it comes to the Israelites. That’s because there’s ultimate King sitting on the ultimate throne who’s REALLY in charge. There’s only one King of Kings. And it’s not Artaxerxes.

A little context is probably a good idea at this point. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Israelites are in the process of returning back home to the Promised Land. And God is behind every single step. He’s the one who used Nebuchadnezzar to yank them out of the land (Jer 25:8-9). His chosen people had made the huge mistake of choosing to not worship Him. Yahweh wanted to get their attention again. If you’ve read much of the Old Testament, this is pretty much the cycle of God’s relationship with His people. When it’s time for them to return, Yahweh taps King Cyrus of Persia on the shoulder and gives him the idea to not only let the Jews go home but finance the rebuilding of their temple (Ez 1). When local bureaucrats want to see if the Israelites have all the permits for the project (Ez 5:3-17), God steps in once again. This time He nudges King Darius to sign off on the temple completion and use government funds to make it happen (Ez 6:1-12). Now 59 years after His people cut the ribbon on the rebuilt temple, the LORD is up to His old tricks again. This time its Artaxerxes. At God’s prompting, the king of Persia throws his full support behind Ezra’s plan to continue the resettlement of Israel (Ez 7:1-10).

Just as he did earlier with letters from Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai (Ez 5:6-17) as well as Darius’ decree (Ez 6:1-12), Ezra cuts and pastes Artaxerxes’ letter of endorsement for this amazing move (Ez 7:11-26). “This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes for Israel” (v11). His royal highness lets the world know that he might not worship Yahweh, but he certainly sees Ezra as someone who knows all about the God of Israel and His Scriptures. This man isn’t just a priest and scribe. This dude has serious skills when it comes to God’s law. Mad skills. It’s a variation of what we read earlier in Ezra 7:6 and 11. If anyone wants to know anything about the God of heaven, the Big E is your go-to guy. Are you someone goes to for answers to questions about Jesus? Do you have someone from whom you seek guidance and counsel in spiritual matters? For a lot of folks 500 years before Jesus, that man was Ezra.

Artaxerxes opens his decree and immediately lets anyone who reads it know that he’s not just any garden variety king. He’s the “king of kings” (v12). He’s no second-rate ruler of some jerkwater province on the backside of beyond. He’s the most powerful king of the most powerful nation on the planet. Every other king, queen, prince, princess, duke, duchess, governor, and mayor answers to him. This title comes with the territory of running the dominant world superpower. A few years back, that honor belonged to our old buddy from Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar as the “king of kings” (Ezek 26:7; Dan 2:37). There’s just one little problem with that. The throne of the king of kings is already occupied. The one and only Jesus has title embroidered on His royal robe and tattooed on His leg. “On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:16). Artaxerxes really believes he’s the king of kings. Isn’t that cute?!? He has no idea that King Jesus is orchestrating everything like chess pieces.

The Persian king decrees that any Jew who wants to go home can go home with Ezra. “Anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you” (v13). This is an open invitation to all. You don’t need a passport. You don’t need to buy a ticket. You just show up with your bags packed and go. But somehow someway, I’m sure there were those who turned down this all expense paid return home. They had gotten comfy in captivity. This mirrors Jesus’ invitation to all to join Him. Anyone may freely come into His kingdom. Somebody else is picking up the tab. All we have to do is show up and turn to Christ. But there ares those who ignore the incredible offer. They have gotten comfy in the captivity of their sin. 

The king’s ruling was amazingly open-ended. “Anyone” could go (v13). Artaxerxes mandated that Ezra could take “whatever” he and his crew needed (v18). Just in case you mistakenly thought there was a limit on the financial resources available, the king threw open the doors of the royal treasury so they could take “whatever else is required” (v20). The dictator makes sure the local Persian governors back in Jerusalem did the very same. “Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of God of heaven requires of you, let it be done with all diligence” (21). The king repeats this idea a fourth time to ensure this move gets “whatever is decreed by the God of heaven” (v23). Whoever wants to go. Whatever Ezra needs. Whatever God wants. There doesn’t seem to be any limit on what God makes available to Ezra through Artaxerxes.

Artaxerxes closes this decree by giving local autonomy to Ezra and the Jewish people. Remember, the Promised Land is currently part of the Persian Empire. Yet, the king hands over crucial control of political appointments to this Jewish high priest. “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as you know the laws of your God” 25). This dictator knew that Ezra could be trusted. He knew that Ezra is a man of integrity. He knew Ezra continually sought God’s wisdom. That’s what God can do when we live a life of obedience to His Word.

The king closes this royal document by ordering this combo high priest/scribe to instruct all of the people back in the Promised Land in the law of God. “And those who do not know them, you shall teach” (v25). In this resettlement of the Hebrew people who have lived an entire generation almost 1,000 miles away, they need to taught about God. They desperately need to know who He is. They desperately need to know what He’s done. They need a teacher. And that teacher is Ezra. 

All of this happens when God prompts a pagan Persian king to throw his support behind the return of God’s people to their homeland. Artaxerxes thinks this is his idea. He thinks he’s the king of kings. Isn’t that cute?!? There's only one King of Kings. And it's NOT Artaxerxes.

Mad Skills

It’s always great to know about the author of the story. Understanding who’s behind the book or blog is important in wrapping your head around what you’re reading. Here at the beginning of Ezra 7, we meet the author. Ezra himself steps into the story. Most scholars believe he wrote both the book that bears his name but Nehemiah as well. Here in chapter seven we get a bit of his bio as well as God’s blessing on his life. We see that Ezra’s kind of a big deal. He’s got some serious skills when it comes to God’s Word. We’re talking mad skills. He’s got the backing of the Persian government. But as great as he is, his God is even greater. None of this happens with the LORD.

The author slaps a date on the beginning of chapter seven. “Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia” (v1). A few verses later, he gets even more specific by letting us know that this is “in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king” (v7). A closer look at Persian history tells that we’ve skipped ahead a few years in the story. And when I say “a few years,” I mean 59 years. Artaxerxes ran the join from 464-423 BC. We suddenly find ourselves in 458 BC. A lot has happened since then. Like an entire book of the Bible. You can drop the book of Esther smack dab in between Ezra 6 and 7. If you’re familiar with that particular book, you know that if some dude named Haman had  his way, there wouldn’t be a single Israelite left alive to return home. 

Previous Persian kings played key roles in the return of God’s people to the Promised Land. First Yahweh lit a fire under Cyrus to not only send the Jews back home but to bankroll the project (Ez 1). Next God used Darius to sign off on all the royal paperwork for the rebuilding of the temple and order that local tax money be used for financing (Ez 6:6-13). Almost 60 years later, Ezra asked Artaxerxes to back the next phase of the resettlement of God’s people into their homeland. We know that Ezra didn’t make this happen simply through his charming personality and good looks. He writes that “the hand of the LORD his God was on him” (v6). More on that in a moment. 

It’s important to point out that these Persians weren’t pussycats or pushovers. These men were ruthless dictators that ruled through power and war. They weren’t normally given to letting their slaves move back and home much less giving away millions of dollars to help them do it. That’s because God was behind it all. Remember, the Israelites were under the thumb of these kings for almost 70 years. They were almost 1,000 miles from home. And if the situation isn’t desperate enough, their capitol city of Jerusalem and specifically the temple of God is a pile of bricks. It was “game over, man.” That’s when the LORD shows up in a very big way. Suddenly, kings are making it rain and God’s people are headed home. Is your situation bleak? Is your life hopeless? I’ve got great news for you. That same God is still up to His same old tricks. 

In verse one, we meet our main man Ezra. Ezra’s kind of a big deal. Jimmy Buffett may be the son of a son of a sailor. That’s nothing compared to the Big E. You see, Ezra is the son a son of a high priest. We get a glimpse of his family tree in the following verses (v1-5). What we see is a who’s who of Jewish high priests. Check it out. Seraiah (2Ki 25:18). Azariah (1Ki 4:2). Hilkiah (2Ki 22:4-23:24; 2Chr 34:9-18). Zadok (1Ki 2:35). Ahitub (1Sam 14:3). Amariah (1Chr 6:7-11). Meraioth (1Chr 6:6-7). Zerahiah (1Chr 6:6). Uzzi (1Chr 6:5-6). Bukki (1Chr 6:5). Abishua (1Chr 6:4-6). Phinehas (Num 25:10-13).. Eleazar (Ex 28:1). These boys are some real heavy hitters, biblically speaking. Ezra can even trace his family line back to Moses’ kid brother Aaron, the very first priest of Israel (Ex 28:1). Yeah, Ezra’s kind of a big deal.

“This Ezra went up from Babylonia” (v6). In other words, this wasn’t just any Ezra. This was THE Ezra! He’s the current high priest of God’s people. Told you he was a big deal. But Ezra’s resume is even more impressive. “He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses” (v6). The word “skilled” (Heb. mahiyr) tells us a ton about the Big E. It means diligent, quick, prompt, and ready when it comes to Scripture. The Law of Moses describes the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Tradition holds that Ezra had these first five memorized. Think about that. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. I don’t even know where my car keys are half the time, yet Ezra could recite the Pentateuch from memory. This was EXACTLY the kind of person who is desperately needed in Jerusalem as the people are rebuilding their nation.

Ezra leads quite a posse back to the Promised Land. Check out this roster. “some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants” (v7). A couple of important notes. First of all, the temple is up and back in operation (Ez 6:14-16). There was a huge need for all of these people to lead the worship of God in His house. The other crucial idea is that this is the second wave of Jews to make the migration home. Zerubbabel led the initial resettlement team of almost 50,000 some 80 years ago (Ez 2). Don’t you know the folks in Jerusalem were glad to see reinforcements arrive!

For the second time in just a few short verses, we read how God has His kung fu grip on Ezra as a leader. “The hand of the LORD his God was on him” (v6). “For the good hand of his God was on him” (v9). God’s handprints are all over the book of Ezra. The Big E says there’s a reason behind his boldness. “I took courage, for the and of the LORD God was on me” (Ez 7:28). Ezra boldly tells the pagan King Artaxerxes, “The hand of our God is good on all who seek Him” (Ez 8:22). When this second team of Israelites eventually heads back home, Yahweh kept them safe and “the hand of our God was on us” (Ez 8:31). Man, talk about a great place to be! Forget Allstate, this is the hand I want to be in!! As the author, Ezra doesn’t want us to miss the point that God is the one who deserves the applause. He points the spotlight on the One who was really running the show. Ezra’s a big fat zero without the power and strength of God’s hand on Him and behind this project. And when God grabs onto you, He never lets go. Ezra might be really good, but his God is really great!

Earlier we see that Ezra has some serious skills when it comes to Scripture (v6). We get a little better idea of what that means. “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel” (v10). He not only knew the law but did the law. According to Jesus’ kid brother James, that’s exactly the sign of a powerful faith in God (James 1:22-25; 2:18). Ezra didn’t turn his head into a biblical hard drive. Once inside his brain, God’s Word went to work in and through Ezra’s life. He did something with what he believed. He led. He loved. He served. Don’t just cram your skull full of useless Bible trivia. Let God change you and renew your mind through His truth (Rom 12:2). And before you know it, you’ll have skills. Serious skills. Mad skills.

Our man Ezra simply a picture of the Christ who was to come. Ezra’s a pretty cool guy but he’s no Jesus. There’s only One of those. Jesus is the One who will lead us back home from our slavery to sin to the ultimate Promised Land. Jesus is the ultimate High Priest who actually offers Himself as the once-and-for-all sacrifice (Heb 4:14-5:10; 7:23-28; 8:1-13). And there’s no one who has ever walked the planet that has the crazy skills when it comes to the law like Jesus. He had jaw-dropping knowledge of the Bible at the age of 12 (Lk 2:46-47). He continually blew people away with His teaching of Scripture (Mt 7:29; Mk 1:22). But most of all, Jesus was completely obedient to the law and fulfilled every single thing said about Him (Mt 5:17-20). When it came to Scripture, the radical Rabbi/Carpenter had skills. Serious skills. Mad skills. They don’t call Him the Word for nothing.

A View from the Press Box

A football coach in the press box has a much different perspective than one on the sidelines. From field level, the coach can get a real feel for the speed of the game, the intensity of the play, and the mood of his players. But the view from up top allows the coach to see the formations of both teams, their overall strategy and the bigger trends of the game. Neither one is better. Both are essential in understanding the larger story of the contest. Here in Ezra 4:6-24, the author takes the elevator up the press box to give us a broader view of the historical perspective. But there’s an even wider point of view. Think of that as a looking down on the stadium from the blimp. When we step back even further with the fuller picture God gives us in Scripture, we see an even wider and more glorious panorama of His grace. When it comes to God and His Gospel, it’s all about perspective.

This section of the book is actually like a giant parenthetic comment. Don’t make the mistake of thinking verses 6-24 happen right here and right now in the text. No, Ezra describes events that go down about 50 years later. He wants us to know that the Israelites faced consistent and relentless opposition from the Samaritans in trying to resettle the Promised Land and rebuild the temple. He’s just painted the picture of the “adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” getting all hot and bothered when they hear the big party on the temple mount (Ez 4:1). They pull out every trick in their playbook of Samaritan sabotage in order to shut things down (Ez 4:2). Eventually they threaten and intimidate the Jews as well as grease the palms of various construction supervisors to grind the project to a halt (Ez 4:4-5). What started with such great promise and enthusiasm dies quickly with a whimper. Ezra inserts this section of Scripture to let us know this happened to God’s people over and over and over. 

Let’s be honest, this kind of resistance and hostility is still going on today. Everything from brutal violence by Isis to frustrations with local planning and zoning boards, the world continues to try to stand in the way of the kingdom of God. But we know that the love of Jesus eventually wins. If you’re not sure, you might want to read the end of the book. (And by “end of the book,” I don’t mean Ezra. I’m talking about the Bible. Don’t be afraid to jump to the exciting conclusion. You’re not going to ruin a cliffhanger. Spoiler alert: GOD WINS!) This is where I’m tempted to insert the phrase made infamous by the Borg in Star Trek: “Resistance is futile.” While that may be the case, Jesus isn’t looking for cyborgs in the collective. He’s loving each one of us to willingly follow and obey Him. And the Samaritans are no different. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s not quite take a ride in the blimp quite yet.

Ezra tells us how the Samaritans made whining and complaining about the Israelites a hobby during the reigns of both King Ahasuerus (v6) and King Artaxerxes (v7). These Persian dictators are the son and grandson of King Darius. It seems world domination is the family business. Ahasuerus is actually the Hebrew name for Xerxes. He ruled from 486-464 BC. You might remember him from such stories as the book of Esther and the movie “300.” He was the king that fell head over heels with Mordecai’s niece and came within an eyelash of beating Hitler to the punch on the Holocaust by several thousand years. If you saw the motion picture “300,” Xerxes is the warrior king that squares off with the Leonidas and the Spartans at Thermopylae. His boy Artaxerxes hopped onto the Persian throne from 464-423 BC. Ezra knows all about Darius’ grandson. We’ll see soon how it was this king who gives Ezra the royal stamp of approval for his role in the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Ez 7:13-28). Artaxerxes is also the same dude that Nehemiah works for as a cupbearer and throws the resources of the Persian crown behind his return to Promised Land as well (Neh 1:11-2:8). While these three generations of Persian kings will never be confused with Abraham Lincoln, God uses these three kings to play a huge role in His story. That’s a lot of historical info crammed into a small space, but hopefully it allows you to take a look at the entire playing field from the biblical press box.

Without going into meticulous detail on Ezra 4:6-24, here’s the bottom line. Most of the passage describes how Samaritan leaders wrote letters to Artaxerxes about the problems with the new neighbors. Kind of like griping to the HOA board about that new family in the cul-de-sac who park their RV in front of your house. They cook up a bunch of crazy accusations against the Israelites. They won’t pay their taxes. They’ll be a hotbed of rebellion. If the king lets this go on, he’s gonna be really sorry. Artaxerxes pushes the pause button the rebuilding project and the Jewish adversaries couldn’t wait to folks in Jerusalem, “Nanny nanny boo boo!” (Let’s just say that’s a fairly loose translation of this passage.) Down in verse 24, Ezra flashes back to the days of King Darius to say that this opposition has been going on a very long time. He lets us know that the Samaritans delayed the project this first time “until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia” (v24). That’s a 16-year shutdown if you’re scoring at home (Ez 4:5; Hag 1:1-15).

If that’s the view from the press box, let’s now take a look from the biblical blimp. The Samaritans continue to be a royal pain the Hebrew tail for hundreds of years. They hate the Jews and the Jews return the favor. Prejudice and bigotry would be kind words to describe the relationship between these two people groups. So you would think God wouldn't waste a moment in wiping the enemies of His people off the planet. But something funny happened. Jesus shows up. He tells a story about what it means to love like God and has the gall to make a Samaritan the hero (Lk 10:25-37). Christ stuns His own posse by not only traveling through the heart of enemy territory but having a conversation with a (gasp!) Samaritan divorcee (Jn 4:1-42)! Just before He heads home to heaven, Jesus tells His followers that once His Spirit falls on them, “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea an Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). And before you can say “Great Commission,” God is welcoming in these former enemies into His kingdom (Acts 8:9-25). Bet you didn’t see that one coming back in Ezra!

What you and I need to remember is that we were just like the Samaritans. We were rebels and terrorists against the King of heaven. Despite shaking our fists at God, He reached out to us through Jesus. “While we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Rom 5:10). Instead of slaughtering His enemies, Jesus serves them. Instead of taking their lives, He gives His. We bring absolutely zilch to the table except our sin and rebellion. “But God shows His love for us in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). He died for His enemies like the Samaritans. He died for rebels like you and me. While it’s important to get the view on the field, it’s vital to check out the perspective from the press box. And it’s even more critical to see things from the eye in the sky. When it comes to God and His Gospel, it’s all about perspective.

It's Not Over Until God Says It's Over

Seventy years is a long time. I admit that that I get frustrated when things don’t change after seventy seconds. 

But seventy years? If something’s not fixed after being broken for seven decades, I tend to lose hope. 

Good thing God didn’t ship me off to Babylon in the divine exile of His people. 

As we pick up the story in the beginning of the book of Ezra, Yahweh has relocated His chosen people from the Promised Land to to get their attention after they gave Him a spiritual stiff arm despite His overwhelming goodness. 

He warned them through the prophets ahead of time this was about to go down. He reminded them over and over that He would not forget about Him. 

He promised them He would eventually bring them back home. But after 70 years, their hope gauge had to be hitting E. 

The children of Israel are 500 miles from home. They’re providing cheap labor for one of the most brutal dictators history has ever known (and by “cheap” I mean “free”). 

They’re held prisoner under the world’s dominant super power without so much as a Super Soaker to fight back. 

And it’s been 70 years. Seventy. Years. 

But that’s when God gets involved. As a matter of fact, we know from Scripture that He was involved the entire time. 

The Israelites might think it’s a lost cause. They might think it’s over. But it’s not over until God says it’s over. 

We see through this amazing Old Testament book that absolutely nothing can stop the LORD when He decides to move. 

In the biblical epic motion picture “Animal House,” the great theologian Bluto Blutarsky boldly proclaimed, “It’s not over until we say it’s over!” (Okay, the folks at National Lampoon didn’t exactly produce “The Greatest Story Ever Told” but work with me here.) 

In the opening chapter of Ezra, we see God making it absolutely clear that it’s not over until He says it’s over!

Set the Flux Capacitor for 538 BC. That’s “the first year of Cyrus king of Persia” (v1). King Cy is NOT Uncle Si from “Duck Dynasty.” He’s the Persian dictator that has just knocked the Babylonians off as the toughest kid on the block. 

As part of kicking some Babylonian butt, King Cy inherits a ragtag bunch of Jewish slaves. Just when you might think things have gone from bad to worse for the Israelites, a funny thing happens. 

God rolls up His sleeves and gets busy. Seemingly out of nowhere, “the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” (v1) and gets his attention. 

Through Isaiah, God made it clear “of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’” (Is 44:28). 

So make sure you don’t miss Whose idea this was. It wasn’t King Cy. It wasn’t Ezra. It wasn’t the Israelites. It was God. That’s because it’s not over until He says it’s over!

And who would’ve believed that King Cy had a burning passion to make sure “that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled” (v1)? 

We’re talking about Gentile dictator in pursuit of world domination who is suddenly overcome by the desire to make sure a Jewish prophecy comes through. 

Yeah, I know. That’s crazy talk. But that’s EXACTLY how this all went down. So just what did God say through Jeremiah anyway? 

Let’s take a look. As the prophet witnessed the bloody Babylonian invasion of Israel and Judah, he proclaimed “These nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer 25:11). There you go. There’s your 70 years.

Later the LORD used Jerry the Prophet to drop one of the most quoted passages in the entire Bible. “When the seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you My promise and bring you back to this place. 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. 

"You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from I sent you into exile” (Jer 29:10-14). 

I think it’s really a good idea for you and me to remember that this divine promise of prosperity, hope, and a future were originally made to Israel as she was headed to Babylon. 

I’m not saying we shouldn’t lean on a similar promise. But let’s be VERY careful to not “claim this promise” for a Beamer in the garage and a six-figure income.

We see that our very good God is at work through very bad governments. Frustrated with that dumpster fire in DC? 

I don’t care if you’re democrat or republican. Doesn’t matter whether you’re a liberal or conservative. I’m NOT making a political statement here. What I am saying is that only God can unblock the gridlock. 

He not only has the whole world in His hands but the hearts of kings as well. “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will” (Prov 21:1). 

That’s why they call Him the King of Kings. Never forget that. Ever. 

So stop ringing your hands over who’s in the White House. Stop freaking out about who controls Congress. 

Yes, we should pray, we should vote, and we should be active in the political process. But please remember that Jesus was not a registered member of any party. 

He loves both red states and blue states. If the LORD can motivate a bloodthirsty dictator like King Cyrus to ensure the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, He can certainly handle the few hundred knuckleheads that we’ve elected. 

That’s because it’s not over until God says it’s over.

©2014
Jay Jennings