Have you ever felt as if God has forgotten you? Perhaps you have been stuck in an unhappy situation for a long time, and your prayers to God remain unanswered.
The Jews must have felt this way when they were exiled to Babylon after Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. Many were homesick and wondered whether they would ever see their beloved city of Jerusalem again. They sang, “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion” (Psalm 137:1). Those who were familiar with the message of the prophets knew God had promised that after a 70-year period of captivity, He would bring the captives back to Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah said, “This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place” (29:10; see also 25:8-11). In fact, before this period was up, God was already at work, as if eager to fulfil His promise.
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia. (Ezra 1:1)
God “moved the heart” of Cyrus, the Persian king who had overthrown the Babylonian empire. Who would have thought that God would be at work in the king’s heart? Through the prophet Isaiah, God had already foretold, some 150 years before, how He would use Cyrus to do His will (Isaiah 44:28–45:5).
So the unthinkable happens. The pagan king issues an edict freeing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:2-4). He also attributes his rise to power to “The Lord, the God of heaven” and sees his mission as helping to build a temple for God in the holy city (v. 2).
A relatively small group of 50,000 Jews return home—a remnant, as God had foretold (Isaiah 10:22). In Jerusalem itself, a small group of “survivors” remain. They are poor and have suffered badly (see Jeremiah 40:7; Lamentations 5:2-5,11-13). Cyrus orders that these people be assisted with money and resources to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1:4).
It is an amazing turning point in the history of the Jews. When all seems lost, God turns a new page with His sovereign hand, demonstrating that He remembers—and will fulfil—His promises. This can encourage us today, especially if we feel that God has forgotten us and His promises. If we wait for Him with faith, He will never disappoint.
But then the Jews face a task that seems to have insurmountable odds. Rebuild a temple in a city that has laid in waste for more than 50 years? Impossible! God knows the difficulty of the task, however, and He provides the key factor that will keep them going—He moves their hearts. “Everyone whose heart God had moved . . . prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem” (v.5). God moves the heart of Cyrus, the hearts of the leaders of the Jewish exiles in Babylon, and the hearts of the Jews themselves.
The heart must be moved first before the feet follow suit. God’s work in our hearts is vital if we are to start and complete what He wills for us to do. The ESV Bible uses the phrase, “whose spirit God had stirred” (v.5), showing that the moving of one’s heart is a deep work of God himself. He is the One “who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Without this movement of the Holy Spirit within us, our actions will lack spiritual life and power. Only when the call of God is clear, are we able to do God’s will no matter how difficult the circumstances and no matter the setbacks and disappointments.
Not all the Jews make the move, only those whose spirits are stirred by God. Every person whose heart is moved by God joins those who return to Jerusalem on their holy mission. The gifts and freewill offerings given to the returning exiles are signs that God is with them (Ezra 1:6).
The same thing happened when God led His people out of slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses. As the Israelites were leaving, God made the Egyptians favourably disposed when they were asked for gold, silver, and clothing for the journey (Exodus 12:35-36). The unusual response of the Egyptians must have been an encouragement to the departing Israelites as they stepped into an unknown future.
God has His way of working in us and encouraging us on the way. Perhaps you sense God stirring something in your heart now. You feel a divine nudge to go somewhere, to do something, or to embark on a new journey. Prayerfully trust God and do His bidding. He will encourage you by providing what is needed, which is a way of saying that He is with you. “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Think Through
- Recall a situation in your life when you may have felt helpless. How did your situation change, and what did you learn about God and His promises?
- What is the difference between a heart that is moved by God and superficial enthusiasm created by human means? Which is preferred in our individual lives and in our local churches? Pray accordingly.
Excerpted and adapted from Journey Through Ezra & Nehemiah by Robert M. Solomon, published by Our Daily Bread Ministries
Temu Teman Jelajah “Ezra & Nehemiah”
As we read the ancient history recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we may ask: What does it have to do with modern life? What lessons can there be for us today?
The answer is: God’s Word is fresh for every generation! Even today, Ezra and Nehemiah continues to educate and inspire us on what is important for God’s people.
Come, let us meditate on Ezra and Nehemiah! For it is in these two books that we draw inspiration from how He relates to His people and how He fulfils His promises.
Join us, Teman Jelajah community, for a time of learning and exploration! Click below to sign up, and we will send the Journey Through book to you!
