Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Dealing With Disappointment | The Writings | Ezra 3-6

Episode Date: September 4, 2024

How do you deal with disappointment? Where do you turn when life doesn't go as expected? Where do you find hope? In today's episode, Jensen shares how Ezra 3-6 points us to the God whose kingdom will never disappoint. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Ezra 3-6

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. What is the biggest disappointment you've ever had to face in your life? Didn't get into the college of your dreams? Maybe it was not making the team? Dream job, not so dreamy? Did a close relationship let you down? Is life not going the way you would hoped it would? See, disappointment is not fun. When our expectations aren't met, we're sad. Maybe we're frustrated at ourselves or at the one who didn't meet our expectations. Maybe we're angry that things didn't turn out the way we had hoped. See, disappointment can be devastating. But it's also part of life. Chances are on this side of

redemption you're going to face disappointment. Now, the nation of Israel throughout the Old Testament knew about disappointment. And to fully understand the disappointment that we find in Ezra 3 through 6, we have to better understand the history, context, and expectations the Israelites were carrying into these chapters. Let's go all the way back to the Israelites in the wilderness. So they've just been freed by God from slavery in Egypt. They're learning what it means to be his people. And in Exodus 25 through 30, God gives his people meticulous instructions on how to build a tabernacle. We learn what should go into the tabernacle, how it's to be built, what the priests should be wearing, how they should conduct worship and sacrifices in this tabernacle and on these altars

they're building. It seems like a lot, but we have to remember that this tabernacle was where God's presence was going to dwell with his people. It was a sign that the God who had freed them from Egypt, who had parted the Red Seas, who had provided for them in the wilderness and saved them from their enemies, was with them, was for them, was behind them. Later, once the people of Israel have established themselves in the promised land in Jerusalem, God called on King Solomon to build him a temple. His father, David, had been given the plans from God on exactly how to do this. And in First Chronicles 28, we were, read about David sharing with Solomon the exact specifications of this temple, the amount of

gold that would be used in every part, the silver, the linens, the expanse of the temple. And in 1st King 6, we read that Solomon follows these plans and builds the Lord a magnificent, beautiful, opulent, awe-inspiring temple. And God says this to him, As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws, and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel. This temple was majestic, but it was also integral in God's presence, his provision, and his protection over his people, which is why 2nd King's 25 is so devastating. This chapter details the Babylonians capture and destruction of Jerusalem.

Verse 9 tells us he, the king of Babylon, set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. Later we read that they took all the valuables out of the temple. It was plundered and taken back to Babylon along with the people of Judah. Now, this wasn't just a building being destroyed, but an indication of punishment that God had turned away from his people because of their disobedience. He had allowed them to follow where their disobedience led, and they ended up with a city destroyed, being dragged away from the promised land, and no rescue from their God. It isn't just a physical loss, it's a spiritual one. Had God abandoned them for good? Was his presence gone forever from his people? They had to wonder,

the disappointment had to be devastating. Now the weight of that disappointment is also what made Ezra too so exciting. After years and years in exile, we read that God's people were returning back to the promised land. They weren't just free. They were sent back with a mission from a foreign king to rebuild their temple. God was working for his people again. Surely this was their redemption. And then something interesting happens in Ezra 3. In this chapter, we see Zarubabel leading the charge to rebuild the temple. He begins with the altar and then the foundation for the new temple. Once the foundation is laid, the people all gather together to praise the Lord. They want to worship God that he brought them back,

that they're rebuilding, that there's hope that this could be the time when God would establish David's kingdom forever and be with his people forever. See, Zerubabel is a descendant of David. Could he be the one? The temple's being rebuilt. God's people have returned to the promised land. And yet, as they're gathered to praise God, we have verse 12. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads who had seen the former temple wept aloud when they saw 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 from far away. So some of the people are disappointed. They remember the

splendor and glory of the old temple, and they see this new foundation, probably how much smaller it was than the original, and they're moved to weeping. You couldn't tell who was crying and who was rejoicing. It was chaos. The moment of triumphant celebration turned into something very, very different. And what's more, in the next three chapters, we read that there are people living in the land that oppose the rebuilding, the reestablishing of the temple in Jerusalem. And so they sabotage their efforts, reaching out to the king, spreading lies. Eventually they succeed in halting the progress for around 15 years. Then, finally, finally, a new king is on the throne, King Darius, and he learns of the efforts to rebuild the temple. He's reminded of the proclamation King Cyrus made to rebuild the temple.

He finds that written proclamation and reestablishes that mission. In chapter 6 verse 7, we read, now then, speaking to those who wish to interfere with the rebuilding, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on this site. The decree goes on. The adversaries are to give the Jews anything they need to rebuild the temple. And if anyone interferes, they're told to impale him on the spot, which is pretty intense. But we see here the intense protection for God's people and incredible provision. And the temple is finally rebuilt. Verse 16 tells us, the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.

See, when the first temple was dedicated, we see clearly the presence of God descend and inhabit the temple through fire. And yet, in this description, the Bible never tells us that God's presence physically returns. Nothing was as the people might have expected. And I can't help but think about the hope and anticipation that would have slowly waned over the years. The joy at returning, at rebuilding, at wondering if God was going to establish David's throne forever, and then the disappointment, the years of waiting, and then a temple without the presence of God, followed by years of still not being free in their homeland. Babylon conquered by Persia, conquered by Greece, conquered by Rome, at home, but not really free, with a temple, but not with the assurance of God's

presence with his people. Will he return? Will he truly establish his kingdom? Will he be faithful to his promises. And then Jesus. Jesus enters the scene, the son of God, the promised one fully, God, fully man. And yet, he's not what they expect. He's poor from a bad part of town, wandering, homeless, not powerful, not political, but gentle, loving. He doesn't bring a conquering army. He doesn't set up a physical throne for himself. He doesn't crown himself king of Israel and overthrow the Romans. No, instead he dies. He dies. He's killed by the oppressors. He's killed by the religious leaders. He's killed by his own people because he was a big disappointment. The people shouting, Hosanna, as he rides into Jerusalem, ready for Jesus to take back Jerusalem to reestablish their nation,

are the same who yell crucify him when they realized Jesus was not there to establish Israel's kingdom. And yet, through his death and resurrection, Jesus became king over all of creation. He spent his life and ministry not overthrowing Romans, not establishing an earthly kingdom, but teaching his followers about a new kind of kingdom, an everlasting kingdom, the kingdom of God. One where the first shall be last and the last shall be first, one where you turn the other cheek, one where the meek and the humble will be exalted, one where wealth won't win you any favors, one where you win by losing, even if it means losing your life for the sake of others. The son of man came. God established a kingdom for his people that would last in eternity.

God came to dwell among his people once again to establish his temple, but it was not like his people expected. Jesus, God's presence on earth. He was the king. He was the temple. He was bringing the kingdom the people needed, longed for, and I didn't see it. Jesus predicted that the current temple would be destroyed, and it was, because God's presence was no longer confined to a building. It was found in Jesus. And as we learn from the New Testament in every single believer. 1 Corinthians 316 asks us this, don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit dwells in your midst?

Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, living in believers, we become the new dwelling place of God among his people. God was faithful to his people, his promise to establish his kingdom to bring them home, to dwell among them, to set a king on the throne forever. All of that came true in Jesus. The disappointment of Jesus kept the people of Israel from seeing who he was. And we cannot fall into the same trap.

The kingdom that Jesus came to build was not one of earthly success, earthly glory, earthly power. Don't get so caught up in trying to establish a kingdom by the world's standards that you miss out on bringing Jesus' kingdom of love, justice, mercy, and peace into your spheres of influence today. You may not rise to the top. You may not live the life you expected. You may not be wealthy or powerful or carefree, but you will be blessed. You will be participating with God in building his kingdom. You will be a holy temple where the people around you can experience and know and see the presence of God. You can spread his kingdom little by little until the day that he returns and restores all of creation once and for all. The foundation may be smaller than

expected. It may take longer to build than you expect. It may not be easy. It will take hard work and dedication, but God's bigger story is at work. He has promised to establish his kingdom forever. That much is sure. Give your life over to something that will last. Measure your expectations by the promises of God. You will not be disappointed if you put your hope in His kingdom and build your life on the upside down values of Jesus.