Day 128 – Ezra 1-3, Psalm 128

The books of 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles told the tragic story of Israel and Judah’s decline. They ended in ruins. But they didn’t end without hope.

2 Kings closed with a flicker of grace: the exiled king Jehoiachin was released from prison and given a seat of honor in Babylon, a quiet reminder that God had not forgotten the line of David.

2 Chronicles ended louder. It declared that God stirred the heart of a foreign king, Cyrus of Persia, to allow the Jewish people to return and rebuild His Temple in Jerusalem. The final verse practically hands the baton to the Book of Ezra.

And so, Ezra begins. The exile is not the end of the story. God’s promises are still alive.

In Ezra 1, King Cyrus of Persia is stirred by God to issue a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. God moves both leaders and everyday people to participate. God can stir the hearts of unlikely people to fulfill His promises.

Ezra 2 lists the lists the families and individuals who returned to Jerusalem. Names on this list may seem boring at first, but they represent people who said yes to God’s calling. It honors each one who took the risk of leaving their comfort zone and rebuilding their homeland.

In Ezra 3, the altar is rebuilt and sacrifices resume. Later, the foundation of the Temple is laid. The people felt joy and grief as they rebuilt and remembered the former glory of what it was. When God is rebuilding something in our lives, it’s okay to feel mixed emotions.

Psalm 128 is like a sneak peek into a life that just works, not because it’s perfect, but because it’s rooted in honoring God. Work feels good, your home’s full of love, and you actually enjoy the blessings around you. Amen.