Restoration and revival
As previously noted, Zerubbabel was primarily concerned with laying the foundations. There were certain priorities that were critical to re-establishing the nation before God, and Zerubbabel concentrated on the altar and the temple.
Spiritual revival under Zerubbabel
The altar All spiritual revival must begin at the altar. We are a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices through our Lord Jesus Christ. God has saved us to serve Him, and the highest order of service is worship. The sad conditions that hindered the force of revival in the days of Zerubbabel were identified by the prophet Haggai, who pointed out that the poverty and frustration that they were experiencing was due to the fact that they had been ignoring the importance of giving to God, and therefore God was withholding from them. Doing things for God is no substitute for ministering to God.
The temple After the altar had been built, Zerubbabel began to build the foundation of the temple, and thereafter to complete the structure. He realized that, if God were to dwell among His people, there must be appropriate conditions established in accordance with His mind.
Today, we live in a different age where God no longer dwells in temples made with hands but in a spiritual temple—the House of God. Paul, writing to the Ephesians, said, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22). He wrote to young Timothy, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). God has certain expectations from those who form the house of God, and these expectations are given to us in the Pauline epistles. We must remember that it is God’s house and not man’s house, and that we must comply with His wishes for His house, rather than imposing our own ideas.
Spiritual revival under Ezra
Some 58 years after the work of Zerubbabel had been completed, God brought Ezra to Jerusalem. Ezra was both a priest and a scribe. He was uniquely fitted to this new phase of God’s dealings with His people. Not only was Ezra qualified by virtue of belonging to the Aaronic family, but he was qualified through his practical living. We read, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments” (Ezr. 7:10). Note the sequence: he sought it, He did it, He taught it. There is no shortcut that can be taken for any who would serve the Lord among his people. Dr. Luke tells us concerning the Lord Jesus, “of all that He began to do and to teach” (Ac. 1:1). Doing preceded teaching. When He stepped into the theatre of public service, He had power and authority because His life was seen to be in perfect alignment with His teaching. So it must be with us. Private preparation and conditioning is critical before public service.
The problem and its solution When Ezra returned, he found the altar in place, the temple rebuilt, and people going through the motions of the serving God. Positionally, they were correct, but, conditionally, they were in a dreadful state. Ezra was deeply disturbed when found that priests, Levites, and scribes had engaged in illicit relationships with the surrounding tribes in direct disobedience to God’s Word.
Note how Ezra handles the situation. He sat down, a spectacle of misery and sorrow, until people began to take note and gather around. Then he lifted up his voice to heaven and interceded for the people. What a lesson in intercession he gives! He identifies himself with the sin of his people, although he himself was personally guiltless. Here is the spirit of the true leader. He is not the critic, pointing out all their faults and failings, but he is a supplicant, pleading for them with tear-filled eyes. May God give us men who will plead our cause with Him, leaders identified with the people in all their shortcomings, yet willing to undertake the will of God with boldness.
The final stages of the book of Ezra are filled with painful scenes. There is repentance and confession on the part of the people. There was a settled purpose to abandon the ungodly relationships that they had come to enjoy. There was a purging of soul amongst the people of God.
If we would see revival, there must be that spirit of collective grief and repentance. There must be a steadfast purpose of heart to have done with relationships that are not of God. There must be that readiness to put God and His Word first, whatever the cost. Are we prepared to return to God with all our heart? Are we prepared to set aside selfish pursuits and to establish spiritual priorities in our lives? Are we prepared to revisit Calvary? Are we prepared to face opposition and persecution for the sake of Christ? Are we ready to purge from our personal lives all that would hinder the blessing of God? He never promised it would be easy, but our God will pour out a blessing upon us that we cannot contain.
Spiritual revival under Nehemiah
Nehemiah’s exhortation Nehemiah led the final phase of the return from the Babylonian exile some 13 years after Ezra, and the book is configured similarlly to the book of Ezra. Both begin with reconstruction and move on to the restoration of the people. When he arrived in Jerusalem, Nehemiah went out alone by night and viewed the condition of the walls and the gates. With this personal experience behind him, he could speak with power, and he confronted the priests, the nobles, and the officials regarding what he had seen and exhorted them to begin the work of restoration. His clarion cry was, “Let us rise up and build!” (Neh. 2:18) and there was an immediate response. The work began and the walls were completed within a 52-day period.
Nehemiah reminds us that revival can happen very quickly where there is a desire to “rise up and build.” Evidently, the leaders in Jerusalem had no desire to complete the work, and it took a Nehemiah to come amongst them and to get things moving for God. Thank God for men who can identify the ruinous conditions that are around and bring powerful exhortation to the people of God to be up and doing, and so see the work begun and brought to a completion.
Nehemiah’s prayers It is worthy to note that Nehemiah was a man of prayer. Nine of those prayers were ejaculatory prayers—prayers comprised of a few words directed to the throne in moments of crisis (2:4; 4:4; 5:19; 6:9, 14; 13:14, 22, 29, 30). There are other prayers that Nehemiah, and others with him, offered which were longer in duration (1:5-10; 9:1-38). Prayer was the daily recourse of this man of God and, it is not surprising that, with it, the walls and gates of Jerusalem were completed within 52 days.
Concerning the early church, Luke records that, “these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication” (Ac. 1:14) and again, “they were all together with one accord in one place” (Ac. 2:1). Consequently, when they stood up on the day of Pentecost and preached the gospel for the very first time, about three thousand souls were saved. There can be no doubt that is a direct link between the exercises of the upper room and the success they experienced in the city. One feels that there is a need to get back to the example of these early pioneers. We bemoan the lack of results in the gospel, whilst our prayer meetings are the most poorly attended meetings.
One is conscious that we have only touched the surface of the revivals seen in Ezra and Nehemiah. There are so many other valuable lessons which we could learn from these precious books. Our prayer would be that these introductory thoughts, however brief, will stimulate us to have done with the lethargy that is so characteristic of our day in order to heed Nehemiah’s powerful exhortation: Let us rise up and build!