Week of 3/3-3/9: Scattered - Further Restoration Awaited

Day One: Ezra 3:10-13 When the builders had laid the foundation of the LORD’s temple, the priests, dressed in their robes and holding trumpets, and the Levites descended from Asaph, holding cymbals, took their positions to praise the LORD, as King David of Israel had instructed. They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the LORD: “For He is good; His faithful love to Israel endures forever.” Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD because the foundation of the LORD’s house had been laid. But many of the older priests, Levites, and family leaders, who had seen the first temple, wept loudly when they saw the foundation of this house, but many others shouted joyfully. The people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shouting from that of the weeping, because the people were shouting so loudly. And the sound was heard far away.

FOOTBALL HAS BECOME a large part of the fabric of American life. We love the NFL as Americans. Often the most interesting and dramatic occurences of the whole season take place during the playoffs. In the NFL, there are two conferences, each of whom crowns their own conference champion through the playoff system. Once the conference championships are decided, the two winning teams meet in biggest sports event of the year: the Super Bowl.

It is always interesting to watch a team win their conference championship. They are understandably excited, but they often temper their celebration because they still have the big game in front of them. It is an awkward moment. The players celebrate the fact that they have just won. They have accomplished a big feat. They are conference champions. But they know something else looms near. There is still another challenge ahead of them. They are still aiming at the greater prize. They are not content to only be conference champions, they want to achieve the greater goal of being world champions!

In Ezra 3 we see something similar. We see a group of people who are ecstatic that they have been returned from exile. They are excited about God’s grace and mercy to bring them back to their land. But notice that there is a greater longing still. They long to be fully restored. For their nation to be again what it once was. There was still a greater prize to be sought after. Yes, they were happy and joyful for being back, but they were not content with only being back—complete restoration was the final goal.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

▷▷What is the ultimate and final goal for Christians?

▷▷What can we do to strive toward that goal?

▷▷How does God help us in this goal?