A Worker

Here is the list of the Jewish exiles of the provinces who returned from their captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar had deported them to Babylon, but now they returned to Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah where they originally lived. (Ezra 2:1 NLT)

The Israelite nation isn’t really a nation at this point in history.  They had been captured by the Babylonians and deported into captivity.  Now, because the LORD moved the heart of the Persian king, the remaining Israelites get to return to their home towns.  Not only that, they get to rebuild the LORD’s Temple.

Their leaders were Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. This is the number of the men of Israel who returned from exile: (Ezra 2:2 NLT)

Ezra tells us the account and spends an entire chapter naming the people and, when the numbers are too great, telling the number of people who returned for this Temple-building project.  This is a piece of Scripture that most of us glaze over or skip, but it’s important enough to make it into the pages of Scripture.  Why?  It’s simple.  People are important to God and this is God’s story.

For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9 ESV)

In our day and age, people are still important to God.  God includes us as a part of God’s story as well.  The Temple we are building is not made of stone.  We are building up the Temple which is God’s Church.  We are living stones, being built up as a residence for the Holy Spirit.  Not only that, we are the workers who are doing the building process.

How about you?  Do you see God building up the Church around you?  Are you a part of the Temple where God’s Sprit dwells?  Are you building up God’s Church? Are you a worker?