Rebuilding: Cross-Ref Series

            Rebuilding the temple was something that had to be done when the Israelites returned to Jerusalem from exile. But it was also a metaphor used by Jesus when He spoke to the officials of Jerusalem (John 2:19). So what is the connection between the two situations? Why is rebuilding the focal point? For me, it is because of hope. Whenever there is rebuilding, the builder is hoping for something better than the original, something that is worth looking forward to.

Hope is what drives us to do what God has called us to do. This hope is fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ. It encourages us to have faith and trust in Jesus that He will bring good things to pass, and that He will One Day make all things right. And thankfully, God has provided for us to have hope, even in the worst of times. And this is shown through the idea of rebuilding. Let’s study it!

Ezra-Nehemiah

The theme of rebuilding is largely found in the books of Ezra-Nehemiah, because they are focused on the literal rebuilding of Israel’s Temple—the holy place where God dwelled with His people. Ezra’s time saw the King of Persia officially allow the exiled Jews to begin rebuilding their temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23). Ezra, a powerful scribe, recognized the mercy that God had shown on His people, and that encouraged them to start and continue building (Ezra 7:27-28). By doing so, the people showed God that they were ready for His promises to be fulfilled, by acting in faith and hope for a better future (Ezra 8:23).

Nehemiah often prayed and went to God during his time of rebuilding the temple. He encouraged his people to start rebuilding, because they were going to see blessings (2:17-18). When enemies laughed at him for what he did, Nehemiah’s humble response was “God will prosper us, so His servants will arise and build.” (Nehemiah 2:20). Amid his cultivation, Nehemiah had great faith that something better was going to come from his rebuilding. So not only was Nehemiah leading the people to physically rebuild, but he was moving them to a spiritual rebuilding as well.

Isaiah

In Isaiah, the prophet states that one day God’s people will “rebuild and raise up” ruined cities (Isaiah 61:4). This furthers the promise of God by showing that a new thing will be created when we trust and believe in Him. In Jeremiah, we again see the promise that God will restore the people after years of exile and oppression (Jeremiah 29:10-14).

John 2:19; 19:30; 20:12

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” We see later that Jesus not only let His body be destroyed at the crucifixion but raised it up on the third day with all power in His hands. Jesus fulfilled the ultimate promise of restoring humanity back to God through salvation. But he also fulfilled the prophecies of Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, who all looked forward to a rebuilding of God’s temple.

We must remember that when we are in the process of rebuilding and restoration, we are hoping for more. When Jesus spoke of rebuilding, He was speaking generally for all. His sacrifice on the cross was salvation for all. It is because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, that our hope is made new in Him. And when we have hope, we can move forward, knowing that God is with us. Rebuilding means that we have faith something new will be done. And when we are faithful and obedient to God, He fulfills His promise of “completing a new work in us” (Philippians 1:6). This is the ultimate rebuilding, and we can be encouraged that whatever we begin, God will finish, and it will be better than anything we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Happy rebuilding, and happy studying!

-Sherry Amor