BST: The Message of Ezra and Haggai

Building for God.

Ezra is rarely if ever preached on. Haggai gets even shorter shrift: if
anything, Haggai 1 is pressed into service to encourage a reluctant
congregation to give to an ailing fabric fund. But the message of these books,
and their emphasis on building for God and the need of obedience to his Word
and openness to his Spirit, is one which needs to be heard clearly today.

This commentary by Robert Fyall highlights the contemporary parallels of the
challenges Israel faced to those of today's church and demonstrates the
relevance of the books of Ezra and Haggai for God's people in all times.

The background to the books of Ezra and Haggai is the exile of Judah to Babylon
in 587 BC and the return from exile following the edict of Cyrus in 538 BC.
Ezra narrates the history of the period, while Haggai speaks into the situation
where those who had begun to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1 - 3) had ceased to do
so because of external opposition and internal failure of nerve (Ezra 4).

In Robert Fyall's valuable exposition, the pairing of Ezra with Haggai (instead
of the more usual Nehemiah) enhances our appreciation of both. Ezra is a vital
and stimulating book in its revelation of God's purposes, and Haggai's brief
prophecy deals with highly significant issues.

The message of these books, with their emphasis on building for God and the
need for obedience to his Word and openness to his Spirit, is one that needs to
be heard clearly today. The theme of the providence of God is an encouragement
to God's people in dispiriting times.

Series: The Bible Speaks Today.

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