Ezra 1:3
Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Cyrus's proclamation gave every one of God's people open liberty to go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, with the assurance that his God would be with him. It marks the end of seventy years of captivity in Babylon, fulfilling prophecy and beginning the return under Zerubbabel and Joshua with the king's favor and abundant provision for restoring the temple. Nearly fifty thousand accepted and returned, yet they were only a remnant, for most remained in the provinces of exile rather than face the hardships of the journey and the work of rebuilding. That deliverance was an act of mercy and forbearance after disobedience and exile, giving wayward children another opportunity to serve God in Jerusalem and advancing His plans through the wealth and power of empires. God Himself moved Cyrus to release the people and furnish means for the work, showing that He can move foreign and worldly rulers to support His cause, so their favors and practical help may be received and used.
Cyrus's Decree and Return
The verse is Cyrus's invitation to any among all God's people to go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, with his God to be with him in going. The proclamation made the return and the rebuilding a public, kingdom-wide opportunity for the Hebrew exiles. The decree gave the exiles liberty to return and provided for the restoration of the temple, fulfilling the prophecies concerning Cyrus and the end of the captivity. It begins the return of the exiles under Zerubbabel and Joshua. It belongs to the account of the return from seventy years of captivity in Babylon, where the king's favor and abundant provision of means made it possible to return to their own country and rebuild the temple.
Nearly fifty thousand people accepted the decree and returned under Zerubbabel and Joshua. Yet they were only a remnant of the captives. Most Israelites remained in the Medo-Persian provinces and in the lands of their exile rather than help restore the temple services. They remained rather than face the hardships of the journey, rebuilding their homes, and helping restore the temple services.
The decree gave opportunity and responsibility to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, restore its services, and reestablish homes in Judea. The work required energetic action. But opposition and discouragement led many to abandon the work for ordinary pursuits. God moved Cyrus to release the people and to provide the means for the work, and the rebuilding begun under Cyrus continued under his successor.
God's Mercy and Present Application
The proclamation is freedom from Babylonian captivity, and that deliverance moves forward the divine purpose, with the wealth and power of empires made to serve that end. The return from seventy years of captivity in Babylon was made possible by the king's favor and abundant provision for going back to their own country and rebuilding the temple. That return and rebuilding were mercy and forbearance toward wayward children after disobedience, exile, and the destruction of Jerusalem, giving them another opportunity to serve God there. Such mercy called for gratitude rather than discouragement, with God's favor accompanying the work of return and rebuilding.
The invitation to go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, with God with the one who goes, shows that God can move rulers, even foreign and worldly rulers, to support His people and advance His cause. Help, favors, and practical support for His work that come through such rulers may therefore be received and used to advance His cause. They are not to be refused merely because they come from worldly authorities or from those who do not share the faith.
The call to arise and build a house of worship applies to the decision to erect a church in Cooranbong, encouraging the worshipers to proceed despite limited funds and uncertainty about completing the work. The same command to rise and build applies to the work of building the sanitarium, teaching those who undertake it to trust that God will act in His own time to deliver and help them.