God demonstrates His providential care over His people by blessing and protecting Ezra as He brings him back to the land to teach His people the Law. This sovereign care is seen all over the Bible and culminates in God's sending His eternal Word, who would perfectly reveal God to His people, provide the necessary atoning sacrifice, and prepare them for eternity.

While under much opposition from the people of the land, God's people resurrect the temple, where God uniquely meets with his people. This temple resurrection points us ahead to the resurrection of the true temple, who underwent much persecution, was nailed to a Roman cross, and triumphantly rose from the dead.

The mediation of Jesus Christ between the one true God and all mankind demonstrates God's heart for all the nations and constrains you to pray for all men.

The Israelites who return to the Promised Land immediately reestablish the ritual sacrificial offerings and begin rebuilding the temple. Both the offerings and the temple are ultimately insufficient and point us forward to our need for the Lord Jesus Christ.

God takes all the initiative in freeing his people from Babylonian captivity and leading them in another exodus back to the Promised Land. A few hundred years later, the Lord Jesus Christ comes on the scene and leads in yet one more exodus, setting sinners like us free from our captivity to sin.

The nation of Israel was judged by God for their sin and seemingly dead when sent into exile. In fulfillment of prophecy, God resurrected his people by sending them back to the Land, resurrecting the Temple and the City itself. This death and resurrection is part of God's pattern of salvation through judgment and points us ahead to a much greater death and resurrection that we were all desperate for.

The purpose of the Law was not to make men righteous by human effort, but rather to reveal to men their sinfulness and drive them to their only hope of salvation, Jesus Christ.

The Lord seeks a Church that worships in spirit and in truth, marked by a living out of true prayer, true faith, true love, and true mission, as are defined by Scripture.

Repentance is a vital part of our conversion from life to death and must be an ongoing part of the life of every believer. Repentance is not just feeling badly about sin, but is turning away from sin and replacing it with living for Christ.

Understanding that our hearts are the source of our sin and defilement before God keeps us from blaming outside influences and seeking impotent remedies for transformation.