I recently read the book of Ezra, which tells the story of the Israelites’ return to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon. Cyrus, the king of Persia, had issued a proclamation declaring that the God of Israel had appointed him to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and anyone who desired to be a part of that project was free to go. The king even donated the items of silver and gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s house.
What a time of rejoicing that must have been for the exiles! The people around them gave them provisions and even donated various goods and valuables for the temple, reminiscent of how the Egyptians had treated the Israelites when Moses led them out of Egypt.
After all those years in captivity, thousands of God’s people finally returned to the land He had given them.
At first, they resettled in the land; they set up the altar and offered sacrifices, and the people observed the festivals that God had established. But it wasn’t until the second year of their return that they started working on the temple.
Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away (Ezra 3:10-13).
No explanation is given for the weeping of “the old men who had seen the first temple.” Maybe some of them were overcome with joy for finally being returned to the land and being able to freely worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But from the phrasing of this passage, I get the feeling that the weeping was more about comparing the foundation of the new temple to what they remembered about the splendor of the former temple – the beauty and artistry of Solomon’s magnificent structure, as well as the abundance of gold used to cover virtually every surface. I suspect they anticipated the new version to be a shabby replacement.
Similarly, I suspect some people – those who come to Christ either later in life or after years of ungodly living – believe that their lives and their testimonies have less value in God’s kingdom or that their spiritual origins – their “foundations” – are shabbier than those of other Christians who came to Christ early in life or who lived less sinful lives before salvation.
If that sounds like you, I offer this bit of advice: Throw those kinds of thoughts and beliefs out like yesterday’s trash! They belong in the garbage heap, along with the defeated enemy whose main goal in existence is to torment the only thing God created in His own image – humanity. And Satan’s favorite targets are those humans he no longer owns.
All true Christians have the same foundation – from the thief on the cross saved just before his death, to the child who grows up in church, accepting Jesus as Lord at a young age, and faithfully living that out. Let me state that again a little differently: ALL people who receive Christ as Lord are building on the same foundation, the same cornerstone! No person’s “building” will look the same as any other person’s because no person has exactly the same life story as any other person. But the foundation of every single believer … is Jesus Christ.
So the next time you hear condemnation about the life you lived before receiving Christ, remember to consider the source. Whether that voice is an audible one that comes out of another person’s mouth or it sounds like your own voice echoing in the corners of your mind, understand that the enemy of your soul can take many forms and use many voices. If he is unsuccessful at keeping you from salvation, he will attempt to make you cower in a corner, ashamed to stand or speak because the floors and tables of your “house” are not covered in gold. When you hear his accusations, remind him (and remind yourself) that you are standing on the One True Foundation that will not be shaken, and Satan has no authority over you.
The finery of a house can be torn down when storms blow against it or floodwaters rise or a fire burns it all away. You need look no further than the latest headlines to find a fine “house” falling down around some well-known Christian leader, or maybe it’s a person you know personally – someone you thought could never be tarnished by sin. Never forget that we are all sinful, even after coming to Christ, and no one can walk through this life untouched by the results of the fall. However, if the foundation beneath our feet is Jesus, we can stand, knowing that HE will never be moved. When we fail Him, we repent and once again build on the same foundation we had at the beginning – our Solid Rock and Cornerstone.
According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).
