The Final Step

 

Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. (Ezra 6:13–16 ESV).

 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, also known as the Tower of Pisa or ‘Torre pendente di Pisa’ in Italian, is one of the world’s most famous buildings due to its leaning stance, which leaves it forever appearing to be toppling over. It took 344 years to complete, construction started in 1173, and was completed in 1372, making the total time of construction nearly 200 years. In contrast, it took a mere two years and two months to complete the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The tilt of the Tower of Pisa was noticeable as workers built the second floor. The lean was caused by shallow foundations and unstable subsoil. Engineers working on the tower in later years built upper floors with one side shorter than the other to compensate. This means the structure is curved as well as tilting! Yet it is celebrated as one of the most unique and interesting structures of the world.

 

Returning to the construction project facing Ezra and Nehemiah we find it took 20 years to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The people had fought delays and enemy accusations. They had endured exile. They worked under challenging conditions and stressful situations. But they built the house of God. Worship was at stake. God wanted a place to dwell with his people again. Our reading today recounts the final step in the completion of this project: they “…celebrated with joy” (v. 13).

 

The temple’s completion marked a new beginning for God’s people who had lived in exile in a foreign land. They were finally home. God was faithful, and his Word gave them confidence and stamina. When the work was done, there was just one more thing to do—worship! The people spent seven days in celebration and worship. They realized that the work was done not because they were great builders. Everything was done by the strong arm and constant care of the Lord. Their complete joy centered on worshiping the Lord.

 

The Lord Jesus built salvation for us. He came into our broken world. He lived as a human being, just as us, he embraced all of the same pain and limits as we do. He died on a cross to bring us access to the Father. He rose from the grave, putting death to death. Then he returned to heaven to prepare a place for us in the new heaven and earth, where all of life will be worship in God’s presence forever.

 

Shouldn’t this finished work of grace and forgiveness prompt us to worship in awe?

After all, that is the final step in the process!