Beholding Yeshua in Ezra–Nehemiah
A journey through bricks, brokenness, and the longing for a true King
Three months before our third child was born, I flipped through my Bible, trying to decide which book to read next. We had experienced quite the rollercoaster over the last three years as my husband, Michael, had transitioned from full-time ministry to corporate America. We had no idea where God was leading us next.
Michael sat across from me as the pages of the book of Ezra fell open. “Hey babe, when was the last time you read through Ezra?”
“It’s been a couple of years, why?” he asked.
“I think I’m going to…” my voice trailed off.
Just a week later, I sat in a crowded auditorium next to my mom, Ann, who had invited me to come and listen to Beth Moore speak. A hush fell over the room as Beth took the podium and began to address us. She explained that at the beginning of the week, her team’s plan had been to spend some time teaching on a New Testament Epistle for the gathering I was now attending. Instead, the Holy Spirit redirected their plans, and Beth encouraged all of us to turn to the book of Ezra.
I gasped. My mom next to me jumped.
And in that moment, I will never forget. It was as though someone behind me said very clearly, “You’re having a son. His name will be Ezra. And everything is going to be okay.”
Rebuilding Isn’t Enough
The main idea in the book of Ezra–Nehemiah is that rebuilding does not necessarily bring forth new hearts passionate about God.
The people of Israel returned from exile with the opportunity to rebuild everything that had been lost—temple, Torah, walls, and worship. While they reconstructed the physical spaces, the emotional heart-space remained absent. Something essential was still...unfulfilled.
This story isn’t just ancient history. It’s our story too.
Hopeful Returns & Hollow Restorations
As the book of Ezra–Nehemiah opens, the reader soon realizes that the exiled Israel that almost gave up hope when Nebuchadnezzar swept in never quite lost hope in the goodness of their God. They had listened to Jeremiah’s counsel in exile (Jer. 29:5–7), building houses, planting gardens, raising families—holding onto the hope that God was not finished with them yet.
Led by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah under three separate Persian kings, the Israelites returned in waves—each journey echoing Exodus imagery. They faced opposition, overcame obstacles, and accomplished remarkable feats. But each triumph ended with a setback.
The rebuilt temple felt incomplete. God’s presence had not returned this time. The weeping of the elders (Ezra 3:12-13) speaks volumes. They remembered what it was like—to be near God’s glory.
We may rebuild structures, ministries, and rhythms—but without the presence of the King, it all feels hollow.
Behold Moments in the Rubble
There are these shimmering Behold Moments in the text that grip the soul:
“Behold, we are before You in our guilt, for one cannot stand before You because of this.” (Ezra 9:15)
“Behold, we are consigning our sons and daughters to slavery…” (Nehemiah 5:5)
“Behold, we are slaves today…in the land You gave our fathers…” (Nehemiah 9:36)
Despite all their striving, the people come face to face with the reality: they are still in need. They are still in exile in their hearts.
Rebuilding the Temple: A Shadow of Something Greater
Much to the sadness of those who had seen the original temple… the presence of the LORD did not come down upon the foundation. The second temple, though finished, “served only as a monument to remind the people of messianic expectations dashed by the reality of Medo-Persian domination.”[1]
But what if the absence of God’s visible glory was meant to stir longing?
Because the temple, in all its grandeur, was pointing forward to Yeshua, the true and living Temple. “In the course of time, God would dwell among his people in an even more personal and relatable way… Immanuel.”[2] (See John 2:19–21)
Rebuilding a Love for the Torah
One of the most moving scenes in all of Scripture happens in Nehemiah 8. Ezra climbs up, unrolls the scroll, and reads the Torah aloud—from sunrise to noon. And “the people began to weep,”(Neh. 8:9). They hadn’t heard the words of their God in so long—and their conviction, awe, and sorrow washed over them.
“If rebuilding the walls and the Temple consolidates the physical security… the public reading of the Torah consolidates the spiritual coherence of the people.”[3]
But even this wasn’t enough to keep their hearts faithful.
Rebuilding the Wall: A People Set Apart
Nehemiah didn’t just rebuild a wall—he rallied a community. Priests, perfume makers, politicians, and even daughters pitched in. It was apparent that Nehemiah was not sexist or elitist. Everyone had a part. Everyone had ownership.
And yet... the people slipped back into old habits.
When Nehemiah returned from his brief visit back to Persia, he found that the temple was neglected, the Sabbath broken, the Law ignored. And the book ends with a bittersweet petition:
“Recall it for me, O my God, for good.” (Nehemiah 13:31)
Yeshua Is the King They—and We—Long For
Throughout this progression, rebuilding happens even though the people’s hearts remain fickle and turn away from God at the end of the book. They needed more than a rebuilt city. They needed a new heart (Ezek. 36), a new covenant, and a new King.
Yeshua is that King.
He is the temple where glory dwells (John 1:14).
He is the Torah made flesh (John 1:1).
He is the wall who protects, the leader who rallies, and the One who restores all things.
Behold Him in the Brokenness
Ezra–Nehemiah ends with a whisper, not a shout. The people were still waiting. Still longing. Still building toward a promise not yet fulfilled. But we know what they didn’t yet see: the King has come. And He is still building—not with bricks, but with people.
With you.
With me.
As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:21,
“In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.”
After three years of rebuilding and the birth of our third son, Ezra, God led my husband and me into full-time church planting. The King went before us, built a support system, provided a building (and then another when we outgrew it), and brought hundreds of people through our doors. Our congregants often used the slogan, “We’re a church for people who don’t go to church.” I still cherish that sweet, challenging time as we relied on the presence of the King for everything
Friend, if you feel like you’ve been rebuilding and still feel that something’s missing—remember: what you’re truly longing for is the presence of the King.
Keep beholding Him. He is still at work.
Want to Dig Deeper?
Check out this powerful Ezra–Nehemiah overview by the BibleProject—a beautiful visual breakdown that brings the story and its Messianic longing to life.
[1] Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 334.
[2] Michael Williams, How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 58.
[3] Robert Alter, “The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary: The Writings” (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2019), 847.
