Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Ezra’s prayer of confession is taken to heart by the people of Israel. They join with him in confession, evidenced by the request of Shecaniah for Ezra to instruct the people to live from this day forward in repentance. After a night of fasting, Ezra calls all the returned exiles to gather in Jerusalem, and they faithfully come. As they gather in the heavy rain, Ezra reminds them of their sin of i...

Soon after Ezra’s arrival, the officials of the returned exiles bring to the faithful scribe an urgent need for spiritual care. They admit to Ezra their faithlessness of intermarriage with the idolaters of the land of Canaan. Ezra’s initial response is mourning and repentance, and that evening he turns to the LORD in prayer. Recognizing God’s undeserved favor in bringing His people back from exile...

Ezra lists the heads of households who make the journey to Jerusalem with him. These people are known not only to Ezra, but also to the LORD. The list especially emphasizes the needed workers for service in the temple. Prior to beginning the journey, the people fast in humility for three days in order to rely solely on God for their safe travel. The people faithfully carry with them vessels and ot...

The book of Ezra jumps forward in history over fifty years to the time of Ezra himself. During the reign of Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra the priest goes up from Babylon to Jerusalem, bringing with him many of the workers needed for the services of the temple. Ezra is described as a scribe, one whose heart was set to study, do, and teach the Law of the Lord. Aided by a decree from Artaxerxes for his...

Due to accurate record keeping in Persian libraries, King Darius of Persia discovers that Cyrus had previously decreed that the temple in Jerusalem be rebuilt. Darius therefore commands that the work be completed without any opposition. Through these pagan rulers and the faithful work of His people, the LORD provided that His temple was finally rebuilt in 516 BC. The dedication of the rebuilt temp...

After about ten years of delay in completing the work of rebuilding the temple, the LORD sent Haggai and Zechariah. These prophets urged the people to pick up once again the work of rebuilding the temple. Zerubbabel and Jeshua led the way. Opposition arose once again, but the faithful people of God did not stop their work. Even as they waited for an answer from Darius concerning whether or not the...

When the people of Judah began to return from exile, the people of the land approached them in order to ask to participate in the rebuilding of the temple. The people of the land were Samaritans, people living in the former northern kingdom who had intermingled true religion with false religion in the aftermath of the Assyrian conquest. The faithful people of Judah refused their help, sticking to...

During the second festival half of Israel’s church year, the returnees from exile gather in Jerusalem. Led by the faithful priest Jeshua and the faithful layman Zerubbabel, they begin the temple’s reconstruction with the altar, for the sake of beginning anew the sacrifices by which the LORD distributed His forgiveness. The following year, work on the temple began by laying the foundation. Even tho...

Long lists in the Scriptures may seem unnecessary or uninteresting to modern readers. Yet lists such as the one in this chapter remind us that the LORD works in real history for real people. He knows His people by name, and He is the One who fulfills His promise for them. The initial number of those who returned from exile is rather small, and yet, the LORD was keeping His promise for this remnant...

Cyrus’ foreign policy of allowing conquered peoples to go to their homes was unique in the ancient world, but it was not an accident of history. In fulfillment of what He had spoken through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up Cyrus to make this decree. Cyrus’ decree in 538 BC allowed the people of Judah, who had been exiled in Babylon, to begin their journey back to the Promised...

"God Brings His People Home” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. After 70 years in exile, the LORD began to fulfill His promise to bring His people back to the Promised Land. In the years that followed, faithful clergy and dedicated laity worked together to rebuild Jerusalem physically and restore the people of God spiritually. Through it all, God was at w...

As the heavenly messenger draws the vision to a conclusion for Daniel, He relates the time of the final judgment and the resurrection of all flesh, both the just and the unjust. The heavenly messenger then instructs Daniel to seal these words until the end. As Daniel continues to look and listen, he does not understand all that he hears. However, the heavenly messenger tells Daniel to continue in...

The heavenly messenger relates the vision to Daniel. He briefly describes the reign of the kings of Persia, which will be brought to an end by the kingdom of Greece. Yet Alexander’s rule would be quickly broken and divided among four smaller kingdoms. The heavenly messenger focuses Daniel, especially on two of these kings—those of the south (Egypt) and those of the north (Syria). These kings will...

This section introduces the vision that Daniel recounts in chapter 11. After Daniel had mourned and fasted during the time of the Passover, a man clothed in linen comes to Daniel. This man’s appearance is heavenly; He likely is the pre-incarnate Christ. Daniel’s reaction is fitting; he falls down and loses all strength. The touch and the word of the heavenly messenger strengthen Daniel, and the he...

The Day of Pentecost is a highlight within the Church Year, as Christians rejoice that Jesus has kept His promise to send His Holy Spirit. All the signs that accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 drew the attention of those gathered in Jerusalem for the festival. Many wondered what was happening, and some mocked the disciples. Peter stood up and spoke for the whole group to proclaim t...

After reading the LORD’s Word concerning the exile from the prophet Jeremiah, Daniel turns to the one true God in prayer. He makes no excuses for the sins of the people, but confesses their idolatry and neglect of His Word. Daniel pleads before the LORD, not because the people are righteous, but because the LORD is righteous, merciful, and faithful to His Word. Daniel asks that the LORD would keep...

Daniel recounts another vision he receives, in which he sees himself in Susa near the Ulai canal. At first, a ram with two horns of different heights charges in multiple directions, and no one can stand against him. Next, a male goat with one horn between his eyes comes with great speed and tramples on the ram. However, the goat’s horn is soon broken, and four horns arise afterward. One of them, a...

The second half of the book of Daniel relates several visions that Daniel received. The first of these, recorded in Daniel 7, includes four beasts that arise out of the sea. These four beasts correspond to four coming kingdoms, just like the four metals that comprised the statue of which Nebuchadnezzar dreamed in Daniel 2. As Daniel’s vision continues in this chapter, however, he sees the Ancient...

As the Persian kingdom begins its dominance over Babylon, Daniel is now an old man. Nonetheless, he is given a distinguished place in the reign of Darius. Out of jealousy toward Daniel, other officials look to oust him by means of his faithfulness to the LORD. They trick Darius into making a law requiring idolatrous prayer, and as they expect, Daniel continues his faithful prayer to the LORD. Back...

King Belshazzar, co-regent of Babylon at the end of its mighty empire, hosted a party for all his lords in which he used the sacred vessels of the LORD’s temple as wine goblets in honor of idols. The appearance of a human hand, writing on the wall, filled Belshazzar with fear. When none of the wise men of Babylon could interpret the writing, the queen reminded Belshazzar of Daniel, who had helped...

King Nebuchadnezzar issues a decree concerning the way in which the one true God revealed that His dominion is the only everlasting kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that troubled him; he saw a mighty tree that grew tall and provided shelter for many animals. Yet a watcher from heaven came down and proclaimed that this tree would be cut down and the stump would be given a portion with the beasts...

Perhaps incorrectly inspired by his dream of a statue, Nebuchadnezzar builds an enormous golden statue. He issues a decree that all people must bow down to worship it at the sound of any music. The penalty for disobedience is death in a fiery furnace. Some of the king’s pagan advisors, jealous of the high standing of the Judean exiles Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, bring accusations against the...

Nebuchadnezzar has a troubling dream that he commands his pagan advisors to both tell him and interpret for him. When they admit that they cannot, he is prepared to execute them all. Daniel intercedes on their behalf and prays, along with his three friends, that the LORD will make the matter known. The LORD answers their prayer, and Daniel gives the credit entirely to God as he tells Nebuchadnezza...

The book of Daniel begins in 605 BC with the first exiles Nebuchadnezzar took from Judah to Babylon. These initial exiles were from the upper echelons of Judean society, in a Babylonian effort to begin to assimilate the people under their culture and religion. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four young men brought into the king’s palace as a part of this attempt. Although they were ass...

"God’s Kingdom Endures Forever” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Daniel. Although God’s people were exiled in Babylon, the LORD remained the true King. He strengthened His people for faithful confession in the face of idolatry, and through prophetic visions and dreams revealed that He would establish His everlasting Kingdom. This points to Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, who...