Ezra 1

The book of Ezra begins with the decree, made by Cyrus king of Persia in 538 B.C., that gave the Jewish exiles the right to finally return home to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of the Lord. (Here’s an interesting side note to that story. Many scholars believe that Daniel was instrumental in stirring the heart of the king by sharing with him the prophecies in Jeremiah 25 and 29 regarding the return of the exiles from Babylon. Incidentally, these prophecies mention King Cyrus of Persia by name—even though they were written 150 years before his birth.)

Can you imagine being in exile, virtually a slave!, for 70 years and, all of a sudden, being told you can return to the land of your fathers? There must have been widespread celebration and glee. It’s interesting, then, that only a small number of the exiles actually returned to Jerusalem. That’s right. Even though they had been given the green light to go home, the majority of the Israelite exiles stayed right where they were.

Before we’re quick to judge, however, let’s consider what they were up against:

Returning to Jerusalem required a long and dangerous journey. Not to mention that it was expensive.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they knew they would find ruins, not a thriving city. Instead of the home they remembered, they would certainly be faced with crumbling dwellings, roads, and other infrastructure headaches.
They didn’t have a lot of money.
They had a lot of enemies in the land.
Despite their freedom to return to Jerusalem, they knew intellectually that it still belonged to another empire.

There were a lot of daunting reasons to make one want to stay put. After all, 70 years is a long time, and I’m sure the exiles had become quite accustomed to their life—even if it was one without freedom in a foreign land. (Wow. Isn’t that a metaphor for sin? God has liberated us from having to live as the old man. We have been born to new life, and we can choose to "go home" and live like new people. But so often, we prefer to stay in our old, familiar habits—even if they’re self-destructive.)

So, only a minority of the Israelites returned to Jerusalem. However, they didn’t fail; they flourished. You see, with God, there is no strength in numbers. God is the source of our strength. Consequently, He is more than able to work with small groups. He doesn’t need an army of people to accomplish His plan. All He needs is a few whose hearts are open and willing. We might even say that He’s the pioneer of the small group.

In fact, God can and does often work with the smallest group available: the group of one. You. Me. Individuals who have open hearts to the Lord and are willing to be led by His Spirit. When our door is open to Him, there is no limit to what He can accomplish in and through us. Again, He doesn’t need numbers for strength. All the strength is in Him!

Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." God is interested in the smallest of groups. He’s interested in you. And every day, He is knocking at the door. Have you heard His knock today? Are you willing to make the journey with Him back to Jerusalem? Or would you rather remain in Babylonian exile?

Don’t be one of those who misses out on the adventure! And don’t wait for anyone else to sign up. With God, you can be an army of one. He doesn’t need anyone else but you. Go on, now. Open the door!