Ezra 5–7 – The temple is completed and dedicated, and Ezra leads the people to learn God's law.
I checked the BYU Religious Studies Center (rsc.byu.edu) and found an excellent resource for today's devotional.
The completion of the temple in Ezra 5–6 marked a significant return to covenant living for the exiled Israelites. After years of delay, the temple was finished through diligent effort and the favor of Darius the king, culminating in its dedication and the celebration of the Passover. This period also saw Ezra's mission to Jerusalem, where he was commissioned by Artaxerxes to teach God's law and establish righteous governance among the people, emphasizing the importance of adherence to divine statutes for individual and communal prosperity. The accounts highlight how both the physical rebuilding of the temple and the spiritual rebuilding through teaching the law were essential steps in re-establishing God's covenant people.
Here is the source: "Ezra and Nehemiah: Rebuilding the Walls and the People" by Richard O. Cowan, from Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis-2 Samuel.
URL: https://rsc.byu.edu/old-testament-student-manual-genesis-2-samuel/ezra-nehemiah-rebuilding-walls-people
How does the emphasis on both the physical temple and the teaching of God's law in Ezra's time parallel the ongoing need for both outward ordinances and inward spiritual understanding in our own efforts to build God's kingdom today?
Considering today's intention to "actively seek and live by the divine principles revealed in the scriptures, making our hearts a temple for God's law," how can the dedication seen in completing the ancient temple and Ezra's commitment to teaching the law inspire us to more fully consecrate our own hearts as temples where God's law truly resides and is honored?