We rarely hear sermons on Ezra. Haggai gets even shorter shrift. If anything, Haggai 1 is pressed into service to encourage a reluctant congregation to give to an ailing fabric fund. But the message of these books, and their emphasis on the need for obedience to God's Word and openness to his Spirit, is one which needs to be heard clearly today.<BR><BR>With its emphasis on Torah, the story of Ezra is linked with the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their identity as the people of God. In Ezra's priestly prayer for changed hearts and the forgiveness of sin, and in the emphasis given to the temple, Ezra likewise looks forward to Messiah and the fulfillment of all God's promises.<BR><BR>Meanwhile, Haggai offers a prophetic voice to the crisis detailed in Ezra. To those Israelites who had returned from exile to Jerusalem, whose will to rebuild the temple had eroded in the face of external opposition, Haggai speaks quickly and forcefully, reminding the people of the Mosaic legacy and the messianic promise.<BR><BR>Taken together, Ezra and Haggai are a testament to God's faithfulness and graciousness, and a helpful reminder in our own day of God's covenant promise in Haggai 2:5: "My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."