“Then ceased the work of the house
of God which is at Jerusalem…” Ezra 4:24
We often learn, like Zerubbabel,
our efforts in life cannot consist of God handling the minor while we manage
the major. When Babylon was defeated in
539 B.C., the Persian ruler, Cyrus, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and
rebuild their Temple. Under Zerubbabel they
began not by laying the city walls or constructing government buildings, but by
rebuilding the altar, worshiping God together, and celebrating a feast. Zerubbabel
established a spiritual foundation, not a personal or selfish desire for their
building efforts. But soon problems
arose. An older group remembered
Solomon’s glorious Temple and was saddened at how much smaller and less
glorious this one was; it was not as they wanted it!
Selfish discouragement and desire, along
with fear, caused the work to grind to a halt. The people went to their homes,
and 16 years passed as people quit laboring for God simply because they became
focused on themselves rather than God’s will!
Selfishness is the art of
creating your own storms, then complaining when it rains!
HSAY…Todd
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