Scripture: In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates. Ezra 4:15b-16
Observation: Non-Jews who were themselves transplanted into Samaria wish to stop the reconstruction of Jerusalem, and engage in a letter writing campaign to the king of Persia. This is their charge - Jerusalem has a history of rebellion, and thus allowing it to be rebuilt will result in ... the total revolt of the entire western region of the middle-east.
In other words, they are identifying one small fact about Jerusalem - that in fact the people of Judah did rebel once against Babylon - and making it the cause and claim to oppose all activity by the Jews to honor God. They oppose God, and oppose his people and their ways, and so call out one fact about them, spin that into the absolute worst-case outcome, and send it as the forgone conclusion and charge against the Jews.
Application: This, then is how I can know I am on God's side ... when people take a single charge, extrapolate it into exaggerations and false hypothetical outcomes, and send it to those in authority. Wow ... that sounds familiar ... when has that happened to me?
The Jews were not blameless in this. They were in fact rebuilding the walls of the city to protect themselves instead of relying on the king of Persia. But they were rebuilding the temple in order to honor the Lord and worship him. I have not been blameless. I grew angry with staff and critical of their work. But I tried to improve them and advance our efforts in order to grow and advance their careers, capabilities, and successes.
As I pray I am near the end of this issue, I find encouragement in again seeing alignment in the way I have been treated, and the way God's faithful have been treated. Now I hope to start - START - the REAL next chapter of my life, by improving my service to God, improving my love toward others, and improving my way of representing God in this world. May the Lord protect me from future campaigns, for they will certainly come, and may I trust in him through confidence I have learned to better to his work.
Prayer: Lord, this is my prayer today, that I have better learned how to do your work, so that future attacks will fall away due to your great love. May I continue to grow. My growth is not complete. I am an old(er) man with so much to learn and do better with. Please, continue to show me your better way every day. Amen.
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