Only in the Temporary Time

Scripture: I hereby issue a decree concerning what you are to do, so that the elders of the Jews can rebuild the house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men out of the royal revenues from the taxes of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of the heavens, or wheat, salt, wine, and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—let it be given to them every day without fail, so that they can offer sacrifices of pleasing aroma to the God of the heavens and pray for the life of the king and his sons. I also issue a decree concerning any man who interferes with this directive: Let a beam be torn from his house and raised up; he will be impaled on it, and his house will be made into a garbage dump because of this offense. Ezra 6:8-11

Observation: The gentiles around Jerusalem, upset that the Jews are rebuilding the temple, have asked the king to stop it. The king, discovering that his predecessor ordered the rebuilding, sends this response ... all of you who are complaining are actually required to pay the Jews for doing this work, provide them with all they need for both construction and worship, and if you fail you will receive a death sentence and your family's home will be destroyed.

What a reversal! While it was 70 years between the exile and the return, it must be understood that those complaining about the Jews are descendants of those who celebrated when Jerusalem fell. As punishment from the Lord, their nations weren't just exiled, but were defeated and scattered ... the Edomites and Ammonites and Moabites don't exist anymore, by prophetic declaration of the Lord. And now, here come the Jews, not just existing but rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple, and when they try to stop it instead the king declares they must FUND it upon pain of death.

Application: This is just one example of what happens to those who oppose God's plans. Sure, they may succeed for a while (building had stopped for a time), but not only will they not prevail, they will fail spectacularly. They will not only fail, but their contrary efforts they will be put down with a definitive finality.

These Jews were justifiably afraid of all the people around them. They could not fight for their right to build and had to stop, waiting for the situation to somehow be resolved in their favor. This is what happened, by God's own hand.

So when I see this happening with issues designed to attack God's people now, I need to remember that we are only in the temporary time ... the time when the plots and schemes of evil appear to be overpowering and cannot be overcome by earthly might or logic or fighting. This is the time to wait for the situation to be resolved by God's own hand.

I want to fight against all the issues, but I can't and so I must not. God's got this.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you today for this reminder, that you are in control even of the evil plots and plans occurring all around, and you will even use them for your glory and purposes. I am not patient in such matters, so I lean into your patience from the Holy Spirit. To you be all glory and honor and praise, forever and ever! Amen and amen.