Job Site Woes

Oct. 18

Read: Ezra 4:1-16

Job Site Woes

“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD… (they) discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose…” (v.1, 4)

There is ALWAYS great opposition to the “rebuilding” and restoring of God’s Temple… and remember… YOU are God’s Temple now. Any effort to improve, renew, restore, make stronger, or the like will be met with discouragement, fear, and temptation. There are a great number of things which war against the true work of the Lord. God will never be overcome though - “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6) But our experience of this process will be one of battling an enemy and facing resistance as we experience growth in the Lord. So what are the things at war with the Lord? Who are these “enemies” that we face in the midst of “rebuilding”?

“Enemies” on the Outside

One of the first sources of resistance comes in those who are not in the Lord. Those outside of the body of Christ… the family of God… see the message of the cross as “foolishness”. (cf. 1Cor. 1:18) We will always be disappointed if we expect those who “love the darkness” to appreciate the light. Here is what Jesus says: “the light (Jesus) has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:19,20) What we need to remember is that these people themselves are not our enemies. They are dead in their trespasses and sins. They are sick, in need of a “doctor” that is Christ. (cf. Mark 2:17, Eph 6:12) There is a spiritual battle at work behind this all! The difference is that WE as sons and daughters have been made alive, set free, and are able to fight against it through the power of God in us.

This is why there are limits as to what those who are not in Christ can participate in. Those “outside” cannot be involved in “rebuilding the Temple”: ““You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” (v.3) The truth is that the people of God will more often than not be painted as “rebels”… as those who won’t just “go with the flow” of the culture and world around them. Basically, the children of God don’t want to live in the dark! It will be reported to the authorities that we are “rebellious and wicked” for not going along. (v.12) We should not be surprised when this happens TODAY. Our resistance to embracing what has been “normalized” by the world around us will sooner or later get us labeled as “rebellious” and “wicked”.

The “Enemies” Within

As we are being made new - restored- in Christ we have our own internal battles that we must fight as well. We have been given spiritual “weapons” by the Lord to aid in this battle. We have “patterns of thinking” which war against the “truth of God” which need to be dismantled. (2 Cor. 10:3-6) This is the “discouragement” of the adversaries of God. (v.4) Sometimes we battle plain ‘ol discouragement. We feel like the work that needs to be done in our lives is just too much! Like it will never get finished… or that it is pointless to try. These feelings come the strongest right before big breakthroughs and milestones occur! Be ready for this. Other times we battle our own greed. The things of this world seem more appealing than the things of the Lord. We see this in the way that they bribed the people of God to oppose the Temple building. (v.5) Sometimes we become afraid. Fear can drive us to worship (cf. previous Devo) but it can also drive us to inaction. The pressure from the outside made the people of God afraid to work… afraid to do what the Lord wanted them to do. Have you ever been afraid to do what you knew God was calling you to?

Whether from the outside or within, the great rebuilding of his people that God is doing will always be met by opposition and adversity. This adversity will always precede breakthrough and growth. Have you become discouraged? Have hope - God will not be frustrated in the completion of HIS work. (cf. Phil 1:6) Fight for hope by looking back at the ways that God has already come through for you. He will not abandon you. Have you become greedy… bribed by the world to pursue other things? Those other things will not last… they will not endure… they do not bring the joy that you hope they will. The worship and praise that takes place in the temple is more valuable than any bribe. Trust me. Are you afraid? “Be strong and courageous” - you have been given the spiritual weapons to wage war against these patterns of thinking that bring fear and death. Are you expecting the world to all of a sudden get “on board” with God’s agenda? I am afraid you will be disappointed… do not expect the world to celebrate the things of God. And don’t be surprised if they even try to label God’s work “wicked and rebellious” because it doesn’t meet their agenda. More to come! Love you guys. - JDP