Ezra 3: 8-10
Vs. 8- Now in the second
month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at
Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the
rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come
out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work
and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work
of the house of the Lord.
- Erecting an altar to restore worship with God was urgent and most paramount. This could not wait.
- The men waited several months before work commenced on the physical temple.
- Delay in re-building of the temple was neither due to lack of finances nor materials (Ezra 1:4, 6-11; 2:68; 3:7).
- Jesus would not release a man to commence work on any external work, when our inner lives are still in ruins. Reconnecting with God took several months. Their obedience to leave captivity was just the first step.
- Even when the call to Arise and Build was clear; these men still needed to come into a quarry experience for decluttering and moulding; seek God and wait for instructions/approval on when and how to build according to pattern.
- Oneness amongst the men was the result of God working on their hearts, as well as renewing their minds whilst waiting.
- Even when the call on our men is clear, let their hearts be open, pliable and surrendered to God’s outworking on their lives.
- Let their expectations be of the LORD.
- Lord, let our men know that their times are in God’s hands.
- Help our men maximize and value their dark room/quarry experience instead of seeing it as a waste of time. Make it clear that their inner lives are of utmost importance to Christ.
- Even when they have the resources to build; cause our men to still wait on Jesus for instructions on how and when to build.
Vs
9 - Then Jeshua with his sons and
brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah, arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God:
the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
Fathers,
sons, brothers and brethren all arose as one to oversee those working on the
house of God.
- Jesus, find expression and continuity in all of our men- Fathers, sons, brothers and brethren.
- Don't allow our sons to arise but our fathers are asleep in Babylon.
- In every generation, LORD please capture the heart of all our men so that they can be disciples indeed who arise as ONE.
Vs.
10 - When the builders laid the foundation of the
temple of the Lord,
the priests stood in their apparel with
trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.
- Help our men bend down to lay the foundation of Christ as the Chief cornerstone; builders of destiny; intercessors/priests over their home; Levites that bring down the very presence of God. All these done not by power or might but by the Holy Spirit.
- Cause our men to stand in the authority that Christ has bestowed on them.
- Cause our men to appreciate the diversities amongst them without breaking ranks.
- Let the set-up and standard of their labour be CHRIST.
