Cooperation - ANB Week 1, Day 2 - 3.5.13

Tuesday, Mar 5                                                                      Cooperation

Ezra 1.5-11

What a joy for the people of Israel! These men and women had been calling out to God to deliver them from the Persians for years and now their cries have been answered. These people had strayed away from their God and God had to deliver the wake up call so that the people of His covenant love could be reconciled unto Him. The decree of King Cyrus had been made in favor of these people and in obedience to their God and they will be returned to their home and the temple of the LORD will be rebuilt so that the can go back to worshiping the way that God had instructed them in the days of Moses. The priests can make the atoning sacrifices for the people and the tabernacle of the LORD will once again hold the Ark of the Covenant. It is a joyous occasion for the Jews.

But, just because a decree is made does not mean that all will transpire in a fantasy land tactic. No, the people had to respond to what was said. God had employed King Cyrus to fulfill His purpose, but, based on the predicament in which Israel finds itself by being exiled, it is logical to assume that had the Jews not heeded the Word of the LORD from the mouth of Cyrus that God would have been satisfied to allow the rebel people to stay in exile for another seventy years. However, this would not have fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, so the compliance of the Jews was necessary. God’s plans will not be disturbed by our sinful rejection of His will, but He will gladly delay what He will accomplish until a more cooperative person fills our void.

Let us look at the cooperation of the people in Ezra 1. First, we see that the father’s took the leadership initiative in the following of God’s plan. It was the men in the family that instigated the obedience of their family. It was not a directive of the priests and Levites because we see that after the father’s lifted up their heads (v. 5), the priests and Levites followed. But, notice also that it was not the entire congregation of Israel that responded. It was only two tribes, Judah and Benjamin that willfully cooperated with God’s work. A point for us here is sensitivity to the Spirit, which is what we are aiming for in our devotional and prayer during the month. The fathers of the families at Hopewell must exhibit a spiritual sensitivity in leading their families during this time. The tone you set with your family will direct how your family responds to what God is doing here. How great the return trip would have been had the fathers of Israel’s other nine tribes been sensitive to the stirring of God.

Next we can look to the Persians for a semblance of cooperation with God’s plan. Verse 6 tells us that “all who were with them aided them” (ESV). No, this does not mean that every single person jumped on board and gave the Jews all they needed because we understand that Satan works to defeat God’s purposes and would have isolated many from helping. But, we do see clearly in the Scripture that the Persians heard the plan of God and responded by giving, as did King Cyrus. We read his decree yesterday, and now we see that he is returning to Israel “the articles of the house of the LORD which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods” (NASB).  Everything that was previously used for the worship of God was returned and then verses 9-11 demonstrate the emptying of the king’s treasury to fund the project. A great amount of wealth was given for the rebuilding of the temple, just as God described in Jeremiah 29.

What is at stake is our cooperation with God’s plan. As we pray for God’s vision for Hopewell, we must also pray that God would break us of our own ambition so that we can respond as the fathers of Judah and Benjamin with full compliance. God works through people, using our natural disposition to accomplish His greater purpose. Even the godless Persians fully submitted to the plan God had for Israel. In asking God, “What can I do?” be prepared for full cooperation with His answer.

Prayer:

Lord, stir in my heart a deep desire to follow you. Please give me the ability to fully cooperate with your plan for Hopewell.