Once Again, God Provides - ANB W2, D4 - 3.14.13

Thursday, March 14                                                      Once Again, God Provides

Ezra 6.1-12

God was neither fooled nor was he surprised by Satan’s plan of disrupting the work being done in Israel. The Word of God had already been given to the people by Haggai and Zechariah and Zerubbabel resolved to see that the work he was put in charge of would be done. It was not right for the people to grow fat and gain possessions but leave the house of the Living God in shambles. And even though Satan used Tattenai in attempt to once again intimidate the people of Israel into halting their work, God guided the entire process.

King Darius is given to opportunity to be God’s instrument of provision. He searches the annals of the Medo-Persian Empire to see what is said of these people in Jerusalem. What he finds is that his grandfather, King Cyrus had already given permission for the temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Also, let it not be a surprise to us 2500 years removed from these events that God brought these kings to power in Babylon. Do you remember the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis? How his brothers mistreated him and sold him into slavery? And the next thing you know, after a series of events in his life, he is given power over the entire Egyptian Empire. Then his brothers come crawling to the Pharaoh’s courts seeking help, only to find that their brother is the one to help them. And what does Joseph say? “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life…now, therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen. 45.5-8).

Now, fast forward a bit to King Darius. Does that name sound at all familiar to you from another story? Look at Daniel ch. 6. King Darius the Mede was the first king after the overthrow of Belshazzar and one of his first acts was to place Daniel in a position of authority. He even rejoiced that Daniel survived the lions’ den in spite of the fact that Daniel did not bow the knee to Darius alone. This Darius was a royal dignitary of Cyrus the Persian (Ezra 1.1) and the nephew of Cyrus was named in his honor. This is the same Darius we read of here in Ezra. In his search he finds that his uncle Cyrus before him gave favor to these people from Israel, and follows in his policies to restore disenfranchised people from the exploits of the Babylonians. He models the same favor for Israel that his Median predecessor had done with Daniel. Further, it is in the promise of God from Jeremiah 29.10 that Darius the Great was reigning at the culmination and fulfillment of what God had decreed…oh yeah, Darius said he would pay for all of it to be complete, too (v. 8).

When famine drained the land of Canaan, the sons of Jacob were sent to Egypt, where they found that God had provided for them a life and an inheritance through their brother Jacob. When Satan tried to once again defeat the rebuilding of the temple of God, he caused a new king to reinstate the provision for that temple to be built once again. Make no mistake, had the Israelites refused to listen to Haggai and Zechariah and the word they brought from God, none of this would have transpired. God will not call us to do what He has not already prepared a way of provision for. Here’s the ONE catch…we MUST work in faithful obedience. Zerubbabel got it. He knew that the temple would not just build itself, so he exhorted his fellow Hebrews and they began work. Yeah, it was tough, but they earned it because of their previous disobedience. Now, because they were obedient, God provided for them again. Not only did He provide the materials, He provided protection. Re-read v. 11-12. Darius is not playing around. These people of God are to not be hindered in the work they have been assigned. God’s temple must be built and built right. God will make the provision for us to do His work. He will prepare the way for us, but we must prepare our hearts. We must obey and that obedience must be by faith.

Prayer:

God, I thank You that You do provide. It is not enough that You prepared the Lamb of sacrifice to atone for my sins, but, Lord, You provide for my every need. Thank You for not leaving things up to me, but preparing the way for me. Please help me to be obedient to You in seeking Your vision for Hopewell.