Thur.’s Devo - We are the Temple

Read Ezra 5:1-6:22, 1 Co. 3:5-23, Ps. 29:1-11, Pr. 20:26-27 Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews that they were to build the temple and its walls so the people rose up to obey. When the enemy led by Zerrubabel found out what they were doing, they showed up to discourage them. Tatnai was the Jewish leader and his name means “gift”. He sent a letter to King Darius tell him about the opposition they were facing. He begged him to look up in the book of histories and find out the truth about what they were doing, Darius did that very thing and found the decree of Cyrus. He sent a letter to Tatnai and told him to pay their expenses for the temple and give them all they need. The consequences of not helping them would be death, so Tatnai had to eat all his words to Ezra and humble himself before him. The Jews were able to have the temple ready for the passover feast. Talk about God turning your enemies to serve you…this is a great example. In Corinthians we read that the foundation is Jesus and we are the temple, built on that foundation. God is our protector. In Psalms we read that all in God’s temple cry “Glory”. God is the King of the temple and blesses his people with peace. As we read about the rebuilding of the temple in Ezra we can think of ourselves as that temple. When we are ‘rebuilding’ our lives there will always be the enemy trying to tear us back down. But we have the “gift”, the Holy Spirit who will cause our enemies to help us. Our function is to be a place where God’s glory can dwell in. Lord, make us your temple.