Sun.’s Devo - Finishing the Temple

Read: Ezra 4:24-6:22; 1 Corinthians 3:5-23; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 20:26-27 The work on the Temple had stopped for years. During the second year of Darius’ reign the prophets of Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem and they told them that God was with them and to start building the Temple again. The governor of the province, Tattenai came to Jerusalem to ask them who gave them permission to rebuild the Temple and restore worship. They responded that they were servants of God who had told Cyrus to decree that it should be rebuilt. He had returned the gold and silver cups which Babylon had taken from the first Temple. They were given them to bring back to the new Temple. The governor asked the king to search his archives and see if this was indeed true. King Darius read the letter and had his men look in the archives for the decree. They found it and it gave the dimensions of the Temple to be rebuilt, its three layers and how the expenses were to be paid out of the royal treasury. Darius instructed Tattenai to stay away from they construction and let them rebuild. He was also to help the elders of the Jesus rebuild it by paying for the construction costs from the taxes collected. They were also to provide all the animals they needed for sacrificing and to ask them to pray for the welfare of the king and his sons. If anyone disobeyed his request would be impaled on a beam and their house reduce to a pile of rubble. The Jews were very encouraged by this and continued building until it was finished in time to celebrate Passover. There was great joy in the land. In Corinth, the people had been arguing over which teacher they sat under and baptized them. Paul told them it didn’t matter who their leader was because they were all subject to Jesus. He was the one they should put their hope in and exalt. All of God’s servants do their part in the kingdom. Jesus has to be the foundation of every work or it will not last. Any work founded on a man will fall. Lord, may your rebuild your Temple on the earth and in our own hearts. Jesus, we follow you.