Tues.’s Devo - The Mystery of God

Read: Ezra 3:1-4:23; 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4; Psalm 28:1-9; Proverbs 20:24-25 Once the exiles had settled in their towns the priests began rebuilding the altar of the Lord on the place where it had been before. They did it even though they were afraid of the local residents. When they had it built they began to offer sacrifices on it each morning and evening. They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and received offerings fifteen days before the feast. They sacrificed the number of animals designated for the whole week of the feast and then began laying the foundation for the Temple to be built. *** They hired masons and carpenters and bought cedar logs from Tyre and Sidon paying them with food, wine and olive oil just like Solomon had. *** They began the construction in the second year around the mid spring. The Levites rebuilt the Temple supervised by Jeshua the priest and his family. When they finished the foundation, the priests put on their robes and blew the ram’s horns and gave praise and thanks to the Lord with music and singing. *** The younger generation gave shouts of joy, but the older ones who remembered the greatness of Solomon’s Temple wept in sadness. *** The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the Lord and they went to Zerubbabel and the other leaders and asked if they could help. Zerubbabel could smell a rat and wouldn’t let them help. Next, the local residents tried to discourage and frighten them to keep them from finishing. They even bribed the workers to frustrate their plans. This persecution lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne. *** The enemies of the Jews, Bishlam, Mithredath and Tabeel saw their chance and had the governor write a letter to King Darius accusing the Jews of building a city that would rebel against him and refuse to pay him tribute. They encouraged him to look them up in the history books and read about all the trouble they had caused in the past. *** Darius did have them researched and agreed that they were indeed a rebellious people who would cause him trouble if they had a city of their own. He told Rehum, the governor to have them stop their work and not let the city be rebuilt. So with a show of strength, they had the Jews stop their building. *** In Corinthians, Paul explained to a group of mature believers that the wisdom of God was hidden especially from God’s enemy, the devil or he wouldn’t have crucified Christ. That was he greatest mistake. God hid the truth from him, but God doesn’t hide the truth from us. We have his spirit and his spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Those that don’t have his Spirit cannot understand the wisdom of God because it is not revealed to their understanding. We can understand God’s mysteries because we have the mind of Christ. *** Paul went on to tell them that when they said they were followers of Paul or Apollos they were acting just like the world. We are too if we think our pastor or our religion has all the truth. *** Lord, may we be one as you and the Father are one. May we do and speak truth that leads to unity and love.