A Remnant’s Roadblock
One Year Bible (Aug. 7)
Ezra 4:24-6:22
A Remnant’s Roadblock
There is a “fun hypercasual game” through Google Play called “Roadblocks”. You drive a car and compete with your friends to see who can “Go Further” without hitting a roadblock. BAMN! SPLAT! GAME OVER!!
I thought I would take a little test drive. The screen says, “RESUME. QUITE TO MENU. AND… RAGEQUIT??? That sounds like a day in the parking lot of the mall while trying at Christmas!! People can get really UN-JOLLY when it is time to “STRING THE HOLLY”!
Personally, I have decided that I don’t need to play any game like that. My normal life is often filled with roadblocks and intentionally competing with friends….Hmm. That is no SPORT; it's called SPITE!
Today’s story found in Ezra 4-6 is about a people who truly were preparing to worship and they ran into a huge STANDSTILL that hindered them from rebuilding the Temple again in Jerusalem. And yes, it involved SPITE!
Today’s passage begins with these words, “So, the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had STOPPED, and it remained at a STANDSTILL until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia”. (Ezra 4:24) Does this make any sense at all?
The prophecy foretold the remnant’s return. King Cyrus had his “heart stirred”. God called and appointed prophets to lead the way. The remnant arrived in the land and are ready to go in every way… And now, the work has STOPPED, and they are at a STANDSTILL!
This reminds me of when the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt and slavery and then they started to cry out because they felt that God had led them out into the desert to die. They started whining and wanted to go back into slavery.
This is one of those kinds of moments. Perhaps, we can all relate to this disappointment. We prayed. There was revival and reawakening and renewal and everyone was all “charged up to rebuild” ...
Remember the game I mentioned earlier called Roadblock? It has two options, RESUME or RAGEQUIT…Have you noticed that roadblocks often come in the form of people?
Today’s passage involves 1) Fake Friendship, 2) Feigned Interest, and 3) Frustrating Others.
FAKE FRIENDSHIP: “Let us HELP you build”. (4:2)
Sounds like a very legit, generous offer, doesn’t it? Zerubbabel was wise to look beyond the opening words of those that “dwelt in their midst”. Remember, “All HELP is not really HELP.”
Feigned Interest, “The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel. So, they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, ‘Let us build with you, for WE WORSHIP YOUR GOD JUST AS YOU DO”. (4:1-2)
The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin mentioned in these verses were colonists who intermarried with Jews and their offspring became known as Samaritans.
Their words were only half-true as they worshipped MANY gods in their idolatrous system of religion, and so their offer was refused. The word, “FEIGNED” means not genuine. It is NOT completely true in words or deeds.
Have you ever aligned yourself in business, friendships, or ministry where you really weren’t really “in sync” according to what God was calling YOU to do in your life?
Well, now it is time for RAGEQUIT (as the game calls it). They are pulling out the big guns!
Frustrating the Work: Perhaps, you have heard the saying, “If you can’t BEAT em, JOIN em.” Well, this is a new variation on that approach, “If you can’t JOIN em, BEAT em!”
“Then, with a show of strength; they forced the Jews to STOP building”(4:23)
They tried to stop their work with ACCUSATIONS in a letter sent to Darius! After a diligent search, the decree of Cyrus was found.
Guess what happened to the little car game called ROADBLOCK?
The new sequel to that game is called “BACKFIRE”...They were NOT to hinder THE WORK but were to pay for THE COST of the temple services upon request of the priests. (Take that you, FEIGNING, FRUSTRATING, FRIENDS!)
The people’s eyes were on God and HIS EYES were on HIS PEOPLE.
Don’t you just love how our God turns an “ANNOYING ROADBLOCK” into a “BLESSED BACKFIRE”?
