The Show Goes On

The elders of the Jews continued building and prospering, while at the same time Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 They finished this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Ezra 6:14 NLT

This is a culmination of highs and lows of the rebuilding efforts of the Jews after they had been exiled. It began with Cyrus, a secular ruler, being moved by God to decree that the Jews needed to go back to Jerusalem and get it rebuilt. For two periods of time it came to a halt, partially by political opposition as well as by indifference on the part of the Jews. What could have been done in a few years took 21 years. This is chronicled in the opening chapters of Ezra, as well as in Haggai.

Ezra 5:5 states "Their God was watching over them." And so this is indeed the circumstance that supersedes all others. After this statement,  work did come to a stop, but not permanently. God was the idea generator, placing His idea into a secular ruler's mind. No wonder it got done! People were involved -- fallen humanity. No wonder it got delayed!

God is often behind the scenes, as He was here. He is the director of the show from behind the curtain. We are on stage. He watches over us, and the show goes on.

Beanscot's husband