Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Ezra 3 and Psalm 5

The worship of God is the fountain from which every other activity of our lives should be watered and fed. Worshiping God should be our top priority. For the returned exiles, rebuilding the altar so that they could start worshiping God as a community was their top priority. Even though they were afraid of possible resistance from the surrounding people, and even though the protective wall around the city and their own houses had not been properly rebuilt yet, the first thing they did was to rebuild the altar of God so that they could worship in the ways God had prescribed.

After their communal worship was in place, they turned to gathering the materials and skilled labour they would need. Then in the second month of the second year of their return – in the the 72nd year since the exile had begun, and in the same month that Solomon had built the original Temple – they laid the foundations of the second Temple. For those returned exiles who had never been in Jerusalem before, this was a moment of unbridled excitement and joy. They were making history. The Temple of their God was being rebuilt. But for the elderly priests and others who could remember ever so vaguely the glory of Solomon’s Temple, their emotions were profoundly mixed. They certainly rejoiced in the moment, being deeply moved by the privilege of witnessing the start of the restoration. But they also “wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid”, realising that they would not see the full glory of the Temple restored in their lifetime.

This reminds us of the role we believers have to play in building for a future we may never witness for ourselves. Sowing our prayers, time, energy and finance into developing ministries which will only reap a harvest for others. Planting the seeds of the Gospel in hearts that might not respond in our lifetime. Investing financially in the ongoing developent of a Church Complex to serve the next generation of people. These are all the sorts of forward-looking roles we may be called upon to play. And we should do so wholeheartedly!

Heavenly Father, may I share the same faith in the future that led your elderly people to support the rebuilding of the Temple whole-heartedly, even though they knew they would never see its completion. Grant me this gift of faith today, I pray. By Your Spirit, move and empower me to sow my life and resources into that which will build the future of Your Church and Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.