Finishing the Work (12 of 19)
Series: Ezra
Mike Stone
Ezra 6:13-22
Part of the series:
EZRA - Praising the God Who Rebuilds and Restores
High atop Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland sits the National Monument of Scotland. It was intended to be a replication of the Greek Parthenon and was really a war memorial honoring the men of Scotland who died in the Napoleonic Wars.
Unfortunately, after they began construction in 1822, they could only raise about ½ the money. The project ended in 1826 with nothing completed except the foundation and 12 large columns.
For nearly 200 years, the project has been a tourist attraction, not to honor the fallen dead, but to ridicule a project that was started but never finished.
In the conclusion of Chapter 6 we read about the completion of the work of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. The close of Ezra chapter 4 says the rebuilding resumed in the 2nd year of Darius. Chapter 6, verse 15, says the building was completed in the 6th year of Darius. So, after sitting dormant for about 16-17 years, this project took about 4 years to complete.
More than 20 years have passed from the issuing of the building permit until the glorious dedication service. And even though most of those years were spent in INACTIVITY, by God's grace they finished the work.
Something cured the people of the apathy that had sidelined them for so many years. What was it? I need to know! Not only because I want to faithfully preach this passage but because I am often tempted to get sidelined and sidetracked.
I've reminded you in each lesson that the work of God is never about building a building. It's about building a people for the glory of the Lord Jesus. And therein is a picture of God's call for us to be faithful, not to merely BEGIN the work but to FINISH the work.
And it's also a reminder that the God who is, in fact, building a people for the glory of Jesus will be faithful to complete it.
Biblical Prosperity (13-15)
V ...
Series: Ezra
Mike Stone
Ezra 6:13-22
Part of the series:
EZRA - Praising the God Who Rebuilds and Restores
High atop Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland sits the National Monument of Scotland. It was intended to be a replication of the Greek Parthenon and was really a war memorial honoring the men of Scotland who died in the Napoleonic Wars.
Unfortunately, after they began construction in 1822, they could only raise about ½ the money. The project ended in 1826 with nothing completed except the foundation and 12 large columns.
For nearly 200 years, the project has been a tourist attraction, not to honor the fallen dead, but to ridicule a project that was started but never finished.
In the conclusion of Chapter 6 we read about the completion of the work of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. The close of Ezra chapter 4 says the rebuilding resumed in the 2nd year of Darius. Chapter 6, verse 15, says the building was completed in the 6th year of Darius. So, after sitting dormant for about 16-17 years, this project took about 4 years to complete.
More than 20 years have passed from the issuing of the building permit until the glorious dedication service. And even though most of those years were spent in INACTIVITY, by God's grace they finished the work.
Something cured the people of the apathy that had sidelined them for so many years. What was it? I need to know! Not only because I want to faithfully preach this passage but because I am often tempted to get sidelined and sidetracked.
I've reminded you in each lesson that the work of God is never about building a building. It's about building a people for the glory of the Lord Jesus. And therein is a picture of God's call for us to be faithful, not to merely BEGIN the work but to FINISH the work.
And it's also a reminder that the God who is, in fact, building a people for the glory of Jesus will be faithful to complete it.
Biblical Prosperity (13-15)
V ...
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