In the process of rebuilding the temple in chapter 4, the people of Judah met with strong oppositions and they stopped the temple construction for 16 years. In chapter 5, Zerubbabel and Joshua were convicted by God’s word again and they rose up to lead the people of Judah to continue building the temple of God. They were however disrupted this time by governor Tattnai who took charge of the land of Judah. Unlike the other governors before, Tattenai wrote to King Darius objectively about the works of the people of Judah, and requested for King Darius to check the royal archives about the validity of the words of Zerubbabel.

Here in chapter 6, King Darius took the request from Tattenai seriously and made a decree to search through the archives in the land of Babylonia where the past records were being stored. By God’s divine grace, they found the record in Ecbatana and in the scroll, it clearly recorded king Cyrus’s decree for the Jews to returned back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God.

Upon hearing the records, King Darius gave the following instructions to Tattenai to restore the decree of King Cyrus immediately. Firstly, the governors were to leave the Jews alone so that they can finish building the temple. On top of that, the building of the temple was to be paid from the royal treasury in full and without delay. Further to that, in order to make sure that the Jews were not disrupted, he made it clear that anyone who stop the works of the temple will be severely punished by death.

Dear brothers and sisters, God is the beginner and finisher of the works, he who has started the good works will bring it to fruition! God had promised the Jews that they will return back to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile and he prepared and move Cyrus to return the Jews back. You see, even after 16 years of halted works, God moved another pagan king, Darius to allow works to continue. What was even more ironic was that this time the money for the construction were collected from the same people who had obstructed the temple works. Oh, how the tides have turned for them. The Jews returned and finished the entire building in four years. On the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king, they finished the works by the sovereign will of God.

This reminds me of the verses in Isaiah 46:9-10 about God’s purpose.

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

Now, here is the question. If God’s plan was meant to be accomplished, why didn’t He just finish it immediately rather than having to wait for 16 years. Why would there be hindrances and the people be delayed for 16 years? Dear brothers and sisters, we are often so fixated on finishing the works, but God’s will is focused on shaping and growing us into maturity through the different challenges that we go through. His desire is that through these challenges, we can walk closer to Him and be more like Christ through every task.

Dear brothers and sisters, what are you facing in your life right now that requires you to trust God? God WILL finish the works He has started, but through your circumstances, He desires you to humble yourselves to trust Him, to be shaped by Him and in the end, to experience His goodness and power as you follow after Him. The will of God is perfect and not in vain, but will you trust and obey?

Prayer : Dear God, please give me a pair of spiritual eyes to see beyond the daily challenges in my live as hindrances to completing your works. Please help me see how your divine hands are shaping and growing me, so that I will learn to trust and obey you in every circumstances. Thank you Lord, in Jesus name I pray, amen.