Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, Nehemiah and others were called in a day of failure to build and to repair the house of God and to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. Likewise today we are called to build and repair on the foundation of the present house of God. Their challenges are our challenges and what they learned is for us to learn as well. In thinking of them, four words come to mind: Faith, Fear, Pleasure and Power.
“Bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified.” “The joy of the Lord [His pleasure]” is your strength. If in feebleness I care for God’s church now, I am caring for that which engages the affections of the heart of Christ.
Now, “we walk by faith, and not by sight.” It is the failure of faith and not the power of the enemy that leads to fear and the stopping of work. Then sight takes over and present things take the place of God’s things. When faith fails everything as to work for God fails. God was with the people in the work. This was the whole secret of their strength.
“Be strong....saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you.” “Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.” “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.” It is impossible for those who are acting for God and with God to fail.