Based on Ezra 6:11-22 (New King James Version)
“Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently. Then Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions diligently did according to what King Darius had sent. So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”
Many believers like to cling on to God’s promises and to the triumphs that can be read in the Scriptures, and they feel that they can claim all of that so they can achieve similar results in their own lives. And yes, in a certain way, of course you can do that, but of course, while fulfilling God’s will. Everything in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation is conditional, even God’s salvation that can only be acquired through the Lord’s grace (just like the Word says: “…not by works…”). But salvation can only be acquired by doing what the Scriptures say regarding this, that there needs to be complete repentance and conversion to the Lord, and that there needs to be an acceptance, a confession, and effectively making Jesus the Lord of your life so such salvation can be received. And to be able to retain such salvation, there needs to be an abiding in Christ, that a person needs to follow and do the things that God commands. Everything in the Lord is conditional.
To be able to see the entire panorama with regards to the rebuilding of God’s Temple (what we read today), we should ask ourselves, “Why did God allow for the temple to be destroyed in the first place?” This is what the Word says regarding this: “Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’ ‘But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. ‘And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’” 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. The first temple was destroyed because Israel sinned, and they sinned for a long time before God. And God, although He is slow to anger and great in mercy, could not suffer it any longer, and He Himself allowed for the temple to be destroyed by the gentiles to be able to deal with His people’s sin that they had committed for so many years. The Word was fulfilled exactly.
The issue is that, in this life, nothing will be perfect, and together with that, we need to make certain clarifications. Just because a person has problems does not necessarily mean that they are experimenting God’s punishment, and also, just because everything goes will for a person does not mean that they are being rewarded for their good deeds. Only God knows why things happen. The only thing that the Word of God teaches is that we need to live in such a way that it pleases God because based on that is that we will be judged in the end. And, if we go through tough times here, that we should live through them because we are doing God’s will, as it is written: “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:14-17. This is what in all reality what we need to always keep present while we are here: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23. What we should worry about the most is doing the Father’s will, because the here and now does not matter as much as God’s future judgment. Let us not deceive ourselves. There is punishment and restoration, and everything will happen according to what God’s Word says. So then, how will God’s Word be fulfilled in your life, for eternal punishment or for restoration and eternal life? Lord bless! John