Alfred Shropshire
Ezra 6:7
Let the work of this house of God
alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build
this house of God in this place.
King Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon
and issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem
from captivity (536 B. C.). Due to opposition by the people to whom
the Jews' Land had been given while they were in captivity, and their
neighbors, and through bluff and intrigue, work on rebuilding the
Temple was disrupted for 16 years. At this time, Darius is now King
of Persia. At the behest of Ezra, a search of the royal records
unearths the proclamation made by Cyrus. Darius then issued orders to
those who have been obstacles to the rebuilding of the Temple to
stand aside. He opened the royal treasury and provided the necessary
funds for the work, which took another 4 years. In 516 B. C. the
Temple was completed and dedicated amid great rejoicing.
Although we had some objection from a
neighbor when we first made our construction plans known, our
intention to be a good neighbor to all neighborhood residents has
enabled us to proceed as scheduled. Our "great rejoicing"
is scheduled to occur in June, 2008. Let us hope that our "temple"
will be put to full use as a place where God is honored through
Westminster's service to the community.
Prayer. Thank you Jesus for the
privilege to serve you by serving others. Give us courage and
confidence to hare your truth and love wherever you lead us. Thank
you for brothers and sisters who are partners in the gospel, called
alongside of us in community. Amen.
(The Present Word - Winter
2007 – 2008)
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