Priorities

Because of their repeated and willful disobedience to God's law, God allowed the Israelites to be taken captive. The exiles were carried off and held captive for 70 years. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. Eventually, as told in the book of Ezra, God put it on the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, to send the Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Cyrus also called on the people of Persia to give gifts to the Israelites for the rebuilding. He removed the articles of the Temple from the house of the gods of Nebuchadnezzer and restored them to Israel. The people whom God raised up for the purpose returned to Jerusalem.The first thing they did was to rebuild the altar and offer sacrifices to God. They did this before beginning the work on the Temple. I believe they were acknowledging the sins of their ancestors that had led to the exile and were consecrating themselves to God. They were acknowledging God's sovereignty and their need for Him. Sometimes God calls His people to a task but then instructs them to wait on Him. Unlike the builders in the book of Ezra, we find it hard to wait and sometimes rush ahead without being properly equipped. I think of the Israelites at the base of Mt. Sinai. Their leader, Moses, had gone up on the mountain to meet with God and receive His law. The Israelites became fearful and impatient and asked Moses' brother Aaron to make them a gold idol which they began to worship, calling it their god. Then there was King Saul. The Israelites had disobeyed God in asking for a king. He had given them their wish, having Saul anointed as King. King Saul's first activity recorded in the Bible is that he went out and attacked the Philistines. Nowhere does it say that he was instructed to do so. In reading the story in I Samuel 13, it seems that he had proceeded without seeking God. Verse 4 says, "So all Israel heard the news: 'Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.'" The people joined Saul but were so frightened by the situation that they hid. It says that the men who were with Saul were quaking with fear. Somehow Saul knew that the Prophet Samuel was to come on the 7th day to offer sacrifices to God. Samuel didn't arrive on time and when Saul saw his men beginning to scatter he decided to offer the sacrifices himself, something he was not authorized to do. When Samuel arrived and confronted him, Saul answered, "I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord's favor,' so I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering." Instead of seeking God's direction in the first place, Saul had rushed ahead and had gotten himself and his people into hot water. Then he compounded the problem by offering the sacrifices he was not in authority to offer. How often do we rush ahead with something, maybe even something good, without first seeking God? Then, when things don't go according to our plan, we wonder why. We may even begin to try to manipulate God or other people or to blame them for our failure. I feel like that is what Saul was doing. He had gone ahead with his own plans and when things didn't look good, he decided to try to get God on board. When Samuel did arrive and confront Saul, he told him that had he obeyed God, his kingdom would have been established over Israel for all time. His disobedience, however, would cost him his kingdom. Reading further in I Samuel reveals that Saul didn't learn his lesson. Back to the Israelites in the book of Ezra; because they had sought God and His forgiveness and protection, they were able to rebuild the Temple. They faced much opposition but they were enabled to complete the work. The Bible makes it clear that God desires to bless His people. II Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." Isn't it neat to think of God looking for people to pour His strength into? He does this through the framework of our commitment and obedience to Him, not by blessing our agenda. God already has a plan. We need to seek Him and submit and then watch the glorious results.