Ezra 4:1-3
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
One of the first traps in the enemy’s arsenal is often not a frontal attack. Instead, they try to overcome you with deceit and enticing words. The work on the temple of God had begun, and not long after, the enemy approached, saying, “Let us build with you.” If you've ever set out to do a work for the Lord, you’ve likely experienced something similar. Perhaps a liberal, posing as a brother, wants to teach a Sunday school class, or a businessperson offers to “help” with finances—or maybe you've faced your own version of this scenario. It may not always be an individual you're tempted to build with; sometimes it’s a tactic or scheme of the world. Some may suppose churches should be built like businesses or organizations.
Dear reader, marketing techniques have no place in the church of God. We are not an organization; we are an organism. Don’t be tempted to let such people or tactics have any role in the building of the church.
They will try to point out their similarities with you to lower your guard, saying, “We seek God as ye do.” But be warned—the god they seek is not the God you seek. Their end is their own desires. Their goal is not to build up the church but to build up themselves, and in doing so, the church will be harmed. The New Testament warns us to be vigilant, for our adversary "walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Don’t be deceived by these false brethren, wolves in sheep's clothing, seeking to enter in and destroy the flock.
Zerubbabel and Jeshua set an example for us in dealing with such people: "Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us." Building God’s church is a task for the saved and spiritually mature. Today, people are often placed in church positions due to their social status or financial means, but the Bible clearly states that those who serve in the church must be Spirit-filled (Acts 6:3, 1 Timothy 3). Unfortunately, many churches are led by carnal Christians who need to be discipled, or worse, by men who are completely unregenerate.
Let the building of God’s house be done by those commissioned by the King. "As king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us." Just as their king sanctioned them to do the work, so too must men who meet the requirements laid out by our King in Scripture be the ones to lead. These men are not above or better than anyone else, but they carry the letter from the King, certifying their commission to serve.
This kind of leadership is especially frowned upon in today’s culture. It’s seen as rude, uncompassionate, and impractical. Will it cause problems? Most likely. It did for these men. When the adversaries couldn’t join their ranks, they "weakened the hands" of the people building the wall. They whispered to the workers, hired counselors to lie about them, and even wrote a letter to the king, dredging up their past. If you take this stand, expect something similar—slander, gossip, and attempts to dig up old skeletons. Be prepared.
How did they overcome this attack? Did everything work out in the end? Yes, but not without serious delays and setbacks. Their work was delayed for a time, but something happens in the next two chapters that sets the work back in order. Tomorrow, we’ll see what to do when the enemy halts the work.
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