Ezra 5 - part 2

Ezra 5:1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. (ESV)

When the prophets began to challenge the people of God then the work of God began again. Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law." In Ezra 4 the work on the temple had been stopped. It was when the people began to hear from God through the prophets that they began again to rebuild the temple.

Preachers in our day and place do not always have a great reputation. That is sad. Some became greedy and gave a black eye to the reputation of all. Some abandoned the truth for a lie doing harm to the church and the name of the God they claimed to serve. Some have been sidetracked from ministry by moral failure, frustration and fear, financial pressures, or personal pain. All of this is deeply grievous as the work of God is so dependent on the proclaiming of the Word of God.

It was the continuous attack by the enemy that caused the work to stop. It was the proclamation of God's revelation that prompted the work to restart. For those of us in ministry we need to take heart, and whatever else God may call us to do we must never neglect the proclamation of his Word. For those who are not in a preaching/teaching ministry, please pray for your pastors and ministers that they would be faithful in proclaiming God's Word plainly and powerfully. For all of us, may we be truly committed to the authority and proclamation of God's Word.

Father, forgive us for too often taking the easy path of least resistance when you have called us to walk the narrow path defined by your Word of truth. As a pastor, forgive me for being so easily distracted from the important work of understanding and proclaiming your Word. May my life, my ministry and my daily decisions be molded by your Spirit and your Word.

By His grace,
Rick Weinert

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