REBUILDING THE DREAM
DAY 164: Like so many around the world, our family loves the Olympics. It is such a treat to watch the best of the best from around the world compete in every sport imaginable. I didn't know I loved beach volleyball until Walsh-Jennings and May-Treanor took the sand by storm during the games last summer. I don't generally care about hurdles, but with three American women in the finals, I got swept up in the drama. Who knew I would enjoy women's pole vaulting, the shot put, rowing and synchronized diving? Of course, we all caught our breath as the gymnasts defied gravity to win or loose fractions of points? This wasn't just about "an athlete" it was Team USA, and during the Olympics, we are all on the team.
While we support all of the team, for us the highlight has been swimming. Our son competed in high school and so we feel a connection to the whole American swim crew. We were almost as breathless as the swimmers watching our team win gold medal after gold medal. The USA swim team was brilliant. Phelps continued his domination and some fresh new faces promise that we may get more of the same at the next Olympics.
Not every team had that experience. For the Australians, the swimming competition was a huge disappointment. While they were expected to possibly sweep the games, no one from down under earned a single individual gold medal. Neither did Turkey, you might argue, but Turkey has not spent enormous amounts of time and money grooming a dream team expected to dominate. It was a crushing reality for a country who has rightly been able to boast in the past, having won six gold medals in Beijing and seven at the Athens games. Their program, I heard several commentators say, is now in ruins. "We have to rebuild," one Australian official declared. I feel confident we will see the results of the declaration when the nations meet again.
But they are not the only ones rebuilding. The American men's gymnastic team fell apart. Romania has lost it's grip on women's gymnastics. Rebuilding is theme for many programs after the Olympics of 2012 were in the record book. It may seem like a long road, but it is what the USA Olympic basketball team did after their third place finish in the 2004 games with a bronze that medal felt almost humiliating considering America's NBA prowess. Starting from the ground up, they worked hard and rose to gold in 2008 and again in 2012. If they had not made the decision to rebuild, the success they found would never have come.
There is a time for rebuilding. Even superstars and powerhouses sometimes have to start all over and rebuild greatness from the ground up. Certainly we can expect such a time in our own lives. The work is hard, but the rewards can be spectacular. Today's reading is the perfect illustration for us!
Israel experience both the work and the reward when their time for rebuilding came. Ezra 1 opens after Israel had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 long years, just as God had foretold. Their ruin came because they failed to follow God and worship only Him. Their "program" had fallen apart and God gave them over to the power of a pagan nation. Not only were most of the people taken as slaves into exile, but the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of God were destroyed. What they had failed to keep in good stewardship, God had removed from them. But failure was not the end; 70 years later their time for rebuilding came. In the unfolding of their story, I found some lessons for my own times of rebuilding.
LESSON 2: God plants the desire and the drive to rebuild what will bring Him glory.
LESSON 3: When you think you are in it all alone, look around and take a head count because God has surely sent some kind of "team".
Ezra 2:64 So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, 65 in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. 66 They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
LESSON 5: Rebuilding anything that will last will have a spiritual beginning.
2 Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel.
LESSON 6: Fear is overcome by rebuilding in spite of that fear.
3 Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site.
LESSON 7: Rebuilding takes time and patience.
8 The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem.
LESSON 8: Beginnings, not just endings, are worth celebrating in the rebuilding process.
10 When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. 11 With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord:
LESSON 11: ... Because not everyone is truly on board with the rebuilding idea.
4 Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.
6 Years later when Xerxes began his reign, the enemies of Judah wrote a letter of accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.. . 21 Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command.
LESSON 13: Cheerleaders are important to have alongside you for the long haul.
Ezra 1-6
1 Corinthians 1:18- 3:23
Psalm 27:7-14
Proverbs 20:22-25
Psalm 28:1-9
Proverbs 20:24-25
Psalm 29:1-11
Proverbs 20:26-27
While we support all of the team, for us the highlight has been swimming. Our son competed in high school and so we feel a connection to the whole American swim crew. We were almost as breathless as the swimmers watching our team win gold medal after gold medal. The USA swim team was brilliant. Phelps continued his domination and some fresh new faces promise that we may get more of the same at the next Olympics. Not every team had that experience. For the Australians, the swimming competition was a huge disappointment. While they were expected to possibly sweep the games, no one from down under earned a single individual gold medal. Neither did Turkey, you might argue, but Turkey has not spent enormous amounts of time and money grooming a dream team expected to dominate. It was a crushing reality for a country who has rightly been able to boast in the past, having won six gold medals in Beijing and seven at the Athens games. Their program, I heard several commentators say, is now in ruins. "We have to rebuild," one Australian official declared. I feel confident we will see the results of the declaration when the nations meet again.
But they are not the only ones rebuilding. The American men's gymnastic team fell apart. Romania has lost it's grip on women's gymnastics. Rebuilding is theme for many programs after the Olympics of 2012 were in the record book. It may seem like a long road, but it is what the USA Olympic basketball team did after their third place finish in the 2004 games with a bronze that medal felt almost humiliating considering America's NBA prowess. Starting from the ground up, they worked hard and rose to gold in 2008 and again in 2012. If they had not made the decision to rebuild, the success they found would never have come.
There is a time for rebuilding. Even superstars and powerhouses sometimes have to start all over and rebuild greatness from the ground up. Certainly we can expect such a time in our own lives. The work is hard, but the rewards can be spectacular. Today's reading is the perfect illustration for us!
Israel experience both the work and the reward when their time for rebuilding came. Ezra 1 opens after Israel had been in captivity in Babylon for 70 long years, just as God had foretold. Their ruin came because they failed to follow God and worship only Him. Their "program" had fallen apart and God gave them over to the power of a pagan nation. Not only were most of the people taken as slaves into exile, but the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of God were destroyed. What they had failed to keep in good stewardship, God had removed from them. But failure was not the end; 70 years later their time for rebuilding came. In the unfolding of their story, I found some lessons for my own times of rebuilding.
LESSON 1: Failure never has to be the end because God is involved in the rebuilding BEFORE we are.
Ezra1:1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. (After 70 years) He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: 2 “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says:
“The Lord,
the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has
appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! LESSON 2: God plants the desire and the drive to rebuild what will bring Him glory.
5 Then
God stirred the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of
the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the
Temple of the Lord. 6 And
all their neighbors assisted by giving them articles of silver and
gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock. They gave them many
valuable gifts in addition to all the voluntary offerings.
7 King Cyrus himself brought out the articles that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his own gods. LESSON 3: When you think you are in it all alone, look around and take a head count because God has surely sent some kind of "team".
Ezra 2:64 So a total of 42,360 people returned to Judah, 65 in addition to 7,337 servants and 200 singers, both men and women. 66 They took with them 736 horses, 245 mules, 67 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
LESSON 4: The best way to rebuild is to have unity of purpose.
Ezra 3:1 In early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled in Jerusalem with a unified purpose. LESSON 5: Rebuilding anything that will last will have a spiritual beginning.
2 Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak joined his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family in rebuilding the altar of the God of Israel.
LESSON 6: Fear is overcome by rebuilding in spite of that fear.
3 Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site.
LESSON 7: Rebuilding takes time and patience.
8 The construction of the Temple of God began in midspring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem.
LESSON 8: Beginnings, not just endings, are worth celebrating in the rebuilding process.
10 When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. 11 With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord:
“He is so good!
His faithful love for Israel endures forever!”
His faithful love for Israel endures forever!”
LESSON 9: Looking back with sorrow should always be accompanied by looking ahead with joy.
12 But
many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders who had seen the
first Temple wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The
others, however, were shouting for joy. 13 The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that could be heard far in the distance.
LESSON 10: Not everyone should be part of the rebuilding plan...
Ezra 4:1The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 So
they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us
build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have
sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us
here.”
3 But
Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may
have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”LESSON 11: ... Because not everyone is truly on board with the rebuilding idea.
4 Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work.
LESSON 12: Setbacks will come in the rebuilding process.
LESSON 13: Cheerleaders are important to have alongside you for the long haul.
5 At
that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to
the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God
of Israel who was over them. 2 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them and helped them...
LESSON 14: God is active, watching and working on our behalf, when we obey His call to rebuild.
Ezra 5:5
because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were
not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he
returned his decision. 14 So
the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly
encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of
Iddo.
LESSON 15: With labor, sorrow, joy, work, prayer, delay, obstruction, setbacks, divine support and faith, REBUILDING COMES TO COMPLETION.
Ezra 6:14 The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God
of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of
Persia.
LESSON 16: The results of rebuilding should give glory to God, even as it brings us joy.
15 The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius’s reign. 16 The
Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of
Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had
returned from exile.
Falling apart is not something to rejoice about. Finding your life or your dreams or your work in ruins calls for grieving; but victory never comes while our head is buried in disappointment. God has appointed times to rebuild. When it's my time, these lessons may be just what I need to stay the course, knowing that the reward will be far better than the gold this world has to offer. GO TEAM! GO YOU!
Ezra 1-6
1 Corinthians 1:18- 3:23
Psalm 27:7-14
Proverbs 20:22-25
Psalm 28:1-9
Proverbs 20:24-25
Psalm 29:1-11
Proverbs 20:26-27
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