The Devil is Not the Boss of Me!

Our hope and prayer is that the Lord has given you the strength and spiritual stamina to withstand the attacks of the enemy.  Last week we talked about the adversaries the remnant Israelites encountered while laboring to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.  God had placed some preachers on the front lines who delivered a message to the discouraged workers.  Let’s talk about that…

Until I entered into this intensive study of Ezra and Nehemiah at the beginning of 2018 I did not realize how intertwined these two books are to numerous books throughout the Old Testament.  One book in the ‘minor prophets’ has a visionary message for the remnant in their time of attack.  If I could wind up the message of Zechariah without bringing expository teaching of the whole book, the message would be, Remember the Past, Realize the Now, and Rise to your Tomorrow!  One verse, in my view, gives the promissory note to the expected end of the remnant.

Zerubbabel was a priest at that time who led the remnant from Babylon back to Jerusalem. His lineage can be traced back to Nathan, the son of David, but we never see him invoking privilege during the return.  He oversaw the laying of the foundation of the temple, re-established the ordinances and practices along with Joshua the high priest, but the attack of the adversaries and their stoppage of the work by force and power (Ezra 4:23) had taken the wind out of his sails.  He and the inhabitants were content to build their own houses and leave the work to rebuild undone.  But there came a message directly to Zerubbabel from Zechariah. In chapter 4 verse 8 and 9 the word from God was, “Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you.”

That reassurance from the Lord launched the priest back into the work in spite of the legal ramifications, in the face of the adversary, in the knowledge that God had ordained the work and would accomplish it through His servant.  Ezra 5:5 says, “But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease“.  I believe this could have been Zerubbabel’s rallying cry.  The Devil Is Not The Boss Of Me! He can’t tell me what to do or what not to do.  I take my orders from the Lord!

Adversaries are active and the enemy has as many plans to destroy as the Lord has plans to bless.  Let nothing that comes against us cause us to cease the work that the Lord has ordained and ordered us to accomplish.  Weary worker, look up unto the Lord who will given an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11) to His purpose and plan.

God Bless You!!

BroAdamB

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