Ezra 4:1-4, “When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of families and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of King Esar-haddon of Assyria who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of families in Israel said to them, “You shall have no part with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us.” Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and made them afraid to build, 5and they bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.”
Political pressure, political correctness and heavy-handed rule come to mind when reading Ezra’s witness. We live in this same world we can easily be dissuaded to take one direction or other when pressure is brought to bear. Politicians refer to that as ‘political capital,’ cynics refer to ‘having negatives of incriminating photographs’ that can be used as blackmail or extortion to get their objectives or desires met.
Can you imagine or sense what God must feel when He sees us behaving this way; especially after His Incarnation, life, suffering, death and resurrection?
Prayer: Father we act so foolishly thinking that we can use You to get what we want. Correct us – straighten out our crooked paths. Grab us by our lapels. We have failed to love You and to love one another. Please forgive us and help us open our heart to everyone. In Jesus’ Name we pray. AMEN.
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