Our Lord always provides everything we need to accomplish his purposes in our lives. The Jews who rebuilt the Temple are yet another example of his gracious provision.

The Jews feasted once again when the Temple was rebuilt. They worshipped and remembered the grace of God in the Exodus.

The Jews continued working on the Temple while they waited for King Darius's response to the governor's letter. They wisely appealed to the truth and faithfully trusted the Lord.

The local governor challenged the Jews when they were rebuilding the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem, but God's eyes were upon them. He enabled them to continue the work.

King Artaxerxes sent word to Jerusalem to tell the Jews to stop building the Temple immediately. THey had to listen.

The locals sent a letter to King Artaxerxes informing him of the Jews' work to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem because they were afraid of losing their homes.

Nonbelieving people oppose the God of the Bible and the people who seek to do his will.

Our God remains faithful. He was as faithful when the exiles laid the foundation of the second Temple as he was when Solomon laid the foundation of the original one. We must learn to trust and rely upon him.

The Judeans devoted themselves to God in worship when they were afraid of the inhabitants of the land. We are to do the same. The answer to our fear is to devote ourselves to God in public worship and self-sacrifice. 

The returning exiles gave of their resources to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. We are to do the same. We give to serve the Lord.