Work on the Temple had been stopped and had remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Emperor Darius of Persia.
Everything takes time and you have to expect (and accept) interruptions.
…Emperor Darius issued orders for a search to be made in the royal records that were kept in Babylon. But it was in the city of Ecbatana in the province of Media that a scroll was found…
May the relevant authorities find the scroll that I am trying to obtain, Father!
The Jewish leaders… completed the Temple as they had been commanded by the God of Israel and by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, emperors of Persia. …For the dedication they offered 100 bulls, 200 sheep, and…
The second time around is always so much more modest (1 Kings 8:63).
The people…were full of joy because the Lord had made the emperor of Assyria favorable to them, so that he supported them in their work…
May I find favor one day in the eyes of the authorities, Lord.
Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. …he… set out from Babylonia for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites…
The book’s protagonist is cited for the first time better than half way through the book! They took 4 months to get there whereas now it would take 4 hours. Wow. Thank you for the wonderful tooks you’ve put at our disposal, Lord!
Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.
What Solomon should have been doing instead of constructing monuments to his own glory (1 Kings 10:14-27). May I use my time wisely, taking advantage of the opportunities presented to me, Lord!
Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. By God’s grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the Lord my God has given me courage…”
May I be able to say the same one day, Father.