While traveling to the hospital the other day, I came upon a very familiar sight, men working on the roads. As I neared the site, being in somewhat of a hurry, my main concern was getting to the hospital on time, before the patient went into surgery. Being seemingly unconcerned, or unaware of much else around me, for some reason my attention was seized, and something caught my eye. I had seen it, probably hundreds of times before, however, this time, it just appeared to jump out at me. What I saw was a large, orange, diamond-shaped sign, which read: DANGER: MEN AT WORK! As I meditated on that sign, I immediately thought of how this ought to be the sign over the body of believers today, only this sign ought to read: DANGER: GOD'S PEOPLE AT WORK!

Most of you know the setting of the book of Ezra. The Babylonians had began their conquest of Jerusalem in 606 BC, and had finally destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC However, in 538 BC, Cyrus issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their temple, and nearly 50,000 returned under the leadership of Zerubbael.

The primary architect of Israel's new identity was Ezra, the priest, the "ready scribe of the law of Moses."(7:6) As a scribe, his primary task was the study and exposition of the law. Through the work of Ezra, Israel had a job to do, and although they faced times of trial, testing, and tribulation, the Lord saw them through. In spite of many obstacles, Israel marched with work to do, and no doubt it may have read at the construction of the temple: DANGER: GOD'S PEOPLE AT WORK!

In this verse, we see one of the primary reasons that Israel was able to conquer all their obstacles. For they came together, and unified themselves as "one man". However, let's look at this a little closer and see the:

2. This number does not reflect the servants, and the singers. Including them, almost 50,000 people came together with one purpose, and one mind.

3. Just to have 100 in unity would be a feat in and of itself, but to have 42,360 in unity is a miracle.

4. No doubt, these folks had learned the lesson that UNITY BRINGS THE BLESSINGS OF GOD!!

**This was something that was done in and of themselves, without

God, but look how much they got done.**

5. It's amazing to see what can happen when God's people come together> I'm not talking about yoking up with anything that comes along, I'm talking about God's people of like faith coming together in unity!!

No doubt many will remember the episode of the Peanuts cartoon when Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. Linus said, "What makes you think you can march in here and take over?"

To which Lucy replied, "These five fingers, individually they're nothing, but when I curl them together like this into a single unit they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." Linus then wisely replied, "Which channel do you want?" Then, turning away, he looked at his fingers, and said, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"

6. It seems as if sometimes the Lord is saying to his church, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?" These folks saw their need, and that it required them to get together, and they unified themselves, all 42,360 of them. That's the Multitude Involved!

8. Not only do we see in their unification the Multitude Involved, but the Measure Included. We see that they solidified their unity by giving from their heart.

9. Notice, in verse 68, it says that they "offered freely for the house of God." In verse 69, it says that "They gave after their ability unto the treasure of their work.."

10. Not only were they committed enough for the multitude to come together, but they proved their commitment by the measure that they gave.

11. Now, I know when the church starts talking about money, immediately someone thinks that that is all they're interested in.

12. However, I submit unto you, friend, that God measures our commitment by the Measure that we give.

ILLUSTRATION:

A few days later, he entered the kitchen looking very unhappy, and his wife asked him what happened. "I have bad news," he said. "The Lord's calf is dead." The wife said, "Wait, you didn't decide which calf was to be the Lord's!" "Yes," he said, "I decided it was the white one, and the white one did. The Lord's calf is dead!"

Not only do we see the Unification of these people, but the Consecration of these people to build the temple, and do the work for the Lord. We see that their consecration was declared by the:

2. As you know, there was no temple as of yet, no altar built. However, this did not stop them from consecrating themselves, and worshipping the Lord.

3. They made no excuses that there was no proper place for them to do this, they simply used the foundation of the original altar to do it.

4. In verse 4, it tells us that "they kept also the feast of tabernacles, and offered the daily burnt offerings.." Now keep in mind, the temple was where these rituals were to take place. However, there is no temple yet, so they made the most of what they had, and worshipped God.

5. How we ought to take note of their consecration. Yes, times were tough, however, they were not so tough that these people couldn't obey the law, and obey God. That's the Practice They Followed!

7. Not only did they Follow a Practice, but they Formed a Priority.

8. They didn't wait until the middle of the week, or the end of the week. They hadn't developed good Baptist tradition of putting it off.

9. They purposed to establish a priority of worshipping God on the "first day of the seventh month."

10. I just can't help remembering the words of our Lord, at the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6:33, when he said,

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

We move now to the climax and we see not only their Unification, their Consecration, but their Dedication. Notice after all of the obstacles, hinderances, and troubles, the:

2. Finally, after everything they had faced, they finally erected the foundation of the temple. Through it all, they persevered, and stuck it out to get it done.

3. It's very interesting to note that the FOUNDATION is the most important part of the building.

4. Not only did they Enjoy the Accomplishment, but they had accomplished building the most important part of the building: THE FOUNDATION!

5. This was accomplished all because of their undying, unswaying DEDICATION!

I'm reminded of David Livingstone, the pioneer missionary to Africa who walked over 29,000 miles. His wife died early in their ministry, and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethren. He ministered half blind. However, the words in his diary ought to spur each of us through difficulties:

3. They had finally after much difficulty erected the foundation.

4. They had persevered, kept on, and went through.

5. However, even though they had accomplished what many, no doubt said, could not be done, and their moment of satisfaction had come, still not everyone was as thrilled as they ought to have been.

6. The older folks that had seen the first temple, Solomon's Temple, and who remember all of the Size, and Splendor that it had, were saddened because this one wasn't like this one.

7. Instead of praising Him for what he had allowed them to do, they were saddened because it didn't resemble Solomon's Temple.

8. How characteristic of our churches today! Folks, there's nothing wrong with remembering how it used to be, however, God is a God of RIGHT NOW!

9. One writer has so aptly put, "God is not a Duplicator, He's an Originator!!"

10. Through it all there was Unification, Consecration, and Dedication. That's why they did the work for God.