Episode 14: The Man You've Never Heard Of
Truly impactful people often go uncelebrated. We don’t know their names or titles—but they’re a success in God’s eyes because of their faithfulness. God measures success by the faithfulness we exhibit towards the assignments He’s given us. It’s common to wonder, “What are MY assignments? What’s God’s will for MY life?”
Knowing God’s will, starts with knowing His ways.
There’s a man in the Bible who most people have never heard of. He’s not the focus of sermons and not a man people quote. Yet, his faithful obedience to the assignment God gave him changed the course of a nation. Meet an unfamous hero—Zerubbabel.
After heathen Babylon conquered Judah and took away the Jews as exiles, they left the holy temple in Jerusalem desolate. But soon a directive to rebuild the temple began to stir, and Zerubbabel was the man the prophet Ezra named to carry it out. Ezra 3:2-3 says Zerubbabel and the priest Jeshua were terrified as they built an altar to God on top of the rubble. Even though they were scared…they didn’t put off starting. Sometimes we need to move towards change; move towards rebuilding; move towards new opportunities—even though we’re scared. God doesn’t see the fear—He only sees the faith.
Predictably, the enemy tried to stop the work Zerubbabel began. In Ezra 4:1-4 certain men try to convince him that they, too, served the same God and should be allowed to help in the rebuilding. Zerubbabel wisely said, “You have no part in what we’re doing.” Soon, these same men went to the highest authorities and shut the work down by force.
For 16 years rebuilding the temple was stopped! But to God delay is not a detour…it’s divine preparation. If we have the stamina and grit to stay in the delay, we’ll see an outcome stamped with God’s wisdom, timing and grace. God raised an unknown man named Zerubbabel to finish building the temple, and eventually serve as governor of the region.
Remember that God has chosen YOU for certain assignments. You don’t need to be popular, have a platform, or stand on a stage to change the course of history.
Gutsy Faith Challenge:
Think about your assignments from God. What are your passions, responsibilities, and dreams? Are you a spouse, parent, or leader? How might certain assignments lie within the roles you’re already living out?
What does living “unfamous” mean to you? How does it differ from the messages of the world?
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