Let Us Begin, God will Finish

Older people wept as the returnees laid the foundations of the Second Temple. They knew the building would not be as great as the first one. "But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid…" (Ezra 3:12).

When it was finally completed, their fears were confirmed. It did not have the splendour of the one that Solomon had built. It was small and insignificant. "Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?" (Haggai 2:3).

That is all the exiles could achieve. Solomon had wealth that his father, David, had stored up for the Temple, in addition to his own. He could afford to employ the best international artisans, such as the men of Hiram. However, the exiles had to depend on the charity of the Persian king and the meagre resources of the Jews who lived in Babylon as second-class citizens. But, despite their relative poverty, they were honest and committed to doing what they could—building the fallen Temple to worship the Lord.

Now comes God's part. He assures them that he will take over the project from them. He will not despise what they have done; he will make it more glorious than the former by adorning it with his immeasurable wealth. He assured that "'The silver is mine and the gold is mine."

When we play our role in God's grand plan and lay our meagre resources at His feet, He takes over and adorns whatever we do with His splendour.

We must make the first move; the following steps are his responsibility.