Sound Judgment - Zerubbabel

Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.”

Ezra 4:3

If you use a personal computer, you can’t be too careful about guarding against viruses and worms, covert files designed to do some serious damage to your computer. That means being careful about what e-mails you open, what files you download, and what Internet links you click on.

It is also important to guard against those who try to lead you away from a strong, biblical faith. That means using sound judgment regarding the outside influences you allow into your home and your life.

Zerubbabel had that kind of good judgment.

After leading a wave of former Jewish captives back to Jerusalem from Babylon, Zerubbabel oversaw the building of an altar to the Lord and the rebuilding of the holy Temple, destroyed some seventy years earlier. As the rebuilding efforts began, weeping and shouts of joy could be heard for miles around. That got the attention of some traditional adversaries who offered—with highly suspect motives—to help reconstruct the Temple.

It was decision time for Zerubbabel and his fellow workers.

After weighing the offer (and the apparent motives behind it), he told their would-be helpers, “Thanks, but no thanks!”

As a Christian man, your world is in some ways very similar to that of Zerubbabel. Your challenge? Make sure that you use the same kind of sound judgment as he did in dealing with outside opposition.

What opposition do you face in your Christian faith? Who seems willing to help—but only because they have subversive motives? You need sound judgment to decide who should spend time with your family, what images you and your kids should view, and what kinds of activities you will choose. Ask God to reveal it to you, and then act upon what he shows you.