Sometimes God’s ownership of a project is only recognised after our best efforts have failed.  It is dangerous to think of God as responsible for the insignificant details while we take charge of the larger aspects of a project.  Instead, it is God who is in control, and we only play a part in his overall plan.  When God gives us important jobs to do, it isn’t because he needs our help.  Zerubbabel learned this lesson.

God’s people had been exiled in Babylon for many years. Many had settled into comfortable lifestyles there and wanted to stay.  There were, however, almost 60,000 who had not forgotten Judah.  When Babylon was defeated in 539 B.C., the Persian ruler, Cyrus, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple.  Zerubbabel led the first and largest group back to the promised land.

Zerubbabel’s leadership was by right and recognition. Not only was he a descendant of David, he also had personal leadership qualities.  When the people arrived in Judah, they were given time to establish living quarters, and then were called to begin the work.  They began not by laying the city walls or constructing government buildings, but by rebuilding the altar, worshipping God together, and celebrating a feast.  Under Zerubbabel’s leadership, they established a spiritual foundation for their building efforts.

The temple foundation was then quickly completed, and another round of celebration followed. But soon, two problems arose.  A few old men remembered Solomon’s glorious temple and were saddened by how much smaller and less glorious this one was.  Also, some enemies of the Jews tried to infiltrate the workforce and stop the building with political pressure.  Fear caused the work to grind to a halt.  The people went to their homes, and 16 years passed.

We do not know what Zerubbabel did during this time. His discouragement, following those first months of excitement and accomplishment, must have been deep.  Those Zechariah to be Zerubbabel’s encouraging companions.  They confronted the people’s reluctance and comforted their fears.  The work began once again with renewed energy and was completed in four years.

Zerubbabel, like many of us, knew how to start well but found it hard to keep going. His successes depended on the quality of encouragement he received.  Zerubbabel let discouragement get the better of him.  But when he let God take control, the work was finished.  God is always in control.  We must not let circumstances or lack of encouragement deter us from doing the tasks God has given us.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Led the first group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem from Babylon
• Completed the rebuilding of God’s temple
• Demonstrated wisdom in the help he accepted and refused
• Started his building project with worship as the focal point

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Needed constant encouragement
• Allowed problems and resistance to stop the rebuilding work

Lessons from his life:

• A leader needs to provide not only the initial motivation for a project, but the continued encouragement necessary to keep the project going
• A leader must find his/her own dependable source of encouragement
• God’s faithfulness is shown in the way he preserved David’s line

Vital statistics:

• Where: Babylon, Jerusalem
• Occupation: Recognised leader of the exiles
• Relatives: Father: Shealtiel. Grandfather: Jehoiachin
• Contemporaries: Cyrus, Darius, Zechariah, Haggai

Key verses:

“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘What are you, O mighty mountain?  Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.  Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of “God bless it!  God bless it!” ‘ “ (Zechariah 4.6, 7).

Zerubbabel’s story is told in Ezra 2.2-5.2. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3.19; Nehemiah 7.7; 12.1, 47; Haggai 1.1, 12, 14; 2.4, 21, 23; Zechariah 4.6-10; Matthew 1.12, 13; Luke 3.27.

Zechariah was told before anyone else that God was setting in motion his own visit to earth. Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were known for their personal holiness.  They were well suited to do a special work for God.  But they shared the pain of not having children, and in Jewish culture this was considered as not having God’s blessing.  Zechariah and Elizabeth were old, and they had stopped even asking for children.

This trip to the temple in Jerusalem for Zechariah’s turn on duty had included an unexpected blessing. Zechariah was chosen to be the priest who would enter the Holy Place to offer incense to God for the people.  Suddenly, much to his surprise and terror, he found himself face to face with an angel.  The angel’s message was too good to be true!  But Zechariah did not respond to the news of the coming Saviour as much as he expressed doubts about his own ability to father the child the angel promised him.  His age spoke more loudly than God’s promise.  As a result, God prevented Zechariah from speaking until the promise became reality.

The record of the prayer in Luke 1 is our last glimpse of Zechariah. Like so many of God’s most faithful servants, he passed quietly from the scene once his part was done.  He becomes our hero for those times when we doubt God and yet are willing to obey.  We gain hope from Zechariah’s story that God can do great things through anyone who is available to him.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Known as a righteous man
• Was a priest before God
• One of the few people to be directly addressed by an angel
• Fathered John the Baptist

Weakness and mistake:

• Momentarily doubted the angel’s promise of a son because of his own old age

Lessons from his life:

• Physical limitations do not limit God
• God accomplishes his will, sometimes in unexpected ways

Vital statistics:

• Occupation: Priest
• Relatives: Wife: Elizabeth. Son: John the Baptist

Key verses:   “Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.  But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well on in years”  (Luke 1.6, 7).

Zechariah’s story is told in Luke 1.

We are never closer to failure than during our greatest successes. If we fail to recognise God’s part in our achievements, they are no better than failures.  Uzziah (also called Azariah) was a remarkably successful king.  His achievements brought him fame.  He was successful in war and peace, in planning and execution, in building and planting.

Uzziah overestimated his own importance in bringing about the great achievements he experienced. He did so many things well that a consuming pride gradually invaded his life like the leprous disease that finally destroyed his body.  In trying to act like a priest, he took on a role that God did not mean him to have.  He had forgotten not only how much God had given him, but also that God had certain roles for others that he needed to respect.

Uzziah’s pride was rooted in his lack of thankfulness. We have no accounts of his king ever showing appreciation to God for the marvellous gifts he received.  Our accomplishments may not compare with Uzziah’s, but we still owe a debt of thanksgiving to God for our very lives.  If God is not getting the credit for your successes, shouldn’t you start looking at your life differently?

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Pleased God during his early years as king
• Successful warrior and city builder
• Skilful in organising and delegating
• Reigned for 52 years

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Developed a proud attitude due to his great success
• Tried to perform the priests’ duties, in direct disobedience to God
• Failed to remove many of the symbols of idolatry in the land

Lessons from his life:

• Lack of thankfulness to God can lead to pride
• Even successful people must acknowledge the role God has for others in their lives

Vital statistics:

• Where: Jerusalem
• Occupation: King of Judah
• Relatives: Father: Amaziah. Mother: Jecoliah.  Son: Jotham
• Contemporaries: Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, Jeroboam, Zechariah, Azariah

Key verses:   “In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skilful men for use on the towers and on the corner defences to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.  His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.  But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.  He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense” (2 Chronicles 26.15, 16).

Uzziah’s story is told in 2 Kings 15.1-7 (where heis called Azariah), and in 2 Chronicles 261-23. He is also mentioned in Isaiah 1.1; 6.1; 7.1; Hosea 1.1; Amos 1.1; Zechariah 14.5.

Painful lessons are usually doorways to new opportunities. Even the apostle Paul had much to learn.  Shortly after his disappointing experience with John Mark, Paul recruited another eager young man, Timothy to be his assistant.  Paul’s intense personality may have been too much for John Mark to handle.  It could easily have created the same problem for Timothy.  But Paul seems to have learned a lesson in patience from his old friend Barnabas.  As a result, Timothy became a “son” to Paul.

Timothy probably became a Christian after Paul’s first missionary visit to Lystra (Acts 16.1-5). Timothy already had solid Jewish training in the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother.  By Paul’s second visit, Timothy had grown into a respected disciple of Jesus.  He did not hesitate to join Paul and Silas on their journey.  His willingness to be circumcised as an adult is clearly a mark of his commitment.  (Timothy’s mixed Greek/Jewish background could have created problems on their missionary journeys, because many of their audiences would be made up of Jews who were concerned about the strict keeping of this tradition.  Timothy’s submission to the rite of circumcision helped to avoid that potential problem.)

Beyond the tensions created by his mixed racial background, Timothy seemed to struggle with a naturally timid character and a sensitivity to his youthfulness. Unfortunately, many who share Timothy’s character traits are quickly written off as too great a risk to deserve much responsibility.  By God’s grace, Paul saw great potential in Timothy.  Paul demonstrated his confidence in Timothy by entrusting him with important responsibilities.  Paul sent Timothy as his personal representative to Corinth during a particularly tense time (1 Corinthians 4:14-17).  Although Timothy was apparently ineffective in that difficult mission, Paul did not give up on him.  Timothy continued to travel with Paul.

Our last pictures of Timothy come from the most personal letters in the New Testament: 1 and 2 Timothy. The aging apostle Paul was near the end of his life, but his burning desire to continue his mission had not dimmed.  Paul was writing to one of his closest friends – – they had travelled, suffered, cried, and laughed together.  They shared the intense joy of seeing people respond to the good news and the agonies of seeing the gospel rejected and distorted.  Paul left Timothy in Ehpesus to oversee the young church there (1 Timothy 1.3, 4).  He wrote to encourage Timothy and give him needed direction.  These letters have provided comfort and help to countless other “Timothys” through the years.  When you face a challenge that seems beyond your abilities, read 1 and 2 Timothy, and remember that others have shared your experience.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Became a believer after Paul’s first missionary journey and joined him for his other two journeys
• Was a respected Christian in his home town
• Was Paul’s special representative on several occasions
• Received two personal letters from Paul
• Probably knew Paul better than any other person, becoming like a son to Paul

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Struggled with a timid and reserved nature
• Allowed others to look down on his youthfulness
• Was apparently unable to correct some of the problems in the church at Corinth when Paul sent him there

Lessons from his life:

• Youthfulness should not be an excuse for ineffectiveness
• Our inadequacies and inabilities should not keep us from being available to God

Vital statistics:                   

• Where: Lystra
• Occupations: Missionary, pastor
• Relatives: Mother: Eunice. Grandmother: Lois, Greek father
• Contemporaries: Paul, Silas, Luke, Mark, Peter, Barnabas

Key verses:

“I have no-one else like him [Timothy], who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.  But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Philippians 2.20-22).

Timothy’s story is told in Acts, starting in chapter 16. He is also mentioned in Romans 16.21; 1 Corinthians 4.17; 16.10, 11; 2 Corinthians 1.1, 19; Philippians 1.1; 2.19-23; Colossians 1.1; 1 Thessalonians 1.1-10; 2.3, 4; 3.2-6; 1 and 2 Timothy; Philemon 1; Hebrews 13.23.

Thomas, so often remembered as “Doubting Thomas”, deserves to be respected for his faith. He was a doubter, but his doubts had a purpose – he wanted to know the truth.  Thomas did not idolise his doubts, he gladly believed when given reasons to do so.  He expressed his doubts fully and had them answered completely.  Doubting was only his way of responding, not his way of life.

Although our glimpses of Thomas are brief, his character comes through with consistency. He struggled to be faithful to what he knew, despite what he felt.  At one point, when it was plain to everyone that Jesus’ life was in danger, only Thomas put into words what most were feeling, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11.16).  He didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus.

We don’t know why Thomas was absent the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, but he was reluctant to believe their witness to Christ’s resurrection. Not even ten friends could change his mind!

We can doubt without having to live a doubting way of life. Doubt encourages rethinking.  Its purpose is more to sharpen the mind than to change it.  Doubt can be used to pose the question, get an answer, and push for a decision.  But doubt was never meant to be a permanent condition.  Doubt is one foot lifted, poised to step towards or backwards.  There is no motion until the foot comes down.

When you experience doubt, take encouragement from Thomas. He didn’t stay in his doubt, but allowed Jesus to bring him to belief.  Take encouragement also from the fact that countless other followers of Christ have struggled with doubts.  The answers God gave them may help you too.  Don’t settle into doubts, but move on from them to decision and belief.  Find another believer with whom you can share your doubts.  Silent doubts rarely find answers.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• One of Jesus’ 12 disciples
• Intense both in doubt and belief
• Was a loyal and honest man

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Along with the others, abandoned Jesus at his arrest
• Refused to believe the others’ claims to have seen Christ and demanded proof
• Struggled with a pessimistic outlook

Lesson from his life:

• Jesus does not reject doubts that are honest and directed towards belief
• Better to doubt out loud than to disbelieve in silence

Vital statistics:

• Where: Galilee, Judea, Samaria
• Occupation: Disciple of Jesus
• Contemporaries: Jesus, other disciples. Herod, Pilate

Key verses:

“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe.’  Thomas answered, ‘My Lord and my God!’ “ (John 20.27, 28).

Thomas’ story is told in the Gospels. He is also mentioned in Acts 1.13.

Around the world, the gospel has most often taken root in places prepared by the blood of martyrs. Before people can give their lives for the gospel, however, they must first live their lives for the gospel.  One way God trains his servants is to place them in insignificant positions.  Their desire to serve Christ is translated into the reality of serving others.  Stephen was an effective administrator and messenger before becoming a martyr.

Stephen was named among the managers of food distribution in the early church. Long before violent persecution broke out against Christians, there was already social ostracism.  Jews who accepted Jesus as Messiah were usually cut off from their families.  As a result, the believers depended on each other for support.  The sharing of homes, food, and resources was both a practical and necessary mark of the early church.  Eventually, the number of believers made it necessary to organise the sharing.  People were being overlooked.  There were complaints.  Those chosen to help manage were chosen for their integrity, wisdom, and sensitivity to God.

Stephen, besides being a good administrator, was also a powerful speaker. When confronted in the temple by various antagonistic groups, Stephen’s logic in responding was convincing.  This is clear from the defence he made before the council.  He presented a summary of the Jews’ own history and made powerful applications that stung his listeners.  During his defence Stephen must have known he was speaking his own death sentence.  Members of the council could not stand to have their evil motives exposed.  They stoned him to death while he prayed for their forgiveness.  His final words show how much like Jesus he had become in a short time.  His death had a lasting impact on young Saul (Paul) of Tarsus, who would move from being a violent persecutor of Christians to being one of the greatest champions of the gospel the church has known.

Stephen’s life is a continual challenge to all Christians. Because he was the first to die for the faith, his sacrifice raises questions: How many risks do we take in being Jesus’ followers?  Would we be willing to die for him?  Are we really willing to live for him?

Strengths and accomplishments:

• One of seven leaders chosen to supervise food distribution to the needy in the early church
• Known for his spiritual qualities of faith, wisdom, grace, and power, and for the Spirit’s presence in his life
• Outstanding leader, teacher, and debater
• First to give his life for the gospel

Lessons from his life:

• Striving for excellence in small assignments prepares one for greater responsibilities
• Real understanding of God always leads to practical and compassionate actions towards people

Vital statistics:

• Church responsibilities: Deacon – distributing food to the needy
• Contemporaries: Paul, Caiaphas, Gamaliel, the apostles

Key verses:

“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’  When he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7.59, 60).

Stephen’s story is told in Acts 6.3 – 8.2. He is also mentioned in Acts 11.19; 22.20.

Wisdom is only effective when it is put into action. Early in his life, Solomon had the sense to recognise his need for wisdom.  But by the time Solomon asked for wisdom to rule his kingdom, he had already started a habit that would make his wisdom ineffective for his own life – he sealed a pact with Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter [‘Hippocrates’].  She was the first of hundreds of wives married for political reasons.  In doing this, Solomon went against not only his father’s last words, but also God’s direct commands.  His action reminds us how easy it is to know what is right and yet do not do it.

It is clear that God’s gift of wisdom to Solomon did not mean that he couldn’t make mistakes. He had been given great possibilities as the king of God’s chosen people, but with them came great responsibilities; unfortunately, he tended to pursue the former and neglect the latter.  While becoming famous as the builder of the temple and the palace, he became infamous as a leader who excessively taxed and worked his people.  Visitors from distant lands came to admire this wise king, while his own people were gradually alienated from him.

Little is mentioned in the Bible about the last decade of Solomon’s reign. Ecclesiastes probably records his last reflections on life.  In that book we find a man proving through bitter experience that finding meaning in life apart from God is a vain pursuit.  Security and contentment are found only in a personal relationship with God.  The contentment we find in the opportunities and successes of this life is temporary.  The more we expect our successes to be permanent, the more quickly they are gone.  Be sure to balance your pursuit of life’s possibilities with reliable fulfilment of your responsibilities.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Third king of Israel, David’s chosen heir
• The wisest man who ever lived
• Author of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, as well as many of the proverbs and a couple of the psalms
• Built God’s temple in Jerusalem
• Diplomat, trader, collector, patron of the arts

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Sealed many foreign agreements by marrying pagan women
• Allowed his wives to affect his loyalty to God
• Excessively taxed his people and drafted them into a labour and military force

Lessons from his life:

• Effective leadership can be nullified by an ineffective personal life
• Solomon failed to obey God, but did not learn the lesson of repentance until late in life
• Knowing what actions are required of us means little without the will to do these actions

Vital statistics:

• Where: Jerusalem
• Occupation: King of Israel
• Relatives: Father: David. Mother: Bathsheba.  Brothers: Absalom, Adonijah.  Sister: Tamar.  Son: Rehoboam

Key verse:   “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned?  Among the many nations there was no king like him.  He was loved by his God, and God made him king of all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women” (Nehemiah 13.26).

Solomon’s story is told in 2 Samuel 12.24-1 Kings 11.43. He is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 28, 29; 2 Chronicles 1-10; Nehemiah 13.26; Psalm 72; and Matthew 6.29; 12.42.