The Jewish exiles were returning to their country from Babylon.  And even though they were fearful of the foreign people around them…they went about rebuilding and re-establishing the Temple in Jerusalem.  The biggest obstacle any Christian has to overcome in this world… is fear of the world.  We’re afraid of what others will think…we’re scared that we might offend someone…we’re fearful we’ll be taken the wrong way.  The exiles might have been afraid…but God had given them direction and His blessing, and so they started rebuilding.  So when the Lord calls us to do His work, we too need to move forward boldly, not allowing fear to hinder us.