Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

For a link to Ezra 4, click HERE.

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

• Ezra 5:1-17

King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:
In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.
Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.
Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.
Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.
Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

• Ezra 6:1-22

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Ezra 4:1-2 ‘Resistance to God’s Spirit’: ”Even in this moment of joy and restoration, however, opposition is developing, as we see in chapters 4 through 6. A force is at work in Israel which mirrors the force in every human heart that bitterly resists the work of God’s Spirit. This force immediately manifests itself here, and it does so deceptively, in the guise of friendly solicitude and courtesy:(Ezra 4:1—2).
“Incidentally, these enemies are the people who would come to be known as the Samaritans, frequently mentioned in the New Testament. These Samaritans approach the Jews and say, ‘Let us help you build [the temple] because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him.’ They come with an open hand, volunteering to roll up their sleeves and work.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Ezra 4:2 ‘we have sacrificed to Him’: “This false claim represented the syncretistic worship of the Samaritans, whose ancestry came from intermarriage with foreign immigrants in Samaria after 722 B.C. (cf. v. 10). In the British Museum is a large cylinder. Inscribed on it are the annals of Esarhaddon, an Assyrian king (c. 681-669 B.C.), who deported a large population of Israelites from Palestine. A consequent settlement of Babylonian colonists took their place and intermarried with remaining Jewish women and their descendants. The result was a mongrel race called the Samaritans. They had developed a superstitious form of worshiping God (cf. 2 Kin. 17:26-34).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 4:3 ‘Israel must do the work’: ” It’s easy to say no to an enemy who comes breathing threats, but what do you say to an enemy who comes saying, ‘Let me help’? The only way to do so is with a heart that is obedient to God’s Word  (Ezra 4:3).
“That sounds rude and offensive, but God had commanded Israel not to fellowship with other nations or to engage with them in enterprises concerning the faith. What does this mean? That it was wrong for one nation to intermingle with another? No, this principle has been distorted and misapplied to situations today where it does not apply.
“It means simply that God rejects the philosophy of the world in carrying out His work. There is a worldly religion and there is the faith that God gives us, and the two must never be mingled. Worldly religion reflects the spirit of Satan, the god of this age, who says to us, ‘Use religion to advance yourself, to achieve self-glorification. Do this for your own glory. Be religious to win admiration, power, fame, or whatever your heart desires.’ But God rejects this principle.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Ezra 4:4-5 ‘dishonesty revealed’: ”The dishonesty behind the Samaritans’ offer is demonstrated by the fact that the Jews’ rejection of the offer removes all pretense. The ‘friendship’ offered by the Samaritans quickly turns to hatred.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Ezra 4:12 ‘Jews’: “This name was generally used after the Captivity because the exiles who returned were mainly of Judah. Most of the people of the ten northern tribes were dispersed, and the largest number of returnees came from the two southern tribes.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 4:14 ‘Eloquent Words of the Hypocrite’: “So indignant were these half Jews/half heathen at being denied involvement in the project that they wrote King Artaxerxes to tell him that the Jews, who had always been from time immemorial a troublesome people, were beginning to build their city again. And as soon as it was built, they would, in all probability, revolt against the king and give him much trouble, as their fathers had done to kings before him. In writing that letter, they showed themselves wise in their generation, for they told the king they were moved by gratitude to write to him. It was false, but hypocrites often use the best of words and employ the best of sense to cover their deceit. They said they themselves were sustained from the king’s palace, and, therefore, they could not bear that the king should be dishonored. For this reason they had written to tell his majesty that the Jews were building this wall, and they trusted that for his own honor‘s sake and tor his subjects’ sake he would stop them. [ED—While their motives were wrong, their reasoning was not. Loyalty to the king demands that we pursue his honor and guard against his dishonor.] By every sense of propriety we are bound not to see God dishonored by ourselves. It is well to begin at home. Are we doing anything that dishonors our God—anything at home, anything in our daily vocation, anything in the way of conducting our business? Does anything in our conversation, anything in our actions, anything in our reading, anything in our writing, anything in our speaking dishonor God?”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

Ezra 4:19 ‘And I gave the command’: “The line might better be translated, ‘I established a decree.’ In other words, this was no simple routine order given to one person, but a major edict to a large group of people.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics

Ezra 4:21 ‘Now give the command’: “This involved no small order for one or two workers, but the efforts of 50,000 were called to a halt. The king was commissioning a decree of great significance. The original language calls for the difference. This decree would not lose its authority until the king established a new decree.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 5 ‘Opposition on all fronts’: ”Chapters 5 and 6 relate the story of how successful the opponents were in stopping the work of rebuilding the temple. By deliberately frustrating the Jews, mocking and taunting them, they hindered Israel from doing the work God had commanded. These so-called friends used every means, including legal means, to undermine Israel’s authority and right to build. This is what happens whenever someone stands for God.
“As Paul wrote to the Galatians, ‘The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:17). This is what we have here, and the principle was quite successful. The work was stopped for sixteen years and the temple lay half completed, overrun with weeds and grass. Again, worship ceased.
“Then God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. These two men were God’s instruments to move the people’s hearts. When the people began to turn back to God, He also turned the hearts of the kings, Darius and Artaxerxes, and they issued the decree that directed that work on the temple should resume. So, finally, the work was finished.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Ezra 5:1 ‘Haggai and Zechariah’: “The Book of Haggai is styled as a ‘royal administrative Correspondence’ (cf. Hag. 1:13) sent from the Sovereign King of the universe through the ‘messenger of the LORD,’ Haggai (Hag. 1:13). Part of its message is addressed specifically to Zerubbabel, the political leader, and Joshua, the religious leader, telling them to ‘take courage and work’ on the temple because God was with them (Hag. 2:4). These two prophets gave severe reproaches and threats if the people did not return to the building and promised national prosperity if they did. Not long after the exiles heard this message, the temple work began afresh after a sixteen-year hiatus.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 5:8 ‘heavy stones, and timbers’: “This technique of using beams and stone blocks was a well-known form of wall construction. The reason for mentioning it here was it seemed to be a preparation for conflict, or battle. Including this piece of information served as a threat to the Persian official who wanted no such conflict.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 5:12 ‘gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar’: “The expression is used commonly in royal administrative correspondence when a more powerful administrator, such as a king, relinquishes some of his authority to an underling and yet keeps the lower administrative official under his command. The point here is that God, as King of the universe, satisfied His wrath by relinquishing the authority for this administrative action to Nebuchadnezzar. The greatest king the ancient Near East has ever known was just a petty official in the administration of the sovereign Lord.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 5:17 ‘Do not put yourself in a poor position’: “A look at the habits of Ezra of the Old Testament and Paul of the New will show that these men would not allow themselves to be put in a position where an enemy might charge them with dishonesty. They insisted upon a fair count and a check by at least two responsible men to see that everything was done honestly and that no one could have reason to believe otherwise.
“This principle of complete candor holds good also in the prayer life. When we are praying for something we have every right to look for the answer. Never should we fear to look at the facts. Either God answered or He did not, and there is no point in shutting our eyes and refusing to admit it when it is plain that no answer has been received. It may be that we will need to trust Him without an answer and hold on quietly in prayer when our case looks hopeless. But we cannot help things by claiming He has answered when He has not.
“A spirit of candor would do much to remove the widespread suspicion that Christian people are preoccupied with unrealities. Complete frankness with God, with our own souls and with our critics would take away many a sword from the hand of our enemies.
“Many interpretations have been offered for our Lord‘s saying that we must become as little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. Just what quality does a child possess that Christians must have to please our Father who is in heaven? Could it be candor? The little child is so frank that he is often embarrassing to his elders. But maybe he has found the secret. It‘s well worth thinking about.”

• A. W. Tozer, Of God and Men

Ezra 6 ‘nothing to celebrate apart from God’: ”In chapter 6 we read that the first thing the Jews did upon completing the temple was to celebrate the Passover. This marked the beginning of their restored fellowship with God.
“In much the same way, when we experience a restored relationship with the living God, our lives should be marked by celebration and joy. Apart from God, we have nothing to celebrate. Once we are rejoined with God, we enjoy the glory and light of heaven as it shines upon our hearts. The temple of our spirits stands tall and resplendent, filled with the glory of God’s presence—and we can bask in the joy that He gives us.”

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

Ezra 6:2 ‘a record was written’: “A particular kind of document called a memorandum (4:15; Mal. 3:16). Administrative officials often kept these documents of administrative decisions made, or issues remaining to be settled, to retain the details of administrative action for future reference.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 6:10 ‘pray for the life of the king and his sons’: “This was essentially the same self-serving motive that prompted Cyrus to decree that all captured peoples should return to their countries, rebuild the temples that Nebuchadnezzar and others had destroyed, and placate the offended deities. He wanted all the gods on his side, including Israel’s God.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 6:14 ‘prospered.’: “Cf. Haggai 127-11. The commandment of the God of Israel … the command of Cyrus. This is not the normal term for commandment, but it is the same word translated ‘decree’ or ‘administrative order’ throughout the book. The message here is powerful. It was the decree from God, the Sovereign of the universe, which gave administrative authority to rebuild the temple. The decrees (same word) of three of the greatest monarchs in the history of the ancient Near East were only a secondary issue. God rules the universe and He raises up kings, then pulls them from their thrones when they have served His administration (cf. Prov. 21:1). Artaxerxes. Although he did not contribute to the project under Zerubbabel, he did under Ezra (cf. 7:11-26).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 6:21 ‘the filth of the nations’: “These were proselytes to Judaism who had confessed their spiritual uncleanness before the Lord, been circumcised, and renounced idolatry to keep the Passover (v. 22).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

Ezra 6:22 ‘turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them.’: “By turning the heart of the king in their favor in allowing them to complete the rebuilding, God encouraged His people. They understood the verse, ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD’ (Prov. 21:1) better through this ordeal. The title ‘King of Assyria’ was held by every king who succeeded the great Neo-Assyrian Empire regardless of what country they may have come from.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

The remnant, in various returns, had their troubles.  They had enemies on all sides.  It was much as it is today, with people combining half-truth with speculation and lies to attack the Jews and today the Jews and Christians.  Today, decrees can get bogged down in bureaucracy, but disseminated faster, compared to letters with couriers in the days of the Persian empire.

Cyrus the Great (539-530 BC) had made a decree and it was written down.  But then Cambyses (530-521) became king.  For a very short time, he was followed by a king named Artaxerxes (521).  And then Darius the Great (521-486).  Xerxes (Ahasuerus) was next in line, followed by another Artaxerxes.  The confusion here is that Ezra starts in the reign of Cyrus, but Ezra first appears in Ezra 7, with the latter Artaxerxes.  All of Nehemiah is in the reign of this Artaxerxes, and Esther takes place during the reign of Xerxes (Ahasuerus).  The chapters in this discussion are during the reign of Darius the Great.  Cyrus expanded the nation of Persia. Cambyses conquered Egypt.  And then Darius expanded and strengthened the empire.  Ezra’s book is intended to be all encompassing regarding the return of the remnant.  Nehemiah adds to the latter stages.  And Esther is a story contained within the exile, although some remnant had already returned.

Note: I think I finally have that straight.  There are many conflicting reports regarding the kings of Persia.

But these three chapters cover many years as strife to slow down or stop the building of the temple occurs.  The first letter, to the short reign of the first Artaxerxes, states how the last few evil kings of Judah had been.  These evil kings, sons and one grandson of good king Josiah, were rebellious, agreeing to do one thing and then immediately making other alliances to not obey the kings of Babylon.  Yet, what had been done does not mean that this will continue.  In fact, the rebuilding of the temple was a return to God, not just a return to Jerusalem.

First, the text says that the enemies tried to filter in with the construction crew.  The Jews refused their help.  One might conclude that the enemies took this as an affront to be the reason for the escalated hostility, but they were characterized as enemies from the start.  Yet, God wanted this done by the Jews, those that would build the temple in the proper way, without any reference to foreign gods.  Note: Jews becomes the term for the people from Judah at this point.

And note that the Jews did as God commanded under fierce opposition.  And they refused outside help, thus transforming themselves rather than conforming to the false god worship around them.

So, the first letter reaches Artaxerxes, and he shuts down the rebuilding of the temple by force.  But then Darius became the new king.

Early in his reign, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah tell the people that they should start building the temple and complete it.  They will be punished by God if they do not, and they will have prosperity if they do.

Thus, by faith and against a decree to stop work, the Jews restarted the construction efforts.  In spite of the opposition, they continued the work.

Tattenai sends a second letter, but by now, the king is Darius.  The Tattenai letter mentions what the Jews had told him about what they were doing.  Darius did the due research, unlike Artaxerxes.  He finds the decree of Cyrus and proclaims that the work must be completed.  Darius’ reply to Tattenai had strong punishment for anyone who stood in the way of the completion of the temple.  And during the reign of Darius, sixth year, the work is completed.

The priests offer sacrifices to dedicate the temple and Passover is celebrated.

In these chapters, we see faith taking action in spite of growing oppression and hostility.  We need to learn from this and stand by what the Bible teaches us instead of conforming to the secular worldview.

Note: The photo is of the Strasbourg, France Cathedral. You can see a single spire, but a foundation for another. They ran out of money and sold the other spire to the cathedral construction in Ulm, Germany. But Strasbourg had built the tallest spire in the world, at the time. Ulm, understanding this pride, added an extra layer of bricks, one extra step in climbing the spire, so that they could be the tallest.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Ezra 4:1-5 Opposition to the Rebuilding 1. What clues tell you who has a part in God’s work, and who is opposed to him? Are such clues ‘presumption,’ or faith?
“2. When has someone tried to wear you out or scare you away from completing a certain task? Did you continue or quit? Why?
Ezra 4:6-23 Later Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes 1. Rehum‘s complaints against Israel remind us that our past sometimes lives on to haunt us. Where do you see that today in national or international affairs? In churches and denominations? in your personal and family life?
“2. When one party says they alone are the true worshipers of God, and all others are a mixed breed (or mongrels), then what might one expect in return? How else do you account for the opposition mounted against ancient Israel?
“3. On the other hand, why was Israel right to insist on religious exclusivity and spiritual purity? Today, when is it valid to assert one’s expression of the faith as ‘the only way’? Over against whom? Other denominations? Cults? State religion? Government interference?
Ezra 5: 1.ln 536 B.C. Sheshbezzar presided over laying the temple foundation (vv.14-16), and in 520 B.C. Zerubbabel presided over laying a second foundation (see Hag 1:14-15). How do you account for that 16-year delay (see Zec 4:6-10): (a) Israel suffers from strong opposition? (b) From lack of legal authority? (c) From lack of spiritual power? (d) From internal lethargy? Explain. (Note: Some believe “Sheshbezzar” [v.14] was the Babylonian name for Zerubbabel, meaning the two were the same person.)
“2. In your life, what has taken ‘16+ years’ to get right? How do you account for the delay?
“3. In the work God has given you to do, when is his hand of blessing obvious to you: (a) ln warding off opponents, as in 5:5? (b) In ‘making rapid progress.’ As in 5:8? (c) Often in construction delays? (d) Only in the project’s completion, as in 6:15-17?
“4. When something is not progressing according to plan, are you likely to conclude that it must not be God’s will? Explain.
Ezra 6:1-12 The Decrees of Darius 1. When have you invoked God’s authority as your own? Where do you draw the line and dare someone to cross over or defy your authority? What defiance (by your kids, partners, or subordinates) would ‘trip your trigger’ and bring them into conflict with you?
“2. What ‘sacrifices’ and prayers are you offering on behalf of those in authority over you (v.10; see 1Ti 2:1f)?
“3. Persian kings made a policy of restoring the religious institutions of native peoples (6:1-12). What does this show about God’s role in secular or pagan governments? How does that give you hope as you consider current events?
Ezra 6:13-22 Completion and Dedication of the Temple 1. What half-done project does God want you to ‘carry out with diligence’: Spring cleaning? This week’s ‘to do’ list? Last month’s ‘do-today-or-else’ list? Your new year‘s resolution from 20_?
“2. Why not get on with it?
“3. How does an outsider get to celebrate the sacraments in your church tradition? Are you more, or less, open than early Judaism?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There is one set of questions for Ezra 5.  Ezra 4 and 6 have two sets of questions as noted.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.