Ezra 4
.Enemies of Israel wanted to help build Temple verse 1- 2
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin
heard that the children of the captivity
built the temple of the LORD God of Israel
Then they came to Zerubbabel – and to the chief of the fathers
and said
Let us build with you – FOR we SEEK your God as you do
we do sacrifice unto HIM since the days of Esar-haddon
king of Assur – which brought us up hither
Zerubbabel refused their help verse 3
BUT Zerubbabel – and Jeshua
and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel
said unto them
You have nothing to do with us to build an house to our God
BUT we ourselves together will build
to the LORD God of Israel
as king Cyrus the king of Persia
has commanded us
Local people frustrated the work on the Temple verse 4- 5
THEN the people of the land WEAKENED
the hands of the people of Judah
And TROUBLED them in building – and HIRED counselors
against them to FRUSTRATE their purpose
all the days of Cyrus king of Persia
even until the reign of Darius king of Persia
Local people wrote a letter to Ahasurerus [Xerxes] verse 6- 7
And in the reign of Ahasuerus – in the beginning of his reign
wrote they to him an accusation against the
inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem
And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam – Mithredath – Tabeel
and the rest of their companions
to Artaxerxes king of Persia
and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue
and interpreted in the Syrian tongue
Others wrote letters against Jerusalem verse 8- 10
Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe
wrote a letter against Jerusalem
to Artaxerxes the king in this sort
Then wrote Rehum the chancellor – and Shimshai the scribe
and the rest of their companions – the Dinaites
Apharsathchites –Tarpelites – Apharsites – Archevites
Babylonians – Susanchites – Dehavites – Elamites
and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Asnapper
brought over – and set in the cities of Samaria
and the rest that are on this side the river and at such a time
Contents of the letter to Artaxerxes verse 11- 16
This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him
even to Artaxerxes the king
Your servants the men on this side the river
and at such a time
Be it known unto the king – that the Jews which came up
from you to us are come to Jerusalem
building the rebellious and the bad city
and have set up the walls thereof
and joined the foundation
Be it known now unto the king – that
IF this city be built and the walls set up again
THEN will they not pay toll – tribute – custom
and so you shall damage the revenue of the kings
Now because we have maintenance from the king’s palace
and it was not meet for us to see the king’s dishonor
That search may be made in the books of the records of your fathers
so shall you find in the book of the records
and know that this city is a rebellious city
and hurtful to kings and provinces
And that they have moved sedition within the same of old time
for which cause we this city destroyed
We certify the king that – IF this city be built again
and the walls thereof set up – by this means you shall
have no portion on this side the river
Artaxerxes replied to letter verse 17- 22
Then sent the king an answer to Rehum the chancellor
and to Shimshai the scribe – and to the rest of their companions
that dwell in Samaria
and to the rest beyond the river
Peace – and at such a time
The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me
and I commanded – and search has been made
and it is found that this city of old time has made
insurrection against kings and that rebellion
and sedition have been made therein
There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem
which have ruled over all countries beyond the river
and toll – tribute – custom was paid unto them
Give you now commandment to cause these men to cease
and that this city be not builded
until another commandment
shall be given from me
Take heed now that you fail not to do this
Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Israelites forced to stop building the Temple verse 23- 24
Now when the copy of king Artxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum
and Shimshai the scribe – and their companions
they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews
and made them to CEASE by force and power
Then CEASED the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem
so it CEASED to the second year of the reign of
Darius king of Persia
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said to them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as you do; and we do sacrifice to HIM since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. (1875 “seek” [darash] means to seek with care, investigate, to be intent on, to apply oneself to something, worship, demand, or enquire.)
DEVOTION: Getting the facts can be hard in some situations. Here we find that those who approached Zerubbabel asked to be part of the building project. It seemed like it was a good request to help. They offered to worship the LORD. They offered to sacrifice to the LORD as they had been doing according to them.
The problem was that they worshiped many gods and they thought it was good that they included the God of the children of Israel in their worship. This was not true worship according to what the LORD wanted from those who were followers of HIM.
HE wants exclusive worship. HE doesn’t want to share worship with any other deity. HE knows that all other deities are false gods. HE wants the worship of HIS people to a worship that included no other god.
HE wants the same for us today. There are many gods that are worshiped in many countries around the world. Here we find that sometimes we worship money or possessions or sports teams or anything or anyone who seems to catch our interest for the moment.
We can even follow or worship individuals who are teaching the Word of God rather than the God of the Bible. Our goal should be to get to know the LORD better and better each year of our pilgrimage here on this earth.
There should be no one or nothing that stands between our worship of the one TRUE God of the Bible and anything else. If the children of Israel had allowed this group to help them build the Temple they would have been obligated to allow them into the Temple area which was against the commands of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: We have to make sure that we don’t make alliances with those who are not genuine worshipers of the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 And hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. (656 “frustrate” [’aphec] means to disappear, cease, be clean gone, or fail.)
DEVOTION: Have you even had people lie about you and what you are trying to do? There are people who tell partial truths to get their point across. They want their way and they can’t do it honestly, so they use any means possible to cause problems for you or someone you know.
The children of Israel had returned from captivity. The king of Persia had given them permission and possessions to rebuild the temple. The people that had been put into the land during the reign of Babylon wanted to help build the temple.
The children of Israel refused to let them help. They were not the people of God but a people made up of many nations. They were not worshiping Jehovah.
They didn’t like being told “NO.” They wrote a false letter to the present king of Persia and he searched the records to find that Jerusalem was truly a great city and might cause him problems if it was rebuilt. He ordered the work to stop.
Our enemies will do anything to cause the work of the LORD to not move forward. They will spread lies. They will falsely accuse us of all kinds of things. This can cause us to give up and stop working for the LORD.
That is what the enemy wants us to do. We need to realize that we can continue to do the LORD’S work even during these times.
Is the enemy presently causing us to cease our work for the LORD? Is he whispering in our ears that God doesn’t care about us? Is he causing us to be discouraged?
Remember we can pray for wisdom and strength even during these times. God does not want us to fail in the task HE has given us. When the enemy lies, we need to go to our knees before the LORD. The children of Israel were so discouraged they forgot the right way to handle this situation. The children of Israel stopping working for the LORD.
When news comes from those who oppose us that they don’t want us to continue working for the LORD, what should we do? When we are discouraged, how do we get encouraged?
CHALLENGE: God will bring someone into our lives to help us get back on track with HIM!!! LOOK for an answer from HIM!!!! Our enemy is real.
_____________________________________________________
: 12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews which came up from you to are come to Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. (873 “bad” [bi’uwsh] means wicked, morally bad in principle or practice, or evil)
DEVOTION: Throughout history we find that the people of God have been lied about. It is not new that the neighbors to the nation of Judah didn’t want them to have their freedom. They offered to join them in building the Temple.
However, they wanted to worship in the Temple and worship their false gods. They were not claiming to worship the God of heaven only. They wanted to have worship that pleased any god and this would not please the ONE TRUE GOD that created the world and made promises to the nation of Israel only.
So the neighbors did everything they could to disrupt the rebuild of the Temple. The real enemy behind the neighbors to Judah was the devil. He didn’t want the worship of the LORD to state again in Jerusalem. He wanted to do everything in his power to stop this work.
This is true today as well regarding the genuine Biblical churches that want to reach the world with the GOOD NEWS of salvation. The message is exclusive, in that, those who yield to the message can only worship the LORD. There can be NO sharing of worship.
People get upset when someone tells them that there in only one way to heaven. They want to think that if they do some good works they will get into heaven. Some even thing that if they just go to any church they will get into heaven.
This is a lie of the Devil. He wants to confuse people and there is a lot of confusion going on in our society today. There are people who want to mesh religion and Christianity. It cannot be done!
God wants us to be exclusive in our presentation of the Word of God. There is only ONE way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ and HIS teachings in the Word of God. There is no other way to heaven.
The Jews of the Old Testament who were faithful to the LORD knew this fact. Only genuine worship in the Temple with confession of sin and offering offered to the LORD to make atonement for their sin could they be forgiven.
The offering were going to stop once Jesus Christ came to earth and so now we worship the LORD in spirit and in truth in good Biblical churches where we give our tithes and offerings to HIM not to pay our way into heaven but to show our love for HIM because of the gift HE has given us.
Today the church in America and around the world is considered BAD if they require a strict interpretation of the Word of God that only those who make genuine commitments to the LORD will go to heaven.
CHALLENGE: The Bible teaches that there is no way to buy a way to heaven. It has to be through Jesus Christ alone. Our gifts to the work of the LORD is our showing our gratitude to HIM for this provision.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 15 That search may be made in the book of records of your fathers: so shall you find in the book of records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. (849 “sedition” [eshtadduwr] means rebellion, revolt, or refusal to accept some authority.)
DEVOTION: One of the facts regarding nations in the past is that they kept accurate records of those who reigned in their nations and the events of each king. These book of records can still be found today in many sights that help us understand history.
The Bible has historical books to help us see what happened in the past. We are to learn from the past. We are not to commit the same sins as those who have come before us but we seem to repeat what has happened in the past even today.
Places get a reputation as either being good or bad. Here we find that according to the records kept by the nation of Persia that Israel was a nation that was not willing to serve other nations very well. To them they were rebellious. They refused to accept the authority of other nations. They were a nation that only wanted to serve the LORD at times. When they rebelled against the LORD HE sent other nations to judge them for their sins.
Now they were back in the Promised Land and the people that were there didn’t want them coming back and setting up their place of worship for fear that they would not allow them to have any space amongst them.
The people of the land had offered to help them build the Temple but they refused their help. This caused the letters against them to be written and the work had to be stopped.
Today we have many places that with people who want to stop the work of the LORD in their neighborhood. They complain to the local authorities to see if they can stop the work of the LORD.
Any time God’s people stand up for proper worship and obedience to the LORD there will be people who will not like it and complain to the powers that be about it.
History shows that Christians want and need a revival in the work of the LORD in every nation. This causes those who don’t love the LORD to complain and want to stop this work. We have to pray for revival even when there are people who don’t want it to happen.
CHALLENGE: Working in a hostile environment is not unusual for those who are trying to please the LORD. Honor the LORD in spite of a hostile environment.
___________________________________________________
: 24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem: So it ceased to the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (989 “ceased” [batel] means hindered, to become stopped or in a state of ceased activity, to be inactive, to be idle, or come to a standstill.)
DEVOTION: The enemies of the work of the LORD do win some battles. It is hard to accept the fact that the LORD allows our enemies to win some battles. HE has a purpose in all that HE allows in our life and in the life of the church.
Here we find that the children of Israel had a ruling in their favor to build the Temple but the people of the land told lies about them and had their permit to build taken away for a time period.
This was a test. The children of Israel still have to deal with some of the sins of the past even during this time period when they were finally returning to the land. The two prophets who ministered during this time period had to confront the people regarding their sins.
So we find that even when we are trying to do a good work for the LORD we have to deal with personal sin even during these times. The LORD wants us to continually examine our lives to see if our total commitment is to HIM alone. HE wants us to keep HIM before our faces every moment of every day. HE wants us to grow in our knowledge and service to HIM in order for us to bring glory to HIS name,
Building a building isn’t as important as building our lives to please HIM twenty-four seven. Our relationship to HIM has to be our first priority even when we are doing a good work for HIM.
We need to continually have an attitude of humility because pride is easy to take over when we are doing a work for HIM. We tend to think that HE needs us instead of the other way around.
_________________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Temple verse 1
Sacrifice verse 2
House of our God verse 3, 24
Work ceased
________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 1- 3, 24
LORD God of Israel verse 1, 3
House of God verse 24
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Adversaries verse 1
Came to Zerubbabel
Wanted to help build the Temple
Wanted to worship in the Temple
Weakened the hands of the people
of Judah
Troubled them
Hired counsellors against Judah
Frustrated purpose of Judah
Wrote letters against Judah
Esarhaddon – king of Assur verse 2
Cyrus – king of Persia verse 3, 5
Darius – king of Persia verse 5, 24
Work ceased in Jerusalem until
he became king
Ahasuerus verse 6
Artaxerxes – king of Persia verse 7, 11, 17- 23
Listened to Asnapper
Sent letter to Rehum and Shimshai
Made search of records
Insurrection and rebellion and sedition
Work was to cease on city of Jerusalem
Rehum the chancellor verse 8, 17, 18, 23
Shimshai the scribe verse 8, 17, 18, 23
Dinaites verse 9
Apharsathchites verse 9
Babylonians verse 9
Susanchites verse 9
Dehavites verse 9
Elamites verse 9
Cities of Samaria verse 10
Noble Asnapper verse 10- 16
Letter brought to him from
Enemies of Judah
Spoke to Darius against Judah
Said Jerusalem was a rebellious
and bad city
Claimed if city is rebuilt they would no
longer pay: tolls, tribute, custom
Claimed also that people of Judah would
would dishonor king
Book of records verse 15
Would show that Jerusalem was a
rebellious city
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Weakening work of the LORD verse 4
Troubling the people of God verse 4
Hiring people to hinder work of LORD verse 5
Frustrating the purposes of servants verse 5
False accusation verse 6
Writing letters against Jerusalem verse 8
Calling Jerusalem a rebellious and bad city verse 12, 15, 19
Lying about Jews verse 13
Sedition verse 15, 19
Insurrection verse 19
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Seek the LORD verse 2
Build place of worship verse 3
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Adversaries- people of land verse 1
Judah verse 1
Benjamin verse 1
Children of the captivity verse 1
Zerubbabel verse 2, 3
Chief of the fathers verse 2
Jeshua verse 3
Fathers of Israel verse 3
Jerusalem verse 6, 12, 16
Called a rebellious and bad city
Artaxerxes – king of Persia ordered
work to stop
Jews verse 12
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
______________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
__________________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
21–23 After provincial authorities had intervened, the Persian king ordered a halt to the Jewish attempt to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (see comment on Neh 1:3). Most scholars would date the episode of vv.7–23 before 445 b.c. The forcible destruction of these recently rebuilt walls rather than the destruction by Nebuchadnezzar would then be the basis of the report made to Nehemiah. Bowman, Olmstead, and Rudolph place this incident in the context of the revolt of the satrap Megabyzos against Artaxerxes I. Megabyzos was the king’s brother-in-law and his greatest general. To “compelled them by force to stop,” the LXX adds “with horses and an (armed) force.” (Yamauchi, E. (1988). Ezra-Nehemiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 634). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
________________________________________________________________
The king ordered the Jews to stop rebuilding the city. In fact, it’s likely that the Persians wrecked the work the Jews had already completed, and the report that Nehemiah received from his brother described what the Persians had done, not what the Babylonians had done (Neh. 1:1–3). It wasn’t until the arrival of Nehemiah in 445 that the work was resumed and the walls were finished and the gates restored. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1997). Be heroic (p. 28). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)
________________________________________________________________
4:17–23. In his reply the king actually strengthened the position of the Israelites by leaving open the possibility that their work might resume later by his permission. This, of course, did happen under the leadership of Nehemiah. The king did search the archives and found that Jerusalem had been powerful at one time. What an encouragement this must have been to Ezra’s original readers to recall the years of David and Solomon and to know that even a pagan king acknowledged the sovereignty of their empire centered at Jerusalem. The king commanded that the building projects stop … until I so order. This was the same king who later (444 b.c.) changed this edict and allowed Nehemiah to return and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1–9). However, the immediate result was a forced cessation of the building activity because the enemies used force to back up a legal document from the Persian king. (Martin, J. A. (1985). Ezra. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 661). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
________________________________________________________________
4:23 document. Another official document, as opposed to a generic letter, came from Artaxerxes, transfer of authority to the regional leaders to establish the decree. Without the king’s official administrative correspondence, the decree could not be established. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ezr 4:23). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
________________________________________________________________
Ver. 23. Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, &c.] By him or them to whom it was particularly directed: they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews; not only in obedience to the king’s command, but from an eagerness of spirit to put a stop to the proceedings of the Jews, to whom they had an aversion, instigated by the Samaritans: and made them to cease by force and power; from going on with the building of the temple, which they reckoned a part of the city, and within their commission; this they did by shewing the power and authority they had under the king’s hand, and by the forces they brought with them to compel them to it, should they refuse to obey; or, however, they threatened them highly what they would do, if they did not desist. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 112). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
________________________________________________________________
17–24. The accomplishment of their wicked purpose may serve to shew us how the Lord is pleased sometimes, for the exercise of faith in his people, to let the enemy triumph. And when the short-lived victories of our deadly foes have this blessed effect upon our hearts to make us more sensible of our nothingness, and to make Jesus and his fulness more precious; even our foes become instruments in the Lord’s hand to his glory and our greater good. When the Jews had nailed Jesus to the cross, how distressed must have been the minds of all his followers. But behold, that cross soon after became his people’s glory, and now it is the everlasting joy of all his followers, and will be the song of redemption in heaven with all the ransomed of Jesus for evermore. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, pp. 599–600). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
__________________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
________________________________________________________________________
The Persian kings considered themselves the successors of the Babylonian kings, who are referred to here as “your predecessors.” The officials here knew that records were kept from former administrations. In fact, in the ancient world all peoples where writing was known kept royal chronicles. There is some irony in the statement, “That is why this city was destroyed.” While that was the Babylonian motivation, the real reason was the judgment of God (2 Chr 36:15–19). The author was certainly aware that the plans of God supercede human intentions (1:1; 5:12). (Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 103). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
____________________________________________________________________
We have a very beautiful instruction given us by the Holy Ghost, in what this chapter holds forth to us of the opposition the people of God receive from false friends, as well as open enemies, in the progress of the divine life. They that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. It is a mark of the Christian character, and impossible wholly to avoid it. But, my brother, in the spiritual building, whether far advanced in the superstructure, or whether the foundation be but just laid, yet if Jesus be the foundation stone, depend upon it it is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to all carnal characters around you. Do not forget therefore, your high calling; but seek grace to go on with the building, being more and more established in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Look daily to your foundation, even to Jesus; for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, Jesus Christ. On him rest the whole weight and burden of your salvation, and let him too bear all the glory. And as stones highly polished, let one grace be added to another, and one ordinance make way for another. In nothing being terrified by your adversaries; but living upon, walking with, rejoicing in, the Lord Jesus Christ. And depend upon it, however apparently the work may seem hindered, yet Jesus is secretly carrying it on, and his people are growing unto an holy temple in the Lord, for an habitation of God through the Spirit. And as the apostle in his sweet consolation speaks, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, will comfort our hearts, and stablish us in every good word and work. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: 1 Kings–Esther (Vol. 3, p. 600). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
________________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.