In our study of Ezra chapter five, we see how the remnant of God's people decided to listen and obey God even in the face of opposition.
Now, if God speaks to you in this study, you can save your own personal notes on this page. Then, every time that you look at this study, your notes will automatically be added to the page. To add a note or to display your previous notes, click on the YOUR NOTES button.
The prophets Hagai and Z'kharyah the son of 'Iddo prophesied to the Judeans in Yerushalayim and Y'hudah; they prophesied to them in the name of the God of Isra'el.
At the end of chapter four, we saw that the work on the temple had been halted because of a decree by King Artaxerxes. During this time, the exiles had went to their own places and built their own houses. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets that God sent to get them back to rebuilding the temple. (If you have not done so, it would be a good time to study the books of those prophets.)
Then Z'rubavel the son of Sh'alti'el and Yeshua the son of Yotzadak began rebuilding the house of God in Yerushalayim; with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
The political (Zerubbabel) and religious (Jeshua) leaders listened to the prophets and went back to work on the rebuilding of the temple.
No sooner had they begun, when Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their colleagues came and asked them, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall? What are the names of the men putting up this building?"
Once again, the opposition showed up in hopes of stopping the work of God.
But the eye of their God was on the leaders of the Judeans, so they didn't stop them until the matter could come before Daryavesh and a reply in writing be received.
This time, they held fast and were able to continue the work while they waited on a ruling from the king. They had learned that it is best to listen to God and trust in Him. It is a good reminder for us as well that, when God tells you to do something, He will be there to watch over you.
Here is the text of the letter which Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their fellow officials beyond the River sent to Daryavesh the king; they sent him a letter in which it was written: "To Daryavesh the king, "Complete shalom!"
Once again, the opposition got the government involved and sent this letter to the king.
"Let the king know that we went to the province of Y'hudah, to the house of the great God. It is being rebuilt with large stones, and timber is being set in the walls. This work is being done energetically, and it is making good progress under the direction of their leaders. We asked them, 'Who gave you permission to rebuild this house and finish this wall?' We also asked them their names, so that we could write you the names of the men in charge of them.
Their report informed the king that the people were focused on their task and making rapid progress. (We must remember that they had been given a pretty strong message from God by the prophets.) They were asked their names in hopes that the king would authorize the opposition to round them up and to stop the progress.
"They gave us this answer: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, built and finished by a great king of Isra'el. But because our ancestors provoked the God of heaven, he handed them over to N'vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, the Kasdi; he destroyed this house and carried the people off to Bavel.
Instead of giving them a list of names, the exiles had given them a short history lesson. They recalled the fact that Israel had once had a great king but, because of God's judgment, they had been handed over to the Babylonians.
But in the first year of Koresh king of Bavel, Koresh the king gave authorization to rebuild this house of God. Moreover, the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which N'vukhadnetzar had removed from the temple in Yerushalayim and brought to the temple of Bavel, Koresh the king took out of the temple in Bavel; they were turned over to a man named Sheshbatzar, whom he had appointed governor. He said to him, "Take these articles, go, put them in the temple in Yerushalayim, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site." So this same Sheshbatzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Yerushalayim; it has been under construction ever since, and it isn't finished yet.
The exiles continue to explain that their work has been decreed by the former king of Babylon. They point out the fact that, not only did the king authorize the reconstruction, but he had even sent the holy articles for service back to the temple.
"'Now therefore, if it seems good to the king, let a search be made in the royal treasury there in Bavel to determine whether a decree was issued by Koresh the king to rebuild this house of God in Yerushalayim; and let the king send us his decision concerning this matter.'"
A decree of the king (even a previous king that was dead) could not be changed once it was issued. These politicians knew that and hoped that there was no such law on record. Even while this political stuff was going on, God's people continued in His work of rebuilding the temple. That is a good lesson for us, today, as well. We often see all kinds of political stuff going on that we can clearly see is against the will of God. During these times, we can choose to worry about the political stuff or we can focus on the task that God has given us.
Read about what we do with the data we gather and the rules you agree to by using this website in our privacy policy.