In our study of Ezra chapter four, we look at the opposition that God's people faced when they obeyed God and started to rebuild His temple. We will see how this opposition took three different forms (infiltration, intimidation and legislation) and the same pattern occurs in God's work today.
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When the enemies of Y'hudah and Binyamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to ADONAI the God of Isra'el, they approached Z'rubavel and the heads of fathers' clans and said to them, "Let us build along with you; for we seek your God, just as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esar-Hadon king of Ashur, who brought us here."
The "enemies" that this passage refers to is speaking about the Samaritans who had mixed with the northern tribes of Israel. These people heard about what God was doing and wanted to join in on the party. They even tried to identify themselves as brothers with the remnant that was in Jerusalem doing the building by saying that they offered sacrifices to God. This same pattern is in effect today with God's people and His work. When God's work gets to really going, the devil tries to get his people involved (infiltration). Satan tries to stop the work from within the group of workers.
But Z'rubavel, Yeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' clans in Isra'el answered them, "You and we have nothing in common that you should join us in building a house for our God. We will build by ourselves for ADONAI the God of Isra'el, as Koresh king of Persia ordered us to do."
God's Spirit was at work and the leaders of the remnant rejected this offer of cooperation. They recognized the fact that these people were not, in fact, serving God because it was not proper for them to be offering sacrifices outside of Jerusalem. The same method can be used by God's people today in determining who we should work with in the ministry. We are to test the spirit to see if it is from God (see 1 John 4). If the spirit is of God, it will agree with the words of God.
Then the people of the land began discouraging the people of Y'hudah, in order to make them afraid to build. They also bribed officials to frustrate their plan throughout the lifetime of Koresh king of Persia and on into the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.
When God's people would not let them take part in the work, then, they set about trying to stop the work. They tried intimidation by using people and popular opinion to stop them. The same type of thing happens, today, when we listen to God and do His will.
During the reign of Achashverosh, at the beginning of his reign, they brought a charge in writing against the people living in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim. Then, during the time of Artach'shashta, Bishlam, Mitr'dat, Tav'el and their other colleagues wrote Artach'shashta; the letter was written in Aramaic, using Aramaic script.
Now, we see the last method of opposition which is legislation. When God's people would not be intimidated, then, their enemies turned to the government for help in stopping the work of God. They sent a letter to the king and the letter was even written in the language of Israel and not the language of the king. This was an attempt to convince the king that he was losing control over this part of his kingdom.
Rechum the district governor and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Yerushalayim to Artach'shashta the king as follows: "From Rechum the district governor, Shimshai the secretary, their other colleagues, the judges, the officials, the Dina'im, the Afarsat'khim, the Tarp'lim, the Afarsim, the Ark'vim, the Bavlim, the Shushan'kayim, the Dehayim, the 'Elma'im, the other nations whom the great and noble Asnapar deported and settled in Shomron, and the others who remain in the country beyond the [Euphrates] River."
They begin their letter with flattery as they speak of the greatness of the kingdom and its king. That is a common tool of the devil and is quite effective with common men.
(This is the text of the letter they sent him.) "To Artach'shashta the king from his servants the people beyond the River: "Let the king know that the Judeans who left you to come to us in Yerushalayim are building this rebellious and wicked city. They have finished the walls and are now digging the foundations.
The devil usually uses half-truths and that is what is contained in this letter. It tells the king that the people are rebuilding Jerusalem and that is true but it fails to mention that they were told to by Cyrus king of Persia (the government). As we know, governments come and go and this new government did not agree with the old. This is why our trust must be in the Lord and not what any government will promise to do for us.
So let the king know that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will refuse to pay tribute, tax or toll; and this will reduce the royal revenue. Now, because we eat the king's salt, and it is not right for us to see the king dishonored, we therefore are sending to inform the king, so that a search can be made in the archives of your ancestors; in these archives you will find and ascertain that this city is indeed a rebellious city, the bane of kings and provinces, and that sedition has been fostered there since ancient times - which is why this city was destroyed. We submit to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, you will soon lose possession of all territories beyond the River."
They keep sharing the lies by bringing up the past rebellion of the city. They tell part of the truth in that the city was destroyed because of rebellion but fail to mention that is was rebellion against God and not man. Ultimately, money is used to get the government (king) to do what they want. It is true even today that government legislation is often written based on financial concerns of men and not what is right and true.
The king sent this answer: "To Rechum the district governor, Shimshai the secretary, their other colleagues living in Shomron, and the rest beyond the River: "Shalom! "The letter you sent us has now been translated for me. I ordered a search made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings, that rebellion and sedition have been fostered there; also that there have been powerful kings over Yerushalayim who ruled all the territory beyond the River; and tribute, taxes and tolls were paid to them. "So now, order that these men stop work and that this city not be rebuilt until I order it. Take care not to neglect your duty; otherwise the harm may increase, to the damage of the king."
Upon receiving the letter, the king had the history books searched and he learned that, in the past, Jerusalem had been blessed by God. He saw that they had kings that had ruled over the same area that he now was in charge of and he became afraid. We also see that this was just a partial search in that they did not dig deep enough to find the original decree that had authorized the building. The king ordered that the work be stopped. This type of thing happens in many countries today as they try to pass legislation to restrain the work of God and His people.
When the text of King Artach'shashta's letter was read before Rechum, Shimshai the secretary and their colleagues, they hurried to Yerushalayim to the Judeans and stopped their work by force of arms. So the work on the house of God in Yerushalayim ceased; it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh king of Persia.
The enemy won a temporary victory as they stopped the work on the temple by force. We can look around us even today and see things that governments do that seem to halt the spread of the gospel (building of the kingdom). We see laws being established that go directly against the word of God but we must remember that these, too, are only temporary. God is in control!
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