In our study of Ezra chapter six, we look at the completion of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. In chapter five, we saw the opposition send a letter to the king in hopes of stopping the work. Here, we look at the kings answer and the completion of the work.
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Daryavesh the king issued an order; and search was made in the archives building, where treasures were stored in Bavel; and there was found at Achm'ta, in the palace which is in the province of Media, a scroll on which was written the following: "Memorandum:
Upon receiving the letter from Jerusalem, the king ordered a search of the records to look for a decree that had been issued before. When the opposition sent the letter to the king, they were surely not expecting any such order to be found but it was. Ecbatana is the Greek name for the ancient city of Hangmatana in Persian which means "the place of assembly". The city had been the capitol of the Median Empire but, when Cyrus the Great overthrew them, the citadel became a kind of summer home for the kings of Persia. The citadel consisted of seven walls in circles with the wall inside of each circle higher than the one on its outside. Inside of the seventh circle was the palace and the treasure houses of the kingdom. Each wall had a different color with the sixth being silver and the seventh being gold (being associated with royalty). Most of the ancient ruins of the city are covered by the modern town of Hamadan which is located southwest of Tehran in the country of Iran.
"In the first year of Koresh the king, Koresh the king issued this decree:
The scroll not only authorized the temple to be rebuilt but the king had ordered that it be done. This is a reminder to us that God is in control of the affairs of man as He puts leaders in place to fulfill His purposes. This is an example of what Paul was talking about in Romans 13.
'Concerning the house of God in Yerushalayim, let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offer sacrifices; and let its foundations be firmly laid. Its height is to be ninety feet and its breadth ninety feet, with three rows of large stones and one row of new timber. The expenses are to be charged to the king's treasury.
The order also stated that the construction was to be paid for by the king. This is a reminder to us that God provides the money and materials to accomplish His will.
Also let the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which N'vukhadnetzar removed from the temple at Yerushalayim and brought to Bavel, be restored and returned to the temple in Yerushalayim, each item to its place; and you are to put them in the house of God.'
The decree also returned the things that had been taken from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar. Does it seem like the devil has stolen things from your life? Just as we see here, God can and will restore what has been taken from you.
"Therefore, Tatnai governor of the territory beyond the River, Sh'tar-Boznai and your colleagues the officials beyond the River, stay away from there! Let the work of this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Judeans and the leaders of the Judeans rebuild this house of God on its site.
King Darius gives orders to the men that had requested the investigation and they must have been shocked to be told to leave the Jews alone. All clear! is the signal that is given to the Jews to continue and complete the construction of the temple. This is a picture of how things are in our Christian walk in that, when God tells you to do something, He will take care of the opposition. Just as the men were still working on the temple, we need to keep walking the walk that God has laid out for us and trust Him to handle the opposition.
"Moreover, I herewith issue this order concerning how you are to assist these leaders of the Judeans in rebuilding this house of God: the expenses of these men are to be defrayed promptly from the royal funds, from the taxes collected beyond the River, so that the work can continue. Whatever they need - young bulls, rams and lambs - for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, according to what the cohanim in Yerushalayim say, is to be given them daily without fail; so that they can offer sacrifices with a fragrant aroma to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.
God not only handled the opposition but He also used the royal treasury to fund the work. We also see that the king provided the animals that were required for the sacrifices at the temple. He did this so that the priests would pray for him and his sons. This is what we commonly call "riding on someone's coattails" and there are many who try to do the same thing today. There are many today who try to buy the prayers and favor of God and there are many so called "pastors", "bishops", etc. who are willing to let them believe it so that they can line their own pockets. No amount of money or possessions can buy a personal relationship with God as it is only possible through Jesus Christ.
"I also order that if anyone defies this order, a beam is to be pulled from his house; and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. His house is to be reduced to rubble. May the God who has caused his name to be there overthrow any king or people that tries to defy it and destroy this house of God in Yerushalayim. "I, Daryavesh, have issued this order. Let it be carried out to the letter."
The king's order was to be irrevocable and the penalty for interfering with the construction was severe. The king also asked God to overthrow any people that destroys the temple. The temple was destroyed by an army led by Titus (the son of the Roman emperor Vespasian) in the year A.D. 70. Vespasian had been a general under Nero who was the previous emperor. King Darius' decree was implemented as we no longer see a Roman emperor today.
Then Tatnai the governor of the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River, Sh'tar-Boznai and their colleagues obeyed strictly; because Daryavesh the king had given the order to do so.
Although the politicians had started out as arrogant in their opposition, they now have changed their position. They are now following the instructions of the king and actually paying the salaries of the men that were rebuilding the temple. Today, many people (even Christian leaders) get hung up on politics and one party or another but, as we see here, most politicians are simply looking out for their own interests.
The leaders of the Judeans made good progress with the rebuilding, thanks to the prophesying of Hagai the prophet and Z'kharyah the son of 'Iddo. They kept building until they were finished, in keeping with the command of the God of Isra'el and in accordance with the order of Koresh, Daryavesh and Artach'shashta king of Persia. This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Daryavesh the king.
God spoke to His people through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The people obeyed the leading of God and finished the work on the temple. We notice that they prospered as they followed the leading of God and the same thing is true for us today. If we seek God's will and obey when He speaks to our hearts, we will prosper in what we do for the kingdom.
The people of Isra'el, the cohanim, the L'vi'im and the other people from the exile joyfully dedicated this house of God. At the dedication of this house of God they offered 100 young bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Isra'el, twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Isra'el.
After the work was completed, they had a dedication ceremony. It is interesting to note that the sacrifices that were offered were not the same as the ones that were offered at the dedication of Solomon's temple. There were less sacrifices as there was only the remnant of God's people back in Jerusalem. We also see that a goat was offered for each of the tribes of Israel. There are some who refer to some of the tribes of Israel as "lost" but, as we see here, all of the tribes had a remnant at the dedication. The goats were what is known as scapegoats as the sins of the tribes were to be put on the goats.
Then they installed the cohanim in their divisions and the L'vi'im in their orders for the service of God in Yerushalayim, as written in the book of Moshe.
With this new temple, the people had decided to turn back to the word of God. This included setting the proper people in place for the service in the temple.
The people from the exile kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month. For the cohanim and L'vi'im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the cohanim and for themselves. The people of Isra'el who had returned from the exile and all those who had renounced the filthy practices of the nations living in the land in order to seek ADONAI the God of Isra'el, ate [the Pesach lamb] and joyfully kept the feast of matzah for seven days; for ADONAI had filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Ashur toward them, so that he assisted them in the work of the house of God, the God of Isra'el.
Now that the temple was restored, the people were able to celebrate the feasts of the Lord. They began with the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) at its proper time. This was commanded by God after they left captivity in Egypt (see Exodus) as a reminder of the fact that God had delivered His people and spared their firstborn sons. This was the same feast that was happening when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final time as our Passover lamb. Just as the king of Assyria had given the All Clear! signal to rebuild the temple, Jesus cleared the way for us to have a right relationship with God through His sacrifice.
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