Adversaries Oppose the Rebuilding. Ezra 4:1-24
INTRODUCTION TO EZRA
Ezra was a Jew, sprung from the race of Aaron, and descended from the high priest who was slain at the capture of Jerusalem, 2Ki_25:18-21. This book is not a continuous narrative, but consists of two parts separated by several years. The first part, Ezr_1:1-11; Ezr_2:1-70; Ezr_3:1-13; Ezr_4:1-24; Ezr_5:1-17; Ezr_6:1-22, contains a narrative of the return of the first caravan of Jews from Babylon, under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua. The second part, Ezr_7:1-28; Ezr_8:1-36; Ezr_9:1-15; Ezr_10:1-44, is an account of an expedition, sixty years after the first, conducted by Ezra himself, accompanied by large numbers of his fellow-countrymen, and empowered to re-establish order and religion.
This book is supposed to have been written by Ezra, who was a great student of the holy writings, and a ready scribe in the Law of Moses. He must have been a man of note among the Jewish captives to have won the favor and trust of the king of Persia. There is an absence of the miraculous, and a great similarity to the books of Chronicles. It shows enthusiasm characterizing the beginnings of work for God; then coldness and apathy follow in face of opposition; but when men get back to foundation principles, the work is carried forward to completion.
4. By whom was the building of the Temple opposed?
5. What was given as a reason why the work should be stopped?Ezra 4:1-24
ADVERSARIES OPPOSE THE REBUILDING
Now when [the Samaritans] the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles from the captivity were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel,
they came to Zerubbabel [who was now governor] and to the heads of the fathers’ households and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God [and worship] just as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” [2Ki_17:24-29]
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.”
Then [the Samaritans and others of] the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them [to deter them] from building,
and hired advisers [to work] against them to frustrate their plans during the entire time that Cyrus king of Persia reigned, [and this lasted] even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Now in the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), in the beginning of his reign, the Samaritans wrote [to him] an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem [who had returned from exile].
THE LETTER TO KING ARTAXERXES
Later, in the days of [King] Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.
Rehum the [Persian] commander [of the Samaritans] and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows–
then wrote Rehum the [Persian] commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,
and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region west of the [Euphrates] River. Now
this is a copy of the letter which they sent to him: “To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men in the region west of the [Euphrates] River; and now:
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem. They are rebuilding this rebellious and evil city and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.
Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, then they will not pay tax, custom, or toll, and the revenue of the kings will be diminished.
Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not proper for us to witness the king’s dishonor, for that reason we have sent word and informed the king,
in order that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that this is a rebellious city, damaging to kings and provinces, and that in the past they have incited rebellion within it. That is why that city was laid waste (destroyed).
We are informing the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls finished, it will mean that you will have no possession in the province west of the [Euphrates] River.”
THE KING ORDERS THE WORK TO CEASE
Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the [Persian] commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces west of the River: “Peace (Greetings). And now,
The document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me.
I have issued a command and a search has been made, and it has been discovered that this city [Jerusalem] in earlier times has revolted against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been perpetrated in it.
There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem who have ruled over all the provinces west of the [Euphrates] River, and tax, custom, and toll were paid to them.
So, now issue a decree to make these men stop [work], so that this city is not rebuilt until a [new] command is issued by me.
Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter. Why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?”
Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they went up hurriedly to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them stop [work] by force of arms.
Then the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped. It was suspended until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
So long as you lead a languid and unaggressive life, the enemy will leave you alone, but directly you begin to build God’s temple, you may count on His strenuous opposition. When we are permitted to go on from day to day without much temptation, we may fear that we are doing little to destroy evil and construct good. But the virulent hate of the wicked one is a comfortable sign that his kingdom is suffering serious damage. Let us so live that we may give the devil good reason to fear and hate us. There is a stronger than he. We must beware of the proposal to join in with the ungodly. Their arguments may sound very fair and appeal to a false liberality of sentiment, but the golden cup contains poison, and beneath the kiss is the traitor’s hand. This is why so many fair enterprises have miscarried. They have seemed to afford common ground for cooperation with the false and counterfeit Israel, but they have ended in disillusion and disappointment. Though the Jews excited the intense hatred and opposition of their would-be helpers, their policy of exclusiveness was amply justified by the result. The old proverb reminds us that we must never trust our enemies when they offer blandishments and gifts.
The promoters of this letter were descendants of the heathen colonists who had been sent into the land by the Assyrians, 2Ki_17:24. It was written to the then reigning monarch, Artaxerxes, which Ezra seems to have copied from the records of Persia, because it stands in the original in the Chaldee language. Notice that now the Israelites are first called Jews, i.e., Judahites, Ezr_4:12. They urge that the Temple-building should be stayed for the king’s own sake. Secret enmity to God’s kingdom is often hidden under pretended devotion to Caesar, Joh_19:12. We, too, have our maintenance from the God of heaven, we have eaten the salt of the palace, Ezr_4:14; and we should never allow His name to be dishonored without doing our best to prevent it. The king was imposed upon by their representations, and ordered the work to cease. But it is probable that something was due to the supineness of the Jews, who were already half-hearted in their endeavors, Hag_1:2-9. The rebuilding of the Temple stopped during the reigns of Cambyses and the Magia Smerdis; but in the second year of Darius Hystaspes it was recommenced, and was then finished in four years, or nineteen years after its commencement, Zec_8:9; Hag_2:18.
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