God's Help (Ezra 6)

Do we persevere in finishing God’s work, trusting Him to help us, trusting His perfect timing? Let’s look at Ezra 6.

What was the decree that allowed rebuilding God’s house without further hindrance? Can God use even worldly minded government leaders to do His will?

Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. (Ezra 6:1-5 KJV)

What did Darius order Tattenai the governor to do? Can imperfect human governments help God’s work?

Now Tattenai, governor of the province beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues, the officials of the provinces beyond the River, keep away from there. Leave that work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild that house of God in its designated place. Moreover, I issue a decree concerning what you shall do for those elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be given to those people from the royal treasury out of the tribute of the provinces beyond the River, and that without negligence. (Ezra 6:6-8 LSB)

Did Darius turn any potential threat from Tattenai against him? Can God protect His work from unwilling government leaders?

And whatever is needed, bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem order, it is to be given to them daily without fail, so that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons. And I issued a decree that any person who violates this decree, a timber shall be pulled out of his house and he shall be impaled on it; and his house shall be turned into a refuse heap on account of this. May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change it, so as to destroy that house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree; it is to be carried out with all diligence!” (Ezra 6:9-12 NASB)

Did Tattenai follow the decree from Darius allowing the completion of the temple? Can God create situations whereby even unwilling government leaders assist God’s work?

Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. (Ezra 6:13-15 NIV)

What did the priests and Levites do during the dedication of the temple? Do we celebrate with joy when a new phase of God’s work on earth begins?

Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. (Ezra 6:16-18 NKJV)

Did they then celebrate the Passover with joy? Does Passover also foreshadow our greatest joy, the resurrection?

The children of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves. The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate, and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house. (Ezra 6:19-22 WEB)