1. A SUBTLE APPROACH
"Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do".
Sublety is the first thing mentioned about Satan in scripture - read Genesis 3:1.
Notice that the leaders were approached. We should pray for those in church leadership.
2. A STEADFAST ANSWER
"Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God".
3. A SINISTER AIM
"Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose".
4. A SATANIC ATTACK
"In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem".
God’s faithful people have always been slandered.
Even Jesus was slandered - Luke 23:2 "And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King".
5. A SUSPENDED ACTIVITY
"Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia".
Galatians 5:7 "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"
