The Book of Ezra
Study #10
(Ezra 5)
The Building Resumes!
OPEN
1. Under what circumstances do you find it difficult to persevere in doing what is right?
2. When have you faced opposition from others for doing the right thing?
3. When have you experienced God’s protection in your life?
INTRODUCTION:
• We must go back to 4:1-5, 24 for the background of this chapter.
Ezra 4:1-5 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; [2] 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; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. [3] But 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; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. [4] Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, [5] And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Ezra 4:24 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.
• During his first year, Darius was forced to battle 9 rivals to the throne.
• Thus there would have been no time for authorizing temples.
• Darius’ answer to this letter in chapter 5 will be found in Chapter 6.
• The events of this chapter occur around 520 B.C.
I. A Renewal of the Construction (1-2)
A. An Exhortation From the Lord (1; 2 Tim. 4:8; Haggai 1:2-8)
• Prophets Encourage Rebuilding, Zerubbabel and Jeshua Begin to build again
Ezra 5:[1] Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son [NOTE: grandson. His father was Berechiah] of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
• Note the importance of preaching in any great work for God!
2 Tim. 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
• Note a sampling of the preaching of Haggai:
• By the way, Haggai delivered his first message on August 29, 520 B.C. and his last message on December 8, 520 B.C. Zechariah would join him two months later.
Haggai 1:2-8 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. [3] Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, [4] Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? [5] Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. [6] Ye have sown much, and bring in little; [failed crops] ye eat, but ye have not enough [famine]; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm [inadequate clothing]; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. [inflation due to taxes] [7] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. [8] Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.
ILLUS: The House of the Lord here at Calvary is in need of work. We will begin that work in a major way in 2005. This is pleasing to the Lord.
• While we may begrudge the delay of the Jews in rebuilding the temple, it must be noted that none of the prophets had urged rebuilding until this time.
B. An Example From the Leaders (2) [NOTE: Zerubbabel is grandson to the next to last King of Judah}
[2] Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.
• There is a time to preach and a time to build.
• Zerubbabel and Jeshua do not form a committee.
• They jump right in and build.
• NOTE: Whenever the primary task is building, Zerubbabel is first mentioned. Whenever altar ministry or other ministry is concerned, Jeshua is first mentioned. The lesson is that God delights in specialization of labor. You don’t want the preacher fixing your electrical work, and you may not want your electrician doing the preaching.
ILLUS: How we have worked together here at Calvary.
II. A Renewal of the Concerns (3-5)
Tatnai and others Investigate the Rebuilding Project
A. The Leaders’ Interrogation (3-4)
1. Concerning Permission (3)
[3] At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
[Note: A document that can be dated June 5, 502 B.C. describes Ta-at-tan-ni as governor of TransEuphrates]
• Renewed building has renewed opposition.
• Yet, in spite of the fact that they may have stopped the work apart from the Lord’s intervention (v. 5), it seems that Tattenai is a reasonable man and is trying to be a fair governor.
• His letter to Darius seems to be a correct representation of the facts and conversations.
2. Concerning Personnel (4; 2 Tim. 2:12)
[4] Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?
• They are “taking names.”
• Tattenai seems to be saying, I will not be responsible in my province for such a volatile issue as this.
ILLUS: Soviet era Christians that could not receive good jobs and housing because they identified themselves with the church!
2 Tim. 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
B. The Lord’s Intervention (5; Ps. 33:10)
[5] But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.
Psalm 33:10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
III. A Renewal of the Correspondence (6-17)
• Tatnai and others write a letter to King Darius. Excavations in 1933-34 unearthed thousands of pieces of correspondence from the reign of Darius.
[6] The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: [7] They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace.
• Shethar-boznai - a Persian officer.
• Apharsachites - A Chaldean word of foreign origen. This is an unknown Assyrian tribe.
• Not everyone had immediately accepted Darius as king.
• These locals, wanting his favor, use his favorite title.
• NOTE: The Jews sure were good for the postal business.
A. A Report to the King (8-16)
1. Concerning The Actions of the Jews (8-10)
• Actions of the Jews (8)
[8] Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great [lit., rolling] stones, and timber is laid in the walls [either structural or wainscoting], and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
• We see a report on the MATERIALS and the METHOD of the building.
• But note also the Actions of the Samaritans (9-10)
[9] Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? [10] We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
• This is a record of the actions which we have already discussed above.
• They inform the king of what THEY are doing as well as what the Jews were doing.
2. Concerning The Answers of the Jews (11-16)
• When we consider that we are reading the letter of a pagan to a pagan, we find it remarkably fair reporting.
• Tattenai was certainly no Dan Rather.
a. Our Reason (11; 2 Tim. 1:12)
[11] And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, [they do not implicate Haggai and Zechariah] and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. [Solomon, 966 B.C., 7 years in building. Cf. 1 Kings 6:38]
• They quickly identify their faith.
• It is the first thing they say.
• We must know ... as Paul said:
2 Tim. 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
• They go on to establish a precedent for the building’s existence.
b. Our Removal (12; Deut. 11:26-28)
[12] But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
Deut. 11:26-28 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; [27] A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: [28] And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
c. Our Restoration (13-15; Heb. 12:5-11)
[13] But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. [14] And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar [NOTE: SEE BOOK BACKGROUND BOX], whom he had made governor; [15] And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.
NOTE: Cyrus is called king of Persia in Ezra 1:1 and king of Babylon in Ezra 5:13. Because Persia had just conquered Babylon, Cyrus was king of both nations. Babylon is more important to this story because it was the location of the Hebrews’ 70-year captivity. Cuneiform tablets found in Syria often refer to Darius as “King of Babylon.”
Hebrews 12:5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: [6] For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [7] If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? [8] But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. [9] Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? [10] For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. [11] Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
d. Our Return (16)
[16] Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
• On the identification of Sheshbazzar, see the book background box.
• We have already preached on the faithfulness of God in bringing them back to the land.
• Oh the providence of God! Who would have thought that the Jews would ever return home? Who could have foreseen the return of the Temple gold and silver?
B. A Request for the King (17)
[17] Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
• For Verification - The Jews claim the authority of a decree of Cyrus. Is this so?
• For Notification - Please advise us what to do!
CONCLUSION:
• Our chapter leaves us in cliff-hanger fashion.
• But there are several truths which we may take home with us tonight!
1. We should be constant in our witness.
We have learned that difficult times may give us an opportunity to witness for our Lord.
2. God cares about the lives of His children.
We have seen the hand of the Lord at work in the lives of His children, and we may take comfort that He is at work in our lives.
3. God is in control!
These Jews counted on the Lord’s protection during difficult times, and so may we!
4. God will be there!
What difficult circumstance or challenge do you anticipate this week? God goes with us!
5. We ought to be thankful!
How can you demonstrate your thankfulness to the Lord for His protection over you? He has been so good to us, we should be faithful and thankful to Him!
ILLUS: My recent running of the red light at 178 and Clemson Blvd.
