The Book of Ezra
Study #11
(Ezra 6)
The Temple Completed!
OPEN:
* 1. What do you think is valuable about studying history?
2. When have you discovered something about the past that has helped you in the present?
• I remember when I learned that no great thing has ever been accomplished without opposition.
• Some inventors were even thought insane.
3. How has your study of Israel’s history helped you in your own Christian walk?
• We have learned that we must stay at the task.
• It is easy to become cold.
• We have learned to obey God, even in the face of opposition.
INTRODUCTION:
• We must refresh ourselves on the background of this chapter.
• You will remember that in 4:1-5, the locals began the opposition to temple construction.
• They first tried to cause the children of Israel to compromise.
• Remember, these locals worshiped Jehovah, but only as ONE of their many gods.
• When the Jews would not join with them, then they tried to harass them, both locally and legally.
• This succeeded in stopping the work (4:24).
• Then in chapter 5, Haggai and Zechariah stand to urge the rebuilding to start again.
• This causes Tatnai, the local governor, to send to Darius for advice and counsel in the matter.
• Chapter 6 is the answer to Tatnai’s request, and the resulting actions.
I. The Reply (6:1-12)
A. The Decree of Cyrus (1-5)
1. The Discovery (1-2)
Ezr 6:1-22 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. (2) 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:
Decree - This would not be a large public decree, but a private order to his record keepers. You will note that there are extra details in these minutes that were not in the public decree of 1:1-4.
Babylon - Search was made there, but the record was not found there.
Achmetha - Achmetha is another name for the Persian capital of Ecbatana, 300 mi. NE of Babylon in the foothills, where Cyrus and others had their summer homes. (MacArthur) The record is found there because that is where Cyrus spent the summer of 538 B.C. (BKC) The modern name of this town is Hamadan.
A record - Note the importance of proper record keeping. How ironic and wonderful that God’s work was carried on by the discovery of a lost paragraph in a pagan library.
QUOTE: A particular kind of document called a memorandum (Ezra 4:15; Mal. 3:16). Administrative officials often kept these documents of administrative decisions made, or issues remaining to be settled, to retain the details of administrative action for future reference. (MacArthur)
2. The Details (3-5)
a. The Construction (3-4)
(3) In the first year of Cyrus (538 B.C.) 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 [= 90 feet], and the breadth thereof threescore cubits [=90 feet]; (4) With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house:
• The details here given are much greater than those in chapter 1.
• There is a record of: (Not on handout)
1) The Permission
2) The Place
3) The Purpose
4) The Patterns
- for every three courses of stone, a course of timber. Perhaps Waynescoting?
- It is possible that this temple was larger than that of Solomon’s. The text is not clear.
1 Kings 6:2 And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
5) The Provision
b. The Contents (5)
(5) 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.
ILLUS: Billy Kelly and the Jack Daniel’s barrels. That was God’s wood and God’s iron in that band. The Devil has had them long enough.
• How marvelous is the providence of God, providing for every piece to go back to its proper place, even when the place did not exist!
B. The Decree of Darius (6-12)
1. The Prohibition (6-7)
(6) Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: (7) Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.
• How we need to pray that God will pronounce this decree against the ACLU, etc.
• Tatnai had wanted instructions. Now he has them, plain and straightforward.
2. The Provision (8-9; Matt. 6:25-34)
(8) Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. (9) And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:
• God can provide by a direct miracle - as He did with the widow’s oil.
• God can provide by his omniscience - as He did with the tax money in the fish’s mouth.
• But God can also extract what God’s people need from the taxes of a pagan government!
• So Tattenai’s inquiry backfired.
• Instead of stopping the temple work, he had to let it proceed and even had to help pay for it out of his revenues!
Matt. 6: 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
3. The Purpose (10)
(10) That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.
• Daruis’ purpose is selfish, as had been that of Cyrus before. They want all the gods favor!
• Yahweh is perceived as a “local deity.” (powerful in his territory).
• But God uses it for His glory.
• If a superstitious king knew that he needed divine favor, how foolish when we believers attempt to make it on our own.
4. The Punishment (11-12)
(11) Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this. (12) And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.
• There is a punishment from the King.
• Hanged = literally, “impaled.” There is no rope in OT hangings.
• Execution by impaling was practiced in the Assyrian and Persian Empires.
• Also, there is a punishment called down from God.
• Can you imagine the celebration that took place upon the public reading of this reply!
II. The Rebuilding (13-18)
A. The Conformity (13)
(13) Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
• Tatnai has been ordered, not only not to hinder, but also to help.
• I would obey too!
B. The Completion (14-15)
(14) And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. (15) And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
• Adar - The 12th month (Feb./Mar.) in 516 b.c.
1. The Importance of the Work
• It takes the work of the hands.
• No church can operate exclusively upon preaching!
2. The Importance of the Word
• But no church can operate without preaching!
• The word of God provedes direction.
• The hands of God’s people provide the doing!
• NOTE: This is done first at the commandment of the God of Israel.
• He gets the glory.
• Cyrus and Darius are just players!
C. The Celebration (16-18)
1. The Offering (16-17; 1 Chron. 16:29)
(16) And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, (17) And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
• These do not come before God empty handed!
• Though their numbers are reduced, and their offering is only 1/200th of that offered by Solomon at the first temple dedication, they give what they can.
• With a heart of gratitude and obedience they make their offerings to the Lord.
• How a man or woman can enjoy God’s blessings and not tithe is beyond me.
1 Chronicles 16:29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
2. The Organization (18)
(18) And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses [NOTE: probably Leviticus].
• God expects that things “be done decently and in order.”
• And that order must conform to the Word.
III. The Renewal (19-22)
A. The Purification (19-21)
1. The Priests (19-20)
(19) And the children of the captivity kept the Passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. (20) For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
2. The People (21)
(21) And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,
• God will only use a clean vessel.
• Perhaps we are not seeing more CONVICTION because we haven’t seen enough CLEANSING.
• Perhaps were are not seeing more SOULS WON because we haven’t seen enough SINS WASHED!
B. The Praise (22)
(22) And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
• God’s people are a joyful people!
• We have reason to rejoice!
• What is one thing the Lord has done for you that causes you to praise Him?
1. God’s Providence
• When the children of Israel languished in a foreign land, they had no freedom, and certainly no provision to build a temple.
• But what they could not do, their prayers could.
2. God’s Provision
• Only God could have made this possible.
• Only God can turn the heart of the king in His hand.
• Only God could order that king to pay the expenses.
When has the Lord ever provided for your needs in a miraculous way?
3. God’s Place (Ps. 84:10; 122:1) “The House of God”
Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Psalm 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
CONCLUSION:
QUOTE: The project began with mingled joy and tears (3:8-13), but it ended with all the people rejoicing (6:16-22). The traditional feast took on new joy because of what God had done for His people. (Wiersbe, W. W.)
A FINAL NOTE: Some may feel, wow, what a tremendous thing to have the Lord do something like this just for you. We have a far greater privilege. They completed the Temple and then had to offer sacrifices. Our salvation is complete. And we have no offerings to offer. The price has been paid. And that is something that God has done just for us!
• Thoughts on the promise received.
ILLUS: Getting my graduate degree at BJU.
• One day for all of us, faith will become sight!!!
1 Cor. 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
There are many ways to pray for God’s help. Have you ever considered that God would change the attitude of a person or group of people? God is infinitely powerful, his insight and wisdom transcend the laws of human nature. While you must always change your attitude as a first step, remember that he can change the attitude of others.
NOTE: Between chapters 6 and 7 is a period of fifty-eight years. The Book of Esther fits in here. (Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines)
