BEND RATHER THAN BREAK (EZRA 4)
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island? He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
But then one day, after scavenging for food, the lone islander arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.
Early the next day, however, the man was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.
Ezra 4 is the most persecution the Jews had to suffer in the book. The chapter is unique in that the names of four Persian kings are mentioned, so the opposition and obstruction to building the temple had reached a fever pitch for many years. The people of the land sought to frustrate rebuilding the plans of the Jews in the reign of Cyrus king of Persia (v 5), Xerxes (v 6), Artaxerxes (v 7) and Darius (v 24). Darius king of Persia. The nations protested the Jews’ return to rebuild their homeland as soon as the Cyrus king of Persia permitted the move. The letters came fast and furious, freely and formally. It was swift, strategic and steady.
What do you do in work stoppage? How do you understand God’s will and way when there’s little to no progress? Why is patience applauded easier postulated than patience applied?
Be Discerning, Not Be Deceived
1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, "Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here." 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, "You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us." 4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
A knight and his men return to their castle after a long hard day of fighting.
“How are we faring?” asks the king.
“Sire,” replies the knight, “I have been robbing and pillaging on your behalf all day, burning the towns of your enemies in the west.”
“What?!?” shrieks the king. “I don’t have any enemies to the west!”
“Oh,” says the knight. “Well, you do now.”
The Jews were active in building the altar (Ezra 3:2) and the foundation (Ezra 3:10) of the temple in the last chapter, but their progress was noticed by their enemies. The noun “enemies” are elsewhere translated as tribulation (Deut 4:30), adversaries (Deut 32:27), trouble (Job 38:23) and affliction (Hos 5:15). The enemies were not unexiled Jews, but transplanted Assyrians (v 2). They were not there to help but to hassle, harass, hinder, harm and halt them.
The enemies’ offer, as stated in the cohortative or first person imperative, was “Let us build with you…” It was direct and determined, but dangerous and deceptive because the enemies could have offered to help seven months earlier before the rebuilding started or another seven months earlier when the remnant arrived, but they were not there to roll out the welcome mat, reach out to their neighbors or rally support for the returnees.
The Jewish leaders were quick to reject the enemies’ offer because the enemies invoked the generic name for God (v 2, Elohim) rather than the Lord (v 1, Yahweh) God of Israel. Again, the Lord (Yahweh) God of Israel is repeated in verse 3. Further, the locals specified “your God” rather than “our God.” Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel were not fooled, fazed or frightened. Zerubbabel replied to the point that he was following the orders of King Cyrus. The participles “discourage” (v 4 discourage the people of Judah) refer to the people, “afraid” refer to the project (v 4 make them afraid to go on building) and “hire” (v 5 hired counselors) to their payment. The enemies’ purpose was to frustrate their plans – to disappoint, divide and deny them.
Be Dauntless, Not Be Deflated
6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language. 8 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: 9 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates — the judges and officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, 10 and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates. 11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates: 12 The king should know that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations. 13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and the royal revenues will suffer. 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place of rebellion from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed. 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
Who Am I?
I am frequently most potent in the morning, but I am willing to abide
with you at any time.
I am what you feel if you get married or if you do not get married.
I am what the after-dinner speaker says he feels because he came
unprepared, and what the listeners show they feel without saying it.
I come to you when youth leaves you.
I am yours when that sarcastic person drops a remark which you cannot
fittingly answer, and I am doubled when you are later alone and think
of just the brilliant retort you should have given.
I am what overwhelms you when you suffer an overwhelming financial
loss.
I am the vainest of the vain.
I am regret! (More Toasts, Gertrude Stein)
It’s been said, “A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a person. Kites rise against, not with the wind.”
The enemies waited for King Xerxes (v 6) to ascend to the throne before they wrote an accusation to the new regime. When it did not work in the 20 years of Xerxes’ reign, they tried again under King Artaxerxes (v 7). By this time, more names, officers and more than nine tribes were added to the signees (v 9). The letter started off with a jussive or third person imperative: “BE” known (v 12, KJV), not the king should know (NIV). It was more of a warning than a wish for the king.
The adjective “rebellious” Jews occurs twice in their accusation (vv 12, 15), while “wicked” (v 12) means offensive, odious and obnoxious. “Rebellious” pointed to the returnees’ practice and “wicked” was in the people. Meanwhile, the walls were lifted upwards and the foundations were laid downwards (v12). The returnees’ plans were gaining ground, gathering speed and getting close.
If the first “BE” it known (v 12) did not sound the alarm, the second “BE” it known in the next verse (v 13) was more than enough to raise the flag. The words “suffer” (v 13) and “troublesome” (v 15) are the same in the original language, implying the king would suffer the loss and liability of taxes, tribute or duty (v 13). Dishonored (v 14) means none, nothing or nakedness, so it implies shame and scandal to the king. The verbs know (vv 12, 13), find (v 14) and inform (vv 15, 16) are the same in Aramaic.
Be Durable, Not Be Derailed
17 The king sent this reply: To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates: Greetings. 18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests? 23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop. 24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Dictionary meaning of Durable:
“Lasting, permanent, durable, stable mean enduring for so long as to seem fixed or established.” (Merriam-Webster)
“Something that is durable is strong and lasts a long time without breaking or becoming weaker.” (Collins)
“Able to last and be used for a long time without becoming damaged” (Cambridge)
“Able to withstand wear, pressure, or damage; hard-wearing” (Dictionary.com)
“Able to perform or compete over a long period, as by avoiding or overcoming injuries.” (Yourdictionary.com)
“Staying strong and in good condition over a long period of time.” (Britannica)
“Hard wearing, tough, unbreakable, can take a pounding.” (Urbandictionary.com)
Artaxerxes’s three continuous verbs in verse 18-19 “read, ordered and searched” are intensive “piel” verbs, translated as “SURELY read, ordered, searched.” The search was thorough, taxing and technical. The noun “kings” is prominent in the king’s official statement to the public (vv 19-22): kings (v 19), powerful kings (v 20) and kings (v 22), contrasted to men (v 21).
The king’s verb “issue/give” is an imperative. It is an order and an obligation to be obeyed, not to be omitted. No maneuvering, manipulating or murmuring was tolerated or the verb “stop/cease” occurs four times in Artaxerxes’ reply (vv 21, 22, 23 twice), once in verses 21-22 and twice in verse 23. Stop means desist, discontinue and drop everything. The last verb from the king, verse 22’s threat “GROW,” means materialize, multiply and magnify. It is to increase, intensify and inflame.
Verse 23’s “immediately” means the enemies hurriedly, hastily and high-handedly made a trip to Jerusalem to stop the work. Why did they rush to Jerusalem all of a sudden? Because there were many groups united to stop the building project, the peoples around them in Jerusalem (v 4) and the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa (v 9), those in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates (v 10).
“Compel by force” (v 23) is “force and power” in Aramaic. Force is physical, and power is political. Force is action, while power is authority. Force is the imposition, and power is the injunction. The Jews must be patient, peaceable and positive, not be panicky, provoked or even personal. They had lived through two kings – Ahasuerus (v 6) and Artaxerxes (v 7), so they might as well exercise the experience for the next king Darius (v 24). Most commentator suggested they waited for another 15 years.
Conclusion: Life has its up and down, high and low, and peaks and pits. On top of that, we are never short of adversaries and aggressors troubling, taunting and threatening us, but the Lord is our shelter, security and safeguard. Are you committed, calm and courageous in the face of the enemies’ hostilities and even hatred? Do you have patience and perseverance for things to turn out good in the future? Are you easily agitated, annoyed or angered by those who are bent on offending, opposing and ostracizing you? May Psalm 71:13 comfort us: “May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.”
