Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Bible in one year 7/13/2022 Ezra Chapter 4-6 Opposition at the reign of Xerxes, rebuilt by the Decree of Darius By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Bible in one year 7/13/2022 Ezra Chapter 4-6 Opposition at the reign of Xerxes, rebuilt by the Decree of Darius

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce                                                                                                          

Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 

Chapter 4 The opposition at the reign of Xerxes, and the compromise

 

            When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 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 Assyria, who brought us here.” But Zerubbable, 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.”(vv.1-3).

            The enemies.(vv.1-2) Descendants from the intermarriages of Israelites and foreigners who were transplanted to Samaria by Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, in 669 in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isa.7:8, uttered in 734 (2Kings17:24). This procedure by the Assyrians effectively stifled nationalistic spirit and created a syncretistic religion. Zerubbabel and Joshua refused the offer of help.

The campaign-  The the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 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. (vv.4-5).

The Climax- At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 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.

To King Artaxerxes,  From your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates:

“ 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. 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. 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, 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 way this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.”(vv11-15).

The king sent this reply

“ Greetings. The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. I issued an order and a serch 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. Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of trans-Euphrates and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?”(vv.17-22).

 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 Jerusalemand complled them by force to stop. Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a stand until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. (vv.23-24).

The work on the Temple was halted until 520. This verse connects chronologically with v.5.  The king did in fact revoke this decision later (Neh.2).

Chapter 5 the construction renewed

            Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them. (vv.1-2). Zerubbabel(v.2). Designated as the son of both Shealtiel and Sheltiel’s brother Pedaiah (1Chron.3:17-19), suggesting a case of levirate marriage (Deut.25:5-10). Tattenai(v.5) The Persian governor for the territory W. of the Euphrates. Shethar-Bozenai.Apparently his executive aide.

The protest of Tattenai

            At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and She-thar –Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “ Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?” They also asked, “ What are the names of the men constructing this building?” But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received. This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans- Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. (vv.5-6).  

The report they sent him read as follows:

To King Darius:

Cordial greetings.

The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on twith diligence and is making repid progress under their direction. We questioned the elders and asked them, “ Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?” we also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information. (vv.7-10)

This is the answer they gave us:

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, he handed them over to Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘ Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’ So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”  Now if it please the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to se if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter. (vv.11-17).

Verses 11-15 Quoting the Jews’ answer to Tattenai, the letter relates the history of the Temple from the time of its completion under Solomon (v.11), through its destruction in 586(v.12), and to the decree to rebuild it in 538 (vv.13-15).

Chapter 6 The decree of Darius 6:1-12

         King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it : (vv.1-2) Darius not only confirmed Cyrus’ previous decree, but added one of his own, which provided for some of the revenue to be given to the Jews a provision that must have shocked Tattenai, since it cut into his share.

 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:

            Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide, with three courses of large stones and one of tembers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem. They are to be deposited in the house of God. (vv.3-5).

            Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site. (vv.6-7).

            Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: the expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem must be given them daily without fail, so they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons. (vv.8-10).

            Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for thiscrime his house is tobe made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.(vv.11-12).

              The Temple completed (6:13-22)- Then because of the decree King Darius has sent, Tattenai, governor of trans-Euphratres, 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. (vv.13-15).

 The Dedication – Then the people of Israelthe priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.(vv.16-18).

The Passover – On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves. So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. (vv.19-22).

             The Temple was completed on March 12, 515 B.C. The offering were on a much less lavish scale than those at the dedication of the Temple of Solomon, which involved more than two hundred times as many oxen and sheep (1Kings 8:63). The people were much poorer and fewer in number at this time. Two groups are indicated here: the returnees, and the residents of the land who had remained separate from heathen practices.

 

Bibliography,

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986 

 

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