GOD WAS WATCHING OVER THEM
Ezra
5:1-17 / Keywords 5:5
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.
5:1 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. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 4 They[a] also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 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.
6 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. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
8 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 with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 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. 12 But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple[b] 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[c] in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, 15 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.’
16 “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.”
17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see 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.
Footnotes
a. Ezra 5:4 See Septuagint; Aramaic We.
b. Ezra 5:14 Or palace
c. Ezra 5:14 Or palace
1. God’s word inspires the builders (1-5). Enemies had hindered
the work of rebuilding and discouraged the workers. The Jews’ initial zeal for the temple faded into selfishness and the mundane. God raised prophets to
proclaim his word to the people. Haggai rebuked the people for neglecting the temple
reconstruction (Hag 1:9-11). Zechariah prophesied future hope (Zech 1:16-17, 3,
4:6-10). Joshua and Zerubbabel responded to God’s word by
restarting the work on the temple. When they obeyed God’s word, God
also watched over them. Man’s hindrance cannot stop God’s work.
2. A letter
to King Darius (6-17). Tattenai and some other officials wrote a letter to King
Darius. The letter contained the testimony of the Jewish elders. Solomon’s temple had
been a symbol of God’s grace. But when the Israelites
angered God, he allowed Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the temple and deport the
people. Later Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the temple and the temple
articles were returned. The Jewish elders believed God’s grace and
sovereignty over all history.
Prayer Lord, thank you for watching over and protecting us when we participate in
your work.
One Word God’s eye is watching over us
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