Ezra 6

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God” (Deut. 7: nkjv). Moses said that to the new generation of Israelites before they entered Canaan, a truth they would need as they faced the enemy and claimed their inheritance. New generations and old generations both need to be reminded that God is faithful.

“He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (1 Thess. 5: nkjv). Paul wrote that to some young Christians in Thessalonica, people who were being persecuted for their faith. They needed to be reminded that God’s commandments are God’s enablements.

“God being who He is,” said A. W. Tozer, “cannot cease to be what He is, and being what He is, He cannot act out of character with Himself. He is at once faithful and immutable, so all His words and acts must be and must remain faithful.”

J. Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to inland China, described the successful Christian life as “not a striving to have faith … but a looking off to the Faithful One …” He knew the words of Paul: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2: nkjv).

The Jewish remnant that returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple was depending on God’s faithfulness to see them through. If God wasn’t faithful to His covenant and His promises, then there was no hope. But the God who called them would be faithful to help them finish His work (Phil. 1:6), as long as they trusted Him and obeyed His Word.

In these three chapters, we see how God was faithful to His people in every stage of their work for Him.

From 530 to 520, the Jews concentrated on building their own houses and neglected the house of the Lord. The Lord chastened His people to encourage them to obey His commands (Hag. 1:6), but they refused to listen. What means did God use to get the work going again?

God used preachers of the Word (Ezra 5:1–2). It was by the Word of the Lord that the world was created (Ps. 33:6–9), and by that same Word the Lord governs His creation and His people (Ps. 33:10–11). Church history shows that when God wants to arouse His people to do His will, He calls people to proclaim the Word of the Lord. The preaching of Martin Luther brought about what we call “the Reformation,” a movement that transformed not only Germany but the entire Christian world. The preaching of John Wesley produced a spiritual awakening in Great Britain that swept many into the kingdom of God. Historians tell us that the Wesleyan Revival helped to rescue England from the kind of blood bath that France experienced during the French Revolution.

Never underestimate the power of the faithful preaching of God’s Word. Charles Spurgeon, the famed British Baptist preacher, said, “I cannot help feeling that the man who preaches the Word of God is standing, not on a mere platform, but on a throne.”

Haggai began his ministry of the word on August 29, 520 (Hag. 1:1), and five of his messages are recorded in the book that bears his name. A month or two later, he was joined by a young man named Zechariah, a priest whom God had called to be a prophet (Zech. 1:1). These two men delivered God’s word to the leaders and the remnant, “and they [the Jews] prospered through the prophesying [preaching] of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah” (Ezra 6:14).

Any work of God that isn’t built on the Word of God will never prosper. Moses’ success as the leader of Israel came from his faith in and obedience to God’s word (Deut. 4:10). Joshua’s success in conquering the enemy in Canaan was based on his devotion to the word of God (Josh. 1:8). When we obey God’s Word, we can expect “great reward” (Ps. 19:11). If we want to know the power of God, we must also know the Word of God (Matt. 22:29).

God used local officials (Ezra 5:3–17). As governor of the province of Judah, Tattenai (Tatnai) was concerned about what the Jews were doing in Jerusalem, and rightly so. It was his responsibility to protect the interests of King Darius and the welfare of the empire and to see to it that peace and security were maintained. So, when the project was resumed, Tattenai investigated and asked two questions: (1) “Who gave you the authority to do this?” and (2) “What are the names of the men working on the building?”

The Jews didn’t look upon the Persian officer as a troublemaker, but graciously answered his questions. After all, they had nothing to hide, and the eye of the Lord was upon them. God saw to it that the work was allowed to go on while Tattenai contacted the king to find out what to do.

God’s people must “walk in wisdom toward those who are outside” (Col. 4: nkjv) and “walk honestly toward them that are outside” (1 Thess. 4:12), otherwise we have no effective witness where a witness is greatly needed. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established” (Rom. 13: niv; and see 1 Peter 2:11–17). When it comes to the believers’ relationship to civil authorities, there’s no place for arrogance, accusation, or carnal anger masquerading as zeal for the Lord. Even where we disagree with officials, we can do it graciously (Dan. 1; 3; 6; Acts 4:19–20; 5:29; 1 Peter 2:13–25).

One of the things that worried Tattenai was the structure of the temple, with its large stones and timbered walls. It looked more like a fortress than a sanctuary! And the work was progressing so rapidly that he wondered if the Jews were planning to revolt.

The Jews knew their history and told Tattenai how the temple was built (the “great king” being Solomon) and why the temple was destroyed. They related how Nebuchadnezzar exiled the Jews in Babylon and how decades later Cyrus gave them permission to return to their land and rebuild their temple. Cyrus also gave them the temple treasures so that the ministry could be established again according to the law of Moses. The facts were all there; the king’s secretaries could check the archives to see that the Jews were telling the truth.

Careful to “[make] the most of every opportunity” (Eph. 5:15–16), the Jewish workers framed their answers to glorify the Lord. They didn’t try to cover up the sins of the nation (Ezra 5:12) and they openly acknowledged that they were “the servants of the God of heaven” (v. 11). Both in their words and their demeanor, they presented a clear witness to this important Persian official, and God used him to certify their right to build and guarantee supplies from the king!

God used Darius the king (6:1–12). The royal secretaries searched the archives and located the scroll Cyrus had left containing the edict that governed the return of the Jews to their land. It authorized the Jews to rebuild their temple and even gave the limits of its dimensions. Cyrus permitted large stones to be used for the walls and promised to pay the costs from the royal treasury. He also ordered the local officials to provide beasts for the daily sacrifices. His motive here may have been mixed, because he wanted the priests to pray for him and his sons, but the people of God are supposed to pray for those who are in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–4).

“Let the work of this house of God alone!” (Ezra 6:7) literally means, “Keep your distance!” Neither the local Persian officials nor the people of the land were to interfere, but rather do everything they could to support the work. The king described the terrible judgments that would come to anybody who didn’t obey his edict (vv. 11–12). So, what started out as an investigation ended up as a royal decree that protected the Jews and provided for them!

But suppose the Jewish remnant had been offensive and treated Tattenai and his associates with defiance and disdain? His letter to headquarters might not have been as positive as it was, and this could have changed everything. Peter admonishes us to speak “with gentleness and respect”(1 Peter 3: niv) when unsaved people question us, because this glorifies God and opens new opportunities for witness. God’s eye is upon His people as they serve Him, so we need not fear what men can do to us.

On the twelfth day of the last month of 515, the temple was completed, about seventy years from the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 586, and about five and a half years after Haggai and Zechariah called the people back to work (5:1). God had been faithful to care for His people. He provided encouragement through the preaching of the prophets and even used the authority and wealth of a pagan king to further the work.

The joy of dedicating (6:13–18). Though there was no ark in the Holy of Holies, and no glory filled the house, the temple was still dedicated to the Lord because it was His house, built for His glory. Instead of weeping over what they didn’t have, the Jews rejoiced over what they did have, and this is always the attitude of faith.

When King Solomon dedicated the temple that he built, he offered so many sacrifices that they couldn’t be counted (1 Kings 8:5), plus 142,000 peace offerings which were shared with the people (1 Kings 8:63). The Jewish remnant offered only 712 sacrifices, but the Lord accepted them. Most important, they offered twelve male goats as sin offerings, one for each tribe, because they wanted the Lord to forgive their sins and give them a new beginning.

Joshua the high priest also consecrated the priests and Levites for their ministry in the completed temple. David had organized the priests into twenty-four courses so they could minister more effectively (1 Chron. 24:1–19). It wasn’t necessary for all of them to serve all the time, for each course was assigned its week of ministry at the temple (Luke 1:5, 8). The statement “as it is written in the law of Moses” (6:18) refers to the consecration of the priests, not their organization. (See Lev. 8—9.)

The joy of remembering (Ezra 6:19–22). Passover was just a few weeks later and the Jews gathered in their families to remember how God had delivered them from bondage in Egypt (Ex. 12). Each year, the Jewish men were required to make three trips to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. During their years in exile, how the hearts of the Jews must have yearned for the day when once again they were free to go to their Holy City and worship God.

The leaders invited all the Jews and Jewish proselytes to share in the Passover, even those who couldn’t prove their lineage. As long as the males were circumcised (Ex. 12:43–49) and had separated themselves from the paganism of the people of the land, they were welcome. It speaks well of the Jewish remnant that they reached out in this way and didn’t try to establish an exclusive “holier than thou” fellowship.

The temple had been dedicated, and now the people were dedicating themselves to the Lord. During the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Jews had to remove all yeast (leaven) from their dwellings, a picture of personal purification. To a Jew, yeast was a symbol of evil, so Passover was a time to put away all evil from their lives. What good is a dedicated temple if you don’t have a dedicated people? Once again, Jewish worship would take place in the Holy City in a restored temple dedicated to the Lord. No wonder the people were rejoicing! And it was all because of the faithfulness of God. He had “turned the heart of the king” to assist the people, and now the work was completed (Prov. 21:1).

No matter what our circumstances may be, we can trust God to be faithful. “Great is thy faithfulness” isn’t just a verse to quote (Lam. 3:23) or a song to sing. It’s a glorious truth to believe and to act upon, no matter how difficult the situation in life might be.

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 89: nkjv).