Rebuilding of Jerusalem Opposed
January 17, 2021
Commentary
Every attempt to revive true religion will stir up the opposition of Satan, and of those in whom he works. The adversaries were the Samaritans, who had been planted in the land of Israel. It was plain that they did not mean to unite in the worship of the Lord, according to His word. Those who discourage a good work, and weaken them that are employed in it often make a pattern to follow (vv. 6-16). The third effort to stop the rebuilding of the temple is a letter sent by the enemy to Artaxerxes with false accusations. In the first year that Xerxes was king, [the Samaritans] wrote to him an accusation against the [returned] inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem (vv. 6-10). The contents of the letter states that if the walls are completed and the city is rebuilt, the Jews won’t pay any kind of taxes, and there will be less money in the treasury (vv. 11-13).
It was intended to mean that the prosperity of the church would be hurtful to kings and princes (vv 14-16). Nothing can be more false, for true godliness teaches us to honor and obey our sovereign. But where the command of God requires one thing and the law of the land another, we must obey God rather than man, and patiently submit to the consequences. All who love the gospel should avoid all appearance of evil, lest they should encourage the adversaries of the church. The world is ever ready to believe any accusation against the people of God, and refuses to listen to them. The king allowed himself to be imposed upon by these frauds and falsehoods. Princes often see and hear with other men’s eyes and ears, and judge things as represented to them, which are often done falsely.
Application
I need to be careful not to let other people get me sidetracked from what God wants me to do.
Ezra 4:6– 16 (NET)
6 At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 And during the reign of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first written in Aramaic but then translated. [What follows is in Aramaic]
8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: 9 From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites), 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates. 11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent to him.)
12 Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations. 13 Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer loss. 14 In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, we are sending the king this information 15 so that he may initiate a search of the records of his predecessors and discover in those records that this city is rebellious and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts from long ago. It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed. 16 We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”
Illustration: New Preacher Moves The Piano
A new preacher at the local church walked into the auditorium of His new church. He thought it would be best to move the piano from the right side of the stage to the left side of the stage, so he moved it. Soon after he was fired for the disruption caused by the new placement of the piano. Five years later he returned to the same church to visit with the minister who stepped in when he was fired. They walked into the auditorium and there was the piano on the left side of the stage. The once fired preacher asked “How did you get the piano to the left side of the stage? They fired me for moving it.” The reply from the other minister was plain. “I came in every day and moved the piano to the left three inches.” (James Chandler, Sermon Central).