Good morning, I am feeling inspired by Ezra. I hope you are as well. Today, we will read chapters 4-7.
Accept Responsibility
I have been involved in ministries now for twenty-five years. When you feel God calling you, it is intimidating.
At first, I was eager to join in.
I went to the pastor of the church we were attending and asked if I could teach a class. There was a shortage of teachers. I thought the answer would be an instant, “Thank you!”
Instead, the pastor interrogated me. He questioned my beliefs, my conversion experience, and my qualifications to help.
I was a little put off. I remember thinking, “fine, I was just asking if you could use a hand.”
The pastor knew he had to protect his congregation. He was their shepherd and had to ensure anyone who was going to teach them was qualified. Many heresies have entered the church through apostates who teach incorrect doctrine.
While we should all be willing to give an answer for our faith (see 1 Peter 3:15), to be given authority, to be permitted to teach, is a higher calling. We should not take it lightly.
2 Tim 4:5 tells us you will have to be serious about how you conduct your life, and to expect hardship.
Not By Works
People will embrace this opportunity with wrong motives.
My knowledge that I had been God’s enemy most of my life (see Rom 5:10) compelled me to make amends.
We know how much sin we have in our ledger. If we can do enough good things, we reason, we can balance it out.
Salvation does not work this way.
Let’s say you were to be arrested for stealing a car and went before a judge. He will not care that you also do charity work for underprivileged children. Even if he wanted to give you a lighter sentence, his commitment is to the law. He would have to judge you for the crime.
God is a perfect judge. He would refuse to pronounce one thief guilty because of his attitude and declared another innocent because of his generosity. That would not be justice.
Therefore, Ephesians 2:8-9 says, 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
The Enemy
In verses 1-5, the Samaritans see the families of Judah have returned to Jerusalem. They can see they’re rebuilding the temple and the walls of the city.
Samaritans had always been enemies of Israel, but they had been in captivity for seventy years.
Had this new generation forgotten past transgressions? Were they unfamiliar with their history?
Their response was to offer to help.
Were they trying to balance the scales? What was their motive? We don’t know.
Zerubbabel’s Responsibility
Zerubbabel had a decree from Cyrus, which did not include enlisting others to help.
The leaders of Israel knew this was a sacred duty to rebuild the temple for their God.
Therefore, they send them away.
How we turn people away is important. We can deny them and still make them feel appreciated.
“Thanks, we have some requirements and King Cyrus will only let specific people work on this project, but we appreciate the offer.”
They might have responded, “No problem, we just had some time on our hands and wanted to be neighborly.”
Abrupt handling could cause the response to be taken as an insult.
The Israelites flatly rejected the Samaritans’ offer of help. They took offense.
From that point on, they opposed the construction (v4:5).
Seasons Changes
Cyrus died in battle, and Xerxes succeeded him.
He had his own agenda.
This is like a new administration no longer wanting to back the initiatives of their predecessor.
He would have put in his own advisors and cabinet. They would want to drive their own initiatives.
Artabanus assassinated Xerxes, and Artaxerxes replaced him.
Therefore, anything Cyrus had in his heart, like allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, would no longer be a priority.
The Samaritans exploit this and turn the Persians against the people of Judah.
They dig up old records of what happened before the exile and convince King Artaxerxes to stop the building (v4:19-23).
Expect Challenges
I have learned over the years, whenever I am about to undertake a new ministry, the enemy will create opposition. He will attack my health or my finances. The enemy will create some diversion in my life which will distract me. His goal is to prevent me from serving God.
I had noticed this cycle, and it has caused me to hesitate before accepting other ministries.
Even now, I have to wonder if there is a connection between publishing my second book and losing my job. This fits the pattern.
When you know it’s for the Lord, not your ambitions, you push past the opposition.
The advisors convinced Artaxerxes to consult the record books. There he reads Cyrus had decreed to even provide funding for the Jews (v6:8).
He reinforces the edict, threatening to impale on a beam from their house anyone who hinders the construction.
We will face challenges when we take a stand for the Lord. This is to be expected.
When God is For Us
Staying true to God always results in the situation, resulting in good for those who love God and keep His commands (Rom 8:28).
With patience, prayer, and dedication to God’s will, all things are possible.
Artaxerxes sent Ezra, and they finished the temple’s construction (in verse 7:6).
He has a thorough knowledge of the Law of Moses. God is with him, and the king gives him all he asks for.
Ezra dedicated himself to studying, observing, and teaching the Law.
When we devote ourselves to the Lord, we do not have to worry about the attacks of the enemy. God is stronger. When God is with us, who can stand against us (see Rom 8:31)?
Tomorrow we will read Ezra 8-10