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Introduction: Ezra Chapter 4 covers the opposition the Jews faced as they rebuilt the temple.
I. The Adversaries Oppose the Rebuilding of Temple
Ezr 4:1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;
Ezr 4:2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
Ezr 4:3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.
As the reconstruction of the Temple became evident to the neighboring peoples (Samaritans and neighboring gentiles), they came Zerubbabel and the chief fathers offering to join together in a cooperative effort and help. We have here a clear and developing example of biblical ecclesiastical separation.
These were the Samaritans who were not scriptural in their worship of God. These people were involved in idolatry along with a professed worship of Jehovah. They were spiritual compromisers through and through. They were the half Jew, half gentile stock which had been settled in the northern kingdom after the Assyrian deportation in about 722 B.C. (See II Kings 17:24).
2Ki 17:24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
The response of Zerubbabel and Joshua was essentially, no thanks. “But we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.” Zerubbabel demonstrated a clear example of biblical separation from apostasy. He would not cooperate with those walking outside of the instructions of the scriptures.
Ezr 4:4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
Ezr 4:5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Spurned (not on personal grounds, but by scriptural principle), “the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.”
Though not specifically recorded, they evidently threatened the workmen, sought to interfere with the delivery of material from Lebanon, and generally opposed the project. The opposition “hired counselors against them.” (The thought is how they apparently retained attorneys to file petitions and injunctions against the project.
In short, they went to court to try and stop the work. This went on throughout the remainder of the reign of Cyrus who evidently ignored them. It continued with his successor however, who unfortunately was negatively influenced against the Jewish remnant. The greater picture is so typical of Satan and how he works. He will find any method to undercut and oppose God’s work.
These people had a vision to do God’s work. Successful people always have determination about them. Warren Buffett once said “The difference in successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say NO to most everything. While he was speaking of world success in investing, it is true in our service to God. These Jews could have used the other help and made their job easier, but they said “No”. We will build the temple God’s way. We need to lead disciplined lives. Living a disciplined life is the strongest form of Self-Love.
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