Ezra 5:2-16, Haggai 1:12-15, 2:10-23
Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.(Ezra 5:2)
“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” (Haggai 1:12-15)
Inspired by the prophets the people acted on their prophecies, resuming construction of the temple, with the prophets’ help and encouragement. God inspired them all from the governor and the High priest, with the rest of the people to get started.
“At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.” (Ezra 5:3-5)
As soon as the Jews resumed construction on the temple, the neighboring countries came to stop the construction, much like a neighborhood might block construction of church in their neighborhood. They immediately sent a message demanding to know who had authorized the construction and who was responsible for the work. Believing God was behind it, the Jews refused to halt construction unless Darius ordered them to stop. The governors then sent a letter to Darius challenging their actions.
“The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.
Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.” (Ezra 5:6-16)
In their letter to Darius, the governors recounted their asctions in questioning the Jews authority to rebuild the temple. They described the Jews response that they had been taken into captivity by Babylon because of their disobedience to God and that now God had ordered them to rebuilt the temple. They claimed to have authority from Cyrus to do so, dating from the first year he ruled Babylon, and that he had even provided most of the materials. They claimed they were just finishing what he had started.
The governors requested that a the records be checked to see if in fact Cyrus had made such a decree since if it were true, under Persian law, it would still apply. To keep the Jews from getting discouraged, God regularly sent prophecies by Haggai and Zechariah.
“In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?
And the priests answered and said, No.
Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?
And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD: Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. “ (Haggai 2:10-18)
Three months after they resumed construction, Haggai offers two more prophecies, reminding Israel that they had been sent to rebuild the Temple and restore the worship of God. He starts with questions about the law to get the priests thinking about what they were doing, asking if a holy, purified thing would still be considered holy and pure if it came in contact with something that was contaminated.
Their answer was the same a s a nurse or doctor would respond about whether something was sterile or not. Once it has been exposed to non sterile conditions, or used for something else, it is no longer considered sterile.
Because of the opposition, the Jews had focused on doing other things rather than what they there for, and were no longer dedicated to doing God’s work. As a result, they had stopped experiencing the blessings of God. They had laid the foundations for the temple when they first returned at Cyrus’ command, but their failure to complete it was like a man who plowed a field, but never bothered to plant the seed. As long as the seed is left in storage and not planted it cannot produce a crop. God would begin to bless again that very day if they would begin construction.
That same afternoon, Haggai delivered his second prophecy to Zerubbabel, the governor of the land who had led the group back to Judah over forty years before.
“And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
“In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:19-23)
God promised that he would destroy armies and empires, even shaking the heavens and the earth and despite their military might and weapons. He would set Zerubbabel, and Israel up as a signet, or signature ring, the proof that this was of God. They had nothing to fear in proceeding even though the legal challenge had not been settled.
Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.(Ezra 5:2)
“Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” (Haggai 1:12-15)
Inspired by the prophets the people acted on their prophecies, resuming construction of the temple, with the prophets’ help and encouragement. God inspired them all from the governor and the High priest, with the rest of the people to get started.
“At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter.” (Ezra 5:3-5)
As soon as the Jews resumed construction on the temple, the neighboring countries came to stop the construction, much like a neighborhood might block construction of church in their neighborhood. They immediately sent a message demanding to know who had authorized the construction and who was responsible for the work. Believing God was behind it, the Jews refused to halt construction unless Darius ordered them to stop. The governors then sent a letter to Darius challenging their actions.
“The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king: They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.
Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls? We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place.
Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king's treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.” (Ezra 5:6-16)
In their letter to Darius, the governors recounted their asctions in questioning the Jews authority to rebuild the temple. They described the Jews response that they had been taken into captivity by Babylon because of their disobedience to God and that now God had ordered them to rebuilt the temple. They claimed to have authority from Cyrus to do so, dating from the first year he ruled Babylon, and that he had even provided most of the materials. They claimed they were just finishing what he had started.
The governors requested that a the records be checked to see if in fact Cyrus had made such a decree since if it were true, under Persian law, it would still apply. To keep the Jews from getting discouraged, God regularly sent prophecies by Haggai and Zechariah.
“In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy?
And the priests answered and said, No.
Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean?
And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD: Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.
Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you. “ (Haggai 2:10-18)
Three months after they resumed construction, Haggai offers two more prophecies, reminding Israel that they had been sent to rebuild the Temple and restore the worship of God. He starts with questions about the law to get the priests thinking about what they were doing, asking if a holy, purified thing would still be considered holy and pure if it came in contact with something that was contaminated.
Their answer was the same a s a nurse or doctor would respond about whether something was sterile or not. Once it has been exposed to non sterile conditions, or used for something else, it is no longer considered sterile.
Because of the opposition, the Jews had focused on doing other things rather than what they there for, and were no longer dedicated to doing God’s work. As a result, they had stopped experiencing the blessings of God. They had laid the foundations for the temple when they first returned at Cyrus’ command, but their failure to complete it was like a man who plowed a field, but never bothered to plant the seed. As long as the seed is left in storage and not planted it cannot produce a crop. God would begin to bless again that very day if they would begin construction.
That same afternoon, Haggai delivered his second prophecy to Zerubbabel, the governor of the land who had led the group back to Judah over forty years before.
“And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
“In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:19-23)
God promised that he would destroy armies and empires, even shaking the heavens and the earth and despite their military might and weapons. He would set Zerubbabel, and Israel up as a signet, or signature ring, the proof that this was of God. They had nothing to fear in proceeding even though the legal challenge had not been settled.
God's work will always be opposed by the majority, but thank God for the faithful remnant who are obedient to His will. Praise Him for encouraging His remnant, through prophets in times past, and now through His Word. Thanks for the great post & God bless!
ReplyDeleteThank God, he does not leave us to blindly follow him, but gives us reason to hope.
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