OPPOSITION. Ezra 4 The beginning of a new work is an exciting time. People look forward to a fresh start, and the project is a good one. To those who had returned from exile, it was the house of God, which most of them had never seen before. The older generation remembered the past with sorrow, but the enthusiasm of the younger people seemed genuine. However, we must remember that when Satan controls an area or a people, he wants to keep that control. When the Gospel of God arrives, and truth is introduced into the hearts and lives of people accustomed to sin, he will certainly oppose it. When God is working, Satan will use any means possible to stop that work.
Whenever there is restoration, opposition is likely. Those not committed to the Lord will try to interfere with God's work by promoting unscriptural practices. Enemies may appear as supporters of the work we've been called to do. Leaders with discernment must know when to refuse help, whether it’s funds or labor. Enemies will keep seeking ways to hinder God’s work, both openly and subtly. Sometimes, opposition may be temporarily successful, and for some, persistent opposition can challenge our faith. Restoration becomes difficult when most believers believe that opposition persists for a valid reason. Persistent opposition stops at nothing, even seeking government interference, and the work may be temporarily halted.
Having 50,000 people move into a relatively small, mainly rural area that was mostly in ruins because the main city was destroyed would have caused a lot of commotion among the residents there. These people had been relocated themselves or were mixed in through the deliberate plans of the Assyrians to keep those areas politically weak. Individuals from Mesopotamia and Aram (Syria) had been moved into the northern parts of Israel to intermarry with the remaining Hebrews, who stayed behind as caretakers. They became known in the New Testament as the Samaritans, who were looked down upon by the Jews. Samaritans, then, were people who had settled in the area and intermingled with those left to tend the land and pay the taxes the conquerors demanded.
Many Jews from Babylon who had come to rebuild the temple and settle in the area likely contributed to the opposition from the land's inhabitants. When the altar was built, and the smoke from the continual burnt offerings was visible, the residents probably realized there was a different religious practice that could interfere with their own. Then, when the foundation of the temple was laid, and great rejoicing occurred, it became clear that change was coming; these newcomers were here to stay, and the locals did not want that.