A CONFIRMATION DECREE. Ezra 6:1-12 The House of Rolls was where documents were kept in the Persian Empire. There were four capital cities mentioned in the Apocryphal books where local laws were established and enforced. Achmetha was one of them, located in northwestern Iran, where the Medes lived. They were a tribe related to the Persians with some European connections. They became subordinate to the Persians during the reign of Cyrus.
The document they found there was written in Aramaic, which is more technical, formal, and administrative than the Hebrew version that is in chapter 1. When a decree is in writing, don’t hesitate to act upon it. The result of the decree was that restoration began again and overcame opposition. God controls events and people as He sovereignly chooses. Circumstances and unexpected people can be a blessing. God does not grant great spiritual blessings when there is only half-hearted obedience or outright disobedience to His will and word.
Our responsibility is to do what God desires today with our best effort. Being half-hearted about spiritual matters or careless in how we serve God shows what is truly important to us. It is not what we have or want now that matters most, but how each day's actions influence our future when we live and reign with our Lord Jesus Christ. God can use anyone He chooses to carry out His will. The written record is the best way to end speculation and arguments when conflicts happen between individuals or groups. This helps settle the "he said, she said" kind of dialogue that makes it hard to reach a conclusion.
Haggai encouraged Zerubbabel and Joshua to keep rebuilding the temple and rebuked the careless worship of God's people. Zechariah also prophesied during the rebuilding period and took a different approach to the same issue. He emphasized that it was God who wanted this work to be finished. He pointed out that God has a plan for Israel's future when the Messiah comes and reigns.
Tatnai, the governor, listened to Zerubbabel and Joshua. When he complained to Darius, he probably knew there would be a record of the returnees from his region. It seems he didn't believe the rebuilding of the temple was officially approved. His letter to Darius suggested that if the Jews' claim was true, there would be a written decree. When the original Cyrus decree was found in the ancient capital of the Medes, Darius was convinced that the work in Jerusalem was legitimate. The temple was to be rebuilt by the command of the "God of heaven" and the earthly ruler.
The instructions about the temple were clearly written. The temple would not be like Solomon’s temple but would serve as a gathering place, enabling the Israelites to be recognized as a distinct group under Persian rule. The temple and religious practices would help keep the people united and would make it easier to control them. By supporting various religions across the empire, the Persians maintained their control over different tribal groups and nationalities.
God, through Darius's decree, clearly commanded that all opposition be stopped and that cooperation continue until the work was complete. We may not always understand how God will bring about the results we hope for in our efforts, but we can trust Him to accomplish His divine will. With faith, we can proceed confidently until the work is done. It is our duty to be where God wants us, doing what He wants, in the way He desires, all for His glory.
Cyrus's written words clarified that "the house of God at Jerusalem" was to be built on the same site as Solomon's temple for offering sacrifices. Cyrus acted under the Lord's authority when describing the building, its size, and the materials to be used. When Darius issued his decree, he did so strongly and clearly to prevent any misunderstanding by those who complained. Likely, Daniel's influence and testimony to Darius about "the God of heaven" fostered in the king a reverent fear of God. A believer's daily testimony, as well as during crises like in the den of lions, carries a power that surpasses mere human experience.
The "do not interfere" with the temple building was not a suggestion but a dogmatic statement, accompanied by a serious "or else" warning. The phrase "the house of God" was mentioned six times in the king's decree. "The God of heaven" was referred to twice, and the phrase "the God that has caused His name to dwell there" indicated that the king knew he was a lesser authority than the Lord God of Israel.
Positionally, the Jews were where God wanted them to be; conditionally, they were not. They had become discouraged and distracted, abandoning the work of rebuilding the temple and leaving it unfinished. But God raised up two prophets to stir them up and encourage them to start again. The position of God’s people today is good; we are safe in Christ. However, when we consider our condition, we often find that a lot is lacking. Some of God’s people actually walk away from what is right because it is not what they want it to be. Others seek to be "comfortable," and God allows circumstances to make us uncomfortable to test and train us.
The situation of the Jews in the book of Ezra was not good, but God was still with His people, and His will would be done. Opposition and persecution came, but God had arranged things years beforehand to handle the problems He knew would arise. In fact, the significance of Cyrus’s written words was not lost on Darius, who added his own support to the decree he issued to address the opposition. “God is greater than His foes!”
The "powers that be" often try to usurp the authority God reserves for Himself; therefore, God reveals Himself in ways beyond human control. When, as a nation, we took the keys of life into our hands to make sin convenient—such as abortion, euthanasia, and same-sex marriage—our nation made a terrible mistake. Now, natural disasters, uncontrollable weather, floods, and fires should be wake-up calls to us as a nation that God is not pleased at all with what we are allowing. Almost every time these things happen, we hear leaders and commentators say, "Our prayers are with you," but they only use them as a sanctimonious form of speech rather than a call to sincere repentance. It is almost like a complaint to God, such as "Why did you let this happen to us? You are supposed to be nice to us. We are all good people, and you are being mean to us."
The funding for building the temple and the people involved in the work came from an unexpected source. Darius made it clear to the governor and local leaders that they should provide the resources needed to keep the work going steadily and without shortages. Darius even recognized the importance of sacrifices, although he would understand their full meaning only in a general sense. Darius was aware of his limitations and those of his sons, even though he was not among God's people.
Recognizing one's need for God and asking others, especially those in authority, to intercede for one’s family is rare. Often during a crisis, people say, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” even if they don’t really pray. As believers, we are called to pray "for kings and those in authority," and as intercessors, we hold the power to influence how God works in our country.
Ignoring a king's decree was equivalent to ignoring the king himself, which could mean death for the careless or self-important individual. Without opposition hindering progress, the construction advanced smoothly until completion. The messages of Haggai and Zechariah kept the work focused and the workers dedicated, avoiding personal interests. Hearing the king's decree would have greatly uplifted God's people, but it did not justify their inactivity or lack of dedication to rebuilding God's house after those wasted years. The prophets, kings, leaders, and laborers were all under God's authority, and His word and will were followed. God's work prospered and was completed successfully.
When a work of God is set before us, we need to move forward in that work with confidence, even if we are unsure how all the needs will be met at the outset. Acting in faith in God is enough assurance that He will provide what is necessary. "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." To many people, "the place of the name" is unimportant, but even unbelievers recognize the uniqueness of a local assembly when we all take heed and commit ourselves to walk in the ways of the Lord and "not forsake the assembling of [ourselves] together, as the manner of some is..." We must be careful to never do anything that would undermine the work of God, the assembly of God, and the people of God. It is our duty to do what God desires without grumbling or complaining. There is no reason for us to modify God's Word in any way or to pick and choose which parts to obey and which to ignore or reject.