Ezra’s Reporting

This is a ‘highly detailed, hand painted model of the Second Temple’ in Jerusalem, a copy of what Ezra was watching built. I’ve reached Ezra in my chronological reading of the Bible.

Before I go further, I would recommend reading the Bible chronologically to get a new perception. True, Ezra reads more as a history than a prophecy, but seeing when it fits within other writings adds interest for me.

When I read the first two chapters, I almost felt as though I was reading a corporate report – Cyrus made a proclamation and leaders of Israel were sent home to rebuild the temple. Chapter two gives the number of those who made the trip, including Nethinims (I’ll get back to those, later). Enough people to get the job done.

Chapter three has the group reinstating the worship of their forefathers, though it was a painful comparison to those who had experienced it years before:

But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: (Ezra 3:12 KJV)

Can we feel their pain? Know their loss as they compared what was with what was before them now?

In chapter 4, Ezra returns to reporting as the locals start to interfere with the rebuilding:

Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, (Ezra 4:4 KJV)

Know anybody like that? They prolonged their efforts until there was a regime change:

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. (Ezra 4:5 KJV)

This is followed by competing letter writing campaigns that caused the work to cease by royal edict. For a short time:

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 5:5 KJV)

They asked that Darius look in the archives to see if what they said was true.  He did. It was. He wrote back:

Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. (Ezra 6:7-8 KJV)

Praying to God that the men who love and worship Him would be bold enough to refer to the archives, the history, the foundation that was written and confirm that God’s men be not hindered from following His word.

(Oh, those Nethinims!! Stop back by tomorrow and I’ll fulfill my promise!)