(13) Returning Home with Ezra, Part 2: Reignited
The first expedition of Israelites who return from captivity abandon the temple construction during the reign of Cambysses II. The temple site lies dormant until Darius I comes to reign over the Persian Empire. The people turn to their own interests and forget about their responsibilities to their Heavenly King. God does not respond to their lack of faith by saying, “Oh, you didn’t mean to, so I’ll overlook it,” or “Well, you had good intentions.” God’s response is, in summary, “Don’t repeat history. You saw what happened to your fathers.” Ezra’s account is a warning to those who hold onto God and want to have a relationship with Him that 1) discouragement will come and 2) discouragement is not a time to stop building that relationship. Yielding to fear or obstacles in a relationship leaves one complacent and inactive. It is one thing to feel resistance and be discouraged, but it is disastrous to choose to walk away.
Ezra records three ways in which God motivates His people to finish what they began. The first two come in the form of rebuke from two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah (see When the Going Gets Tough). His third encouragement is the threat of the Persian emperor, Darius I. Known as Darius the Great, this ruler came to power after serving King Cambyses II as his lance-bearer. He was skilled in military combat and strategy, and he ruled the Persian Empire for 35 years amidst rebellions and uprisings.
The Behistun Inscription, created early in Darius’ reign depicts Darius, the third figure from the left, with his foot on the body of one who tried to take the throne after Cambyses II. Behind his figure are his bow-carrier and his lance-bearer. This massive relief is surrounded by cuneiform text that tells the story of Darius’ ascension to the Persian throne. This story is inscribed in three languages: Old Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite. It is clear Darius wanted his subjects to accept his view of his ascension as king. According to Herodotus the historian1, Darius the Great set up a tribute system for the twenty provinces of his empire. Each province, called a satrapy, was to give gifts of resources (tribute) to the king, unless otherwise instructed. The province Israel belonged to, known as “Beyond the (Euphrates) River” was governed by Tattenai.
3 At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall? 4 Then we told them after this manner, what the names of the men were that were making this building. – Ezra 3:3-4
Early in Darius’ reign the provinces rebelled2, and he put pressure on the governors to watch for further revolts. Scrutinizing his own province, Governor Tattenai3 is primed to suppress any rebellion under his jurisdiction. This is the time frame when God spurs on His leaders to continue rebuilding the temple. Tattenai and his overseers take the builders to task, demanding to know who has given them permission to work on the temple at Jerusalem. With governors on the lookout for possible revolts, it seems a bad time to build a great religious structure in the former capitol city of Israel, but this time of tension in the empire is really an ideal opportunity.
5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, till the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it. – Ezra 5:5
Governor Tattenai stands before them as a threat backed by a new Persian king. The trouble isn’t new; it’s the same trouble they faced when they gave up. This encouragement from God has all the trappings of a great discouragement, but this time God’s people are not going to fold. They’ve tried that. This time, their hearts are set, and they are going to push forward.
What is God’s motive for such hard pushes? Recapping the story as Ezra records it, these people of the first return were given an open door back to Jerusalem, taking back with them gifts of Cyrus’ treasures. They arrived motivated to work and recommit to their worship to God before being blocked on every side by their adversaries. So, they quit moving forward and turn their attention to personal pursuits, letting the temple lie in waste for eighteen years. Here they are again in what seems like the same predicament. Only this time, they are going to take the opportunity God is giving them to grow, and that opportunity looks like hard work. If God were to remove all their obstacles now, what lesson would they learn? They might learn to believe that if they do nothing, God will make life easier for them. With that lesson, they would never learn to trust God. So, when He encourages them to get back to building the temple, He doesn’t remove their troubles. They must face the hardship they backed down from before. The lesson is: In relationship, troubles don’t go away by avoiding or ignoring them. Ties that last are created by learning to face the trials in order to develop trust.
Ezra reveals how encouragement can come in some negative-looking ways. It can come in the form of criticism, and it can come in the form of some serious obstacles and challenges. The journey to closer relationship is not one happy ever-after filled with zeal and hope and rose-colored glasses. It is a journey of commitment and re-commitment. Mistakes, like giving up, are part of that journey. So, instead of beating oneself up for getting off track, consider it a lesson learned. Stand back up, get back to work, and ask for God’s help and guidance. Face the obstacles again. Those roadblocks may remain, despite your pleas to God to remove them, because your relationship needs them to grow and to strengthen what you already have.
- Herodotus, the histories, Book 3 – Section 1. Accessed 2020/04/13.
- Darius the Great – 5. Civil War, Second Phase, Winter. Accessed 2020/04/13.
- Three Persian Inscriptions Related to Jewish History by Bryan Windle for Biblical Archaeology Report. April 5, 2019. Accessed 2020/04/13.
Rilla Writer 