Read Ezra 5
Tattenai’s Letter to Darius
Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 4 They“ also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.
6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:
To King Darius:
Cordial greetings.
8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.
9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.
11 This is the answer they gave us:
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.
13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple“ of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple“ in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’
16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”
17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.
Go Deeper
In order to better understand this chapter, we need to first remember how the previous chapter ended. King Artaxerxes had just ordered the people of God to stop rebuilding the temple, and, for about 10 years, the project had come to a “standstill” (v. 24). However, chapter 5 begins with a brand new hope for the rebuilding efforts. Haggai and Zechariah have prophesied to the Jewish people and encouraged them to restart on the mission of building the temple. But once the project begins again, the project once more runs into opposition from the governing authorities. This external threat is a discouraging reminder of what kept the temple from being built in the first place. This obstruction effort is an essential lesson for the people of God. As we seek to faithfully follow God, we should not expect to live our lives unopposed by the enemy. When God calls on His people to complete a task, we should expect Satan to do whatever he can to keep the task from reaching its fulfillment.
In Ezra, the opposition comes in the form of the ruling government. But even those leaders who stood in authority weren’t the ones in ultimate control. While the governor tried to shut the project down, “the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped” (v. 5). Upon receiving push back, the Jewish people could have easily put down their tools just as they did 10 years before. However, this time they decide to continue, in courageous faith, with their mission.
An essential lesson from this chapter that can impact our lives today is that resistance doesn’t mean something is wrong. If it feels difficult to obediently follow Jesus, remember that it should be expected more than it should be surprising. While Jesus promised that His burden is easy, He also asks us to pick up our cross each day. Even though we may encounter external or internal opposition to following God, we have the assurance that the eyes of God are watching over us. Today, we have an opportunity similar to that of the Jewish people: In the face of resistance, we don’t need to put faithfulness on pause. Instead, we can double down on obedience and choose to follow God even when it’s difficult.
Why do you think the Jewish people were willing to continue working on this mission in the face of resilience?
Questions
- What most sticks out to you in the letter to King Darius?
- Where do you feel like you are receiving resistance in your attempt to follow God?
- What can you do to make sure you don’t give up in the face of such resistance?
Did You Know?
Both prophets listed in verse 1 (Haggai and Zechariah) have written books of the Bible. To read more about their life and message, check out the books titled with their names!
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7 responses to “Ezra 5”
This is a fascinating account in that we could say on the surface the Jews were disobedient to the governing authorities by continuing to build the temple when they were ordered to halt.
The following commentary resonated with me… To a large extent, I still have a rather fiery disobedient heart that believes deep down that I have the authority to do what is right and just in my understanding. I think it best my spirit override, my heart, and that I rather trust in the Lord and wait on him.
From Perplexity:
Ezra 5 does not give Christians a blanket warrant to disobey government whenever they have some prior precedent; it shows God’s people obeying God’s command while still appealing respectfully to existing imperial authorization. In the wider canon, the foundation for civil disobedience is “we must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29), held together with the command to “be subject to the governing authorities” in Romans 13.[yourjesusjourney +4]
What happens in Ezra 5?
• The returned exiles restart temple construction because rebuilding is a direct command of the Lord through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.[radical]
• When Persian officials challenge them, the Jews identify themselves as servants of “the God of heaven and earth” and explain they are acting under both God’s command and Cyrus’s earlier decree.[studylight +1]
• They do not rebel violently, but continue the work while the case is sent up to Darius for review, trusting God’s eye is on them until a final ruling comes.[yourjesusjourney +1]
So the passage models bold obedience to God, coupled with respect for human authority and use of lawful appeal to prior governmental authorization.[studylight +1]
Does Ezra 5 justify general disobedience?
• Ezra 5 shows faithfulness when current officials oppose something God has clearly commanded, especially when there is also a valid, earlier civil authorization (Cyrus’s decree).[yourjesusjourney +1]
• It does not teach that any prior political precedent lets believers ignore present laws whenever they judge them inferior; the issue is obedience to a standing command of God, not nostalgia for past policies.[gotquestions +1]
Used alone, Ezra 5 would be misapplied if turned into “as long as some previous government allowed it, Christians can defy whatever the current government says.”
Canon-wide pattern on authority
Scripture holds together two complementary principles:
• Normal pattern: submit to rulers as God’s servants for good (Romans 13:1–7; 1 Peter 2:13–17).[biblehub +2]
• Exceptional pattern: when human commands directly contradict God’s clear will, God must be obeyed, even if that means disobeying the state (Acts 5:29; Daniel 3; Daniel 6; Hebrew midwives, etc.).[crossway +3]
Responsible evangelical treatments summarize it this way: Christians may practice civil disobedience only when the state commands or compels evil, requiring believers to act contrary to God’s Word, and even then they must accept the consequences and avoid violence or lawlessness.[christiansengaged +2]
So how does Ezra 5 apply today?
• Ezra 5 gives a pattern: anchor identity in God’s authority, obey what God has clearly commanded, appeal honestly to whatever lawful precedent exists, and maintain a respectful stance toward civil authorities.[radical +2]
• For modern Christians, the basis for disobeying specific government orders is not merely “we used to have a different law,” but “to obey this new law would be to disobey God.” Acts 5:29, not just Ezra 5, is the clearest statement of that principle.[noahfilipiak +3]
So Ezra 5 contributes to the biblical pattern of obeying God when rulers oppose His clear commands, but it does not legitimize broad or preference-based disobedience to government simply because earlier authorities allowed something different.[gotquestions +2]
10 “We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders . . .”
That must have been intimidating to have their names taken down. But we must stand tall and visible when doing the calling of God!
I thought the exact same thing. In today’s context we would then be, “canceled“. Am I OK being canceled if I’m depended on trusting him and being committed to the Lord? I hope so!
Yes, very intimidating for them, no doubt!
“But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received” (v5).
Obstacles and hindrances are sure to come, but it matters most where we choose to focus. It’s either on the sovereignty of God or the hurdle/opposition that stands in our way.
This reminds me of a verse in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that declares, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
Rest assured that God is actively involved in human affairs ready to intervene and empower his people when he deems best.
Words for this year for me have been remember, shema the Hebrew word that means listen with hearing to obey, and identity.
Here in Ezra 5 that is what is being said again. Who is your identity in? Do you remember what you have been brought out of and where you are now? Are you listening with obedience?
BUT GOD, He is showing me who I am. Helping me remember what was and where my future lies. Obedience to Him is the only path that makes any sense.
The battle belongs to Him. The evil one is always on the prowl seeking whom he may devour BUT GOD has the plan. We just have to trust, remember, listen with obedience and know who we are in Christ.
God thank You for my identity being in You and You alone. Thank You for helping me to remember that minutely, all day every day. God thank You for being obedient to You. Guide me in this obedience. Let all I say and do today be glorifying to You in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report could go to Darius” (Ezra 5:5). This teaches us to persevere in the face of challenges, trusting that God is watching over us and will provide a way through any obstacles.