Chapter 4
Once the enemies of the returning exiles heard they were rebuilding, they came under the false guise of friendship and offered to build with them. They were wolves in sheep’s clothing. Once the leaders refused, they showed their true colours and tried to frighten and discourage them from building (Ezra 4:4). Sadly, this is something that still goes on today because as soon as you start to succeed in life, a lot of people will try to gain access to you so they can impede your growth. Not everyone that comes in to your life is good for you which is why discernment is very important. Always pray about the people you give access to your life and stay alert. These enemies even tried to persuade the Israelites by claiming they worship the same God, they wanted to find common ground with them so they could gain access to them. This is a very common tactic that is used today, it mostly comes in the form of “love bombing”. Such enemies won’t necessarily be people of the world, sometimes these people are in the church. The title someone claims does not determine who they are, which is why the Bible says “You shall know them by their fruits (Mathew 7:16).
Chapter 5
Their attempt to frustrate the rebuilding of the temple went on for several years. They couldn’t succeed whilst Cyrus (the King who commanded the rebuilding) was alive so once a new King took the throne, they went straight to him. They used the Israelites’ history against them and succeeded. However, the story didn’t stop there. It may seem like the enemy succeeded but God was on the Israelites side and if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). God sent his Prophets to them which is recorded in the books of Haggai and Zechariah. This helped the Israelites start rebuilding. This is a manifestation of this scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:3 ~ But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.
Listening to the word of God prompted them in the right direction and strengthened them. Of course, the enemies didn’t sit by and watch this happen. They still tried to stop them but didn’t succeed this time. They again wrote to the King.
Chapter 6
However, their plan backfired this time. They wrote to the the king who investigated further and discovered that his predecessor had commanded the rebuilding of the temple. Not only did he sign off on the rebuilding of the temple, he actually commanded these guys to help the Israelites or forfeit their lives. After this, the Israelites actually succeeded in rebuilding the temple.
One important thing here is that it actually seemed like the enemy succeed at first but ultimately God had the final say. When God signs off on something, he has the power to see it through. So, if God has ordered you to do something or go down a certain path, don’t be afraid or discouraged no matter how hard it may seem. He will see it through and show you favour.
Ezra 6:22 ~ “Then they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the Temple of God, the God of Israel.”
