No. 14 of Returning Home
The adversaries of the people of Judah created all sorts of trouble for the temple builders. Ezra pauses in the account of the temple construction to tell about how these adversaries would later show their true colors in the time of Artaxerxes, when the city walls were being built. Ezra was in Jerusalem during Artaxerxes reign, so he witnessed the eventual revealing of the true intents of these wicked connivers in the surrounding regions.
“In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.” – Ezra 4:7(ESV)
Ezra sets down the names of these adversaries. They were enemies of God’s people, which made them enemies of the Most High God. The saying, “Hindsight is 20/20” is one Ezra is able to take advantage of here. Because he witnesses their evil work during Artaxerxes’ time, he is capable of seeing their motivations clearly and report on it.
“Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.)” – Ezra 4:8-11a(ESV)
Ezra gets their names and addresses, as they were written on this letter to Artazerxes. Like a lawyer, he documents proof of their deceit, their cunning, and their betrayal. His intolerance for their lies is evident by this careful record-keeping.
“To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.” – Ezra 4:11-16(ESV)
This tidy little message packs a punch. Possibly written around the 450s to 430s BCE, the temple had already been constructed about 65-75 years earlier. At the time of this letter, the Hebrews were erecting Jerusalem’s walls.
“And now be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city.”
They speak nothing about the decrees of the kings who had allowed the Jews to reestablish the temple or to live in Jerusalem. For all Artaxerxes knows, those terrible Jews slinked over to Jerusalem and started a quiet revolution. And this is exactly what the letter-writers want this king to think when they write that the city is rebellious. What they really mean is that God’s people are rebellious.
Were they? Were God’s people being rebellious? Had they done anything to fight against the previous kings who had allowed them to return to Jerusalem? The adversaries write that the city is wicked to accuse God’s people of being wicked. Obviously, these writers aren’t talking about the brick and stone city being wicked because, if they could get those people of God out of it, they’d happily inhabit that “wicked” city. They are talking about the people of God.
Adversaries love to attack in a way that they can’t be pegged for any direct quote against someone. Yet, they make all sorts of disguised accusations, using descriptions that actually belong to the accuser. These crafty leaders were the rebellious, wicked ones. They would have loved to get out from under the Persian rule; and they had no love at all for the Most High God or they would have shown respect for His people.
“Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers.”
These wicked men turn thoughtful and considerate. Are they genuinely worried that the king is not going to get his tax money? If they had the option of not paying into the king’s treasuries, rest assured, they would not be so helpful. To this altruistic statement they add the line about eating the salt of the palace. “We benefit from the king’s riches, so we’ll be affected too, oh king!” Finally, they throw in the added selfless concern that the king will be dishonored. Repeating their reasons: 1) they don’t want the king to lose money because 2) they, too, benefit from what the king sends to them, and 3) they don’t want the king to be dishonored. How truly loyal these servants sound!
“You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.”
Instead of suggesting the king look up what the previous Persian kings had decreed, allowing God’s people to rebuild, these adversaries direct the king to look up historical documents way earlier — before Jerusalem was conquered. Was Jerusalem hurtful to kings and provinces? Yes! Long ago, it was hurtful to the kingdoms of the people writing this letter. Their kingdoms came against Jerusalem, and they were conquered. Now that these enemies of God’s people are ruled by Artaxerxes, they still seek ways to fight and rout out the people of Judah.
It is true Jerusalem had a powerful past. That past was not rooted in being a rebellious and wicked city, though. That great past was founded on their worship of the Most High God. The city was destroyed because God’s people turned away from Him. The adversaries did not understand this and twisted the truth for their own benefit.
“We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”
Their warning that the king is going to lose his territory if Jerusalem continues to be built could be true. Certainly the Jews did not want to be ruled by the Persian empire, but neither did the writers of this letter. Enemies have no qualms about inserting possibly true statements when they can use them in their favor. This statement is a crucial one for Artaxerxes. Loyalty is not expected by these kings of great empires, but they are vigilant about keeping their lands intact and being served by the peoples of those lands. Artaxerxes responds accordingly:
The king sent an answer: “To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now the letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me. And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it. And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid. Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me. And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?” – Ezra 4:17-22(ESV)
The king looks up the records and finds that Jerusalem was, indeed, a powerful city that had controlled the whole region at one time. The king gives the command to make them stop building Jerusalem immediately. The adversaries’ plan works!
“Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.” – Ezra 4:23(ESV)
These adversaries, who were so welcoming when offering to help build the temple, attack the people of Judah. They use “force and power” to make them stop working on the city walls. Adversaries seek for a way to harm God’s people, and they will use force and power readily.
“Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” – Ezra 4:24(ESV)
Ezra returns to the temple construction to show that the adversaries worked, past and present, to stop the people of Judah from rebuilding. Adversaries are using the same tactics today to keep Christians from building up God’s house. Adversaries will flatter those in authority to get what they want. They will speak accusingly of Christian men and women while disguising their accusations. They will twist the truth so that their lies sound true. Lastly, when given power to do so, they will exert that power to force men and women of God to stop their work. Seeing who the adversaries are, as Ezra did, can help us stand fast in our faith in God. We can know that He is aware of the harm the adversaries are causing. We can trust that God’s people will ultimately succeed in doing His work.
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