“Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 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 4:4-5

One of the best ways for me to shift my perspective while facing a spiritual obstacle is to take a trip to the beach. The endless waves, tossed by the wind, demonstrate God’s limitless power, and remind me that He is greater than any opposition I might face. Often, kites are soaring above me, and their rapid flight across the sky are a reminder that with God’s help, we too can soar above the troubles that can weigh us down. 

In order to achieve flight, a kite’s airlift depends on establishing and maintaining a balance between four forces: lift, weight, drag, and thrust. Lift is the upward force created by the wind moving over and under the kite. Weight is the downward force of gravitational pull on the kite. Thrust is the forward force that propels the kite in the direction the wind is blowing. Drag is the force opposing forward motion; it is caused by the difference in air pressure between the front and back of the kite, and the friction caused by the wind moving over the surface of the kite. 

American historian Lewis Mumford said, “A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”¹ Likewise, we need to find the balance between the tumults in our lives that threaten to pull us down, and the uplift our spirits experience when we recall God’s blessings and His power to overcome the forces that oppose us. 

In today’s lesson, Zerubbabel and the returned exiles encountered a trial of opposition. While attempting to accomplish their God-given task of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, they faced antagonism from local citizens that threatened the project. There were deceitful offers of help, efforts to weaken and trouble the builders, and false accusations. Eventually, the adversaries brought their allegations to the attention of King Artaxerxes of Persia who commanded that all work on the house of God should cease. When the Israelites encountered this opposition, instead of resisting and allowing God to lift them over the obstacle, they gave up and lost out on God’s blessing. 

They did not need to fail because they were assailed by contrary forces, and neither do we. Like the people of Jerusalem in Ezra and Zerubbabel’s day, we will encounter opposition. Some will be a “weight” and some will be a “drag.” For example, relationships may become confrontational. Trials and disappointments may weigh on us. People may challenge our faith or attempt to pull us down spiritually. But when this happens, take heart! Remember that God will help us continue moving forward if we will turn to Him for help in maintaining our spiritual equilibrium. He can enable us to soar above any difficulty! We can buoy up our spirits and keep going by looking to the Lord for strength and power to overcome.

^1. Lewis Mumford, “Lewis Mumford Quotes,” BrainyQuote, February 26, 2024, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/lewis_mumford/120061

BACKGROUND

Chapter 4 of Ezra describes the opposition encountered by the returned exiles as they attempted to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Neighboring “people of the land” offered to assist in the rebuilding project, but the Jewish leaders refused to allow the participation of outsiders. In retaliation for this rejection, the antagonists attempted to undermine the rebuilding efforts. As a result, the work ceased for a period of time. 

Verses 1-6 recount the hostility of Judah’s neighbors. “The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” mentioned in verse 1 were the Samaritans, a mixed race descended from Assyrians who had intermarried with the Jews left behind after the fall of Israel to Assyria in 722 B.C. The Samaritans were traditional enemies of the Jews. They claimed to worship the true God, but their faith was a combination of rituals from the Law of Moses mixed with various superstitions and idolatrous practices. Any partnership with them would have been spiritually dangerous for the returned exiles. 

When these neighboring peoples became aware that the returning Jews were serious about reestablishing a permanent presence in Judea, they came to the Jews asking to have a part in the rebuilding, possibly to keep informed of the proceedings or disrupt the efforts. However, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel rejected this offer, saying that King Cyrus had authorized them alone to do the rebuilding. The evil intent of the Samaritans’ offer can be surmised based on their response to the Jewish leaders’ refusal. Verse 4 says that the Samaritans “weakened the hands” of the Jewish builders and “troubled them in building.” If they could not attack the work through a subversive collaboration, they would attempt to do so by discouraging the workers, troubling the builders, and lobbying against the Jews in the court of King Cyrus.

The statement in verse 5 that these obstructive efforts continued “all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” is a broad overview of Samaritan resistance to the work of rebuilding the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Their antagonism included letters sent to Persian king Ahasuerus (verse 6) and to the next king, Artaxerxes (verses 7-16). These letters seem to be in relation to a later building project rather than the Temple because Ahasuerus did not become king until about thirty years after the Temple was complete, and Artaxerxes almost twenty years after that. However, the letters are examples of the type of opposition brought by the Samaritans. Ezra wrote his account perhaps more than sixty years after the Temple was completed, and not every detail is in chronological order. His primary audience would have had no trouble understanding the timeframe based on the rulers who were named. 

One of the accusations in the second letter was that “this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces” (verse 15). The Samaritans suggested that if the Jews were allowed to rebuild their city, the king of Persia would lose dominion over the area. While it was true that Jerusalem had resisted its former conquerors, the builders of Jerusalem had no intention of rebelling against Persia. Yet, after confirming the allegations of the past, King Artaxerxes commanded that rebuilding in the city be halted, and his command was carried out by force (verse 23). 

The passage starting at Ezra 4:8 and continuing through Ezra 6:18 is written in Aramaic (instead of Hebrew), and Ezra 7:12-26 is also in Aramaic. Bible scholars suggest that the Aramaic portions were probably dictated in Persian to a scribe, who translated them into Aramaic and wrote them in Aramaic script. 

Verse 24 indicates that the opposition from the Samaritan adversaries accomplished its purpose: work on the Temple stopped and did not resume until the second year of the reign of Darius—a period of approximately ten years.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

I. The reconstruction under Zerubbabel
    B. The rebuilding under Zerubbabel
         1. The rebuilding of the Temple
             b. The work stopped (4:1-24)
                 (1) The Samaritan interference (4:1-5)
                 (2) The letter to Ahasuerus (4:6-16)
                 (3) The reply from Ahasuerus (4:17-22)
                 (4) The work stopped (4:23-24)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. In what language was the letter sent to King Artaxerxes written? (verse 7)
2. The letter sent to King Artaxerxes falsely implied the city’s tributes to the king’s treasury would be at risk (verses 12-13). Why do you think the letter included citywide concerns rather than just the building of the Temple?
3. When we are faced with false accusations, opposition, or bad news, how should we respond? What measures could we take to ensure we are not defeated in accomplishing God’s plan for our lives?

CONCLUSION

We can be courageous and stand strong in the face of opposition, knowing the Lord will bring us through when we seek His help.