Ezra 6:12-15 And the God that has caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people… The end of this mission brings to our view - I. THE OVERTHROW OF EVIL. "Then Tatnai,... Shethar-boznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so did they speedily ' (ver. 13). With deepest mortification and chagrin must they have received these tidings from the Babylonian court. Their failure was complete and conspicuous. Not only had they not done what they wanted to do, but they bad been compelled to aid and prosper that to which they were implacably opposed. "According to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily;" they paid the expenses (ver. 8) and presented the offerings (vers. 9, 10), and thus contributed to the cause they set out to demolish. In the end we shall see evil overthrown by the power of God, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. By faith we may say what our Master said by Divine prevision, "I saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18). And sometimes God gives us to see evil overthrown before our eyes, its designs upset, its fabric brought down to the ground. It is a pleasing and cheering sight when we see it simply defeated, as when, after long and hard struggle, a good cause succeeds in establishing itself despite the utmost efforts of iniquity to hinder it. Still more gratifying is it to see it suffer such an utter rout as on this occasion, when its forces are not only arrested, but made to serve the cause it bad assailed. Then God not only restrains man's wrath, but makes it to praise him and to serve us (Psalm 76:10). Let us be encouraged under oppression and persecution. Our Divine Leader can not only deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, but he may even, as here, and as often since in the history of the Church, compel those who are hating us, and maligning and misrepresenting us, and seriously injuring us, to bring us their tribute and aid us in offering our sacrifice of prayer and praise unto the Lord our Saviour. II. SPIRITUAL BUILDING. "And the elders of the Jews builded" (ver. 14), "and they builded and finished" (ver. 15). Then the Jews, under their elders (in order, giving rank and direction to those who were men of experience and capacity), builded the house - 1. For God: for his worship and praise; that offerings might be presented unto him which should be acceptable to him; and - 2. With God: they gladly availed themselves of the help accorded them by the prophets of the Lord. These men (ver. 14) "prophesied," i.e. they spake in the name of the Lord, urging all to do their work diligently and faithfully, and therefore speedily and Soundly; also obediently, "according to commandment" (ver. 14); and thus they brought their work - 3. To its completion: "they finished it;" it stood strong and fair and well furnished, from foundation to top-stone. We, too, are building for God; not, perhaps, a material fabric, but that which is more precious in his sight - a Christian character or a Christian cause. We are engaged in "building up ourselves in our most holy faith" (Jude 1:20), adding to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, etc. (2 Peter 1:5, 6, 7). And we are (or ought to be) engaged in building up the temple of some good cause. Some work of God is occupying our time, is engaging our strength and skill. We are laying the foundation in some small beginnings, or, on the foundation another has laid, we are building up the imperishable "gold, silver, precious stones," rejecting (as far as possible) the "wood, hay, and stubble," which the fires of God would consume (1 Corinthians 3:12). Let us see to it that, in building up both our own character and the cause of God, we build - 1. For God; doing all things mainly and chiefly unto him; as "unto the Lord," and not as unto ourselves. Let the glory of Christ be the mainspring of our action. Whatever toil, patience, forbearance, charity may be required, let us gladly yield all because "Jesus is worthy to receive," etc. 2. With God; accepting all the help God offers us through the varied means of grace he has supplied - notably the preaching (or "prophesying") of his servants; consulting his word to know his will, that all our building may be "according to commandment." We must do what we do in the way, i.e. in the spirit and after the method, in which he would have us work. 3. Unto completion. Learning, growing, ripening until death; sympathising, giving, striving, co-operating till the work is done and the fabric is finished. - C. Parallel Verses KJV: And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed. |
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