Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceasedThe cessation of the temple's construction marks a significant moment in the post-exilic period. This interruption was due to opposition from surrounding peoples and political maneuvering, as detailed earlier in Ezra 4. The temple, central to Jewish worship and identity, was meant to be a place where God's presence dwelled among His people. The halt in construction reflects the spiritual and physical challenges faced by the returning exiles. This pause can be seen as a test of faith and perseverance for the Israelites, who had returned from Babylonian captivity with the hope of restoring their religious and national life. and it remained at a standstill
The standstill lasted for several years, indicating a period of discouragement and stagnation for the Jewish community. This delay highlights the tension between divine promises and human obstacles. The prophetic voices of Haggai and Zechariah, who ministered during this time, encouraged the people to resume the work, emphasizing God's sovereignty and faithfulness. The standstill serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience and trust in God's timing, even when circumstances seem insurmountable. until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia
Darius I, also known as Darius the Great, reigned from 522 to 486 BC. His ascension to the throne brought a change in the political climate that allowed the Jews to resume construction. The second year of his reign corresponds to 520 BC, a pivotal year when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began their ministries, urging the people to rebuild the temple. Darius's policies were more favorable to the Jews compared to his predecessors, reflecting God's providential hand in using foreign rulers to accomplish His purposes. This period marks a renewal of hope and divine intervention, as the temple's completion would eventually lead to the reestablishment of proper worship in Jerusalem. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzraA scribe and priest who led the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem and was instrumental in the rebuilding of the temple and the reestablishment of the Law. 2. JerusalemThe city where the temple was being rebuilt. It holds significant religious and historical importance as the center of Jewish worship and the location of the temple. 3. Darius, King of PersiaThe ruler during whose reign the construction of the temple resumed. His reign marked a period of relative stability and support for the Jewish people. 4. The House of GodRefers to the temple in Jerusalem, which was central to Jewish worship and identity. Its reconstruction was a pivotal event for the returning exiles. 5. The StandstillThe cessation of the temple's construction due to opposition and discouragement from surrounding peoples, highlighting the challenges faced by the Jewish community. Teaching Points Perseverance in the Face of OppositionThe standstill in construction serves as a reminder that God's work often faces resistance. Believers are called to persevere and trust in God's timing. The Role of Leadership and ProphecyThe eventual resumption of the temple's construction highlights the importance of godly leadership and prophetic encouragement in overcoming obstacles. God's Sovereignty and TimingThe delay until the reign of Darius underscores that God's plans unfold according to His perfect timing, even when human efforts seem stalled. Prioritizing God's WorkThe focus on rebuilding the temple challenges believers to prioritize spiritual commitments and the work of God in their lives. Bible Study Questions 1. What can we learn from the opposition faced by the Jews in rebuilding the temple about the challenges we might face in our spiritual endeavors? 2. How does the role of Darius in the resumption of the temple's construction illustrate God's sovereignty over political and worldly powers? 3. In what ways can we apply the perseverance shown by the Jewish community to our own lives when we encounter spiritual or personal setbacks? 4. How do the prophetic messages of Haggai and Zechariah encourage us to remain faithful and focused on God's work today? 5. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that we are prioritizing God's work in our lives, similar to the rebuilding of the temple? Connections to Other Scriptures Haggai 1This passage provides insight into the prophetic encouragement that led to the resumption of the temple's construction. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing God's house. Zechariah 4Offers a vision of encouragement for the rebuilding efforts, emphasizing that the work will be completed not by might, but by God's Spirit. Ezra 5Describes the resumption of the temple construction and the role of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah in motivating the people. Nehemiah 4Illustrates similar themes of opposition and perseverance in the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, showing a pattern of resistance and divine support. People Ahasuerus, Apharesattechites, Apharesites, Apharsathchites, Apharsites, Archevites, Artaxerxes, Asnapper, Babylonians, Benjamin, Bishlam, Cyrus, Darius, Dehaites, Dehavites, Dehites, Dianites, Dinaites, Dinites, Elamites, Esarhaddon, Jeshua, Mithredath, Persians, Rehum, Shimshai, Shushanchites, Tabeel, Tarpelites, ZerubbabelPlaces Assyria, Beyond the River, Erech, Jerusalem, Persia, Samaria, SusaTopics Ceased, Darius, Jerusalem, Persia, Reign, Rule, Service, Standstill, Stopped, TillDictionary of Bible Themes Ezra 4:24 7382 house of God
7468 temple, rebuilding
7515 anti-semitism Library Building in Troublous Times
'Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2. Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3. But Zerubbabel, and Joshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Original Text and Its History.
1. The original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew, with the exception of certain portions of Ezra and Daniel and a single verse of Jeremiah, (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Dan. 2:4, from the middle of the verse to end of chap. 7; Jer. 10:11,) which are written in the cognate Chaldee language. The Hebrew belongs to a stock of related languages commonly called Shemitic, because spoken mainly by the descendants of Shem. Its main divisions are: (1,) the Arabic, having its original seat in the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
The Median wars--The last native dynasties of Egypt--The Eastern world on the eve of the Macedonian conquest. [Drawn by Boudier, from one of the sarcophagi of Sidon, now in the Museum of St. Irene. The vignette, which is by Faucher-Gudin, represents the sitting cyno-cephalus of Nectanebo I., now in the Egyptian Museum at the Vatican.] Darius appears to have formed this project of conquest immediately after his first victories, when his initial attempts to institute satrapies had taught him not …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 A Reformer's Schooling
'The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2. That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Historical Books.
1. In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it. The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given. They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God's dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them. They look at the course of human events on the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
[Sidenote: Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] The Babylonian exile gave a great opportunity and incentive to the further development of written law. While the temple stood, the ceremonial rites and customs received constant illustration, and were transmitted directly from father to son in the priestly families. Hence, there was little need of writing them down. But when most of the priests were carried captive to Babylonia, as in 597 B.C., and ten years later the temple …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezra 4:24 NIVEzra 4:24 NLTEzra 4:24 ESVEzra 4:24 NASBEzra 4:24 KJV
Ezra 4:24 Commentaries
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