Victory!

The first group of Jews who returned from Babylon worked and worked to complete the building of the Temple, in some ways the task was a rebuilding of the Temple of Solomon, but on a less grand scale.

This Story (though still, a factual account) has been told for six chapters now, from the Old Testament (history) Book of Ezra.

In fact, this Text (Ezra chapters 1 through 6) has already taken us 30 Lessons to discuss! Here on our Bible Study Website I mean. By the way, this Website now has 2 addresses, drmikebagwell.org and drmikebagwell.com, both with the same material of course.

Now today, we finally come to the completion of the Temple. (Sometimes called Zerubbabel’s Temple, as opposed to Solomon’s Temple.)

Here’s the Account in King James Version: “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. AND THEY BUILDED, AND FINISHED IT, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. AND THIS HOUSE WAS FINISHED on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, and offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.” Ezra 6:14-17

After calculating the time this great Building was under construction, I think it took 21 years (though there was a 14 year delay during that time) from start to finish, just over two decades!

A little Jewish boy seven years of age when the Project began, would have been twenty-eight when the Temple was dedicated! A long time for a building endeavor!

Then watch this great summary sentence, written by the Holy Spirit. “According to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” Part of verse 14 of our Text, of Ezra 6.

Here are God’s inspiration, authorization and man’s cooperation, provision combining to reach a Goal as determined by the Lord! Both … God and man, and the human side being royalty at that! (Again … “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21:1)

Wow!

Wow, they didn’t quit!

Wow, they heeded the encouragement of God’s Prophets to “keep on building!”

Wow, God gave them success!

“Greater was He Who was in them than he who was in the world!”

Victory!

First John 5:4 must be quoted here: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

Amen!

Am I writing someone today who is in a battle?

“If God be for you, who can be against you?”

Please, don’t quit!

Proverbs 24:16 comes to mind: “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” You can’t keep a just man (or woman) down! (He clearly fell 7 times … but he got back up 8 times! Hallelujah!)

Yes, praise the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

After the completion of the Temple … the people rejoiced, celebrated. And worshipped God! “And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with JOY, and offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.”

Blood was shed, lots of it. Look at those numbers!

God was honored!

Israel’s national life has now been resumed … in their Homeland, the Holy Land, the Promised Land!

Tomorrow, Passover!

 

Yes, this is a lesson from the Book of Ezra.

But first read with me Psalm 36:6, part of it anyway. The writer there is addressing God … “Thy JUDGMENTS are a great deep: O LORD.”

Wow!

Job 9:10 adds to this line of thought: “Which (God) doeth great THINGS past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.” These “things,” these “wonders,” would include the Lord’s JUDGMENTS, no doubt.

Then Romans 11:33 … “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his JUDGMENTS.” Judgments again!

And even Jeremiah 12:1 … “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead (pray) with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy JUDGMENTS.” Think of it, God’s “judgments” as a topic of conversation, as a matter of prayer! Wanting to learn more about them!

Now, why today all this “judgment” Scripture?

Because of an event in the Book of Ezra!

In that beautiful little Book (Ezra 5:3) we meet a man (really an adversary of Judah and her building projects) named Tatnai. (A foreign name, not Jewish.) “At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?” (Insinuating the Jews are building illegally!)

Well, this crowd promptly sent a letter to the Persian King, trying to yet again STOP any progress the Jews were making, on the Temple or their City, either one.

Did they, these wicked men, succeed?

Not this time!

“But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they (the enemies) could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to (King) Darius.” Praise the Lord, Ezra 5:5 (Oh, to so have God’s Eye upon us! Divine Protection!)

Now … here is the King’s “ruling” on the matter. Get this now, it relates to God’s judgments! “Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.” Ezra 6:7, let ’em alone!

Uh oh … Tatnai’s plan has backfired!

But watch, there’s more …

From the King, “Moreover I (Darius) make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods (state property), even of the tribute (tax) beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.” Ezra 6:8

Tatnai will now (by law) have to take some of HIS district’s tax money … and GIVE it to the Jews to help with the building of the house of God!

This is called “boomeranging!”

God’s judgment here is fascinating!

A man sought to hurt the Jews.

Instead … he ended up hurting himself!

Proverbs 26:27, written of a wicked man, states: “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.” And that, dear readers, is exactly what just happened to Tatnai!

One more time, WOW!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Proverbs 28:10 applies to Tatnai’s situation as well, to God’s judgment on him and his buddies. “Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.”

“He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.” Ecclesiastes 10:8

Paul wants to add this as I close. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) Reaping what you sow … then some!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

The Book of Ezra is dominated by correspondence, by letters. Mostly written from Israel’s enemies back to the Persian authorities (particularly Persian Kings) … seeking to question (at best) or even halt (the true goal) the work of building the Temple, rebuilding it anyway.

Here are the two prime examples.

Back in Ezra chapter 4 some haters of the Jews wrote King Artaxerxes and asked him to stop the Jewish construction Project, primarily (they said) because it was anti-government, harming the Persian government! (A lie, by the way.) Ezra 4:6 tells us … “And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him AN ACCUSATION AGAINST the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.”

So that King made a search of the books and decided against the Jews, based on the “facts” he no doubt would have  said. He decided the (false) charges against Judah were true! “And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.” Ezra 4:19! So … look what he commanded: “Cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded.” Yes, he authoritatively ruled against the Jews. Stop the building, so says Ezra 4:21.

His record books (historical annals) were interpreted AGAINST Israel!

Now in Ezra chapter 5 another group of detractors (hinderers, agents of the devil) have appeared and want to question (to do the Jews even more harm) this building effort! Ezra 5:3 … “At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?”

So a second Persian King is involved, this time Darius. “The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto DARIUS THE KING: They sent a letter unto him, wherein was written thus; Unto Darius the king, all peace. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, WHO COMMANDED YOU TO BUILD THIS HOUSE, AND TO MAKE UP THESE WALLS? We asked their names also, to certify thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.”

Wow!

So now King Darius (not any longer King Artaxerxes, who ruled AGAINST Judah) makes a search (of virtually the same history books, mind you) and decides IN FAVOR OF the people of God! Read please Ezra 6:1-3, and say “Hallelujah!” This is thrilling! “Then DARIUS the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the ROLLS (BOOKS, SCROLLS), where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a ROLL, and therein was a RECORD thus written: in the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, LET THE HOUSE BE BUILDED, the place where they offered sacrifices, and LET THE FOUNDATIONS BE STRONGLY LAID …” That’s all King Darius needed, historical precedent! His decree then … pro-Jewish! (Build, build, build!)

Here’s the “point” today …

Two different Kings (and their aides no doubt) reading the same records … but arriving at totally different interpretations!

Artaxerxes … the Jews are rebels!

Darius … the Jews are God’s people!

Wow again!

And folks, this is happening every day in our world, too.

Christian men and women who are highly trained scientists read the fossil records (and other data) and say, THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN, A CREATOR!

But non-Christian men and women read those same records and say, THERE IS NO GOD, CREATION IS A STROKE OF LUCK, NOTHING ELSE!

Artaxerxes “wanted” to hurt the Jews and his “reading” of the books allowed him to proceed in that direction!

Darius “wanted” to help the Jews (as did King Cyrus long before him) and his “reading” of the same books moved him to do so!

It is not always the bare FACTS … but how one interprets those facts … that lead to personal (and life-altering) conclusions!

Remember today’s Lesson well, please.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Maybe Titus 1:15 applies … “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”

Amen!

 

Most of the Prophets of Israel or Judah exercised their ministries prior to the so-called Babylonian Captivity, before 586 BC. Then two of the Old Testament Prophets (Ezekiel and Daniel) wrote and preached during that sad 70 year span of time. But then again, a few men (Prophets indeed) led Judah after the (Babylonian but had eventually become Persian) Exile.

This last group would be known as “post-captivity” servants of God, Prophets.

Ezra 5:1 mentions two of these “heroes.” Notice with me … “Then the prophets, HAGGAI the prophet, and ZECHARIAH the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel (sort of like the governor) the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and WITH THEM WERE THE PROPHETS OF GOD HELPING THEM.” Well, I’ve included verse 2 also. Note the capitalized words. They need emphasis as you read.

There they are, two of them anyway, “post-captivity” men of God. (Actually there are three such Prophets, Malachi being considered in this category too.)

And then remember they (their sermons, their writings) are precisely placed at the end of the Old Testament … “Haggai and Zechariah and Malachi.” Exactly where they should be located, I might add. “Post exile” or sometimes called “post exilic” as they are.

Yes, Haggai is the same man as wrote the Book that bears his name. As a quick perusal of his little 2 chaptered (only 38 verses) Book shows. (The man was a virtual cheerleader for the building project at hand, the very Temple of Almighty God!)

And Zechariah? “In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of IDDO the prophet, saying …” Zechariah 1:1, question asked … question answered! (Grown children and even much younger grandchildren too, all fell under the category of “sons” or “descendants” in those days. You could add great-grandchildren to that list as well.)

What’s the point in all this minutiae, you might be asking?

Simply this fact.

GOD ALWAYS HAS A PREACHER, A PROPHET, TO DELIVER HIS MESSAGE, TO DECLARE HIS WORD … AT ANY GIVEN TIME! PRE-CAPTIVITY … MID-CAPTIVITY … AND POST CAPTIVITY, THE PEOPLE OF GOD HAD A PROCLAIMER TO TELL THEM THE TRUTH!

Many believe (me included) that the 12 Old Testament “Minor Prophets” (Hosea through Malachi) are generally arranged in chronological order! With Hosea and Amos (the first two) being earlier and Zechariah and Malachi (the last two) being later.

See?

A Prophet for all times, for all occasions!

Hebrews 1:1-2 further illustrates. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” Wow!

Look at your Preacher carefully this coming Sunday! Shake his hand. Get his autograph! Make a quick photo. After all, if he’s a true God-called Man … he is in that long line of Servants of the Lord who were born … “for such a time as this!”

Preachers, my role models.

The ones who have stood true to God through the years.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Soon as you finish reading the Lesson today … pray for 3 dear Preachers you know and love. Who have been a help to you through the years.

Is the Bible a history textbook?

No, not per se, at least it was not designed specifically for that reason.

But when the Bible does address matters of history … it is accurate. I tend to say “infallible, inerrant!” Without mistake, in other words!

But still, one will not find a detailed summary of the lives of the Vikings in Scripture. Or the Mayflower voyage across the Atlantic!

But one does find history … as it involves God’s people, either Israel or the Church … as it involves God’s Will on the earth! (Maybe in the heavens, too!)

And that brings me to today’s Text, Bible Text … Ezra chapter 5.

It is nearly 100% history!

Babylonian, Medo-Persian history, Jewish history!

Wow!

In it’s relatively short 17 verse “path” (Ezra 5 being the subject now) one finds mentioned King after King … Darius and Nebuchadnezzar (posthumously) and Cyrus (with Ezra 4 having already mentioned Artaxerxes, 3 times in fact)! Plus the chapters refers to several Prophets of God, two to be specific, Haggai and Zechariah! Not counting the governor of the “across the river” territory, a man named Tatnai!

Yes, history!

But only as it played a role in the life of Judah, God’s “chosen people,” or as Deuteronomy 32:10 calls the Jews, “the apple of His Eye!”

More about chapter 5 tomorrow, the Lord willing.

Looks like, truth be told, several lessons from that part of Ezra are upcoming!

But the “point” today, still talking about history …

I remember one day in class, history class, years ago now (high school really) that our teacher began the school year (the first class of the first week) by calling us to order … then walking to the chalkboard (that long ago) and writing there this word … “HISTORY.” The immediately he (I can still remember his name, Mr. Youstra) re-wrote the word as “HIS” then, with a space between the letters … “STORY!”

Then he turned to us and proclaimed that HISTORY is merely the revelation (the review) of HIS STORY, God’s Story in his dealing with mankind! Hence, from the Christian perspective, a working definition of history!

That’s the idea embedded in Ezra chapter 5, in all the Book of Ezra actually.

Ah, why not say it … in all the Bible!

“HIS STORY!”

And the Bible is “full” of his-story as well!

From Genesis to Revelation, lots of history. (Some divinely inspired Prophecy too, let there be no doubt!) But tons of history!

God involved in history?

Almost God controlling history, in a sense!

One more supporting verse today … “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21:1, God running His universe!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell