Ezra 6:1-12 were the instruction that King Darius to Tattenai the governor, Shethar-bozenai, and his colleagues concerning the Jews engaging in the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Firstly he told them not to impede their work but to let them complete it. Secondly, he directed that “the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River.” They were expected to fund them in the project without delay. Thirdly, they were also told that whatever the Jews might require for their worship be supplied to them; be they young bulls, rams, and lambs for their burnt offerings. Darius also instructed that the daily request of the priests in Jerusalem for wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil be granted to them without fail. Fourthly, anyone found violating his instruction and impeding the work of the Jews would have to face a death sentence. That person would be crucified with a beam taken from his house, which would then be left in ruin.
What was heartening was Darius’ willingness not only to assist the Jews in the rebuilding of the temple but to make sure that the Jews could make their offer their pleasing sacrifices to God. Ezra 6:10 suggests that the Jews were also praying for the king and his sons. This was probably a practice carried forward from the instruction in Jeremiah 29:7. The prophet told the exiles that they should seek the welfare of their captors and their city. And that they should pray to the Lord on the behalf of their captors so that in return their captors would have welfare for them too.
In the New Testament, in 1 Timothy 1:21-2 the Apostle Paul also urged the church
to make “…entreaties and prayers,
petitions and thanksgiving… on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that
we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” We should continue to practice
this and pray for our government and country so that God will grant us a peaceful
environment for the propagation of the Gospel. Here we see that Darius recognized
the hand of God in the rebuilding of the temple. So in Ezra 6:12, we see the
decree that he issued, He said, “May the God who has caused His name to
dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempt to change it,
so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree,
let it be carried out with all diligence!”
The
obstacles a person faces in life could be caused by living a life that is not pleasing
to God. Proverbs 16:7 says, “When a man’s ways
are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies be at peace with him.” In rebuilding the temple, Jews were
obviously pleasing to the Lord in their conduct. So he made their opponent be at peace with them. So in much the same way, we should be advancing in the Lord,
if we are pleasing God in the way we conduct ourselves. And if we find our
progress in God being impeded, the question to ask is: “are my ways pleasing to
the Lord?” We should be able to find some answers that will enable us to realign
our lives and find breakthroughs in our journey with Him. Seek to please God in
every way!
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