Ezra 4:1–10 (November 4th, 2025)

Adversaries Oppose the Rebuilding

4 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.” 3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”

4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build 5 and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.[a] 8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: 9 Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.

Who Would Oppose Renewal?

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Summary

When the people of Judah began rebuilding the Temple, the Samaritans and other people who had been resettled by the empires offered to join the work. They said, “We seek your God as you do” (v. 2). Yet their motives were deemed "impure" by Zerubbabel. So, Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the heads of families refused:

“You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God” (v. 3).

Unfortunately, this rejection provoked hostility. In response, these people “discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build” (v. 4). They even bribed Persian officials and later accused the Jews of rebellion through letters to the kings (vv. 6–10).

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem (v. 6).

Ezra is showing (4:6-23) that opposition to the Jewish community (both the Temple and the city walls) was a persistent problem across all the subsequent Persian reigns, before returning to finish the main story about the Temple's completion under Darius I (Ezra 4:24–6:15) Seemingly, what began as an offer of cooperation turned into persistent opposition. We should be reminded that faithfulness to God’s covenant often attracts resistance.

Who is God?

God is holy and jealous for His people.

He does not share His glory with idols or permit His house to be built through divided hearts. We can see that Zerubbabel and Jeshua rejected the Samaritans’ offer, thereby safeguarding the purity of worship (protected His people from syncretism).

Remember! God’s work must be done in God’s way. The Lord of the covenant demands both faithfulness and discernment, showing that holiness is not optional but essential to true renewal.

What is our Guilt?

Our guilt lies in our willingness to compromise truth for "peace."

The exiles could have accepted the Samaritans’ offer to avoid tension, but a compromise would have corrupted the foundation of worship. We too often mistake expedience for faithfulness. We choose the comfort of human approval over the cost of obedience.

Also, like Israel’s neighbors, we sometimes claim to “seek God” while mixing devotion with self-interest. Fear of opposition exposes our divided loyalties. Oh, how easily we trade conviction for ease!

How does Grace shine?

Grace shines in God’s unwavering commitment to His redemptive plan.

Though rebuilding was hindered for a time, God's work never stopped. He strengthened His servants to endure, preserved the line of David, and prepared the way for Christ, who is the true Temple not made with hands. In Christ, every accusation is silenced, every false alliance exposed, and every broken foundation restored. The grace that sustained Judah through opposition now sustains the Church through every trial, assuring us that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for guarding the purity of your worship and for reminding us that your work must be done in your way. Forgive us for seeking peace through compromise and comfort through disobedience. When we face opposition, strengthen our hearts to remain steadfast. Please help us to discern truth from deceit, and build in us a holy courage grounded in your grace.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Additional Notes: The Persian Kings in Ezra 1–4

Cyrus the Great (reigned 559–530 BC)

Cyrus II, known as Cyrus the Great, founded the Persian Empire and conquered Babylon in 539 BC. In his first year ruling Babylon (538 BC), God “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1) to issue a decree allowing the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy that the exile would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11–12; 29:10). Cyrus’s edict reflects his empire-wide policy of restoring local temples to gain the loyalty of conquered peoples. In Scripture, he stands as a reminder that the Lord directs even pagan rulers to accomplish His covenant purposes (Isaiah 45:1–4).

Cambyses II (reigned 530–522 BC)

Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, is not mentioned by name in the book of Ezra but fits historically between Cyrus and Darius I. During his reign, opposition from neighboring peoples and administrative confusion in the empire led to a halt in work on the Temple (Ezra 4:5). His rule marked a period of stagnation for the returning exiles. The silence of Scripture about Cambyses underscores a theological point: even when God seems inactive, His promises remain sure until His appointed time.

Darius I (reigned 522–486 BC)

After a brief period of political upheaval, Darius I (also called Darius the Great) secured the Persian throne and reorganized the empire. Under his reign, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah called the Jews to resume building the Temple (Ezra 5–6). When the enemies of Judah appealed to Darius to stop the work, he instead confirmed Cyrus’s original decree and ordered that construction be supported by imperial funds (Ezra 6:1–12). The Temple was completed in 516 BC, symbolizing that God’s purposes triumph over political opposition and delay.

Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, reigned 486–465 BC)

Ahasuerus, known in Greek sources as Xerxes I, was the son of Darius I and is the same king featured in the book of Esther. In Ezra 4:6, his reign is mentioned briefly as another period when Israel’s adversaries sent accusations to the Persian court to hinder Jerusalem’s restoration. Though the Temple had been completed by this time, opposition to the Jewish community persisted. Yet, as in Esther’s story, God’s providence continued silently behind the scenes, preserving His people under foreign rule.

Artaxerxes I (reigned 465–424 BC)

Artaxerxes I, the successor and son of Xerxes I, received a letter of accusation from the enemies of Judah (Ezra 4:7–23). This correspondence likely refers to later attempts to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls rather than the Temple itself. Artaxerxes temporarily halted construction, but in God’s time, the same king later granted Ezra (Ezra 7:1–28) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1–8) official authorization and support to continue rebuilding Jerusalem. His alternating actions illustrate how divine providence can work even through the inconsistencies of human power to advance God’s redemptive plan.