SCRIPTURE: EZRA 6
THE DECREE OF DARIUS (vs. 1-12)
King Darius issued an order to search into the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon on the decree issued by king Cyrus”
The memorandum stated the following:
- A temple is to be rebuilt and a foundation be laid as a place to present sacrifices. It is to be 90 feet high and 90 ft. wide with 3 course of large stones and one of timber (v. 3)
- The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury (v. 4)
- The gold and silver articles of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar took are to be returned to the temple in Jerusalem. (v. 5)
- Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates and Shethar-Bozenai and all fellow officials of that province must stay away and not interfere their work. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild it. (v. 7)
- The expenses of that work should be fully paid from the revenues of the royal treasury of Trans-Euphrates. (v. 8)
- Anything needed (young bulls, rams, male lambs, wheat, salt, wine, oil) as requested by the priests in Jerusalem must be given them daily without fail. (v. 9)
- If anyone who changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. His house is to be made a pile of rubble.
- Any king or anyone who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem will be overthrown by God. (v. 12)
COMPLETION AND DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE (v. 13-18)
Because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates and Shethar-Bozenaii and their associates carried it out with diligence. So, the elder of Jerusalem continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai, the prophet and Zechariah. The temple was finished according to the command of God and decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. It was completed in the 3rd day of the month of Ada in the 6th year of king Darius’s reign.
Then the people of Israel – the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles – celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God, they offered 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 male lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel, 12 male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of Gog at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses. (vs. 16-18)
THE PASSOVER (vs. 19-22)
The exiles celebrated the Passover on the 14th day of the first month. The priests and Levites purified themselves and slaughtered Passover lambs for all the exiles and themselves.. All ate together and celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 days.
THOUGHTS:
God answered their prayer and turned the king’s heart. Haggai and Zechariah provided the spiritual encouragement and the governor supplied the materials needed. The work was finally completed in 515 BC and the Jews dedicated the temple of God with joy. They kept the Passover and the Feasts of the Unleavened Bread with a temple again.
All the opposition of powerful forces was stopped by a legal document written by king Cyrus found in a pagan library. God’s will is supreme over all rulers, all historical events and all hostile forces. He can deliver us in ways we cannot imagine. If we trust in his power and love, no opposition can stop us.