“Opposed and Defended”

Scripture: Ezra 5:1-6:12

This is the 3rd week of our look at the opposition that faced Israel when they began to rebuild the temple, their nation, and their lives. Captivity had been a struggle for them, and they had great hopes when they began their journey home. But life back in the land would be no “rose garden”, either! You’ve heard the old saying “You can never go home again.”, and in the case of the returning exiles, this was absolutely true. Home had changed, and they were now seen as the outsiders and trouble makers, instead of the beloved sons and daughters who had finally returned.

When my family and I moved back to the Southern Tier after living in Western New York for 8 years, I was eager to become active with the Apalachin Fire Department again. I fully expected to pick up right where I had left off, but fully half of the members were new since I left, and my very abrupt reentry into the life of the department was not received all that well by some. One of the members, who would become a very close friend after a year or two, once described me as an ”arrogant, conceited s__ __ _ _____”.
But after realizing my error in judgment and attitude, I calmed down and slowly began working my way into the new life of the department. And so would the exiles.

Read Ezra 5:1-5

Tattenai was governor of the western half of the Persian Empire which included Israel, and he was asking the people “Just who do you think you are to be doing this work? Who left you in charge??” Maybe Darius forgot to tell his governor that he had told the Jews that they could return and rebuild, but regardless, Tattenai wasn’t all that pleased that something was going on and he hadn’t approved it!

Opposition from others had settled down to a great extent, but now the authorities were questioning their right to not only be there, but to be rebuilding. Just when you think that life is beginning to go well again, something or someone will always come into the picture to prove that you are wrong! And these are the times when it will be decided where our strength truly lies.
For Israel, we read that “the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews”, and it would become very evident that their confidence and trust and strength was focused completely in their great Jehovah. And that trust would not be misplaced. The Lord would see them through this trying time, and, in faith, they would succeed in restoring the temple, their city, and their nation.

And how about our faith? Do we ever fear that our resources are insufficient for the tasks that we are lead to begin? For many Christians, they fail in their walk with Christ for this very reason. They look to their own abilities, their own knowledge, their own skills, their own strength to see them through, and soon discover that they are never sufficient. We need to look to Almighty God for our leadership, our vision, our courage.
Israel had learned this lesson, but it had taken years of isolation and captivity before it began to sink in, and even at that, it would eventually fade away. But for now, the lesson was fresh in their minds and hearts, and it would be sufficient for the day.

Tattenai, though, wouldn’t be satisfied until he heard first hand that Cyrus had personally approved this work, so he sent a letter requesting confirmation. But the problem was that Cyrus had died in battle, and while it isn’t totally clear to me as to who actually succeeded him, Darius had married a couple of Cyrus’ daughters, and it is presumed that he had, at the very least, substantial authority in the region.

Read Ezra 5:7-17

As we read the letter, we see that the focus of the governor’s comments are the justifications that Israel had presented to him for the rebuilding program. He didn’t believe these accounts, and obviously wasn’t very happy that they would be so disrespectful as to continue working in spite of his opposition.

Have you ever taken a stand against an authority figure? It might have been a manager in your workplace, a leader in an organization that you belonged to, a person with authority, or at least a strong backing, in the church? How did you feel? Confident or unsure? Secure in your position, or thinking that you may be on shaky ground? Committed to go all the way, or ready to cave in at the first sign of disagreement?
Have you ever thought about who and what gives true authority to our lives and the message that we carry? All too often, people depend on their position and office, or to their prestige in society, or the wealth that we use to buy authority, or through the coercion that we employ to diminish the authority of others. Zerubbabel was the Jewish governor, Jeshua was high priest, Tattenai was the Persian governor, Darius was king, but in the end, all of their power, taken collectively, became unimportant in the light of the Almighty’s plan and supremacy.

It’s hard to stand against any earthly authority, unless you have complete confidence in your position, and are ready to defend it to the very end. And that level of confidence can never come from us alone. With Israel, they knew that they were serving God in his way, and that his purpose and power could not be defeated. And in that knowledge, they could take that risky stand against Tattenai’s desires.

Do we have that kind of faith? The faith that allows us to stand against the desires and agendas of the world? To do the things that we know the Lord would have us do, and to resist the fears and temptations that would send us in the opposite direction? To depend completely upon his power and glory, and to surrender our limited abilities so they can be used by him?
Israel knew for certain that Cyrus had given them his permission to rebuild the temple, but would the current king be able to find the written order? And if he didn’t, what would their fate be?

Read Ezra 6:1-2, 6-12

Not only was the original edict found, and not only was it enthusiastically endorsed by Darius, but he also supplemented the decree. He ordered Tattenai to pay for all of the expenses incurred by the building project, and to provide offerings to be sacrificed on the altar of God, and that if anyone spoke against this order – not if they stopped the work, or refused to provide the offerings – but if they only challenged the order, they were to be put to death.

So what did faith do for Israel? It not only secured the people in their God-directed project, but it brought many other benefits that they hadn’t even dreamed of. Does God always work this way? Not always, but many times, he does. I believe that the Lord wants his disciples to live faithfully, and to know that he is a generous and loving God who will go to great lengths to prove it.
What can it do for us? What can come to this church if we will only reject the ill-advised authority of those around us and take a step toward Christ in faith and trust? Here’s an example:

African-American slaves were not allowed to have their own worship and were rarely allowed access to the Bible, so they held clandestine religious gatherings at night, a practice that continued after emancipation. The slaves saw in Nicodemus' night visit proof that it was possible to come to Jesus even when those in power forbade it. Nicodemus was a model, someone who was willing to act on his own against the will of the authorities.
The slaves' faith surpassed that of Nicodemus. Nicodemus' night visit was only exploratory, and in this story in John 3:1-21, he does not understand the invitation Jesus extends to him. The slaves, by contrast, understood and embraced what Jesus had to offer. They were willing to risk their safety and their very lives to come to Jesus. The slaves are a powerful example of those who come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God (3:21).

—Gail R. O'Day, The Gospel of John, The New Interpreter's Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), 555.

Do we have the courage and faith that Nicodemus had? Do we have the faith that oppressed people have had? Do we have the faith that the church of today so desperately needs?

Israel was opposed by many, and the opposition against their very existence would never end. And yet, they continue to be. Why? Because of the promise that Moses was told to take back to Egypt for the people – “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:7) The Lord God Almighty claimed Israel for his own, and would never back down from that promise.
The church will also continue to be opposed by the world and its standards, and that opposition will never end, either. At least, not until Jesus returns! Until that day arrives though, we live, not by power and self will, but by faith and grace – both of which come from our Lord as a blessing for those who will believe in him. Jesus gave us this promise - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

Israel would continue to have God on their side throughout the ages, but life has never gotten any easier for them. Christians have Jesus on their side, and life in this place will never get any easier for us, either. But even though we will continue to be opposed throughout this age, the Lord will always be our defender and shield, and that is a promise that will never fade away.