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Wednesday of the Third week in Lent
Rebuilding the Temple

Ezra 6: 1-16

Ezra 6

The Decree of Darius

¹ King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. ² A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:
Memorandum:

³ In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:
Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide, ⁴ with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. ⁵ Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

⁶ Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you, their fellow officials of that province, stay away from there. ⁷ Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

⁸ Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:
The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. ⁹ Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, ¹⁰ so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

¹¹ Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled from his house and he is to be lifted up and impaled on it. And for this crime his house is to be made a pile of rubble. ¹² May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.
I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Completion and Dedication of the Temple

¹³ Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. ¹⁴ So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. ¹⁵ The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

¹⁶ 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.

The Jerusalem temple was destroyed in 586 BC. For seventy years, it laid in ruins. When it was finally rebuilt in 516 BC, it was a milestone event.

Firstly, the rebuilding of the temple reminded Israel to place God at the centre of her national life. In 537 BC, Persian ruler King Cyrus had allowed thousands of exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem. Although they were now back in their homeland, these returnees realized that something was still amiss. Israel has always been taught to focus its national life around the worship of God. His commandments were to be obeyed. Festivals were to be observed. Prayers and sacrifices were to be offered. In all these undertakings, the temple was the focal point. Hence the urgent need to rebuild the temple.

Secondly, the rebuilding highlighted God's overruling hand among Gentile nations. Beginning in 539 BC when Cyrus captured Babylon, Persia gradually extended its rule over much of the ancient world. No other nation could challenge her. But God moved in the hearts of Cyrus and Darius. They set out decrees which allowed returnee Jews to rebuild their temple. Persian governors were instructed to assist them in this task. Supplies required for the rebuilding were to be provided out of the king's treasury. And temple vessels stolen by the Babylonians earlier were to be returned to the Jews.

Thirdly, the rebuilding necessitated God's people to do their part. God did not will the temple into existence. The Jews had to do their part. At times, the builders faced opposition and for a period, the rebuilding work ceased. But God raised up prophets like Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people. Priests and Levites, elders and ordinary workers laboured alongside one another until the rebuilding was completed.

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