Unwanted Assistance

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Chapter 4 records opposition to the rebuilding of the Temple (Satan). The Assyrians were enemies of the Jews. They had been brought to Judah by King Esar-haddon of Assyria to maintain and settle the land when the Jews were taken into captivity and they apparently still remained even though some of the Jews had returned and claimed their land. They appeared to be in favor of rebuilding the Temple and even offered to help, but Zerubbabel and Jeshua saw through their hypocrisy and politely refused them on the basis that the Temple was a temple to the God of Israel and must be built by Israeli people as commanded by King Cyrus. But these people were not easily discouraged and they sent letters to King Cyrus all during his reign, telling lies about the people in Jerusalem.

Six years after the start of the rebuilding, Cyrus was replaced by Darius as King of Persia. After Darius, Ahasuerus became king. Shortly after that he received from these people who were still trying to stir up trouble in Jerusalem, letters of accusation against the people of Jerusalem. They continued this letter writing during the reign of Artaxerxes the next King of Persia.

We have in this chapter, a copy of the letter that was sent to Artaxerxes which accused the Jews of rebuilding the "historically rebellious and evil city" of Jerusalem. They informed the King that they had already repaired the walls and were in the process of rebuilding their Temple. They suggested to the King that if these Jews were successful in rebuilding their city they would rebel and refuse to pay their taxes. They suggested that if the city was rebuilt that he could forget that portion of his kingdom that was west of the Euphrates.

When the King received the letter and it was translated for him, he replied and told those who wrote the letter to him, that he concurred with them and that they were to stop the rebuilding that was going on in Jerusalem until he could further investigate. When this letter was received back in Jerusalem, the work was stopped and remained so until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.

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