4-6 CLASSIFICATION: TEXT------EXPOSITORY "OPPOSITION TO THE WORKOF --BIOGRAPHICAL --TEXTUAL --TOPICAL SCRIPTURE READING•------DEVOTIONAL

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BIBLIOGRAPHY______Ezra 4-6

ert Kriegel has written a book :1-5 and Ezra 4:24 describe entitled Sacred Cows Make the Best the delay of the rebuilding of the Temple Burgers in which he describes the which occurred during the reign of Cyrus. jneyitable ta change in the The reconstruction was not completed business world and how it can be until the second year of Darius' rule which overcome. His term for this blanket was 520 BC. opposition to change is "firehosing." problem arises in Ezra 4:6-23 Firehosing is demonstrated in those where the biblical writer referred to people who react to any new idea with (sometimes known as Xerxes) five good reasons why it won' ork. He who ruled from 486-465 BC and in Ezra calls it firehosing " he referred to Artaxerxes who people's enthusi ruled from 465-425 BC. the creativity, and j biblical writer interposed some material at excitem the spot. this point describing opposition to the Resistance to change is not just rebuilding of the wall of which found in the business world. It is also the happened at a later period. We've heard perpetual enemy of progress in God's of writers who do a "flash-back" to an work. discovered that shortly earlier period as they tell their story. This after he and the other exiles returned to biblical writer did a indicate that the o osition to th e arrival in Jerusalem of the o was continuous. It was apparent exiles from with their the reigns of Cyrus and Darius announcement that the Temple would be when th m as being rebuilt. It was rebuilt was met with immediate opposition apparent during the reigns of from the local inhabitants. Their response and Artaxerxes when I to this opposition is described in our text. of Jerusalem were being Before looking at their response, Opposition to the work of God is me say a word about a chronological also apparent today. How should we in Ezra 4 that can lead to respond to this opposition? We can learn confusion. some lessons from our text. Brian's Lines >July/August, 1996 Page7

Cautious advice and interest. Then, when they 4:1-4 gained the ear of the exiles, they would try to seduce them from following the plan When opposition comes to the of God. work of God, we first of all need to be Sometimes the opposition to the cautious. We need to use our work of God today is subtle and difficult to When the work on the Temple discern, just like it was in the day of began, some of the local citizens Zerubbabel. Offers for help can be veiled approached Zerubbabel and offered to attempts to undermine and discourage help. They identified themselves as the our efforts, and enemies can come under descendants of the immigrants who had the guise of friendship. Compromise can been brought into the land during the lead eventually to failure . These immigrants To resist such subtle attacks on had married the native Israelites and the work of God requires that we use our came to be known as . hea . Zerubbabel summarily rejected their offer of help. Their offer of help Courageous seemed to be given in good faith. They 5:1-5 did not at that point seem to be opposed to what the exiles were trying to do. When opposition comes to the did Zeruboabel reject their offer of help? work of God, we need to be courageous. Zerubbabel was apparently afraid that We need to use our he s. the would be assimilated into the Years had passed since the local population and that their religion incident recounted in Ezra 4. Cyrus was would consequently be contaminated by no longer the ruler of Persia. Darius was these outside influences. If this now the king. Two prophets appeared on happened, it would recreate the very the scene to encourage the people to conditions which had led to the begin once more the reconstruction of the destruction of the nation in the first place. Temple. Zerubbabel was not willing to accept the What did these two prophets say? short-term off of help because of what We don't find an answer here. We must it would do to the I of instead turn to the two God's people. books which contain the prophecies of Samaritans, in retaliation, these two men. A close study of their sought revenge by undermining the books reveals that the prophecies of morale of the workers. In verses 4-5, the Hagg · and Zechariah contained two biblical writer described an aggressive elements: rebuke and promise. The and continuous attempt to discourage the prophets rebuked the people for their lack Jewish workers. They did this by hiring of courage. They acknowledged the "counselors." These counselors presence of external opposition. mentioned in verse 5 were perhaps However, they explained that the primary offered to the exiles under the guise of problem was not external opposition but Brian's Lines >July/August, 199 Page 8

a loss of internal with the is not the reason for the completion of the rebuke came a promise from the prophets of Temple. The construction of the Temple was God. They promised completed because of the consistent work those who were willing to done by the exiles. What their heads obey Him and complete the work on the understood and their hearts felt, their hands Temple. did. They translated theology and doxology We see a sequence often repeated in into biography! the Old Testament. The word of God's _ Sometimes the greatest opposition to prophets stimulated action in God's people. the work of God today does not come fro and Zechariah prophesied in verse 1. without but from within. ometimes it is no Zerubbabel and Jeshua set themselves to what others do as much as it is what we fail task of rebuilding the Temple in verse 2. to do. Exhortation was met with obedience. To resist this tendency to become That's not the end of the story. An complacent about the work of God requires inspector named Tatenai discovered that the that we use our h d . reconstruction of the Temple had resumed. He tried to intimidate the Jews and force onclusion them to stop. The people of God took their stand on the declaration of God and the What lessons can we learn from the decree of Cyrus. experience recounted in our text? Were they afraid? Probably Yet, Lesson Number One: Work in the they did not allow their fear to stop them. kingdom of God always faces opposition. Fear can be or it can be When we face opposition and criticism today, catalytic. we .shouldn't be surprised. From Moses to In the absence of courage, fear will Jesus, God's people have always faced stop us from doing God's work. opposition. In the presence of courage, fear will Lesson Number Two: The proper stimulate us to God's work. response to opposition is not fear but faith. Opposition to the work of God today is We cannot determine when or how the confrontational and consistent, just like it was will come. We can , however, in the time reflected in our text. determine how we will respond to it. We can To resist such consistent attacks on allow the opposition to destroy us or develop the work of God requires that we use our us. hearts. - t esson Number Three: God always provides for His work. Sometimes this Consistent provision of God 6:13-15 comes from an unexpected When opposition source. For the comes to the work of God , Hebrews in our we need to be consistent. text, God provided We need to use encouragement Darius responded to and support from a the- inquiry of Tatenai by pagan king . In confirming the position of the whatever form , xiles and supporting their effort. This made God will always provide so that His work can possible the completion Temple but it be continued. I/ a111 IBIBLE Emphasizes State Missions Opposition to the WOMEN ON MISSION will meet Tuesday, Sep­ tember 10 (instead of September 3) for the Week of Work of God Prayer for State Missions program. The meeting will be at 9:30 AM on the second floor of Baptist Memo­ Opposition to the work of God was experienced when rials High Rise. Please note that this will take the the Israelites were rebuilding the Temple. When we place of the usual first Tuesday meeting. experience opposition how should we respond? Our Response Should Be: outreach Nights I. Cautious Ezra 4;1-4 Scheduled This Fall 1 Now when the enemies ofJudah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to September 9 the Lord God ofIsrael, October 14 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads offa­ November 4 thers' households, and said to them, "Let build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have A light sandwich supper will be served at 6:00 PM in been sacrificing to Him since the days ofEsarhaddon Wilson Hall. Everyone then will go out and make king ofAssyria, who brought us up here." visits. This is a good time for Sunday School workers J But Zentbbabel and Jeshua and the rest ofthe heads to visit prospects and members offathers' households ofIsrael said to them, "You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord New Discipleship Training God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us. " Seminars to Start September 8 Then the people ofthe land discouraged the people ofJudah, and frightened them from building. Two new seminars will be offered beginning Suriday night, September 8, at 5:15 PM. These II. Courageous classes will continue through October 27. :1-5 Communication: Key to an Effective Marriage will 1 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and be taught by Wendi Nikolauk In W301 South (Adult Zechariah the son ofIddo, prophesied to the Jews who 1 Dept.). The Seven Laws of the Learner Is a video were in and Jerusalem, in the name ofthe God series and will be led by Ronnie Laughlin in W205. ofIsrael, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son ofShea/tie/ and Jeshua the son ofJozadak arose and began to rebuild the house ( Study continued) ofGod which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets ofGod the elders ofthe Jews were successful in build­ were with them supporting them. ing through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet 3 At that time , the governor of the province and Zechariah the son ofIddo. And they finished build­ beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai and their col­ ing according to the command of the God of Israel leagues came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who and the decree ofCyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king issued you a decree rebuild this temple and to fin­ ofPersia. ish this 15 And this te le was completed on the third day of Then we told them accordingly what the names of the mont · ·, the sixth year of the reign of the men were who were reconstructing this building. 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the r.,,(,-~~t:~ Jews, and they did not stop them until a report should Lessons We Can ~ come to Darius, and then a written reply be returned 1. Work in the Kingdom ofGod always faces opposition. concerning it. 2. The proper response to opposition is not fear but faith. III. Consistent 3. God always provides for work. · :13-15 Application; 13 Then Tattenai, the governor ofthe province beyond When opposition comes the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues car­ * We need use our HEADS ried out the decree with all diligence, just as King * We need to use our HEARTS Darius had sent. * We need to use our HANDS Paul Hinson Dana Presley Paige Hoffman Deanna Sheffield Kelsey Hoffman Margarite Stokes Susan· Sanderson Loren Reynolds August 27 Connie Johnston Belinda Gatlin Ilene Lankford Eric Elrod (Festus & Willofae Elrod's grandson) John Guajardo Joe Mahaffay Wayne Heidenheimer Bradley Stokes ST. JOHN'S CAMPUS Michael Stokes 203 Lorene Hendricks (JoAnn's Herring's mother and Vicky Gray's grandmother) August 28 Mary Nell Brown Luis Ortiz Gail Gober-Moore Jo Ruth Ross Mildred Green Ophelia Tester August 29 Marie Crook Frank Pool Barney Jefferson Brian Richardson Genova Arnold Pete Martinez Billie Rutledge Jesse Beam (Vicky Trusdle's father) Tosha Miller Susan Wills Glenn Bland (Jim Clemons' cousin) Richie Bryan .August 30 Houston & Evelyn Burk (Shirley Heyman's brother) Margaret Barrett Bill Ireland Myrle Cameron May Bedwell Margaret Isett Esther B. Campbell Douglas Eakman Keith Wolsey Johnny Carlson Tom Davis (friend of Jerry Jennison) August 31 Dr. & Duke Bobbie Dorris Ronnie Laughliln Freddy Franks Odell.Green Beverly Wolsey Susan & Rita Gehman (Bonnie Chappell's niece & great Harley Highsmith niece) Dorothy Gibbs Government Officials ER Steve & Julie Hardin Hazel Billings, Guatemala Judith Hawkins County Clerk Tommy Cupples, Illinois Tony & Denyse Hines (Missionaries in Simfcropol, Ukraine) Fermin Flores, Texas Bill & Vonda Hollis Russell Kyzar, Costa Rica Ruby Hollis Kimberly (Mrs. Jay) Smith, Nigeria Marie Hoover Judy (Mrs. Garland, Jr.) Tapp, East Africa Jesus Video Project Art Taylor, Florida Noemi Jimenez Charles Arizona Stanley Jordan Wade Watts, Peru Mary Lou Kirkland (mother of Cleve Kirkland) RETIRED: Dale & Kimberly Ledbetter (Missionaries in <:>dcs.5a, Ukraine) Dan White, Spain Marguerite McCain Karl McKinney Mission San Angelo Joe Munoz (SAISD President) We express our heartfelt sympathy to these families: Margaret Newlin Myrtle (lamo) Chandler the death ofher husband, Cody Wayne Pierce (Wayne & Barbara Merrill's Aubrey Chandler; newborn grandson) Harold &JoAnn Chandler in the death ofhis father, Mary Nelle Reasoner Aubrey Chandler; Alyne Rodgers Gary & Cindy Pjluger,Amanda & Lauren in the death Jay & Gina Scott ofher grandfather, Aubrey Chandler; Betty Slaughter Jewell Cypert in the death ofher brother; Catherine Spence's sister Minnie Lee Pearce in the death ofher son, Mike Pearce; Sunday School Teacher Enlistment Mary Wilbanks in the death ofher sister, Bertie J. 0 . & Joy Strother Mary Story (Kyle Wright's grandmother) Bridgewater Graham. VISION 2000 Jim Womack (Jo Scaggs' nephew) Ronny & Kay Woods (brother-in-law and sister of Mary Ann Pape) Yalta Baptist Church Benjamin Yukhimets