1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:20,080 Speaker 1: I'm John Stanghi, and today we're in Ezra chapter four, 5 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. The 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard that 7 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: the people had come back to rebuild the temple of 8 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: the Lord God of Israel. So they went to Zerubabyl 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: and to the family leaders and said, let us help. 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: Ever since King Esarhaddan of Assyria brought us here, we 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: have worshiped your God and offered sacrifices to him. But 12 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: Zerubabile Joshua and the family leaders answered, you cannot take 13 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: part in building a temple for the Lord, our God. 14 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: We will build it ourselves, just as King Sais of 15 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 1: Persia commanded us. Then the neighboring people began to do 16 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: everything possible to frighten the Jews and to make them 17 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: stop building. During the time that Cyrus was king, and 18 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: even until Darius became king, they kept bribing government officials 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 1: to slow down the work. In the first year that 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: Xerxes was king, the neighboring people brought written charges against 21 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Later, Bishlam Mithradath Tabil 22 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: and their advisers got together and wrote a letter to 23 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: Artaxerxes when he was king of Persia. It was written 24 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: in Aramaic and had to be translated. A letter was 25 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: also written to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem by Governor Rahum, Secretary Shimshai, 26 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: and their advisers, including the judges, the governors, the officials, 27 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: and the local leaders. They were joined in writing this 28 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: letter by people from Erik and Babylonia, the Ilamis from Susa, 29 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: and people from other foreign nations that the great and 30 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: famous asher Banipal had forced to settle in Samaria and 31 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: other parts of Western Province. This letter said, your Majesty 32 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: King Artaxerxes, we are your servants from everywhere in Western Province, 33 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: and we send you our greetings. You should know that 34 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: the Jews who left your country have moved back to 35 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: Jerusalem and are now rebuilding that terrible city. In fact, 36 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: they have almost finished rebuilding the walls and repairing the foundations. 37 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: You should also know that if the walls are completed 38 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: and the city is rebuilt, the Jews won't pay any 39 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: kind of taxes, and there will be less money in 40 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 1: your treasury. We are telling you this because you have 41 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: done so much for us, and we want everyone to 42 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: respect you. If you look up the official records of 43 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: your ancestors, you will find that Jerusalem has constantly rebelled 44 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: and has led others to rebel against kings and provinces. 45 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: That's why the city was destroyed in the first place. 46 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: If Jerusalem is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will 47 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: no longer have control over Western Province. King Artaxerxes answered 48 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: greetings to Governor Rayhum, Secretary Shimshai, and to your advisors 49 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: in Samaria and other parts of Western Province. After your 50 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: letter was translated and read to me, I had the 51 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: old records checked. It is true that for years Jerusalem 52 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: has rebelled and caused trouble for other kings and nations, 53 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: and powerful kings have ruled Western Province from Jerusalem and 54 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: have collected all kinds of taxes. I want you to 55 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: command the people to stop rebuilding the city until I 56 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: give further notice. Do this right now, so that no 57 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: harm will come to the kingdom. As soon as this 58 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:02,839 Speaker 1: letter was read, Governor Rayhoum, Secretary Shimshi, and their advisors 59 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: went to Jerusalem and forced everyone to stop rebuilding the city. 60 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: The Jews were forced to stop work on the temple, 61 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: and we're not able to do any more building until 62 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: the year after Darius became king of Persia. Let's pray, Lord, 63 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 64 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: for the privilege of being able to look at it 65 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: together today. And Lord, in this portion of scripture, we 66 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: see a group of people who are intent on doing 67 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 1: what you've called them to do, as they're working in 68 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and to do work in 69 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: the city to establish it as a place of worship 70 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: once again. But we can see that where you inspire 71 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: people to follow your will, adversity often follows. You tell 72 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: us in your word that our adversary, the devil, prowls 73 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: around this world looking for people to devour, and he 74 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: actively seeks to oppose your work, and at times he'll 75 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: put ideas and thoughts into the minds of men so 76 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: that they conspire together to try and stop the work 77 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 1: that you're accomplishing. Lord, This was something that the people 78 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: were dealing with in Jerusalem during this particular era, and 79 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: that's something that we deal with right now. Lord, we 80 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: recognize that in the midst of our daily walk with 81 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: your son Jesus Christ, we have an enemy, Satan himself, 82 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: and those who align with him work against the people 83 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: of God, and in the spiritual realm seek to operate 84 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: as adversaries to your plan and to your will. In 85 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: Lord of times, we experience that we seek to grow 86 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: in our walk with your son Jesus Christ. But we 87 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: deal with adversity, and we deal with all sorts of 88 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: things that try and drag us in different directions. But Lord, 89 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: you are stronger than any adversity we may experience, and 90 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: we're grateful that you're present right here with us. So Lord, 91 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: we pray that you'd grant us your strength today. We 92 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: pray that we'd walk with you faithfully today, and we 93 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: pray Lord that our confidence in your ability to guide 94 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: us and direct us and protect us in the midst 95 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: of all we deal with would be strong. Thank you, 96 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: Lord for your love, thank you for your presence with 97 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: us today, and we commit this day to your care 98 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.