WEBVTT - Ezra 4

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stanghi, and today we're in Ezra chapter four,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. The

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<v Speaker 1>enemies of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin heard that

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<v Speaker 1>the people had come back to rebuild the temple of

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord God of Israel. So they went to Zerubabyl

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<v Speaker 1>and to the family leaders and said, let us help.

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<v Speaker 1>Ever since King Esarhaddan of Assyria brought us here, we

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<v Speaker 1>have worshiped your God and offered sacrifices to him. But

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<v Speaker 1>Zerubabile Joshua and the family leaders answered, you cannot take

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<v Speaker 1>part in building a temple for the Lord, our God.

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<v Speaker 1>We will build it ourselves, just as King Sais of

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<v Speaker 1>Persia commanded us. Then the neighboring people began to do

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<v Speaker 1>everything possible to frighten the Jews and to make them

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<v Speaker 1>stop building. During the time that Cyrus was king, and

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<v Speaker 1>even until Darius became king, they kept bribing government officials

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<v Speaker 1>to slow down the work. In the first year that

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<v Speaker 1>Xerxes was king, the neighboring people brought written charges against

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<v Speaker 1>the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Later, Bishlam Mithradath Tabil

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<v Speaker 1>and their advisers got together and wrote a letter to

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<v Speaker 1>Artaxerxes when he was king of Persia. It was written

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<v Speaker 1>in Aramaic and had to be translated. A letter was

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<v Speaker 1>also written to Artaxerxes about Jerusalem by Governor Rahum, Secretary Shimshai,

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<v Speaker 1>and their advisers, including the judges, the governors, the officials,

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<v Speaker 1>and the local leaders. They were joined in writing this

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<v Speaker 1>letter by people from Erik and Babylonia, the Ilamis from Susa,

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<v Speaker 1>and people from other foreign nations that the great and

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<v Speaker 1>famous asher Banipal had forced to settle in Samaria and

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<v Speaker 1>other parts of Western Province. This letter said, your Majesty

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<v Speaker 1>King Artaxerxes, we are your servants from everywhere in Western Province,

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<v Speaker 1>and we send you our greetings. You should know that

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<v Speaker 1>the Jews who left your country have moved back to

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<v Speaker 1>Jerusalem and are now rebuilding that terrible city. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>they have almost finished rebuilding the walls and repairing the foundations.

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<v Speaker 1>You should also know that if the walls are completed

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<v Speaker 1>and the city is rebuilt, the Jews won't pay any

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<v Speaker 1>kind of taxes, and there will be less money in

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<v Speaker 1>your treasury. We are telling you this because you have

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<v Speaker 1>done so much for us, and we want everyone to

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<v Speaker 1>respect you. If you look up the official records of

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<v Speaker 1>your ancestors, you will find that Jerusalem has constantly rebelled

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<v Speaker 1>and has led others to rebel against kings and provinces.

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<v Speaker 1>That's why the city was destroyed in the first place.

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<v Speaker 1>If Jerusalem is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will

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<v Speaker 1>no longer have control over Western Province. King Artaxerxes answered

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<v Speaker 1>greetings to Governor Rayhum, Secretary Shimshai, and to your advisors

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<v Speaker 1>in Samaria and other parts of Western Province. After your

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<v Speaker 1>letter was translated and read to me, I had the

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<v Speaker 1>old records checked. It is true that for years Jerusalem

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<v Speaker 1>has rebelled and caused trouble for other kings and nations,

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<v Speaker 1>and powerful kings have ruled Western Province from Jerusalem and

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<v Speaker 1>have collected all kinds of taxes. I want you to

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<v Speaker 1>command the people to stop rebuilding the city until I

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<v Speaker 1>give further notice. Do this right now, so that no

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<v Speaker 1>harm will come to the kingdom. As soon as this

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<v Speaker 1>letter was read, Governor Rayhoum, Secretary Shimshi, and their advisors

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<v Speaker 1>went to Jerusalem and forced everyone to stop rebuilding the city.

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<v Speaker 1>The Jews were forced to stop work on the temple,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're not able to do any more building until

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<v Speaker 1>the year after Darius became king of Persia. Let's pray, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the privilege of being able to look at it

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<v Speaker 1>together today. And Lord, in this portion of scripture, we

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<v Speaker 1>see a group of people who are intent on doing

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<v Speaker 1>what you've called them to do, as they're working in

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<v Speaker 1>Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and to do work in

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<v Speaker 1>the city to establish it as a place of worship

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<v Speaker 1>once again. But we can see that where you inspire

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<v Speaker 1>people to follow your will, adversity often follows. You tell

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<v Speaker 1>us in your word that our adversary, the devil, prowls

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<v Speaker 1>around this world looking for people to devour, and he

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<v Speaker 1>actively seeks to oppose your work, and at times he'll

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<v Speaker 1>put ideas and thoughts into the minds of men so

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<v Speaker 1>that they conspire together to try and stop the work

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<v Speaker 1>that you're accomplishing. Lord, This was something that the people

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<v Speaker 1>were dealing with in Jerusalem during this particular era, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's something that we deal with right now. Lord, we

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<v Speaker 1>recognize that in the midst of our daily walk with

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<v Speaker 1>your son Jesus Christ, we have an enemy, Satan himself,

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<v Speaker 1>and those who align with him work against the people

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<v Speaker 1>of God, and in the spiritual realm seek to operate

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<v Speaker 1>as adversaries to your plan and to your will. In

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<v Speaker 1>Lord of times, we experience that we seek to grow

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<v Speaker 1>in our walk with your son Jesus Christ. But we

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<v Speaker 1>deal with adversity, and we deal with all sorts of

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<v Speaker 1>things that try and drag us in different directions. But Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>you are stronger than any adversity we may experience, and

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<v Speaker 1>we're grateful that you're present right here with us. So Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we pray that you'd grant us your strength today. We

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<v Speaker 1>pray that we'd walk with you faithfully today, and we

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<v Speaker 1>pray Lord that our confidence in your ability to guide

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<v Speaker 1>us and direct us and protect us in the midst

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<v Speaker 1>of all we deal with would be strong. Thank you,

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<v Speaker 1>Lord for your love, thank you for your presence with

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<v Speaker 1>us today, and we commit this day to your care

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<v Speaker 1>and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.