1 Many adversaries living in the area were against the people returning from exile, for they heard that they were building a Temple for YAHUAH, the Alahim of Israel. 2 So they came to Zerubbabel and to the family leaders and said, “Let us help you build the Temple. We're all the same, and we seek your Alahim the same as you do. Infact we’ve been offering sacrifices to Him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.”
3 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other family leaders of Israel answered, “No, we don’t have anything in common, so you people can’t help us build a House for YAHUAH. Only we alone are permitted to build this set-apart Temple, for YAHUAH is the living Alahim of Israel. This is what King Cyrus of Persia commanded us to do!" WHILE WE ARE COMMANDED BY YAHUSHA TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES, LIGHT CAN NEVER CO-EXIST WITH DARKNESS, NO MATTER WHAT THE GOOD INTENT - MIXING BEHAVIOUR YAHUSHA CONSIDERS FLAT-OUT WRONG WITH HIS BRIDE … IS NOT PERMITTED!!
4 So these adversaries began to hinder and discourage Judah, trying to frighten them in order to stop the building of the Temple. 5 These enemies hired government officials to work against the people of Judah. The officials constantly did things to stop the Jews’ plans to build the Temple. This continued the whole time that Cyrus was the King until Darius became the King of Persia. 6 These enemies even wrote letters to the King of Persia trying to stop the Jews. They wrote a letter the year that Xerxes became the King of Persia.
7 Later, when Artaxerxes became the new King of Persia, some of these men wrote another letter complaining about the Jews. The men who wrote the letter were Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the other people in their group. The letter was written in Aramaic (BABYLONIAN HEBREW) and translated. 8 Then Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against the people of Jerusalem. They wrote the letter to Artaxerxes the King. This is what they wrote: 9 'From Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, and from the Judges and important officials over the men from Tripolis, Persia, Erech, and Babylon, and from the Elamites from Susa, 10and from the other people who the great and powerful Ashurbanipal moved to the city of Samaria and other places in the country west of the Euphrates River. 11This is the copy of the letter sent to King Artaxerxes: From your servants living in the area west of the Euphrates River. 12King Artaxerxes, we wish to inform you that the Jews you sent from there are now in Jerusalem. They are trying to build that terrible city again. The people there have always rebelled against other Kings. Now they have almost finished repairing the foundations and building the walls. 13Also, King Artaxerxes, you should know that if Jerusalem and its walls are built again, the people of Jerusalem will stop paying their taxes. They will stop sending money to honour you. They also will stop paying customs fees, and the King will lose all that money.
14 We have a responsibility to the King. We don’t want to see this happen, so we are sending this letter to inform the King. 15 King Artaxerxes, we suggest that you search the writings of the Kings who ruled before you. You will see in the writings that Jerusalem always rebelled against other Kings. It has caused much trouble for other Kings and nations. Many rebellions have started in this city since ancient times. That is why Jerusalem was destroyed. 16 King Artaxerxes, we wish to inform you that if this city and its walls are rebuilt, you will lose control of the area west of the Euphrates River'.
17 Then King Artaxerxes sent this answer: 'To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary, and all the people with them living in Samaria and other places west of the Euphrates River. Greetings: 18 The letter you sent us has been translated and read to me. 19 I gave an order for the writings of the Kings before me to be searched. The writings were read, and we found out that Jerusalem has a long history of rebellion against Kings. Jerusalem has been a place where rebellion and revolt has happened often. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful Kings ruling over it and over the whole area west of the Euphrates River. Their Kings received taxes, customs, fees, and tribute. 21 Now, you must give an order for these men to stop work. That order must be given to keep Jerusalem from being built again until I say so. 22 Be careful not to overlook this matter. We should not let the building of Jerusalem continue. If that work continues, I will not get any more money from Jerusalem'. 23 So a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes sent was read to Rehum, Shimshai the secretary, and the people with them. They went very quickly to the Jews in Jerusalem and forced them to stop building. 24 So the work stopped on YAHUAH’S Temple in Jerusalem, and did not continue until the second year that Darius was King of Persia (AROUND 520 BC).
THE TEMPLE BUILDING PROJECT BEGAN WITH JOY AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS. IT WAS APPROACHED WITH REVERENCE AND ENTHUSIASM TO RETURN TO TRUE, SET-APART COVENANT RELATIONSHIP. BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THESE JEWS RAN INTO STRONG ADVERSITY AND OPPOSITION, WHICH PLAYS OUT FOR THE REST OF EZRA AND INTO NEHEMIAH.
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