Stack Study: You Have Done Great Things Lesson 3
a Bible study via Substack...this week there's lots of opposition and brace yourselves because they're writing letters
You know the phenomenon of getting a new car or a new pair of shoes and then suddenly everyone also drives a white Highlander and wears those same Adidas? When I started writing this study a few years ago, I caught glimpses of it everywhere I turned, particularly in music. I heard a Phil Wickham song and realized whoa, these lyrics are the words of the returning exiles.
Take a listen…House of the LORD by Phil Wickham.
When we tune our attention to something holy, when we search for its wisdom as if it’s hidden treasure, we become Dorothy experiencing the world in full color. The thoughts we kick around in our minds while driving or chopping vegetables slowly change us into people more attune to God’s work in the world. Things are illuminated that weren’t before and we’re wise to slow down long enough to wonder about them. Today as you begin your study into the final portion of Ezra, borrow this breath prayer from Every Season Sacred by Kayla Craig:
Inhale: Awaken me, Jesus.
Exhale: Astound me with Your presence.
Read Ezra 4:1-5
What does it say?
There are enemies of the Israelites and they don’t want the temple rebuilt.
They pretend they want to help in the rebuilding process, but Zerubbabel and Jeshua see through this attempt and turn them away.
After they are turned away, the enemies increase their opposition tactics through discouragement, threats that instill fear, and bribery.
Chapter 4 is a peculiar chapter chronologically speaking. You might notice that verse 6 jumps to the reign of Xerxes, then Artaxerxes, then back to Darius at the end of the chapter. Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary1 attributes this to the author of Ezra-Nehemiah clustering content thematically rather than chronologically at times. It is hard to say, but this is where a timeline helps us to make sense of what is happening or even to notice that the order is a bit strange in the first place. We will see the events captured in chapter 4 come up again in Nehemiah when we chronologically get to the reign of Artaxerxes. In other words, we’ll come back to the rest of Chapter 4 but spend a few minutes reviewing the timeline so you can stay situated with where we are in the story—I find the order of the kings the most useful thing to memorize.
For now, verse 24 tells us plainly that “the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill…” and now the gritty work of opposition can ramp up thanks to everyone’s favorite vengeful strategy. You guessed it….strongly worded letters.
Read Ezra 5:6-17 - A letter to King Darius
What does it say?
The enemies now have an identity: the men of Trans Euphrates and they sent a letter to King Darius about the temple reconstruction.
They want to fact-check Zerubbabel and his men regarding their claim that King Cyrus said they could return and rebuild the temple.
They ask for a search of the royal archives and for King Darius to weigh in on the matter.
Read Ezra 6:1-12 - A response from King Darius
What does it say?
A search of the royal archives uncovered the original decree of King Cyrus, thus confirming that the Israelites’ claim was true.
King Darius commands the men of Trans Euphrates to stay out of the Israelites’ way and, even more, to help out financially from their own revenue.
If they do not follow King Darius’s command, they will be impaled by a beam from their own home and then their home will be destroyed. Yikes.
Why did it matter?
Opposition to the Israelites is mounting and the exiles in all their glorious humanity experience fear and question if they should continue. It certainly couldn’t have been an efficient process—to wait for royal archives to be searched and then a letter to travel by ground over miles and miles. Did the Israelites exhale deeply when news of Darius’s decree reached them? It seems to me that at the root of all their scheming, the men of Trans Euphrates were simply threatened by another group’s progress and were hoping for a gotcha moment that would reset the balance of power. Yet God uses another foreign king to keep His plan on track. Is this recurring detail by accident? I think not.
Read Ezra 6:13-18
What did it say?
The men of Trans Euphrates followed the order to help.
The reconstruction continued and prospered under the encouragement of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.
The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the 6th year of the reign of King Darius.
They had a huge celebration to dedicate the House of the LORD and installed all the priests & Levites for temple worship according to what their people had done under Moses.
Why did it matter?
This small selection of verses is the climax of temple construction. In the face of significant opposition, the Israelites now have a physical place to experience the presence of God. We know from today’s readings and previous lessons that their way home was certainly not paved with simplicity and comfort. This formerly devastated people can now truly say there is joy in the House of the LORD.
Why does it still matter?
Take a look at the very first verse of Ezra, the one where we learned that Cyrus would fulfill Isaiah’s ancient prophecy to let the exiles return:
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing…
When God moved the heart of Cyrus to let His people go back to Jerusalem, He also moved him to write it down. When we hold this small detail up to the events of Ezra 5—the back and forth letters calling for a search of the royal archives—we see that Cyrus’s written record is the necessary evidence to halt foreign opposition. God knew that this record would protect them and compel King Darius to follow the trend of his predecessor Cyrus.
It seems there are no small details in the Kingdom of God.
Now remember with me that in our first lesson we learned through the prophet Jeremiah that God promised to set everything right within 70 years.2 Some quick Biblical math (done courtesy of historical commentaries, not yours truly) tells us that according to the Babylonian calendar, the month of Adar was February-March, thus historians believe the second temple was completed around March 12, 515 BC.3 Why am I even telling you this? Because this means they gathered for worship in their rebuilt temple a little over 70 years after its destruction.
It seems there are no small details in the Kingdom of God.
I wonder as you let the words of Scripture soak in this week if you might consider the small details of your life in light of what God did for the exiles. I teach a lot about the art of remembering because over the years I have found the experience of memory to be a means by which God anchors me. And so often it is not the grand narrative of my life, but the subtle, seemingly hidden parts of my day that reveal the truth of God’s in-breaking Kingdom all around me…
The little plant on my desk that I received 8 years ago after a life-altering loss— I don’t even know who gave it to me, but it still bears new leaves.
The neighbor whose offer to share her warm leftover soup means I am not alone on this day of writing. I’m seen by my friend across the street with a gift for cooking.
The child who I once rushed to the emergency room barely breathing now practices spelling words while stuffing his face with breakfast and kissing me goodbye as he bounds off to school. Who will he become in this grand story?
It seems there are no small details in the Kingdom of God. What are yours?
In what ways do you see God at work in the small and hidden parts of your life? Consider writing them down.
How has opposition in your life kept you from the things of God? How have you been encouraged to persevere?
Pray that God would open your eyes to see Him at work all around you. Repeat the breath prayer from the opening of this lesson: Inhale: Awake me, Jesus. Exhale: Astound me with your presence.4
Did you know that Psalm 126 is believed to have been penned by Ezra or some of the other prophets who returned with the first group of exiles. Consider memorizing it as you study these chapters. Here’s a free downloadable version.
And don’t forget to make use of these other free resources as you study. I find them to be so helpful in staying clear about how this story fits within the whole Biblical narrative. Feel free to print them if that’s your style!
Curious about the art of remembering? I’d recommend reading this post.
Curious about breath prayers? Head over to Kayla Craig’s Substack to learn more.
It’s almost the end of the month which means I’m working on my first So I Won’t Forget essay for 2025. If you don’t know what that is, I’d love for you to check out last year’s collection HERE. The new one will be headed to your inboxes this weekend.
Lesson 4 of Stack Study: You Have Done Great Things will drop as usual on Thursday!
For those of you who miss the WHTH podcast, new episodes are coming out later in the Spring. I just previewed one story yesterday and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Until then, please share the study with a friend who comes to your mind. That’s my favorite way for this thing to grow. Welcome someone into it!
Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary - I use this for super basic, quick references. A great starter commentary if you are just venturing into the world of commentaries.