1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
3 At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” 4 They also asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.
6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. 7 They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. 8 Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. 9 Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ 10 We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders. 11 And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. 13 However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. 14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” 16 Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.’ 17 Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.” – Ezra 5:1-17 ESV
Unbelief is a constant reality – even for the believer. But how can you be a believer and yet not believe? It’s simple. Belief is a state of mind that must always be accompanied by action. In other words, belief must be visibly tied to faith. During the days of Ezra, the returned exiles were attempting to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, according to the decree issued by Cyrus the Persian king. But because of local opposition, the Jews abandoned their efforts “all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” (Ezra 4:5 ESV. For 16 years, all construction activity on the Temple stopped, even though God had miraculously arranged their return to the land and even prompted King Cyrus to fund their efforts.
What happened? The people stopped believing. Rather than stepping out in faith and trusting that God would protect them, they simply gave in and shut down all construction until the prophets of God intervened. God prompted Haggai and Zechariah to write letters to the Jews in Judah encouraging them to stop fearing and take action.
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.” – Haggai 1:7-9 NLT
“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.
“But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” – Zechariah 1:9-10, 12 NLT
These words of encouragement had a powerful impact on the defeated and disillusioned remnant in Judah.
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” – Haggai 1:12-13 NLT
Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, the people put their faith in action and began to build once again, despite the opposition. Yet, they were immediately confronted by their enemies who questioned where they had received the authority to restart the construction. Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates tried to frighten the Jews but, rather than giving in to the pressure, the workers continued to believe and build.
Unhappy with the renewed building efforts, the local authorities sent a letter to the king requesting that he search the royal archives for evidence of any past decrees authorizing the construction of the Temple. Their letter opened with a first-hand description of the revitalized and energetic actions of the returned exiles.
“The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.” – Ezra 5:8 NLT
The letter also outlined the interrogation of Judah’s leadership, who explained their actions as being ordained by God and authorized by King Cyrus.
“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel.” – Ezra 5:11 NLT
“King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.” – Ezra 5:13 NLT
Tattenai, the Persian-appointed governor of the province was unconvinced that the Jews were telling the truth, which prompted the letter to the king. He was hoping that the Jews would be proven to be liars and that the king would take action against them.
But in the meantime, the people of God needed to believe in their God. He had told them to rebuild and provided everything they needed to make it happen, including the assistance of a pagan king. The problem came when the people started facing opposition. Doubt began to creep in and doubt almost always leads to disbelief. Then disbelief leads to disobedience. And disobedience inevitably results in a lack of God’s rest.
Throughout the history of the Hebrew nation, God kept trying to prove to His people just how trustworthy He was. He bailed them out time and time again. He provided miracle after miracle. He defeated their enemies for them. He clothed and fed them. He made them a mighty nation. But they continually struggled with unbelief. They lacked faith. They could claim to believe in God, but their actions proved otherwise. And yet, God still wanted to prove His trustworthiness to them.
When Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to keep on building and they obeyed, despite the opposition, it was an act of faith. They had no idea how the king would respond to the letter. They had no guarantee that the king would act favorably. But faith doesn’t dwell on possibilities. It focuses on the God of the impossible. Jesus said of His Heavenly Father, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ESV). When faced with a test of his faith, Moses was reminded by God, “Is the LORD’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not” (Numbers 11:23 ESV). The prophet Isaiah told the people of Israel, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1 ESV).
God is the God of the impossible, but we must not only believe it cognitively; we must put shoe leather to our belief and act on it in faith.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson