Friday, March 21 – Ezra 6, Psalm 137

1. How did God move King Darius, and what did he do to ensure the completion of the temple? (Ezra 6:1-8)

2. How was the House of God inaugurated? (Ezra 6:16-22)

3. How did the captives feel in Babylon? (Psalm 137:1)

Ezra 6 continues the narrative from chapter 5, recounting the rebuilding of the temple under the leadership of Haggai and Zechariah. God fulfills His promises. The 70 years of captivity foretold by Jeremiah ended in the first year of Cyrus the Great’s reign. Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Lord’s Temple in 539 B.C. That is why God identifies him as His anointed one.

In the meantime, the work that Cyrus had ordered was halted for about 20 years. Now, King Darius I (Darius Hystaspes) was responsible for renewing the work. He issued a second decree, reaffirming what Cyrus had decreed. This decree was issued in 520 B.C.

When imperial officials in Judea questioned whether the returning Jews were authorized to rebuild the temple, Darius and his officials investigated and searched the imperial archives (Ezra 6:1). The first 12 verses of the chapter detail the results of this investigation and Darius’ response to his officials.

His order was direct and explicit (Ezra 6:6-8): “Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site.”

Darius’s provision for the work was abundant, and in the end, it had a personal touch (Ezra 6:10): “That they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.”

What surprises await us in heaven! Like Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar, Darius also showed spiritual sensitivity.

The king’s officials faithfully carried out Darius’ command. The mention of Artaxerxes in verse 14 is a later addition, as Artaxerxes did not reign until 50 years after the temple was completed. Haggai and Zechariah played a crucial role in strengthening and encouraging the builders to finish the work.

Finally, the construction was completed in the sixth year of King Darius (515 B.C.).

Verses 12-22 describe the temple’s dedication ceremony, the celebration of the Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The returning remnant participated in this great dedication ceremony. However, this temple never reached the glory of Solomon’s temple. The previous theocratic kingdom was not restored, and there is no biblical evidence that the Shekinah glory of Exodus 13:21-22 filled this house of worship as it had in Solomon’s temple.

Herod the Great and his successors later enriched and beautified the reconstructed building. As we know, this temple was eventually destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman legions of General Titus.
I consider Ezra 6 an oasis of rest for the Jewish people. God orchestrated the entire process toward a victorious conclusion.

Psalm 137 has been called “The Song of the Captives.” Here, we see the Israelites in Babylonian exile. This song or poem is written as a lament. The captives express their deep longing for their beloved city of Jerusalem. They had no desire to sing the songs of Zion, and their harps and lyres hung silently on the willows. To make matters worse, the Babylonians ironically asked them to sing joyful songs from Zion—perhaps for entertainment. We know that Hebrew music is joyful, especially folk songs. However, the Jews could not bring themselves to sing cheerful songs for their captors and tormentors.

In verses 7-9, the psalmist expresses thoughts of vengeance against the Edomites and Babylonians. It has always amazed me how deep the hostility between Israel and Edom was. As we know, the Edomites (or Idumeans, as they were called in Greek by the Septuagint) were descendants of Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob.

Even in the womb, Esau and Jacob struggled against each other, and God told Rebekah that they would become two nations and that the older would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). Throughout history, Israel often subdued the Idumeans, especially during the Maccabean wars. Remember that Herod the Great was of Idumean descent and had converted to Judaism. We all know his tragic role in attempting to kill the Messiah.

We see the close connection between Ezra 6 and Psalm 137. God providentially orchestrated Judah’s repatriation and the reconstruction of the temple. This tells us that, after the Babylonian captivity, during Daniel’s 70-week prophecy (Daniel 9), Israel was given a second chance to fulfill the covenant.

We now await Jesus’ return so His children may be repatriated to the Heavenly Canaan. May we meet there!

Blessings to all, and may you have a happy and blessed day.