God Frees and Redeems
Liberating Passover
Babylonian Captivity Ends
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)
Ezra 4:1-5 The Voice4 When the residents of the former Northern Kingdom, who were enemies of the Southern Kingdom tribes of Judah and Benjamin, heard that the exiled Jews had returned to build the Eternal God of Israel’s temple, 2 they asked Zerubbabel and the tribal leaders if they could help. Northern Enemies: Let us help you build this temple to the True God, whom we both follow. You see, our families began sacrificing to Him when King Esarhaddon of Assyria sent us to colonize the Northern Kingdom after he conquered it. Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the Tribal Leaders: 3 You have nothing in common with us! You are not heirs to the Lord’s promise to Abraham. King Cyrus of Persia has commanded us to build the Eternal God of Israel’s temple, so we will do it by ourselves. 4 To intimidate the returning Jews from building, the people of the land made the returning exiles afraid to build 5 and bribed counselors to hinder the Jews’ efforts throughout the reigns of Cyrus and Darius, the kings of Persia. For ReflectionAs soon as the foundations were laid, the Samaritans proposed to collaborate in building the temple. But the Hebrews recognized the insincerity in their request and refused.
As a result, the Samaritans attempted to stop progress. All available methods, social, economic, and political were used including bribing the Persian officials. The Samaritans succeeded. The Hebrews tasted the bitterness of dashed high hopes and noble enterprises. It is not known how long the stalled temple lay unworked. But eventually, the Hebrews finished the temple. PrayPray and let the Holy Spirit guide your life. Pray when life does not evolve smoothly. Pray and know that the Lord will resolve issues in the Lord's own way. Pray and be patient. Pray and listen for the Lord's comforting words. Pray and look for the signs of an option that the Lord will provide
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