¹⁷ Then King Artaxerxes sent this reply: … ¹⁹ I ordered a search of the records and have found that Jerusalem has indeed been a hotbed of insurrection against many kings. In fact, rebellion and revolt are normal there! … ²¹ Therefore, issue orders to have these men stop their work. That city must not be rebuilt except at my express command. …  

²³ When this letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their colleagues, they hurried to Jerusalem. Then, with a show of strength, they forced the Jews to stop building. 

²⁴ So the work on the Temple of God in Jerusalem had stopped, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.~

Ezra 4:17-24 (NLT)

Context review

Remember that this section (4-24) is a short interlude that summarizes the opposition by the locals (Samaritans) against the Jews. It was focused on their rebuilding the temple and the city. First we see the reply of King Artaxerxes to stop the work. Referring to the timeline, we see he was king during the time of Nehemiah when the city walls were rebuilt; not when the temple was being rebuilt. Then we get a sign of hope.

Pray for Leaders

The focus of yesterday’s post was to pray for leaders. Based on today’s passage, we see how leaders can be influenced. In this case, it was a mixture of truth and lies. To make his decision, King Artaxerxes focused on the things about the Jews that threatened him. He ignored the edicts of his predecessors that allowed the rebuilding. This decision had major consequences for the rebuilding, for God’s work. We need to pray that our leaders get truthful counsel and make wise decisions.

God’s will prevails

But take courage, God’s will prevails. “‘Until the second year of the reign of Darius’: This shows us that the work did not stop forever. Though the adversaries attacked through both subversive partnership and lies to authorities, and seemed to succeed with their second tactic, they could not succeed forever against God and His people. Their only victory was to delay the work, not to defeat it.” (enduringword.com) Likewise, we trust that God’s will, no matter what, will be done.