Such a work of God does not go unnoticed; as soon as there is activity, enemies appear. These feign friendship, but the fact remains, they are the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin (Ezra 4:1). By their own confession they are the father of the Samaritans and not the children of Abraham (Ezra 4:2; 2 Kings 17:24). The Samaritans took the place of privilege and blessing without any claim to it. Their true character is exposed by God: “So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day” (2 Kings 17:41). Zerubbabel and Jeshua, along with the chief of the fathers, rightly refused their help — a narrow and exclusive view perhaps, but one that shows their spiritual perception (Ezra 4:3). Only the Lord’s people can be engaged in the building up of the house of God; nothing can justify an alliance with the world, especially the religious world (Gal. 1:4; John 15:19). In Christendom, some have engaged in building, but in reality they have defiled the temple of God; these God will judge (1 Cor. 3:17).
Unable to join with them, these adversaries display their true intent and “weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building” (Ezra 4:4). It would appear, however, from the prophecies of Haggai that there was a state with the people that preceded this weakening. In fact, we might say, the external trial exposed their internal condition. “Consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord: since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty” (Hag. 2:15-16). Little, it would seem, had been accomplished after the laying of the foundation; they had allowed circumstances to guide them. It is easy to confuse circumstances with providential guidance. “This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (Hag. 1:2). Nevertheless, they had the written authority of the unalterable law of the Medes and Persians: “as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us” (Ezra 4:3; Dan. 6:8). Furthermore, even though this was a command of the king, they should have known by the prophecies of Isaiah that it was ordained of God (Isa. 44:2828That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. (Isaiah 44:28)). The people should have rested on the Word of God, but their fear of their enemies was stronger than their faith.
A coalition of those typically opposed to one another was formed to seek Artaxerxes’ intervention and to bring the work to a halt (Ezra 4:9-10). How interesting to see that hostility to a work of God brings together the bitterest of rivals. The religious and secular worlds were united in their opposition to Christ and they remain so to this day.
The letter to Artaxerxes opened with a lie; it claimed that the walls of the city were being completed (Ezra 4:12). This was calculated to provoke the worst fears of the king — treason! These cunning adversaries raise the prospect of the city rebelling, thereby depriving the king of his taxes and dues. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). Rather than reacting to such outright provocations, we do well to recognize their source. Furthermore, the contradictions in the letter — and more generally, in the accusations that the world makes against us — are often overlooked. We are too easily intimidated by argument rather than holding fast to faith and resting on the Word of God. He will ultimately expose the false and contradictory position of the accuser. These very same ones had earlier offered to help in this work (Ezra 4:2)! Were they not, therefore, just as guilty as those they now accused?
It is, however, to be noted, that the history of Jerusalem as presented in the letter, was not altogether inaccurate. The world loves to recall the failings of Christendom and is very astute in its ability to use it as a weapon to discourage the saints of God. Even from within Christendom itself, we hear an emphasis on the failings of the church — the divisions, the acrimony — and yet, does this in any way have a bearing on the walk of faith? Surely it should break our hearts, but to go on, realizing what God has allowed in His government, is the true walk of faith (Hag. 1). God does hate division, but to pretend that division does not exist does not eliminate it, and, at its worst, is rebellion against the counsels of God (Luke 7:30).