POST EXILIC PERIOD – SAMARITANS
Have you ever tried to accomplish an assignment that the Lord asked you to do and then run into trouble?
This is what happened to us when we tried to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that we, the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, they came to me, Zerubbabel, and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”
Joshua and I and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said to them that have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”
From the sad experience of the Babylonian exile, we had learned one thing well—to resist the temptation to join idolaters in any kind of enterprise. Unfaithfulness to God had resulted from the unholy connections the pre—exilic Jews had made with other nations, and the end of this course of action had been disgrace and disaster.
We were therefore determined not to fall into that error again, a vow that, with few exceptions, we the postexilic Jewry rigorously kept. At the time we went to the opposite extreme.
The break with the Samaritans at this time proved final. The result was hatred and mutual aversion and contempt, which continued. Guess what they did? They bribed officials to work against us and frustrate our plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
DISCOURAGEMENT
We had such a lot of trouble that we stopped the building project on the temple. Have you ever been so discouraged that stopped what God was asking you to do? Did this happen to Elijah?
We may disappoint God, but He never disappoints us. He gave me and my people a second chance. What a merciful, forgiving God. This is the first mention of the work of prophets among us after our return from exile. Prophecy seems to have been silent for about 16 years, ever since the “third year of Cyrus,” Daniel uttered his last message (Dan. 10:1). Now it was revived.
Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.
I am quoting from the happy encouraging words of Ezra the scribe:
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
We allowed our enthusiasm to fade away. A selfish desire for comfort had taken the place of zeal for the honour of God.
Instead of waiting for a chance to start the work over again and seizing it, we consented to the indefinite postponement and whispered, “The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built” (Haggai 1:2).
Laying aside the idea of pressing forward with the work, we had turned our energies to the practical object of establishing ourselves in comfortable homes (Haggai 1:4, 9).
The result of our complacency had been divine judgments, consisting of poor harvests, economic distress (Haggai 1:6, 1:9–11), and great political insecurity (Zech. 1:12 to 2:9). These conditions had not been recognized by us as signs of God’s displeasure. Human agents were therefore raised by God to interpret to me and my people the meaning of the circumstances in which we found ourselves.
I must explain that does not consist primarily in making predictions—as the word is commonly but inaccurately understood. Most prophetic messages were exhortation and instruction. Those who gave these messages were called prophets because they spoke in response to divine direction, and whatever they uttered because of this divine illumination was called prophesying.
We, the political and spiritual leaders of the people were still the same as in the time of Cyrus. Haggai’s first message was specially directed to me and other leaders. Other messages of Haggai and Zechariah, given on various occasions, aided and encouraged us in our work. (Haggai 1:1; 2:21–23; Zech. 3:1–10; 4:6–10).
Lately, the 16-year-old temple ruins that we attempted to restore but did not finish spoke to my conscience. If God promised that the temple must be rebuilt, surely it would happen. And this is exactly what happened. God is so gracious; He is so patient and He is so loving.
Ezra penned the following words concerning how God made the restoration of the temple possible.
If you had become discouraged, may these words also be written about you one day my dear friend:
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.
The data given by Haggai reveal the successive stages that marked the resumption of building activity. The first call for action was sounded Aug. 29, 520 BC.
Haggai 1:1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest.
What an honour to have a prophet come to you because God has sent him with a message. By the way, all His biddings are enablings.
This appeal proved successful, for we began laying plans immediately, and start the building three weeks later on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. It was in the second year of King Darius, Sept. 21, 520 BC. I cannot tell you how happy I was to be back at the place where God wanted me to be.
When the site was cleared and the trenches were being dug for the new foundation, it again became apparent that the new Temple would not compare well in size and beauty with that of Solomon’s, and some expressions of disappointment were heard.
The prophet Haggai wrote the following message:
Hag 2:1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
Hag 2:2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them,
Hag 2:3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?
And then the prophet said the following which encourage me tremendously:
Hag 2:9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”
What a message! And to think I would be a part of this fulfilment. There is nothing that brings more joy than doing the will of God.
But that’s not all. Haggai addressed another message of encouragement, this time to my people. It happened on October 17.
Hag 2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
Two months later everything was ready for the laying of the foundation. That great occasion was Dec. 18, 520 BC.
Hag 2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai:
Hag 2:18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid.
On that day Haggai delivered two speeches, the last of which we have any record. In the meantime, two months after Haggai delivered his first recorded message, Zechariah joined him:
Zec 1:1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:
A study of the books of Haggai and Zechariah emphasizes the accuracy of the statement of Ezra 5:2, that “the prophets of God” were “helping them” in rebuilding the Temple. Their stirring messages of exhortation, instruction, and encouragement contributed much to the task; in fact, except for their inspired ministry, the Temple might have continued to lie desolate.
NEXT TIME
We are going to learn more about Tatnai who visited our team that was rebuilding the temple with the encouragement of the two prophets. Come and listen to who changed the curse into a blessing.