Introduction
Throughout history the trope of an aggrieved husband has been a potent one. The wrath of a man who’s wife has been kidnapped, molested, or harmed is a fierce and glorious picture of holy jealousy. That is the sort of heat that emanates from this chapter.
The Text
Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded […] Ezra 6:1ff
Summary of the Text
We saw in chapter 4 that due to threats, the people grew discouraged and neglected the work of building the house of God. In chapter 5, God spurred His people to action, not by a monarch’s ruling, buy by the prophetic word of God through Haggai and Zechariah. In this passage we find the blessing the followed the faith-filled response of the previous chapter. Having written an appeal to Darius to reconsider his initial prohibition of the continuation of the temple work (5:11-17), Darius proceeds to command that search be made in Babylon for Cyrus’ decree (v1). It was found in a royal palace in Achmetha (v2), and the roll contained a bureaucratic version of the decree found in 1:1-4. It confirmed Cyrus’ will to let the house of God not only be built, but supplied from his royal treasury (vv3-5). In light of this, Darius instructs Tatnai to leave the work alone and allow Zerubbabel and Jeshua to continue it (vv6-7). Moreover, Darius not only prohibits interference, but he commands that additional resources be supplied for this work, as well as provision for sacrifices to be made, that prayers might be offered up for him and his sons (vv8-10).
As if that wasn’t enough, Darius goes even further. Anyone who would hinder the work by “altering this word” would have his own house destroyed, he would be hung on its ruins, turning it all into a dunghill (v11). Lastly, he adds a final supernatural threat that the God who has caused His name to dwell in the temple would bring complete vengeance upon anyone, small or great, who tampered with or attempted the destruction of the Lord’s house (v12).
Tatnai and his cronies scurry back with Darius’ command for speed stinging their ears (v13); the Jewish elders continued to build and were spurred along by the prophets (v14). They completed it, first and foremost, according to the commandment of God, and then secondarily according to the commandment of Cyrus & Darius, about a month and half before Passover (vv14-15). The completion was fittingly followed by a dedication ceremony of great joy, thank-offerings, sin-offerings, and the “re-organization” of the priests and Levites into their proper divisions for the maintenance of the service of God (vv16-18).
In verse 19 there’s a “linguistic exodus” from the Aramaic (which started in 4:8) back into Hebrew (v19). This Passover celebration (v20) notes that Israel had come out of captivity again, this is a new Exodus (v21); all who partook of it were clean, having separated themselves from the “filthiness of the heathen”. Passover was followed by the seven day feast of unleavened bread, which they kept with joy (v22).
Darius
This is an appropriate point to take a closer look at Darius. Darius came to power in 522BC; Josephus claims that Darius is the nephew of Cyrus the Great. His name means “Upholder of Good Deeds”, and we certainly see that theme drawn out by Ezra in this chapter with all the imperatives from Darius to “do the work”. There is good reason to believe that the Artaxerxes (King of Justice) we meet with in Ezra7-Nehemiah (and in Esther) is Darius, under his throne name. This makes thematic sense. The OT often uses different names for the same person in order to draw out a theological point. Ezra (who also composed I-II Chronicles) makes Cyrus (the Shepherd) out to be a new David who makes preparations for the temple, while Darius/Artaxerxes is a new Solomon who completes the work.
Working on this assumption, we have interesting pieces that fit together. Darius, upon coming to power hearkened to those who wanted the Jews’ work stopped; Ezra 4:24 tells us that it doesn’t resume until the second year of Darius reign (520BC). Haggai tells us it was that year when he began to stir up God’s people (Hag. 1:1). Darius threw a new years’ feast in the third year of his reign (Est. 1:3, 519BC), which is when Vashti was removed as Queen (Est. 1:5). The temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius’ reign (516BC); that same year Esther is brought into the year long “Become the New Queen” contest (Est. 2:12). Esther is favored by the king and raised up to be the new Queen in the seventh year of his reign (Est. 2:16).
Another indication that this is all the case is that there seems to be strong Jewish influence on the drafting of Darius’ edict here. Particularly notice the sound theology (in Ezra 6:12) that God dwells in this temple by His name (i.e. by the covenant revelation of His Word), not as in pagan temples in the shape of an idol. This could very well be explained by the presence of Mordecai as one of Darius’ courtiers.
Passover
This chapter brings the Zerubbabel/Jeshua portion of this book to a close, and it does so with a passover celebration. The themes of Exodus are all over the place. The Jews suffered captivity by the Assyrians. They endured whips of afflicting words. The prophets’ words have instructed them to build a Tabernacle for the Lord. But take close note of how they kept the Passover.
First, they’d been made clean. Idolatry had caused the exile, but now they had separated themselves from idolatry. This cleansing sprang from the fountain of God’s tendermercies. They had built the altar, then grew discouraged and neglected the completion of the temple, turning their focus on their own wealth, comfort, and stability. Their own houses were built with care, while God’s house was left unbuilt and neglected (Hag. 1:4). Sports, hobbies, amusements, and striving after wealth often take people away from the faithful worship of God.
So, Haggai compared the Jews in this state to someone who had touched a corpse and by touching other things was defiling everything. God will not be pleased by half-hearted, half-cooked, split-attention worship. Zechariah described that Satan stood accusing Jeshua (who was clothed in filthy garments), and the Lord rebuked Satan by removing the filthy garments and clothing him in new robes, and this is explicitly described as God taking away Jeshua’s iniquity (Zech. 3). This potent ministry of the Word cleansed God’s people in order that they might worship God whole-heartedly.
Second, they celebrated with joy. This joy had two principle sources. First, the Lord had made them joyful; secondly, the Lord had turned the heart of the King of Assyria unto them, thus strengthening them in the work of building the house of the Lord. That order matters. The joy of the Lord enables you to receive all the turns of the Lord’s providence with joyful faith.
Don’t Touch the Church
A few takeaways from all this. First, Faith must act in obedience regardless of whether the conditions are fair or foul. The Jews got back to work as an act of faith, and lo and behold the blessing of Darius’ favor followed. Too often we want God to grant some blessing first, before we act by faith. But this is how the life of the saint must always be: faith first, blessings second.
Secondly, the house of the Lord is protected by the Lord of the house. His name rests upon it, and therefore He will jealously defend His honor and glory. Through the threats of Darius we hear the heat of God’s jealousy for the church against any who attempt to alter or destroy the house. Through the Prophet Zechariah we learn of God’s attitude towards this house: “I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury (Zech. 8:2).”
Lastly, there is a remarkable Christological vision here. Our bodies are temples. Man, in his rebellion, altered and destroyed the righteousness and glory of God which we are to bear as creatures made in God’s image. But Christ came, the house of His body was torn down, he was crucified, the Lord heaped upon Him the sinful dung of us all. It is by this alone that we can rightly hold the new Passover feast of bread and wine with joy. The old temple of Adam has been torn down, and now you, as the body of Christ, are made the everlasting temple of Christ.
Charge and Benediction
The Jealousy of God is either a profound comfort to you, or a profound terror. And it all depends on whether you are joined with Christ or not. If you have looked in faith to Christ, then you know that He is the jealous defender of His people; if you have not, then you also know, He is a jealous defender of His people.
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
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