The Decree, Dedication, and Celebration

Ezra 6:1-22 

    1 Then King Darius issued a decree, and a search was made in the archives, where the treasures were stored in Babylon. 2 And at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found, and in it a record was written thus:

    3 In the first year of King Cyrus, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: "Let the house be rebuilt, the place where they offered sacrifices; and let the foundations of it be firmly laid, its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits, 4 with three rows of heavy stones and one row of new timber. Let the expenses be paid from the king's treasury. 5 Also let the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple which is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and taken back to the temple which is in Jerusalem, each to its place; and deposit them in the house of God"—

    6 Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, and Shethar-Boznai, and your companions the Persians who are beyond the River, keep yourselves far from there. 7 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God on its site.

    8 Moreover I issue a decree as to what you shall do for the elders of these Jews, for the building of this house of God: Let the cost be paid at the king's expense from taxes on the region beyond the River; this is to be given immediately to these men, so that they are not hindered. 9 And whatever they need—young bulls, rams, and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the request of the priests who are in Jerusalem—let it be given them day by day without fail, 10 that they may offer sacrifices of sweet aroma to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and his sons.

    11 Also I issue a decree that whoever alters this edict, let a timber be pulled from his house and erected, and let him be hanged on it; and let his house be made a refuse heap because of this. 12 And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently.

   13 Then Tattenai, governor of the region beyond the River, Shethar-Boznai, and their companions diligently did according to what King Darius had sent. 14 So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 15 Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. 16 Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. 17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

   19 And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves; all of them were ritually clean. And they slaughtered the Passover lambs for all the descendants of the captivity, for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. 21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the LORD God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

The decree of Darius was given to search the archives of Babylon, as requested by his Persian governor in the area surrounding Jerusalem where the temple was being restored.  The order to restore had been given previously by King Cyrus, but had been forgotten, and the work had been ordered to be stopped.  The Jews who had returned had resumed the work under Zerubbabel until the issue was escalated up to Darius.  The scroll of the historical charge was found at last in Media, which had been captured by Cyrus in 550 BC and then become a summer residence of Persian kings.  Media (Medes, the middle land) itself was situated northwest of Persia, south and southwest of the Caspian Sea, and east of Assyria.  The scroll unearthed at the command of King Darius revealed the order to send captives of Judah back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of the only and living God there (Ezra 1:2).  Furthermore, the ruling dictated that the Persian empire would fund the building and the builders, stipulating that any stopping the work would have a timber pulled from his own house to hang him on, and his house reduced to a garbage heap!  In verse 12 here it revealed to Darius also that it was the Jewish God who caused His name to dwell there to destroy any king or people who attempt to change this edict, or to destroy the house of God in Jerusalem. Darius issued the decree to have it be done diligently and without opposition, or these severe consequences would be given.  Therefore, the work resumed by legal backing, and the temple was completed under the oversight of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah as promised by the LORD God with the backing of the commands of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.  They then sacrificed again to the LORD with contrite hearts, acknowledging their sin which brought about their defeat and captivity in Babylon.  They kept the Passover in remembrance of His work of deliverance from bondage in Egypt, but also from the captivity in Babylon.  Their joy was in the LORD who made them joyful, and who were strengthened by Him with outside help in the work.  We learn how God brings joy in the morning (Psalm 30:5) after suffering persecution, or for our own sin as these here did.  We find hope in God’s sovereign rule over the governments we sit under, knowing He arranges all circumstances for His glory and good for us (Romans 8:28).  May we also celebrate our deliverance (salvation) as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) with thanksgiving, and rest in Christ’s work (Hebrews 4:9-10) alone for our good.  Ephesians 4:8 reminds us we have been captive to sin and released in Him, out of the darkness of sin’s hold with death and persecution waiting for us; we are conveyed into the light of His presence forevermore (1 Peter 2:9, Acts 26:18)!