Read Ezra Ch. 1 and Ch. 3-7. What difficulties do the Jews face as they try to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple? What helps them overcome these difficulties? Note especially the role of leaders like Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra himself. Also note the contrasting attitudes of Persian leaders, e.g., Cyrus and Artaxerxes.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Ezra (extra credit)
Read Ezra Ch. 1 and Ch. 3-7. What difficulties do the Jews face as they try to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple? What helps them overcome these difficulties? Note especially the role of leaders like Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra himself. Also note the contrasting attitudes of Persian leaders, e.g., Cyrus and Artaxerxes.
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Tyler Munson
ReplyDeleteIt seems at this time the Jews were under the thumb of the Persians and they had to conform to their laws to an extent. Eventhough Cyrus was reletivly easy on them he was still an earthly being demanding the respect of everyone almost like a god himself. The Jews stayed steadfast in trheir faith and never wavered from it and that can explain why they have been around for so long.
They faced the difficulties of oppression from the Persians like Cyrus and Xerxes. They threw out false accusations toward the people of Judah and spread lies about their temple they were building. The decree of Darius helped them accomplish their goal.
ReplyDeleteR. Casey Oberle
The Jews faced opression obviously, but they dealt with other problems as well. In chapter four, their enemies try to convince the Jews to let them build the temple with them as a way to weaken their faith. When Zerubbabel refused, the people tried to intimidate the Jews into stopping the building of the temple. I think what enabled the Jews to over come this was how united they were. Zerubbabel made sure that the Jews remained separate from the other people in the area and I think that worked in their favor.
ReplyDelete-Brianna Hamil
Opposition came from all around the Jews. Their neighbors tried different ways from threats to hiring people to try and disrupt their efforts. The Persian leaders say two different things. Cyrus has given them permission to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, while people in opposition get Artaxerxes to try and stop the Jews from completing their goal.
ReplyDeleteOpposition came from all around the Jews. Other peoples tried to intimidate them or outright stop them. They were able to hold together. One reason they were able to hold together was because of leaders like Ezra. He held up his virtues and God's commands very seriously and when the people went with what he said, with what God said, things went well. -Zach Kuhlman
ReplyDeleteHaggai, Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua and other prophets came to the rescue and started building the house of God in Jerusalem. Some guys snitch on them and write a letter to king Darius. They told Darius that they wouldn’t give them their names and that the men building the temple said that king Cyrus commanded the temple to be built. Darius’ people checked and found this to be true. Then king Darius made a decree that they shall leave them alone and let them build in peace. He also says that they should give the builders whatever they need in order to make sacrifices to God, so that they can pray for the king and his sons. Also whoever breaks this ruling, his house will be knocked down and he will be hanged right there.
ReplyDeleteArtaxerxes wrote Exra a letter basically saying how he is giving him money to buy stuff for the house of God like things to sacrifice. He also tells Ezra to appoint judges and anyone who does not follow the law of God and the king, they will be judged and dealt with.
Ezra 4: 1-5 "NOW WHEN [the Samaritans] the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles from the captivity were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel,
ReplyDelete2They came to Zerubbabel [now governor] and to the heads of the fathers' houses and said, Let us build with you, for we seek and worship your God as you do, and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.
3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us. 4.Then [the Samaritans] the people of the land [continually] weakened the hands of the people of Judah and troubled and terrified them in building 5.And hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose and plans all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius [II] king of Persia."
the reason for choosing this was that even though Zerubbabel and the others had started the rebuilding the temple, they still had people who opposed them in every way possible, spreading lies, anything possible
jason schumacher
A small amount of jews came back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. This took twenty years, however, because of oppression from surrounding enemies. King Darius and king Cyrus were both fond of the temple building process though, and encouraged it. These two and Haggai and Zerubbabel worked to keep the antagonists at bay and the temple therefor was built. The building process and the struggles in order to erect it were worth it because after it's built, judges could then be appointed and Ezra's teachings could have a foundation.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how because some men in the church do not want outside help in rebuilding the temple that they would find ways to hinder the rebuilding of the temple. The Isrealites got the written decree from Cyrus letting them rebuild the temple in Jeruslem. When Darius took over reigning the kingdom he ruled that people were given a written decree and it should not be hindered, also pay back to the people all the gold that Nebuchadnezzar took.
ReplyDeleteWhen the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to 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.”
ReplyDelete3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You 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.”
4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
the Jewish people were so happy to set the foundation of the temple but than had to go through things and instances like these. Enemies were constantly attacking them and it was definitively a test to see how strong they were.Their faith lasted through this time and than again and again through history.
tom quigg
The Jewish people had opposition from everywhere. I think the most disrupting opposition was that of indifference inside the Jewish people. but Ezra was a great prophet, priest, and motivator towards his people and did quite well in the circumstances he had presented towards him. Although the Persian Kings of the time actually seemed to support the rebuilding of the temple, they were about literally the only non-Jews that did support it. Ezra was a great priest and rebuilder of the Jewish community and was obviously motivated by God to do so.
ReplyDeleteThe difficulties what the Jews faced were coming out of babylonian captivity which changed there beliefs and strength in God and that when Zerubbabel and Ezra did was to tell the people to stop being so self centered and create the temple to be stronger greater than Solomon temple, the thing that helps them overcome these difficulties is the Persian kings Cyrus who gave respected the Jews because of their monotheism and placed them high in the power of Persia, and the other king placing Jewish people for their Governor in a certain which was Jerusalem and let them control and monitor the doing in the part.
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems that the Jews faced in rebuilding their temple is their enemies did not want them to build it so they did all they could to stop them. King Cyrus had decreed that they were to rebuild the temple that had been standing in previous years. Jeshua, Zerubbabel, and their associates began to build on the temple, first with the altar, where they would make sacrifices while the temple was being built. During the reing of Xerxes and Artaxerxes, enemies of the Jews tried to stop them from completing the temple, and for a time they did. Then in the time of Darius, Jeshua and Zerubbabel began to built it again, and again their opposition did not want them to and they went to Darius to see who had told them that they could build. They looked in the archives and found a decree from Cyrus telling them that the Jews could build their temple, and then Daruis decreed that no one should try and stop them from building. Then Ezra arrived in the time of Artaxerxes and he allowed Ezra to get any offerings he could for the temple and use them as he wished.
ReplyDelete