Question 1

Why did Zerubbabel and Jeshua refuse help to build the temple?

Accepted Answer

The people who offered to help said they sought the same God and had sacrificed to him for a long time, but they also worshiped idols and came from nations the Assyrian kings had moved into the land. Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the elders knew their worship was mixed and not faithful to the Lord alone. So they told them, “You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God.” They wanted the rebuilding of the temple to be led by those truly devoted to God, without bringing in false worship or divided loyalties.

Question 2

Who are the “adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The adversaries were people living in and around Samaria and the land of Israel who had been brought there by Assyrian kings after the northern tribes were taken away. They claimed to seek the God of Israel, but they also kept the idols and customs of their own nations. At first they pretended to be friendly by offering to help build the temple. When refused, they showed their true colors by discouraging the Jews, bribing officials, and sending accusing letters to Persian kings to stop the rebuilding work.

Question 3

What accusations did the enemies of the Jews send to the Persian king?

Accepted Answer

They wrote that the Jews were rebuilding “the rebellious and the bad city,” claiming that if Jerusalem’s walls were restored, the people would not pay toll, tribute, or custom. They warned that the king’s income would suffer and said it was not right for them to see the king dishonored. They urged the king to search the records, saying he would find that Jerusalem had a history of rebellion and trouble for kings, and that if the city was rebuilt, the king would lose his hold on the region beyond the river.

Question 4

How did King Artaxerxes respond to the letter against Jerusalem?

Accepted Answer

Artaxerxes ordered a search of the royal records and found that Jerusalem had, in the past, had strong kings and times of rebellion. Taking the accusations at face value, he told his officials to make the Jews stop rebuilding the city until he gave a new command. He warned them not to neglect this, asking why damage should grow to hurt the kings. After his letter was read, the local officials went quickly to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop the work by using power and pressure.

Question 5

Why did the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stop for a time?

Accepted Answer

The work stopped because the enemies of the Jews kept opposing them over many years, from the days of Cyrus through later kings. They discouraged the builders, hired counselors to work against them, and finally gained a royal order from Artaxerxes telling them to make the Jews cease building the city. With that command in hand, local officials came in haste and used force to make them stop. As a result, the work on God’s house and the city paused until the second year of Darius, when it started again by God’s help.

Question 6

What does this passage show about spiritual opposition to God’s work?

Accepted Answer

You can see that opposition often starts subtle and then grows stronger. First, the adversaries came with a friendly offer to help, using spiritual language. When that was refused, they shifted to discouragement, hired people in power to hinder the work, and finally used lies and half-truths in letters to the king. This shows how those against God’s work may pretend to be allies, then move to open hostility. It reminds believers that serving God usually meets resistance, and that they need discernment and patience when that happens.

Question 7

How does the refusal of mixed worship apply to believers today?

Accepted Answer

The leaders in this passage would not join with people who claimed to seek God but kept their idols. They knew that if they joined hands in building the temple, they would also be joining in wrong worship. For believers today, this points to the need for care about partnerships in spiritual work. It does not mean avoiding all contact with others, but it does remind us to be careful about who shapes our worship and teaching, and to keep loyalty to God above the desire for quick help or peace.

Question 8

What was happening historically when these letters were written?

Accepted Answer

The Jews had returned from exile under a decree from Cyrus, king of Persia, to rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. The land around them was filled with people from many nations that earlier Assyrian kings had moved into the area. These mixed peoples had their own gods but also tried to claim the God of Israel. As different Persian kings took the throne after Cyrus, the local enemies used the changing politics to their advantage, writing to Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes to halt the Jewish rebuilding efforts.

Question 9

What does this passage teach about God’s people facing delays and setbacks?

Accepted Answer

Here, God’s people are doing something good and commanded, yet they face years of delay through slander, fear, and royal orders. The passage shows that even when a work is right, it may not move forward smoothly. The delay does not mean God has forgotten them or that the work is over. Later, under Darius, the building starts again. This helps readers see that setbacks in serving God can be real and painful, but they do not cancel God’s purpose. His timing and plan are larger than one season of resistance.

Ezra 4:1

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;

Adversaries Hinder the Work

Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

The Decree of Artaxerxes

Adversaries Hinder the Work

Cross References

Ezra 4:1

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel;

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Adversaries Hinder the Work

Opposition under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

The Decree of Artaxerxes

Adversaries Hinder the Work

Cross References