When: The events of Chapter 6 follow several months after the events of chapter 5 and extend four years. 

What:  In Chapter 5, Tattenai requested that Darius, king of Persia, make a search to see if King Cyrus had permitted the returning exiles to rebuild the Temple to their God. King Darius did just that and chapter six deals with the results of that search.

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Read Chapter Six and consider the following

questions:

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1. Did you take note of the reversals (in King Darius, Tattenai, and his other colleagues). List those.

2. Did you notice the numerous references to the Israelite's obedience (to God's commands)?

3. Why did the author make so many mentions to the joy that resonates in the reversals and the obedience?

4. Why 12 goats at the altar?

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1.  Reversals. As we discussed in the last chapter, as soon as the Israelites turned their attention away from their own homes and back to God’s house, the Persian officials began harassing them again, “Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure?” (5:3). The Israelite’s success troubled the officials enough that they went directly to the king with their concerns. Remember the impetus for their concerns from chapter four? -- Why let this threat grow to the detriment of our interests? The Persians were afraid of Israel's God and afraid of what effect rebuilding His Temple may have on their kingdom's interest. Therefore, they asked the new king of Persia to determine if, in fact, King Cyrus had issued a decree allowing them to rebuild the house of God.

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The search discovered a  scroll in “Ecbatana in the fortress, which is in the province of Media” (6:1, 2)  (Your translation may say Achmetha or Ecbatana.)  Ecbatana was the royal city (capital) of the Medes and Persians and the summer home of Cyrus and his successors.  Obviously, Cyrus’ decree could not be located in Babylon and a more extensive search was required in Ecbatana, over 400 miles away. The protracted search allowed the Israelites a period of time unhindered by their enemy's opposition. With “the eye of their God” on them, the work continued (5:5). When the scroll was discovered, it was found that the “large stones” which had piqued Tattenai’s curiosities (5:8), were even expressly authorized by Cyrus. (Cyrus’ decree was rediscovered in modern times. In the late 1800’s a clay cylinder, which historians term the Cyrus Cylinder, was discovered under Babylonian ruins. The writing on the cylinder confirmed what Scripture says, particularly that Cyrus had a policy of returning exiled people and restoring their temples).

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Following the discovery of the ancient decree,  King Darius, was not reticent in his commands - “now then … stay away from there. Do not interfere … Let [them] rebuild this house of God” (6:6, 7). Darius' motivation was not necessarily kindness toward the Israelites, but mostly, selfishness: "so that they may offer acceptable sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the lives of the king and his sons" (6:10). (When you believe in numerous gods, you'll take help from any of them.) Moreover, he decreed, "concerning what you are to do for these elders of Judah in the rebuilding of that house of God: the full cost is to be paid to those people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and that without interruption(6:8).  Now that is quite a reversal! Not only did Darius command that the work continue according to Cyrus’ decree, Darius also directed that the Israelite's work be financed with Tattenai’s own funds!  Indeed, O mighty mountain, what are you? (Zech 4:7).     

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​Tattenai would need no further motivation to follow Darius’ orders "with all diligence" (v. 13) than the drastic punishment the king decreed against those who disobeyed him,  “if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble” (v. 11). This was apparently a common, though drastic, punishment in the ancient Middle East (Dan. 2:5, Est. 2:23); therefore, the Persian governor certainly knew it was not an empty threat. Tattenai reversed his attitude quickly, even if it came about only because of the king's threats. It was, however, a reversal nonetheless!​

Even though Darius and Tattenai were motivated to assist the Israelites out of selfish intent, Ezra made it clear that Israel was victorious because “God turned the heart of the king" (6:22). These reversals were brought about because God's hand was on the people, just as He had promised through His prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Amazingly, the Temple was completed four years later on “the third day of Adar,” (v. 15).

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2.  Obedience. Though the house of the Lord was completed because God's hand was guiding it, our author makes numerous mentions of Israel's obedience: First, he told us the Israelites “finished building according to the command” of God (v. 14), they set the priest and the Levites in God’s service “as it is written in the books of Moses” (v. 18), they celebrated Passover on the 14th day of the first month as God directed (v. 19), they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days (v. 22), also just as God commanded.

 

Though Israel had been unfaithful by putting aside God’s call on their lives, and even though He punished them accordingly, the people turned their hearts back to Him in obedience. Our author makes clear what He began showing us in Chapter 5, our choices make a difference. When the people walked in obedience, God was faithful to provide all they needed for success. 

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Because "the sons of Israel" were faithful to obey God’s commands, "all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land" (6:21) turned their hearts to God as well. “This is a crucial verse for correcting the impression one might gain from Ezra 4 of a bitterly exclusive party… in reality we find that only the self-excluded were unwelcome. The convert found an open door, as Rahab and Ruth had done” (Kidner). The people’s obedience encouraged the faithfulness of their neighbor, and not only that, their neighbor was now welcomed to participate in the joy of the Lord at His Temple.

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3.  Joy. God’s joy is a main theme in this chapter. When the chapter began, we are anticipating the outcome of Darius’ search. How will things work out for the Israelites this time? Certainly, their enemies anticipated continued opposition and yet another standstill, but God had a different plan in mind. When God reversed the enemy’s schemes, the Israelites "celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy" (6:16). With joy, the Israelites were finally able to celebrate the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread at God’s Temple (6:22). The people celebrated  “with joy because the Lord had made them happy” (22). What began with doubt and uncertainty, ended with joy and happiness because God’s desire is that His people find their greatest joy in the fulfillment of His plans and purposes.  

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God’s people always have much to celebrate at any Passover; however, these Israelites were singularly motivated this particular Spring season to celebrate with joy. God had redeemed them, once again, from a foreign land. He had saved them from the heavy hand of their enemy, once again. He had rescued them from their self-centered disobedience and confirmed once again that He had chosen them as His people and He had not equivocated in that choice.  They witnessed, once again, the mercy of the God of reversals and personally experienced His faithfulness.  God promised His people redemption from bondage and restoration of their relationship, and with great joy, they celebrated all that the Lord had done. 

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4. Why sacrifice 12 goats? If you remember from the Introduction section, only two of the tribes of Israel continued worshiping God at His Temple in Jerusalem (hundreds of years before their exile). The other ten tribes rebelled and set up a golden calf to worship in Samaria. Those (northern) tribes were conquered by the Assyrians and soon were absorbed into their culture. The two tribes in Jerusalem that were later conquered by Babylon are the tribes that Cyrus allowed to return home. (Obviously, many members of these two tribes did not return because they, too, were absorbed into the culture of their enemy, Babylon). Nonetheless, when these exiles returned to worship God at the first Passover Feast back in Jerusalem, they sacrificed 12 goats "corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel," not 2. Why?

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The exiles knew “the nation had suffered as a whole for its collective sin” (Adeney) and therefore offered a sacrifice for the entire nation. The worshippers atoned for their sins; however, in offering 12 goats, they also acknowledged that God entered into a covenant with the entire nation. They are attesting to God's faithfulness for they knew His plan was not for the restoration of two tribes, but for all His people. Ultimately, we know His desire is for the restoration of  His entire creation. This act of atonement sets the stage for the rest of the book. Chapter six is the climactic dividing point; the rest of Ezra's book will no longer be about the restoration of a temple, but the restoration of the people.

 

At the beginning of this book, God stirred the heart of King Cyrus to issue his decree, in chapter six, He changed the heart of King Darius to bless the Israelites. At the beginning of his narrative, Ezra told us God stirred the hearts of the people to return to Jerusalem, and at this dividing point, God reversed the people’s hearts to obedience. In the beginning, the people celebrated with shouts of joy as the foundation of the Temple was laid; at the end, we witnessed the joy-filled celebration at the dedication of the completed Temple. Ezra also bookends this first section of his book with celebrations. In the beginning, they celebrated Yom Kippur, the day set aside to atone for the sins of the past year.   As this section ends, the people celebrate Passover, the celebration of God’s great mercy found in His forgiveness and redemption. From the beginning of chapter one to the end of chapter 6, our author has made one thing abundantly clear: God's providential care has been the guiding force behind every action.

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God redeemed His people and set them on a journey of restoration. They veered off the path to attend to self-centered plans because they lost their confidence in God. Nonetheless, God never relented in calling His people to restoration. Bringing this portion of his book to an end, Ezra reminds us,  from beginning to end, everything was at God’s initiative; it’s always grace. When the people finally allowed God to strengthen their hands, they completed His Work. And, through God’s grace, in the fulfillment of His promises, the Lord “caused them to rejoice” (v. 22). They found joy in allowing God to fulfill His purposes through them.

 

Primary Message: God has set in motion, from the beginning of His creation, the restoration of all things. When we are obedient to His word of the Lord and follow Him faithfully, He is eager to restore our joy. God's joy changes us and it changes the world around us as our lives become a testament to a faithful and merciful God who redeems, restores, and reverses. 

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