June 26, 2018: Day 73 – Ezra 6

You need to understand that for the people of Israel to have a foreign government on their side was pretty unusual.  A decree was actually found that was proclaimed by King Cyrus, just like the people of Israel who had been challenged said.  Surprisingly King Darius honored that treaty and fulfilled it to the end.  In fact, he said to those who were pursuing this on behalf of the overseeing ruler in that local area, that they were  to let the Israelites alone.

Now, by itself this would have been unusual.   But as it is written in this Scripture, he also pronounced a curse on anyone who refused to honor this treaty.  This person would have a beam taken from their own house and they were to be impaled upon it.  Not a normal legislative action taken by the executive branch, but I guess it was effective since in the end the temple did end up being built.  It is so very important to see how the people of the land did allow the building and even contributed to the animal sacrifices which were to be made once the temple was built.  Also, the builders were to be paid with the taxes that were collected in the land.  Yes, the Israelites were foreigners in a land controlled by another power, but they were still treated with respect while they built the temple in Jerusalem.  

The remnant of people who came from captivity and were still  around celebrated Passover in the temple that year.  I am sure that it was a celebration which could have been even imagined a few years earlier.  What are some things that seem so far out of reach that not even God would be able to make it happen in our life?  In this situation God made it happen not through a miraculous power, but through  the collaboration of area nations.  This could be a miracle enough.