Ezra 4:1-24: The Enemy’s Strategy

Introduction

Alabama in the Holy Land - can’t get away from the enemy.

If you are going to follow the Lord you can expect opposition. Opposition comes in the form of temptation, spiritual warfare, people that oppose you, etc.

1 Peter 5:8 - Peter reminds us that we should expect opposition. Satan is seeking to devour you. Perhaps, right now, you are experiencing opposition to your faith. It’s a family member who doesn’t understand why you are so committed to the local church. It’s the friend who tells you that you’re so heavenly minded that you can do no earthly good. It’s the boss who’s warned you not to talk about your faith at work. Or, it’s the temptation to sin that’s slowly pulling you away from the work of the Lord.

Living for Jesus is not easy, and when opposition comes, temptation to give up. How do you keep from giving up? Part of staying faithful in spite of opposition is being aware of the enemy’s strategy.

In Ezra 4, not long after returning from the exile, the Israelites experience opposition. As we work through Ezra and Nehemiah, we’ll see that they experienced opposition over and over again. There’s much we can learn about facing opposition from Ezra-Nehemiah.

This morning, I want you to recognize three ways that the enemy is at work opposing you so that you will be able to resist his tactics.

The enemy attempts to infiltrate the work of God.

First three chapters, God at work - stirring the heart of a pagan king to send the people back after exile. Stirring the heart of the people to return to Jerusalem.

The people return. They rebuild the altar and offer sacrifices. They return to worship. They lay the foundation of the new temple. They sing praise to God. Everything going well.

They were not the only people living in the land. During the exile, surrounding regions had become populated by people who claimed a connection to Israel's God.

Ezra, the author, is identifies the people who repopulated the land as enemies. At first glance, they don’t seem like enemies. They seem like allies. They offer to help rebuild the temple because they worship the same God that the Israelites worship. Or did they/

In 722 BC, more than a century before Judah was taken captive by Babylon, the Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria.

Assyria deported many Israelites from their homeland and repopulated the land with foreigners. Those populations intermarried with the few Israelites who remained in the land. Over time they developed into a mixed people who became known as the Samaritans. They were idolatrous (2 Kings 17:24-28).

vs. 3 - Zerubbabel’s response: “You have no part in building with us.” The temple was to be rebuilt by worshippers of Yahweh alone. They could not compromise. That’s what got them sent into exile in the first place! Cyrus had decreed that the Israelites rebuild the temple. This was their work.

Notice the strategy. It was subtle… “We’re on the same team…’ The enemy attempted to infiltrate from the inside.

What would have happened if Israel had accepted the offer? They would have been tempted to turn to idolatry. A small compromise could have led to turning their backs on Yahweh.

Beware of small compromises. This is how the enemy infiltrates your home - through small compromises. This is how he infiltrates our churches - small compromises. “We’re on the same team.” The enemy didn’t show up carrying weapons. The enemy showed up offering partnership. The enemy would love to partner with you to take your eyes off of the work God has for you. The enemy doesn’t necessarily want you to deny Christ. The enemy knows a better strategy is you making small compromises that lead you away from Christ.

Beware of seemingly small theological compromises - "I know the Bible says sex belongs within marriage, but times have changed.I know the Bible says Jesus is the only way, but surely that can’t be true. I know the Bible says gather with believers, but I can follow Jesus without the church. Or, “You’re bigoted/hateful to believe that way…” “I know the Bible is true, but maybe God used evolution.” Or, “Maybe the flood didn’t really happen - maybe it’s just a mythological story…” Or, “A loving God wouldn’t send anyone to hell.” Before you know it, we give in to what feels right rather than what is right based on the Word of God. We start mixing truth with error.

Beware of seemingly small moral compromises. Philippians 4:8 - You stop guarding your eyes or mind. You don’t think in every situation, “How would God have me to respond?” Small moral compromises look like entertainment choices you stop questioning, bitterness you continue feeding, or voices you keep allowing to shape you.

Small compromises of eating what I knew wasn’t good for me… How could I say no to BBQ twice in one day and Tex Mex twice in one day… Small compromises led to sickness… I couldn’t wait to get my treatment…

The enemy attempts to discourage the work of God.

The Jews resisted infiltration, so the enemy changed tactics. When compromise failed, discouragement became the weapon.

vs. 4 - 5 - The enemy began to bribe officials to act against the Jews. We’re not given specifics as to how the enemies tried to discourage the Jews, but it was successful. The people of Judah were afraid to rebuild.

The enemy loves to discourage you from serving the Lord. Discouragement can either cause you to stop pursuing the work of God, or discouragement can be an opportunity for growth in Christ.

You may be here this morning struggling with discouragement. You’re trying to follow the Lord. You’re trying to serve Him, but it’s hard.

Discouragement is when you start to lose confidence or hope. It’s when you don’t think it’s possible to keep going. It’s when you begin to wonder if your efforts are futile. It’s when you start wanting to quit.

Many causes of discouragement. You get discouraged when progress is slow. When progress is slow, the enemy whispers in your ear, “You’re never going to make it.” You get discouraged when you’re criticized. When that friend tells you you’re close-minded because of your beliefs, or when another follower of Jesus tells you you’re not making enough progress in your walk with the Lord, you get discouraged. You get discouraged when you’re tired. When you’re going and going and just can’t seem to catch your breath, you wonder if it’s worth it. You get discouraged when others don’t live up to your expectations or when your prayers aren’t answered in the way you think they should be answered.

It’s not hard to get discouraged. Discouragement is a powerful weapon the uses to distract you from the work God has for you.

You can’t escape seasons of discouragement. We all fight it.

DMV - waiting in line to wait in line - the whole process is discouraging - BUT the end goal is Luke has a license. He looked discouraged but excited on the inside… Have to endure the discouragement on your way to the goal…

Discouragement can be a tool the enemy uses to distract you or you can turn to the Lord and let Him use discouraging seasons to grow you.

Discouragement reveals where you place your hope. Are you trusting results more than God? Are you more concerned about the opinions of people than what God thinks about you? Are you seeking comfort more than obedience? Discouragement has a way of exposing idols we didn’t know we were clinging to.

Discouragement teaches us to depend on God. Instead of giving up, discouragement is an opportunity to draw near to the Lord. It’s an opportunity to trust the Lord. It’s an opportunity to cry out to Him. Wise to read Psalms when discouraged. See how David cries out to the Lord and trusts the Lord to be His strength.

Discouragement produces perseverance. Faith grows in those seasons when you choose to trust the Lord instead of turning from the Lord. James 1 - “Count it all joy…” It’s not that discouragement is fun, but it is that we know that God is more than able to use our discouraging and challenging seasons to conform us to the image of Christ.

When discouraged: count your blessings. Put yourself around encouraging people. Turn to the Lord.

The enemy attempts to discredit the work of God.

The author wants us to know that the opposition lasted for years. Satan doesn’t take a holiday. You don’t get a break from the opposition.

vs. 6 - 23 spans decades of opposition - during the reign of Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes - Opposition during the time of not only rebuilding the temple but also the walls of the city.

In the Hebrew Bible the language shifts from Hebrew to Aramaic - the language of the Persian empire. Ezra quoting a letter written by the people to King Artaxerxes against the Jews.

This letter skips ahead in the timeline to later Persian kings - opposition kept happening - before returning to Darius - the king in Zerubbabel’s time in Ezra 5.

Letter written by Rehum, the chief deputy, and his scribe. The letter levels accusations against the Jewish people:

They’re a rebellious people (vs. 12).

They will not pay tribute or taxes (vs. 13).

You can check the records. The people have rebelled since ancient times. That’s why the city was destroyed (vs. 15).

Artaxerxes replied by searching the historical records. He discovered that Jerusalem had indeed been ruled by powerful kings and had a history of resisting foreign powers. The enemies had taken historical truth and used it to create fear and suspicion in the heart of Artaxerxes.

Powerful kings ruled over Jerusalem who exercised authority over the whole region. He wasn’t wrong. Kings like David and Solomon reigned over Jerusalem and led the Southern Kingdom to victory over their enemies and to live distinct from the nations that surrounded them.

From a political perspective, Artaxerxes viewed Jerusalem as a potential risk. The enemies had successfully used Israel's past to create suspicion about Israel's present.

It seems as if the enemy is successful. When Rehum received the letter from King Artaxerxes, they immediately stopped the work in Jerusalem with force.

vs. 24 - the worked stopped until the second year of King Darius’ reign - back to present timeline - For 16 years the people stalled in completing the temple.

The enemy wants to discredit you. It often feels like people are against you; questioning your motives, wondering why you live differently than they do, assuming the worst about you, questioning your intentions.

Sometimes people assume that because you follow Christ, you're judgmental, narrow-minded, hateful, or out of touch.

Following Jesus faithfully will not always earn admiration. It may earn you the opposite.

Ill. - William Carey - Before going to India told by an older pastor: Young man, sit down. If God wants to save the heathen, He'll do it without your help.

When the enemy tries to discredit you:

Know what you can’t control. You can’t control what people think about you, say about you, assume about you, repeat about you, or how they interpret your motives. We’re often way to concerned about what people think or say about us, and we often forget that God’s opinion about us matters far more than others opinion about us.

Know what you can control. You can’t control what others think about you, but you can control how you respond. You can control your character, your integrity, your obedience. Even when people try to discredit you, you can still live faithfully before the Lord. You don’t have to stop the work. You can continue to do what God has placed before you.

Vs. 24 - This is not how we want the story to go. We want God’s people to rebuild the temple in spite of opposition. But it seems the enemy was successful. The story is supposed to end in victory, but ultimately victory was not the reconstruction of a physical temple. God was still at work in the midst of the opposition.

And ultimately, God would send His Son, Jesus, the true temple to Jerusalem. Jesus is the one in whom all the fullness of God dwelt. Jesus faced opposition. The enemy tempted Him. The enemy tried to discourage Him. The enemy tried to discredit Him. But, Jesus did what Israel did not do. He didn’t stop the work.

He persevered to the cross where He would be mocked, scorned, and ultimately be put to death in our place. Yet, three days later Jesus defeated death by rising from the dead so our sins could be forgiven and we could be given the gift of eternal life. Jesus was not defeated. He was victorious. He was victorious for us.

You’re going to face repeated opposition in this world, but follower of Jesus, know that you are already victorious in Jesus Christ. The enemy cannot take away what Christ has won for you.

Because Jesus persevered for you, you now have the strength to persevere for Him. You don’t have to give up.

If you are not a follower of Jesus, this morning, you can experience victory in Jesus if you will repent of your sins and turn to Jesus by faith.