Today in God's Word—April 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
April 8, Ezra 5
Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. - Ezra 5:1-2
Most of us understand the concept of authority. We realize that authority is an essential foundation principle of society. Without some rule of law, the strongest, most aggressive and most selfish people would be unrestrained to prey on the rest of us. Anarchy would be the result. When people live and work together in a community, established and enforced law governs our conduct in that unit of society. Authority makes decisions, gives orders and enforces the rules that govern our interactions in society. This is true for schools, businesses, sports organizations and churches. It's true for nations, communities, homes and even our individual lives.
Ezra 5 is a study in authority. Some 15-18 years had passed since the enemies of the returned exiles wrote to King Artaxerxes and got an enforceable decree from the throne to stop the rebuilding work on the Jerusalem temple.
But when God’s prophets Haggai and Zechariah arrived in Jerusalem, their God-given orders to get back to work superseded the orders from the Persian king. Within three weeks of Haggai's arrival, the workers were back on the job. They picked up where they left off on the foundation that had been laid before the work was stopped. The people, led by their governor and their priest, went back to work as the prophets encouraged and supported them.
Tattenai, the new governor of the region, came to the Jews and asked them by what decree or authority had they resumed the work on the
temple. The governor’s delegation was there to take names and report the perpetrators to the king. But God's watchful eye and enabling hands were on his people, and this time the work continued while they waited for the king’s ruling.
The new governor wrote a letter, stating the facts without the prejudice of the previous letter from the enemies of the returned Israelites. He explained how the leaders and workers claimed to be obeying their God, and also under orders from King Cyrus himself. Governor Tattenai wanted to know if they really had a decree from Cyrus. That was a very important piece of authority, because (as you remember from the story of Daniel and the lions' den) the laws of the Persian kings could not be changed. If Cyrus really decreed it, then the work could not be stopped, and could proceed under the authority of that decree.
We may imagine when we are young and hungry for independence that we are subject to no one but ourselves. But most of us probably grew up in homes, schools and communities where we learned (one way or another) that there is authority over us whether we like it or not. No one is big enough to be out from under some kind of authority. Everyone in a society has to answer to the law, and if some seem to escape the grasp of the law, they are still going to answer to God.
Our societal units would be better if we all respected governing authority. And our lives would be better if we respected and submitted to the authority of the Lord over us. We need to ask ourselves by what authority we do the things we do, and then hear and submit to the word of the ultimate authority. Our God, the King of the Universe, should be seated on the throne of our hearts. There is no better plan for life here and in eternity than respecting and obeying God.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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