OUR FATHER WHO SENT PROPHETS TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF HIS PEOPLE

Ezra chapter 5 verses 1 - 4 catures a change in the attitude of the children of Israel when the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began to prophecy. Despite having stopped building the temple in Jerusalem due to harrassment by the surrounding juridictions, they tooks courage under the words of the prophets and began building in earnest.

This resumption of construction caught the attention fo the Governor of the West Euphrates zone he came to the building team and demanded to see the permit they had to build.

The children of Israel kept building and they informed that they were building they were building the temple of the God of heave and of the earth and that they were given permission by King Cyrus to build the city and the temple. 

1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, son of Iddo, began to prophesy to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel. 2 Thereupon Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, son of Jozadak, began again to build the house of God in Jerusalem, with the prophets of God giving them support. 3 At that time Tattenai, governor of West-of-Euphrates, came to them, along with Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow officials, and asked of them: “Who issued the decree for you to build this house and complete this edifice? 4 What are the names of the men who are building this structure?” 5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they were not delayed during the time a report went to Darius and a written order came back concerning this matter.

6 A copy of the letter which Tattenai, governor of West-of-Euphrates, along with Shethar-bozenai and their fellow officials from West-of-Euphrates, sent to King Darius; 7 they sent him a report in which was written the following:

The next portion of this chapter is the letter that the Governor wrote back to king Darius reporting the activities that he saw in Judah and what response was given by the team that was overseeing the construction. We shall look at this letter next.

Amen.

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