ezra 3 and 4

Read Ezra 3 and 4 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Ezr 3:1a {s} When the 7th month had come, the children of Israel being in their cities
Ezr 3:1b {s} The people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem
Ezr 3:2-7 {p} Jeshua + Zerubbabel built the altar + offered offerings + kept Sukkot + provided for Temple materials
Ezr 3:8 {p} 2nd month, 2nd year the people began work + appointed Levites to oversee the work of the house of God
Ezr 3:9a {s} The priests + sons of Judah arose to oversee those working on the house of God
Ezr 3:9b-11 {s} Who were the sons of Henadad w/the Levites + foundation of the temple laid + people worshiped
Ezr 3:12-13 {p} The older generation who had seen the first temple wept when the foundation was laid
Ezra 4:1-6 {s} The Samaritans offered to help in the work + were refused/ they troubled Judah + Benjamin
Ezr 4:7 {p} They wrote to Ahasuerus + Artaxerxes, kings of Persia, accusations against the Jews
Ezr 4:8-11 {p} Rehum the commander + Shimshai the scribe representing the Samaritans, to King Artaxerxes
Ezr 4:12-16 {p} To wit: The Jews are rebuilding Jerusalem to deprive you of your income + authority
Ezr 4:17 {s} The reply from the king: To Rehum + Shimshai, and the rest of the Samaritans
Ezr 4:18-22 {s} The records have been searched + indeed the city was rebellious, therefore cause the work to cease
Ezr 4:23 {s} Rehum + Shimshai + Samaritans went in haste to Jerusalem/compelled the work to cease by force
Ezr 4:24 {p} The work on the house of God was discontinued until the 2nd year of Darius king of Persia

The chiastic structure:

1a) Ezr 3:1-13 {s+s+p+p+s+s+p} Work on the house of God begun in 2nd year: altar built + foundation laid;

1b) Ezr 4:1-6 {s} Samaritans inject themselves in the work + rebuffed/ they troubled Judah + Benjamin;

central axis) Ezr 4:7 {p} They wrote to Ahasuerus + Artaxerxes, kings of Persia, making accusations against the Jews;

2b) Ezr 4:8-23 {p+p+sx3} Samaritans inject themselves between king + Jews/ they compelled the work to cease;

2a) Ezr 4:24 {p} The work on the house of God discontinued until the 2nd year of Darius king of Persia.

The central axis highlights the major way the enemy works against the people of God: by accusation.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Rev 12:10

The accuser of the brethren is identified in the previous verses, as the great Dragon, Satan, he who deceives the whole world!

By contrast, the Messiah might be said to be, the encourager of the brethren:

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 1 Cor 14:3

I.e., he who speaks by the Spirit of God, speaking the words of God, speaks edification, exhortation, and comfort.

Beloved, what thoughts do we heed, when we hear thoughts in the register of our minds? Thoughts of accusation or edification? Accusations originate with haSatan, while edification originates with the Spirit of God! He who heeds an accusation, heeds the word of Satan and not the word of God!

And furthermore, what words come out of our mouths concerning our brethren? Are they words of accusation or words of edification? Are we a spokesman for the enemy or for God? Make we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ before it passes our lips!