Men of Action and Politics

When last we left the book of Ezra, the discussion was focused on several men that were instrumental in the re-building of the temple of God upon return of the exiles from their Babylonian captivity.  In particular, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began the work under the order from Cyrus king of Persia; stopped the work under orders from King Xerxes and Artaxerxes (based on the complaint of the enemies of Judah and Benjamin); and began the work afresh on the order of God through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah which was later ratified and endorsed by King Darius.

In this post I want to look at the political aspect of this account and what we can and cannot take from it in terms of application in contemporary culture.  Firstly, the return of the exiles and re-building of the temple was ordered by official proclamation.  In the last post we discussed the reason behind this return and how it was nothing short of the miraculous change of heart of the King of Persia, Cyrus himself, by which God brought the return to pass.  This point bears further emphasis here, that God detemined in His Sovereignty and timing that the re-building should take place and so He changed the heart of the King to bring that about.  So, generally speaking God used those in power to bring about His plan for His people.  Can we then make a specific rule then that God works this way all the time?  Obviously not.  Cyrus was King of Persia, not a Jewish leader.  God allowed Nebuchadnezzar to carry away His people into captivity.  God also sent Moses to Pharoh and in that case his heart was hardened such that plagues and death forced a ruler whose heart was hardened to relent and release those under his rule albeit reluctantly and who he later determined to seek to re-acquire only to lead his army to ultimate destruction.  So what we can say without making errors in specifically limited application is that God Sovereignly works all things according to His own good purposes to accomplish His own ends, which are by definition right and good.

Politically speaking God used a king to release His people so that they could re-build His temple.  So what of the stoppage ordered by Xerxes and Artaxerxes?  Was God unable to see that one coming?  God had brought his people from captivity with orders and supplies so why did His people stop when orders came down from governing authorities?  Were God's plans thwarted by a simple decree and disruptive behavior by a small group?  Obviously that would be an error in thinking since that sort of description of God does not comport with the rest of Scripture, nor does it acknowledge the many accounts of God Himself fighting the battle for His people, turning opposing forces against themselves and routing whole armies without the loss of even one of His people.  Again, we don't want to make a mistake in the particular case, rather we want to see the Truth that is applicable across circumstances.  Again, God is Sovereign - it may not seem to make sense to have the work stop, but whether it is obvious to man or not, God is most capable of knowing how things must work such that He receives maximum glory.  In this case, the work stoppage brought about two prophets who spoke for the Lord about not only the continued re-building in the absence of permission from ruling authorities, but also regarding the coming Messiah - all of which came to pass!

Finally, and again politically, why didn't Zerubbabel and Jeshua stage a rebellion when word came down that they had been ordered to cease and dissist in their efforts.  Why didn't they organize and declare that they were building the temple of the Lord (which He had directed by means of a heart change of previous leadership) and no human king was going to stop the Lord's work and fight to the death to continue working?  It seems best to always consider the context and the Truth.  In this time, God spoke to the people through the prophets.  Cyrus decrees the Israelites be given materials and released to re-build the temple - no problem there.  No prophet has spoken, but returning to their land and re-building the temple is a great blessing, so praise God for moving on Cyrus's heart to bring this about.  The stop work order comes down from the same authority that decreed the work start.  Perhaps confusing and disappointing, but God made a way before and He will do so again.  Then the prophets speak.  God has said re-build.  Now, there is no waiting and no fear of retribution from government.  The men immediately begin re-building.  Later the records are checked and the re-building is not hindered by government or others, praise God for working this out in His timing.  God's people are not called to political activism as a pursuit in order to bring about justice in this world.  God's people are called to love God with all their hearts and to love others as themselves, with this love manifested in the bearing of the fruits of the Spirit.  This is not to say belivers should not be politically active, but great care should be taken, as with everything else in the life of the believer, that motivations remain focused and pure and that we do not behave as though God is not Sovereign or somehow needs our help to make sure the problems of this world get solved, whether by sit-in, occupation, or armed rebellion.  Where the sacred is being profaned, believers must be in opposition even unto personal persecution, without fear, but in much prayer and knowing that God is Sovereign and will bring about all things according to His own good pleasure and for His ultimate glory.

What is the one main idea to take away - God is Sovereign over all things and He knows best how things must come to pass such that His glory is maximized.  Let us not presume to need to help out or know better than God.  Love and obedience is a great place for us to start, and i'm thankful we can see that even in a book like Ezra written so long ago.