Ezra 4: When Opposition Comes
Post 3 of 10 | Exploring Ezra: Return, Rebuild, Restore
It is not uncommon to experience opposition when doing the Lord’s work. In fact, it should be expected. Paul instructs Timothy that all that desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). The work to restore the temple had barely begun before the opposition arrived.
The altar was standing, the foundation of the temple was laid, and the people were worshipping. Typically, the expectation is for all things to run smoothly when you’re doing the work for His glory right? Quite the opposite. The adversaries arrive, but not how you expect. They don’t show with their swords out snarling with direct opposition. Instead they come with an offer to help. Scripture reminds us that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
This moment in history is instrumental to the understanding of the contention between the Samaritans and the Jews in Jesus’ day. These Samaritans who approached Zerubbabel and Jeshua were not strangers to God’s name. They claimed to worship the same Lord, but their worship was not from the heart. They worshipped the Lord with a heart to appease. It was a mixture of pagan idolatry and the God of Israel. This mixture was brought with them from Assyria (2 Kings 17). Zerubbabel and Jeshua recognized the disconnect of the heart as well as the intermarriages that tainted them. The rejection was not a prohibition on worship, rather it was a restriction on the work. God is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:40), and the integrity of His work requires the integrity of those doing it.
David sets an example of a heart of true worship. He was described as a man after God’s own heart. When he was told he would not be permitted to build the Lord’s house how did he respond (1 Chronicles 22:8; 2 Samuel 7:4-13)? He accepted the Lord’s judgement and committed to do what he was able choosing obedience to the Lord’s rejection.
When the wolf comes in sheep’s clothing and doesn’t get what he wants, he chooses havoc instead. The Samaritans spent years writing letters to the Persian king, appealing to his fear of losing taxes and power, using Israel’s rebellious past against them (Ezra 4:12-15). Satan has always known how to weaponize your history. It’s a proven tactic and it worked — the work stopped.
The delay was not a defeat, because God’s plan cannot be thwarted. Daniel’s prophecy still needed to be fulfilled. Every setback in Ezra is moving within the sovereign hand of God who ordained the return in the first place. What looks like opposition is often God’s timing at work.
This is the reality of any serious work for the Lord. When the building begins, the adversary is sure to show up. The question is not whether opposition will come — it is whether you will recognize it, stand firm, and trust that God’s purposes are not derailed by man’s interference. All things work together for good for those who are called. Even when letters written against you have old merit, they do not define who you are in Christ. You are a new creation and the old has passed away. Your sin is cast as far as the east is from the west — never to be seen again. God didn’t say as far as the north is from the south. Why? If you travel north long enough you’ll eventually end up south. Same thing if you travel south you’ll eventually end up traveling north. If you travel east you’ll never end up travel west. East and west never intersect. So far has the Lord cast our sin from us.
Exploring Ezra: Return, Rebuild, Restore launches on April 28, 2026. It’s a ten lesson printed study guide through all ten chapters of the book of Ezra with free teaching notes for leaders to help facilitate the study.