We noted yesterday that Ezra 5 and 6 records the Jews finishing rebuilding the Temple after chapter 4’s pause. The one thing that got them restarted was the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. But what kept them going in the face of the same old chapter 4-type opposition?

Tattenai was governor of the land beyond the Euphrates at this time. Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates came to the Israelites and asked, “Who issued you a permit to rebuild this Temple and restore it to use?” (Ezra 5.3, 4, MSG)

It was a question, and this time, the builders had a specific answer: “King Cyrus did! Look it up.”

But when Cyrus became king of Babylon, in his first year he issued a building permit to rebuild this Temple of God…So now, if it please the king, look up the records in the royal archives in Babylon and see if it is indeed a fact that Cyrus the king issued an official building permit authorizing the rebuilding of The Temple of God in Jerusalem. And then send the king’s ruling on this matter to us. (Ezra 5.13, 17, MSG)

From 1984 – 1986, I worked for Col Jack Flannery at Space Command Headquarters in Colorado Springs. He became a good friend after his retirement, and we were neighbors. Jack always told us, “You have to institutionalize agreements.” I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like bureaucracy all that much, and I liked to work with folks in other departments over a handshake. Jack always said that was a fine way to get started, but if you wanted it to last, you had to get a formal agreement in writing (“institutionalize it”). “None of us will be here in a few years. Then what keeps things going?”

Well, such was the attitude of the kings of Persia, and later the Medes. Document your decisions.

So King Darius ordered a search through the records in the archives in Babylon. Eventually a scroll was turned up in the fortress of Ecbatana over in the province of Media, with this writing on it: Memorandum In his first year as king, Cyrus issued an official decree regarding The Temple of God in Jerusalem, as follows: The Temple where sacrifices are offered is to be rebuilt on new foundations. It is to be ninety feet high and ninety feet wide… (Ezra 6.1 – 3, MSG)

Darius told those who wanted the Jews to quit building:

Now listen, Tattenai governor of the land beyond the Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, associates, and all officials of that land: Stay out of their way. Leave the governor and leaders of the Jews alone so they can work on that Temple of God as they rebuild it. (Ezra 6.6, 7, MSG)

Done. And they finished the work:

So the leaders of the Jews continued to build; the work went well under the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They completed the rebuilding under orders of the God of Israel and authorization by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. (Ezra 6.14, 15, MSG)

All because of the written word. I’m glad that God has left us his written word! We don’t always agree on what it means, but we have it. Something to give thanks for.

Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. (Psalm 119.89, ESV)

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 4.32, ESV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3.16, 17, NIV)