Ch 6 / 10~4 min
Ezra

Chapter 6

The House of Elohim Completed With Joy

The completion and dedication of the second temple points to Yeshua, in whom the true and final dwelling of Elohim among men is perfectly and permanently established.

  1. Darius Confirms Cyrus' Decree

    King Darius searches the archives and confirms Cyrus' original decree. Elohim uses bureaucracy and record-keeping to defend His people.

  2. 1Then Darius the king made a decree, and the house of the archives, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon, was searched.
  3. 2A scroll was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of Media, and in it this was written for a record:
  4. 3In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning Elohim’s house at Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be strongly laid, with its height sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits;
  5. 4with three courses of great stones and a course of new timber. Let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.
  6. 5Also let the gold and silver vessels of Elohim’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple which is at Jerusalem, everything to its place. You shall put them in Elohim’s house.
  7. 6Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, you must stay far from there.
  8. 7Leave the work of this house of Elohim alone; let the governor of the Yehudim and the elders of the Yehudim build this house of Elohim in its place.
  9. 8Moreover I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Yehudim for the building of this house of Elohim: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the River, expenses must be given with all diligence to these men, that they not be hindered.
  10. 9That which they have need of, including young bulls, rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings to the Elohim of heaven; also wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail,
  11. 10that they may offer sacrifices of pleasant aroma to the Elohim of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
  12. 11I have also made a decree that whoever alters this message, let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened on it; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
  13. 12May the Elohim who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of Elohim which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.
  14. The Temple Completed

    The temple is finally completed and dedicated with joy. What took years of struggle is now standing by the faithfulness of Elohim.

  15. 13Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shetharbozenai, and their companions did accordingly with all diligence, because Darius the king had sent a decree.
  16. 14The elders of the Yehudim built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the mitzvah of the Elohim of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
  17. 15This house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
  18. 16The children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of Elohim with joy.
  19. 17They offered at the dedication of this house of Elohim one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
  20. 18They set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their courses, for the service of Elohim which is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses.
  21. Pesach Celebrated with Joy

    The returned exiles celebrate Pesach in the rebuilt temple. Deliverance from Babylon echoes the deliverance from Egypt.

  22. 19The children of the captivity kept the Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month.
  23. 20Because the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, all of them were pure. They killed the Pesach for all the children of the captivity, for their brothers the priests, and for themselves.
  24. 21The children of Israel who had returned out of the captivity, and all who had separated themselves to them from the filthiness of the nations of the land to seek YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, ate,
  25. 22and kept the Chag HaMatzot seven days with joy; because YHWH had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of Elohim, the Elohim of Israel’s house.
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