We are more familiar with the story of the rebuilding of the walls from the book of Nehemiah. However Ezra was the prophet and scribe of that day and his account gives another aspect of the scene.
This story takes place at the time of Israels return from captivity. The Northern kingdom of Judah had been taken into captivity by Babylon, however during their exile and captivity, Babylon fell to the Persian Empire. (Persia is modern day Iran). Because of two brave individuals Daniel and Esther, the Jews found favor with the Persian kings.
(The term Jew is the name given to the Israelite tribe of Judah. Today it is often ascribed to all people living in Israel, not just those from the tribe of Judah, son of Jacob.)
Although Daniel was from the tribe of Judah, he was still a favorite of the Persian King Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC). He also found favor with Cyrus’s grandson King Xerxes (486-465 BC), Esther’s stepson King Artaxerxes I (465-424 B.C.) loved Esther like she was his own mother and because of this the Hebrew people had great favor with him; so much so that he granted a decree that allowed Nehemiah and Ezra to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple while under the protection and backing of the Persian Empire.
When Nehemiah returned to the land he found that it was occupied by Assyrian settlers. These were the people who had been sent to occupy the land many years earlier by the Assyrian empire, which was now no longer in existence.
These settlers who had moved there from the land of the Amorites, Moabites, and other nations, were not too happy that the Jews were planning on returning; and in fact, they were afraid of them because of the support given them by the Persian empire.
So they were determined to harass, intimidate and sabotage the incoming Jews to the point where they would just give up trying to regain the land and would just go back to Persia.
This story has a familiar ring to it and we know that history does repeat itself.
Because the Persian Empire, which ruled the known world at that time, was supporting and backing the Jews; they couldn’t declare outright war against them, as it would have amounted to suicide. Instead they began a strategy, a plan of campaign, sometimes called a war of attrition, designed to wear the Hebrew children down.
A war of attrition -meaning
Romanized: Ḥarb al-Istinzāf;
Hebrew: מלחמת ההתשה,
Milḥemet haHatashah
Attrition warfare is the term used to describe the sustained process of wearing down an opponent so as to force their physical collapse through continuous losses in personnel, equipment and supplies or to wear them down to such an extent that their will to fight collapses.
The way they decided to attack them is something still used in many places around the world today, which we call terrorism.
As time passed, King Artaxerxes was overly occupied with his own domestic issues and ongoing problems in his kingdom, as well as the threat of other nations wanting to engage in war against Persia. Because of this, King Artaxerxes gave his son Susa the responsibility of overseeing the Israelite/Jewish/Hebrew nation. Susa did not know his grandmother Esther and was not endeared to the Jewish people; to put it in a modern term, word, he was anti-Semitic. Because of this, Persia’s support of the Jews dwindled away. Nehemiah and Ezra believed that if God wanted Jerusalem rebuilt He would do it without the help of Persia; so the lack of support did not disturb or deter them. We know from scripture that indeed our Heavenly Father did help them.
However, when the Amorite, Moabite, and settlers from the other nations heard about Persia withdrawing their support, these enemies steadily increased their harassment and terrorism. Although Nehemiah and Ezra were confident that God would protect them, unfortunately, the people refused to trust in God.
In Ezra 4:4 we read that this ‘war of attrition’, was being very effective.
The people of Judah’s hands were weakened and they were troubled by their enemies in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
Ezra 4:4 HEB: עַם־ הָאָ֔רֶץ מְרַפִּ֖ים יְדֵ֣י עַם־ NAS: of the land discouraged the people KJV: of the land weakened the hands INT: the people of the land weakened the hands the people
At some time during our years of serving the Lord we can feel that way too.
There are times that it seems like people and circumstances just come at us from every side and angle, they criticize, condemn, and accuse us of things that we did not do.
This is a time when the enemy tries to make us react in the flesh trying to make us resentful and bitter. He wants
to discourage us
and cause us to want
to meraphim or give up.
Because of the constant harassment by their enemies, the people of Judah did become very weary and discouraged.
Although initially, their enemies were unable to physically harm them, they mocked them and made fun of them. Then they robbed their homes while they were working on building the walls. The terrorism continued as they destroy their crops while they were concentrating on the work in hand.
Nehemiah had returned to Persia for a period of time and when he came back to Jerusalem, he found a people who were in a state of spiritual despair. They had given up working on rebuilding the walls of the city to protect their own homes, families and crops; and in the process they had fallen into spiritual idolatry and even turned to pagan practices while being preoccupied with building their own houses and making money.
Gods’ people had merephim – given up.
It is not something that just happened thousands of years ago it is happening to people all around us today.
What did Ezra do to encourage the people?
We can find the answer in
Ephesians 15:19: “Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.
This story is the source of the well known and often quoted verse from Nehemiah 8:10:
“The Joy of the Lord is our strength.”
We will not fulfill the assignments our Heavenly Fathers has for us if we fall into the enemy’s traps, snares; and give in to his war of attrition and terrorist attacks against us like he did with the people of Judah. Instead, we need to fill our hearts with the Word of God like Ezra did, and encourage each other with scriptural songs of praise and joy. Praising the Lord will stop the enemy in his attacks. Praise binds kings…Psalm 149:8-9 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints
The Joy of the Lord
becomes a weapon against discouragement.
It is a spiritual force because it comes from a spiritual source, our Heavenly Father.
God is spirit as Messiah said in
John 4:24.
He does not have emotions like we understand emotions and feelings, His joy that He imparts to us, is to strengthen us in the inner man so we will rise up and
be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6.
Not our own strength which is limited, but His strength which is unlimited and always available. It is the Father’s and Jesus/Yeshua’s desire, and in His own words… that our joy may be full.
These things have I spoken unto you,
that My joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be fulfilled.
John 15:11
We draw from the well of our salvation with Joy.
Joy is like the ‘dipper,’ the container, that we use to reach deep into that well, that spring of living water within us from the Fathers Holy Spirit, that is what will sustain us. The fullness of what our salvation means gives us the hope that will never be disappointed; and strength comes from allowing the Word of God, both in scripture and in the person of Messiah, to be the living word dwelling richly in us.
They experienced the rise of resistance, and as so many of us have experienced in our walk, discouragement is one of the devils favorite tools that he uses against believers in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. He will always resist the work of the Lord and stir up opposition to try and hinder what God wants to do. He is persistent but we must be more persistent and persevere in what we have been called to do. James encourages us that we must resist the devil and he will flee. and by doing that in Messiahs name we will experience the rise of resistance in our own walk.
Phil 4:13 we can do all things through Messiah.
Proverbs 23:17-18
Whenever we are fully occupied with the will and work of the Lord we will always encounter opposition and intimidation. If we were not a threat to hasatan he would not focus on us so much; we could interpret this as a backhanded compliment! We must persevere even when there seems to be no immediate solution or answer in sight. The enemy will come with fear which causes us to take our eyes off of God and onto our circumstances. Our Heavenly Father will make a way where there seems to be no way. It’s our red sea moment and Jeremiah 32:27 encourages us: is anything too hard for the King of the universe?
2 Chron. 16:7
As the world grows darker and more violent, we are to shine brighter and bring true shalom/peace to all with whom we have contact; ever ready to share the good news of the gospel of the kingdom and encourage one another to stay strong and never meraphim.
Luke 18:1 always pray and never give up!
Shalom aleikhem
chaverim and mishpachah!
Peace to friends and family.
Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Deliverer and soon returning King; and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are very precious in His sight.
Not sure ..you can be…
SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,
SAY IT RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
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