Opposition comes to all people who seek to serve God. This has not been a new thing that arose from the time of Jesus, but was also true of the Old Testament people of Israel. As we look at Ezra 4, we can see different types of opposition we can face, and how we can respond, and most importantly, who we can turn to when we respond poorly to opposition.
Study Questions for Ezra 4:
Observation:
- Who wanted to help the returned exiles?
- Who wrote the letter to Artaxerxes?
- How long did the work on the temple cease?
Interpretation:
- What do you think the “adversaries” wanted when they offered to help the exiles? What reason did the former exiles give for their response? Could there have been another reason?
- What different groups oppose the building? What reasons do they give? How successful are they in their opposition?
- Why did the Jews stop building the wall in the future example? Why do you think they stopped building the temple in the time of Cyrus/Darius?
Application:
- How can we recognize adversaries? How should we respond to them?