This small group Ezra 4 Bible study contains outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, verse by verse commentary, and applications. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Ezra 4 Bible Study Commentary With Practical Application
Ezra 4 Bible Study Video
Ezra 4 Bible Study Podcast
Outline:
I. The sabotage attempt (4:1-3)
II. Israel’s enemies hinder the work (4-7)
III. The letter of opposition to King Artaxerxes (8-16)
IV. The king replies and commands for the work to be stopped (17-23)
V. The work is halted (24)
I. The sabotage attempt (4:1-3)
Discussion Questions
- Who were these “enemies” mentioned?
- Do you think they were genuine in their desire to help build the temple follow God? Why or why not?
- What motivated them to offer to “help?” Then what would they do while “helping?”
- How did the leaders of Judah reply to them? Why?
- What authority did they appeal to?
- What can we learn from here about temptation?
- Before this temptation came were the people at a spiritual high or a spiritual low?
- Was the promise made by these people who were attempting to ensnare them believable? How could they know whether it was true or not?
- Are there any principles we can use to distinguish which things are opportunities and which are temptations?
- What kind of temptations will you face after reaching a “spiritual high?” How can you have victory?
Cross-References
2 Kings 17:26-34 – The Samaritans superstitious worship.
Haggai 1 – A parallel account of the rebuilding of the temple and the time period when the builders halted.
Verses on Discernment
Job 34:4 – Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
Proverbs 1:5 – Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
Proverbs 10:13 – Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.
Genesis 41:39 – Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. In chapters 1-3, the people had great successes. God granted them favor in the eyes of Cyrus, who allowed them to return back to their own lands and returned the spoils that Nebuchadnezzar had captured 70 years before. God granted them favor in the eyes of their neighbors who assisted them by giving them valuables. The people themselves were excited about serving God again. They were excited about building the altar and offering sacrifices in worship. They were excited about celebrating festivals to honor God that hadn’t been celebrated in centuries. They were excited about laying the foundation of the temple. Simply put, they were experiencing a spiritual high. Most of them had probably never felt closer to God than they did right here. But that is when Satan chose to attack. That is when true opposition would begin and their resolve would be truly tested.
2. They were approached with a very reasonable sounding proposition. Their neighbors offered to help them build the temple. Their neighbors wanted to seek the Lord! Just when they thought things couldn’t go any smoother, they received this news. Exciting right? Well, when I grew up I often heard the phrase, “when something is too good to be true, it probably is.” Is this one of those cases? This appears to fit the bill. This offer on the surface sounds good, but when you look a little bit deeper it is clear that there are deeper motivations.
a) From 2 Kings 17 we can see that the people did incorporate worship of the LORD into their religion. But they had a syncretic religion, where they worshiped many gods. This was absolutely forbidden for the Jews who were to worship God only (Exodus 20)
b) Chapter 4:1 calls these people the “enemies of Judah and Benjamin.” If they are their enemies would it make sense that they would really want to help? No. They clearly had ulterior motivates.
3. Then what were their motives. The text does not say, but by reading the following passages we can see that they wanted to stop work on the temple. So probably their plan was to sabotage the building. They could do this by stirring up arguments and dissension and division. They could “lose” tools and supplies and equipment. They could “accidentally” forget to tie the ropes of the animals and let them run away, etc. The list goes on and one. It is easy for us to see their motives considering the following chapters and the context of both Ezra and Nehemiah. But it could have been a bit harder for the leaders who heard them make this offer for the first time. How could they tell it was a lie?
4. The leaders unilaterally rejected the offer to help. They had no interest in working together. This was a wise choice and they probably made it because they didn’t want to take the first step to have an alliance with a group of people who were not truly dedicated to God. This was an attractive offer from a human viewpoint. They could have certainly used the help on this huge project. Also, it would be nice to have some locals who had lived in the area for a long time as allies. To see through this façade took a lot of discernment. Discernment is very important when making difficult decisions like this. All of us face many issues which require discernment. Let’s see what the Bible has to say about this. See cross-references.
5. Application. What lessons can we learn from our life today from this section? When you are experiencing a spiritual high (after a great victory in your personal life or perhaps after a retreat), watch out! Pride goes before the fall. In Philippians 3:12-14 we can see the importance of having a “short term memory” in spiritual things.
Do not hold on to and become prideful about successes because each day has its own temptations. If you are living in the past, whether it is celebrating successes or having a self pity party because of failures, you will fail to serve God today.
II. Israel’s enemies hinder the work (4-7)
Discussion Questions
- When their first method didn’t work, what did Judah’s enemies do? Does this teach us a wider principle about temptation and/or adversaries to God’s work?
- What methods did they use to discourage the work?
- Were these effective? Did the people succumb to these temptations?
- What methods is Satan using today to try to stop God’s work from being accomplished? Have you ever faced any of these obstacles? How did you/should you respond?
- Are there any verses from the Bible which can tell us how to respond in these types of situations?
Cross-References
Verses on Adversity
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Proverbs 24:10 – If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!
2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
1 Peter 5:8 – Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
2 Chronicles 15:7 – But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. When their first method of attack failed, the enemies of Judah tried again. This is another reminder that if you are successful in resisting temptation once, don’t let up. Satan is persistent like a lion so we have to continue to be alert.
2. This time they tried a variety of methods to stop the building of the temple. What methods? Discouraging. How might they have done this? Frightening probably in the form of threats. Hiring counselors against them. In other words they paid off some people to give bad advice such as “wait for better weather,” or “maybe we should consider another site for the temple,” or “let’s do it after the harvest” and so on. They were very persistent. They continued trying to frustrate the plans to rebuild the temple (and later the wall) throughout the reign of at least four kings.
a) Application: Satan normally doesn’t change his methods. He keeps using the same ones again and again because they are successful. He may use each of these three ways to try to keep us from doing God’s will today. Can any of you give examples of how you have been discouraged from doing God’s will? Frightened? Had people counsel you against it? Let’s take a look at some verses which may h