Ezra 6:11

Ezra 6:11 says, Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.  Darius set a severe penalty for anyone who defied his decree.  Their house was to be torn down and they were to be hung from the timber of the house.  We don’t have such penalties for people harming God’s work today, but one day if they don’t repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, those who work against God will pay an even more devastating penalty.  They will forever be separated from God in everlasting torment.  

Verse twelve adds, And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.  Darius said that he had made this decree and that it applied to everyone.  He asked that God Who had caused His name to dwell there to destroy all kings and people who put their hand to alter or destroy the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem.  He also asked that this be done quickly.  Of course, we know that the real Temple, the dwelling place of God, is not a building, but is the human heart.  So, those who would attempt to destroy those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit indwelling their heart, will face the same everlasting destruction that those who destroyed the physical Temple of God faced.  

Verse thirteen continues, Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.  These rulers may have sent word to Daris hoping to stop the building of the Temple, but they were quick to follow his instructions when he sent word back that they were to support the Jews in their rebuilding of the Temple.  At times, the attempt of people to stop God’s work may backfire on them and cost them materially instead of stopping His work.  Of course, this is not always the case, and we as Christians should be content to follow God no matter what happens.  

Verse fourteen states, And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.   The Jews continued to build until the work was done.  They did so under the authorization of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, but most importantly they did so by the commandment of God.  It was nice that they had the authorization of all these kings, but it was imperative that they were obeying God’s commandment.  We as followers of Christ today must follow God’s commandments no matter what the people in power in the world may say.  

Verse fifteen adds, And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.  The Temple was finished in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.  We as Christians will never be finished in doing God’s work as long as we live or until the return of Jesus Christ in victory.  As always, the first step in doing God’s work is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.