Bird's-eye view
Ezra 4:6 is a concise, almost parenthetical, statement that reveals a profound truth about the nature of spiritual opposition. The author, having introduced the initial conflict that arose when the Jews began rebuilding the temple under Cyrus (vv. 1-5), briefly fast-forwards in time to show that this hostility was not a one-time event. He provides two later examples of official accusations, one under Ahasuerus (v. 6) and another under Artaxerxes (vv. 7-23), before returning to the original timeline in chapter 5. This verse, then, serves as a snapshot of a persistent, generational assault. The central theme is that the work of God will always attract the venomous attention of the world. The enemies of God's people are patient, persistent, and they know how to use the levers of political power. Their primary weapon here is not the sword, but slander, a formal accusation designed to stop the rebuilding of God's kingdom on earth.
This verse reminds us that the battle is a spiritual one, with earthly manifestations. The adversaries are acting as agents of the great Accuser, Satan. Just as he accuses the brethren before God day and night, his earthly children accuse God's people before the thrones of worldly power. The names of the kings may change, but the accusation remains the same because the hatred for God and His anointed people is a constant.
Outline
- 1. The Thematic Nature of Opposition (Ezra 4:1-24)
- a. Initial Opposition Under Cyrus (Ezra 4:1-5)
- b. A Catalog of Later Opposition (Ezra 4:6-23)
- i. The Accusation Under Ahasuerus (Ezra 4:6)
- ii. The Accusation Under Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:7-23)
- c. The Result: Work Ceases Until Darius (Ezra 4:24)
Context In Ezra
This verse is part of a section often called the "opposition narrative." After the glorious decree of Cyrus and the initial flush of excitement in returning and laying the temple's foundation (Ch. 1-3), reality sets in. Chapter 4 is dedicated to showing the relentless nature of the pushback. Ezra's literary strategy here is not strictly chronological. He introduces the problem in verses 1-5, which occurred in the days of Cyrus and Darius. Then, to illustrate how deep-seated and long-lasting this problem was, he leaps forward several decades to the reign of Ahasuerus (likely Xerxes I, 486-465 B.C.) in verse 6, and then to the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-424 B.C.) in verses 7-23. Having made his thematic point that opposition was a constant feature of their existence, he then resumes the historical narrative in 5:1, returning to the time of Darius. So, verse 6 is a historical flash-forward intended to teach a theological lesson: do not be surprised by persistent, organized, political opposition to the work of God.
Key Issues
- The Identity of Ahasuerus
- The Nature of Spiritual Accusation
- The Persistence of Enmity Against God's People
- Using Political Power to Thwart God's Kingdom
The Accuser's Memorandum
One of the devil's chief names is Satan, which means adversary or accuser. In the great heavenly courtroom, he is the prosecuting attorney against the people of God (Rev. 12:10). But he does not work alone. He has a vast network of earthly agents who carry out his work in the courts of men. This verse in Ezra gives us a glimpse into the mundane paperwork of this satanic operation. An official accusation is drafted and filed. A memorandum of slander is sent to the new boss. This is spiritual warfare, but it does not look like what we see in the movies. It looks like committees, and letters, and political maneuvering. The enemies of Judah understood that the best way to stop the work of God was to get the government to do it for them. They sought to wrap their malice in the respectable robes of law and order, accusing the Jews of rebellion and sedition. This tactic is as old as the hills and as current as this morning's headlines. When the world wants to stop the church, it rarely announces its true motives. Instead, it files an accusation.
Verse by Verse Commentary
6 Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Now in the reign of Ahasuerus... This is most likely the Hebrew name for the Persian king known to history as Xerxes I, the same king who features prominently in the book of Esther. This would place this event somewhere around 486 B.C., a full thirty years after the work on the temple had resumed under Darius. The point is that the opposition did not die out. The adversaries were just waiting for an opportunity.
...in the beginning of his reign... This is tactically astute. A new king is on the throne. The political landscape is uncertain. This is the moment to test the new administration, to try and poison the well before the Jews have a chance to establish good relations with the new monarch. The enemies of God are not lazy. They are watching for every transition, every moment of weakness, every opportunity to press their case. As soon as the new king sits down, a letter is on his desk. This shows their dedication to their evil cause, and it should be an instruction to us. We must be just as vigilant, because our adversary is.
...they wrote an accusation... The weapon chosen was ink and paper. The Hebrew word for accusation here is sitnah, which is directly related to the name Satan. They literally wrote a "satanic attack." It was a formal, legal charge submitted to the highest authority in the land. This is not mere grumbling or neighborhood squabbling. This is a calculated attempt to use the coercive power of the state to crush the fledgling community of God's people. Slander is a primary tool of the enemy because it attacks a person's or a community's standing, their reputation, their legitimacy. If the accusation sticks, the work stops.
...against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. The target is precise. The accusation is not against a few troublemakers; it is against the entire covenant community, identified by their land, Judah, and their central city, Jerusalem. The world's problem is not with a few rogue Christians; its problem is with the Church itself. The very existence of a people called by God, dwelling in the place God has appointed, engaged in the work God has commanded, is an offense to the kingdoms of this world. The rebuilding of Jerusalem was a visible sign of the kingdom of God advancing, and so it drew the accuser's fire.
Application
This single verse is a bucket of cold water for any triumphalistic naivete. It teaches us to expect opposition, and to recognize its forms. When a Christian school has its accreditation challenged on trumped-up charges, that is an accusation. When a church is zoned out of a neighborhood with spurious legal arguments, that is an accusation. When Christian morality is slandered in the halls of power as bigotry and a threat to the state, that is an accusation written against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Our response should not be surprise or despair. It should be a sober-minded realism. We should expect it. The world will hate us because it hated our Master first. And we must understand that these accusations are ultimately spiritual. Behind the zoning board, the hostile journalist, or the ambitious politician is the ancient accuser, Satan. But we must also remember that we have a greater advocate in the heavenly court. While they write their accusations to earthly kings, our Lord Jesus Christ, our high priest, presents His own blood to the King of Heaven. The accusations of the world are loud, but the blood of Christ speaks a better word. Therefore, we should not be intimidated into silence or inactivity. We must, like the early Jews, keep building, keep praying, and trust our God to handle the accusations.