How did adversaries "hire counselors" to frustrate the Jews' rebuilding efforts? Setting the Scene Ezra 4:5: “They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and until the reign of Darius king of Persia.” • The first returnees under Zerubbabel (Ezra 1–3) had begun rebuilding the altar and laying the temple foundation. • Local “people of the land” (mixed descendants of the Assyrian resettlement, 2 Kings 17:24–33) offered to help, were denied, and turned hostile (Ezra 4:1–3). • Their next move: retain professional “counselors” to block the work. Who Were These “Counselors”? • Persian‐era legal experts, scribes, and court officials who specialized in petitions, decrees, and provincial matters. • Comparable to modern lobbyists or attorneys hired to influence a government in favor of their client. • Their access to royal ears gave them leverage far beyond local intimidation. What “Hiring” Looked Like • The Hebrew verbs indicate paying fees or bribes (“bribed counselors,” cf. NIV, NET). • Funds likely came from regional taxes or wealthy detractors determined to keep Jerusalem weak. • Payment secured continual representation at court—drafting letters, citing precedents, and persuading new monarchs. Practical Tactics Employed 1. Legal Obstruction • Filed accusations that the Jews were rebuilding rebellious fortifications (Ezra 4:13). • Cited earlier insurrections of Israel (4:15, 19) to provoke royal fear. 2. Administrative Delays • Demanded searches of archives (4:15), knowing the process could drag on for years. • Insisted on provincial inspections and report writing to stall construction. 3. Political Smear Campaign • Framed the project as a threat to Persian revenue: “If this city is rebuilt… you will have no share in the Trans-Euphrates” (4:16). • Exploited each change of emperor—Cyrus, Cambyses (Ahasuerus), Artaxerxes, then Darius—to reopen the case (4:5–7). 4. Fear and Discouragement • Combined legal pressure with local intimidation (4:4), aiming to sap morale and funding. Length of the Opposition • Spanned “all the days of Cyrus… even until the reign of Darius” (approximately 537 – 520 BC). • Nearly two decades of persistent litigation and lobbying kept the temple an unfinished shell until God raised up Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1–2; Haggai 1:1). Broader Biblical Parallels • Nehemiah 6:12–13—enemies hire a prophet to frighten Nehemiah. • Daniel 6:4–9—administrators manipulate legal loopholes against Daniel. • Proverbs 17:23—“The wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom to pervert the ways of justice.” • Esther 3:9—Haman offers 10,000 talents of silver to exterminate the Jews. Timeless Takeaways • Opposition often escalates from open hostility to behind-the-scenes manipulation. • Spiritual work can stall when adversaries gain control of legal and political levers, yet God’s purposes prevail (Isaiah 14:27). • Faithful perseverance—anchored in God’s promises and stirred by prophetic encouragement—overcame two decades of bureaucratic harassment, culminating in the temple’s completion (Ezra 6:14–15). |
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