Expect Opposition to God’s Work! - Ezra 1-5

 Ezra 4:4-6 (ESV Strong's)

4 Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build 5 and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

Expect Opposition to God’s Work!

The book of Ezra is an account of the nation of Israel being released from captivity to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city.   God stirred the heat of their captors and unsighted them to return the people of Israel to their land:

Ezra Ezra 1:1-3 (ESV Strong's)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

There is NO DOUBT that this work, to rebuild the city, was GOD’S WILL.  So, we have a group of believers obeying God’s will and, yet, opposition rises against it.   We see in chapter four, after the work had begun, wicked outsiders come to cease God’s work.  And, they indeed accomplish that task.   The work is actually stopped.   It will resume again and it will be finished, but the lesson to learn for us is that in the midst of God’s work, directly ordained work that God wants done, we will have opposition.   We ought not be surprised that the world does not want the work of God to be started or finished.   We can be perfectly in God’s will and find opposition.  God does not tell us we will not have opposition.  He just tells us that he will send the support and strength to deal with the opposition (as he does in the remaining chapters of Ezra).   We should remember the words of Peter and James in regard to this thought:

1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV Strong's)

Suffering as a Christian

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

James 1:2-4 (ESV Strong's)

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.