April 22, 2025, Ezra 4:7-16

April 22, 2025, Ezra 4:7-16

⁷ In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. ⁸ Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: ⁹ Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, ¹⁰ and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. ¹¹ (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now ¹² be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³ Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. ¹⁴ Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king's dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, ¹⁵ in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. ¹⁶ We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”

The city is rebuilt.  It wasn’t a new city, it was a city that had been destroyed, damaged, laid waist by an enemy.  It makes me think of the many people who have surrendered to Jesus, and the enemy comes in and destroys the fellowship between us and our Lord and tries to destroy the relationship.  The enemy can damage our fellowship, but has no way to touch our relationship with God.  God is in charge of that and nothing can take us out of His hand.  In John 10:28 it says “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”  God is in charge of our relationship as He is the one that gave the invitation to us and His Son who died for us.  But we…you…are in charge of fellowship with Him.  When is the last time you spent time with Him?  Maybe now is the time you should spend time with Him working to rebuild your fellowship with Him and getting to know Him better.  He already knows everything about you…the good and the bad!