Ezra 4:4

Resistance To Rebuilding The House Of God

³ But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel’s families answered them, “You may have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.” ⁴ Then the people who were already in the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build. ⁵ They also bribed officials to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus of Persia and until the reign of King Darius of Persia.

People of the Land

Ezra

Judah

Non

Samaritans

Ezra 3:3

They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening on it to the Lord even though they feared the surrounding peoples.

Nehemiah 4:7-8

When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious.

Nehemiah 4:11

And our enemies said, “They won’t know or see anything until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.”

Nehemiah 6:9

For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, “They will become discouraged in the work, and it will never be finished.”

But now, my God, strengthen me.

Isaiah 35:3-4

Strengthen the weak hands,
steady the shaking knees!

Jeremiah 38:4

The officials then said to the king, “This man ought to die, because he is weakening the morale of the warriors who remain in this city and of all the people by speaking to them in this way. This man is not seeking the well-being of this people, but disaster.”