own desires, forwarding theirs even more. Here was that which could be used age.inst the Jewish elders at their only strong point-as it seemed. The one thing as noted be_fore, which appeared to giv~ a~y stre.ngth ~o the buildem of the temple: we.s .0e edict of Cyrus. He!e w?-s a s1mlle.r edict, still more urgent e.nd quite a11 ex:phc1t, on the exactly opposite side. Surely the means of success, if not success itself, was now placed in their power. II. AN EFFICIENT AID IN AN EVIL PLAN EFFECTUALLY EMPLOYED. Were the Samaritans able to use the aid thus placed in their hands? Were they satisfied with merely obtaining so welcome a decree? Unless a weapon is effectually wielded, it might as well remain hanging up in the armoury. Unless a decree is made known and enforced, it differs nothing from one not yet passed-so far, at any rate, as its results are concerned? The Samaritan leaders and council, to whom came in the first instance, the above-described decree of the king, seem to have been fu11y alive to these truths. They appear to have met together (ver. 23) in order to hear its contents. It was doubtless "read before" them with all proper state. After this, there was (1) no delay. They proceeded to take action on it "in haste." They determined to strike, as we say, while the iron was hot. Also, they did this, we find (2) in :person; not deputing action, it seems, on so pressing a matter, to any kind of subordmates. "They " themselves, who had thus received the letter, and heard it read, at once proceeded to act. May we not notice, too, in what way they did so? Namely, on the one hand, (3) as ta place. They went to Jerusalem, the city in question. the place which the king's letter and their wishes had both eo plainly in view. Also, on the other hand, (4) as to persons. They went "to Jerusalem to the Jews," it is stated; i. e., as we take it, to the Jewish rulers and elders (so -the expression "the Jews" ie constantly used by St. John in hie Goepel); in other words, to those men at Jerusalem who were actually engaged in directing and overseeing the erection of the temple, and so were those really responsible, in fact, for the whole of that work. Nor is this quite all we are told. We are told, further, of these Samaritan authorities-and the point being expressly mentioned seems worthy of a special note, at least, in passing-that they "made" the Jewish authorities "to cease" from their work; and that they did so, also, "by force and power "-that is to say, no doubt, with a very considerable exhibition of ill-usage and threat. In a word, it is as though, with this decree from Shushan in their hands, they had rushed all the way from Samaria and struck these Jerusalem Jews as they worked; and that with so much force and such a degree of skill as to deprive them of all power to go on. Nothing, in fact, could be better aimed, nothing more effectual, than this their stroke. It utterly destroyed the thing struck ; at any rate for so long a time, and so completely, that there was nothing more to be said. "Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem." Not till a year and a half have passed by, not till a new king and even a new dynasty have appeared on the scene, shall we hear of it again I See, therefore, in this matter-I. The •mystery of Gocfs ways. The omnipotent God himBelf allowed hie own work to be stopped I Not merely his own workmen. That is another thing, and often the case (see Matt. xiv. 3; Mark ix. 18; Acts xvi. 6, 7 ; Rev. xi. 7-10). Even such a stoppage, however, is, not uncommonly, a sufficiently mysterious thing in our eyes. The Baptist, apparently, felt this himself (Matt. xi. 2-6). Who, again, without marvel, can see the glorious sunrise of Stephen's ministry (Acts vi. 8-13) so suddenly set before men (Jer. xv. 9; Acts vii. 59)? But this phenomenon of the cessation of the work itself i1:1 more marvellous still, because it appears at first hardly consistent with God's own attributes and nature. Does ii mean that he ha~ changed his purposes (1 Sam. xv. 29; Rom. xi. 29; James i. 17)? Or that he cannot carry them out (Matt. xix. 26; Mark xiv. 36)? Especially may we ask thus where the work in question is one for which he has done eo much and so triumphantly, as in this instance (see chaps. i.-iii., almost through- out). And still more where the cessation of the work is brought about by the enemies of himself and his people, and that with such a spring-tide of success as our eyes have just seen. The greatest things and the smallest (so our attention to some of the very minutire of this case has served to show us), the II stare in their courses " 1u1d the d•1st of the desert have seemed in league here with God's foes. And the end OH. IV, 17-24,l THE BOOK OF EZRA. 61
haB been-what? The open failure, in the eyes of his enemies, and in the eyes of bis friends as well, of the undertaking on which he had set his heart. That is what that deserted temple enclosure, with its manifestly interrupted labours, and its sorry wealth of unused materials, seemed to say for so long. It was like the flag of the enemies of Jehovah waving triumphantly over the very citadel of his strength (Ps. lxxiv. 7) I 2. The mercy of God's ways. After all, the case was not desperate. There was just a gleam of light in the darkness ; a gleam, it is possible, that would never have been noticed unless the surround_ing darkness had been AO extreme ; a gleam, however, all the more worthy of notice on that very account. Why that singular suggestion of a possible second II commandment'' in the (otherwise) unfal- tering royal decree of this chapter? Does Scripture tell us of anything like it in any other document of this nature (comp. Ezra i. 2-4; vi. 6---12; vii. 11-26; Dan. iii. 29; vi. 25-27)? Considering, indeed, the almost excessive value attached by the ancient Persian government to the idea of II finality" in its legislation ( D11n. vi. throughout), is not th.ts curious hint in the exactly opposite direction a feature of most singular note? And may we not believe, therefore, with all reverence, that we see in it the special handiwork and the special mercy of God himself? Often does he give such dim but priceless glimmerings of hope to those on the very verge of despair (see Judges xiii. 22, 23; 2 Sam. xxiv. 12-14; Jer. iv. 27; v. 9, 10, 18; Luke viii. 49, 50; xxiv. 17, 32; Acts x:x. 9, 10). This is equally true of his Church (Ps. xii. 1), and of souls (Ps. xx:vii. 13). So often may it be said of both of them, as in 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.