Reading for November 13th

Read Ezra 6.13-18. In verse 14: They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia: In a literal historical reading this makes no sense, since the physical Temple was completed in the reign of Darius, and Artaxerxes had nothing to do with it. However, the formation of the "house of God" involved not only the rebuilding the Temple, but also rebuilding the city and separating the community from the surrounding peoples by prohibiting intermarriage. These later steps, under the reformers Ezra and Nehemiah, occured under the time of Artaxerxes. In verse 15: The third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius: 515 BCE. Some believe the day was originally the twenty-third day of Adar, which would put the complete rebuilding near the anniversary of Solomon's celebration of the completion of the original Temple (2 Chr 7.10) and approximately 70 years after the destruction of the Temple. In verse 17: As a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel: Without a functioning Temple, it was not possible for the priesthood to maintain the regular purification offering for the nation. The offering may be indebted to the vision of a renewed Temple by the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek 43.22-27) in whch the sin offering purifies the Temple from the pollutions of Israel's past. In verse 18: As it is written in the book of Moses: in 1 Chr 23-26 it is David who sets up the courses of the priests and Levites for worship in the Temple. There is no prescription for these orders as described in the Pentateuch, normally what the author means by the book of Moses. With the arrangements for the offerings and who would be responsible for them, the Temple is now fully functioning. Comments or Questions..