Ezra 4: Words That Hurt
HAS SOMEONE EVER written or said something about you that was designed to hurt you? How much of it was true? false? To show the continued opposition Israel faced, the author jumps ahead in time to tell of a time when their neighbors wrote to the king in order to damage Israel.
Warming Up to God
Talk to God about how the words of others have hurt you.
Read Ezra 4. »
Discovering the Word
- If you could use one word to sum up the events in this passage, what word would it be?
- Describe the response of the "neighbors" (vv. 1-5).
- What reasons are given to King Artaxerxes to persuade him to stop the building in Jerusalem (vv. 12-16)?
- Which of these reasons are true and which are not?
- What reasons does King Artaxerxes give for having the work stopped (vv. 17-22)?
- What do you think it was like for the Israelites to stop this long-awaited work for a year (v. 24)?
Applying the Word
- What is it like for someone to tell the truth about you in order to hurt you?
- How does it feel if someone lies about you?
- What would be a godly response?
Responding in Prayer
Praise God for the fact that his work continues even when it looks to us like it has been stopped dead by slander and other sins. Pray for those you know who have been hurt by lies.
For Further Study
Experiencing Healing Prayer by Rick Richardson