Ezra 4:3

They claimed that they called on God as the Jews did. They said they had sacrificed to Him ever since Esarhaddon brought them into the land. This was not open hostility. Why turn such a desire away? The Spirit of God calls them the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin. The people of God — the assembly of God — ought to know their own distinct privileges. They ought to know that they are the assembly of the Lord.

They say, "We have been sacrificing to Him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here." In this way they revealed their true origin. By their own confession they were not the children of Abraham but Assyrians. So they had no claim to be of the children of Israel. These were in fact the fathers of the Samaritans (see 2 Kings 17:24-41), who kept trying to force their way into the place of privilege and blessing. That, and the strife it caused, is why the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. We can learn from this incident where one of the gravest dangers in the Lord's work comes from. The kisses of an enemy are both deceitful and dangerous. Yet it seems so ungracious to refuse help offered by people who claim to be friends.

We must take care how we judge, but we still have to judge. We have to test everything and hold fast what is good; and so they did on this occasion. Zerubbabel and Jeshua were not deceived in these later days. Joshua and the princes were taken in on a similar occasion long before, when the Gibeonites came up disguised as travellers.

Some may think these leaders of the people were taking a narrow and exclusive position. In fact they were. But in doing so they had the Lord's mind. They were resting on a divine principle that still holds: only the Lord's people can do the work of His house. Others may call themselves builders and claim they want to help His work forward. But they can only build with wood, hay, or straw… No difficulty, no shortage, no circumstances whatever can justify an alliance between the Church and the world. Nothing can justify taking the world's favour or help in the holy work of the Lord.

To admit strangers would have been to deny that He was their God, the God of Israel.

In speaking this way they show no spiritual pride. They admit that they are subject to the king of the Gentiles, and that this is the result of their own unfaithfulness. But they have understood that they alone are called to this work. They cannot in any way associate with the religious character of the people around them.

It was not a question of friendly feeling or of broad sentiment, but of God and His will. It may have been shrewd to plead the command of Cyrus the Persian. But God's people are strongest when in their weakness they stand only on the word of God.

They failed to corrupt the work the returned exiles were doing. So now they throw off the mask of friendship and try to hinder them by open hostility. This is Satan's method in every age. He and his servants will often disguise themselves as angels of light and ministers of righteousness. They do this because it is easier to deceive the saints than to frighten them. But the moment someone detects and exposes his presence and activity, his rage knows no limit.