Ezra 6:3

The king, when appealed to, ordered a search, and they found the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 6:1-5). This confirmed the statement of the Jews in every particular, and even more. They now discovered that Cyrus had not only issued his decree for the rebuilding of the temple. He had also ordered "the expenses to be given out of the king's house," as well as directed the restoration of the sacred vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away.

In all this, we can see the providence of God, watching over His people. The edict of Cyrus is found at Achmetha, in the province of the Medes and not at Babylon (v. 2). This proves that, without God stepping in, even the most careful research would have been in vain… Darius does acknowledge the God of heaven, and he recognises the temple at Jerusalem as the house of God (Ezra 6:9-10, 3, 7, 8). He decrees dimensions which his own intelligence selects, because they no longer match the symbolic figures of the early temple (v. 3; 1 Kings 6:2). So more than one thought from the mind of God remains as though buried beneath the new figures.

Few particulars of this are given. Cyrus ordered the foundations to be laid firmly, with a height of sixty cubits and a breadth of sixty cubits (Ezra 6:3). It was probably the same size as the temple Solomon built. The sixty cubits of breadth here may be its "length," with its width not mentioned. Or, if the sixty cubits is the width, it may have included the chambers. It is not probable that it was larger than the first temple.

The temple was the centre of worship. One approached God in His temple by means of sacrifices and the priesthood. Still, God remained out of reach. In actual fact, man in the flesh could not approach Him. The way into the holiest place was shown in picture form, but it was not yet made open. Only the work of Christ was able to open this up.

Their efforts may have been weak. The building may have looked poor and different in the eyes of men. But in God's eyes it was wonderful. He saw the feelings of their hearts. He noted the obedience towards His Word in their hearts, and that was well-pleasing to Him. That is why He encourages them. He shows them that in His eyes it is the same Temple as the one Solomon built. He shows them too that the final glory of this House would be greater than the first. Solomon's temple, Zerubbabel's temple, Herod's temple and the temple in the Millennium (Ezek. 40-43) are, in His eye, one and the same. There is only one House of God.

It appears from Haggai (Hag. 2:15) that they had made no progress at all. The terror with which the adversaries had inspired the Jews had stopped them. They had no excuse for this, since even the king's commandment was on their side. What they lacked was faith in God. We have seen that, when there was faith, they dared to build, although there was a decree against it. The effect of this faith was a decree in their favour, and that even through the action of their opponents. It is good to trust in God.