I feel like the book of Ezra could end right now at chapter 6. Except for the minor detail that Ezra himself hasn't stepped into the picture yet. : \ This amuses me.
This chapter really does have a stereotypical "happy ending" for the children of Israel.
The kings beyond the river tattled to King Darius about the Israelite's rebuilding the temple to God in chapter 5. Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai asked Darius to check the records to see if Cyrus had indeed given the Israelite's permission.
I imagine that Darius must have been a little annoyed by these two guys bothering him about details like this because after he found in the records that Cyrus had indeed given the Israelite's permission, he decreed that their tax money be what paid for the rebuilding of the temple! He also decreed that if the Israelite's needed anything, the two guys from beyond the river were to provide it! And on top of that, if anyone did not go along with this a "timber" from his house was to be removed for the purpose of hanging him. Intense!
Oh, wait, and I love the ending of the decree: "And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I Darius issue a decree; let it be done diligently," 6:12.
The Bible doesn't record how Tattenai and Shethar-Boznai reacted except that they "diligently did according to what King Darius had sent" 6:13b.
So the temple was finished and the money was supplied by the enemies and the people rejoiced and celebrated during the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread "for the LORD made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel" 6:22b.
What a great ending . . . in the middle of the book! haha . . . I think Ezra enters the picture tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to finally reading about him!
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