God Can Use Pagans to Provide for His People

Ezra 6:1–3 (ESV) Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. 2 And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. 

The crazy thing about Ezra and the rebuilding of the Temple at the behest of King Cyrus is that God has used the means of pagan kings to accomplish His purposes for His people in preparing a place to worship once again. After a 16 year pause, the work is resumed because the leaders remembered the decree of a pagan king and began to build based on that record. 

Moreover, not only did the Lord use the decree of a pagan king to permit the rebuild, the Lord used the pagan treasury of the Medes to pay for it!

Ezra 6:8 (ESV) Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River.

Not only that, but Darius made it a law that no one must stop the rebuild upon threat of death! 

Ezra 6:11 (ESV) Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill.

WOW.

What are we to make of this m? Is it not clear that God is establishing His royal sovereignty over all nations? That He really isn't concerned about what the pagans do because at any moment He can move upon them to accomplish His purposes.

Notice verse 14 of this chapter:

Ezra 6:14 (ESV) And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia

Was it by the decree of God? Or of Cyrus? Or of Darius? or of Artaxerxes? It was all of them - working together by God's divine design to secure a home for Himself among His people!

I wonder if we could capture this sentiment in modern Christianity. For we do so often love to curse the darkness and her agents in the secular realm. But really, that is not our cause! We are not here to judge the unbelieving world. So take heart, Christian, you don't have to concern yourself with what they do either. Paul said famously to the Corinthian church:

1 Corinthians 5:12 (ESV) For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

Now to be sure, we must diligently warn God's people to not act like pagans! We are not to be ignorant of our holy calling Christ so that we act oblivious to the dangers of their thoughts and ways. That is another extreme of Christian ignorance, blissfully waltzing among dead men's bones. Never do we ignore the errors of sin, but scrupulously do we warn God's people away, pointing them to the life God has called them to.

Yet, we live with a balanced view of the secular world around us, fully believing that God is in charge and we need not fear them. If God is pleased with us He can use them to bless us! I think of Proverbs 16...

Proverbs 16:7 (ESV) When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

The point is clear. Keep your eyes firmly fixed on the Lord, and do what He says. He will make a way in the midst of a wayward world for you. You are His true Temple in Christ Jesus. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

You are valuable and He has chosen to dwell in you and live through you. Fear not, for your light will shine in the darkness and men will praise your Father who is in heaven.