The people return to the building of the temple and continue with determination in the face of renewed opposition. However, because of their obedience, God turned the opposition into assistance.
The Jews have left the only stability they have known and have made the long and hard trip to Israel. But their work has only begun. Now they must rebuild. They begin in the right place restoring the ancient altar and begin work on the foundation of the temple. But opposition comes quickly. First, in the form of compromisers who want to join them for the purpose of defeating their purpose and zeal. Second, in the form of hired counselors who work to “frustrate their purpose.” For now, the adversaries win and the Jews cease work on the temple. The opposition has been too much for them. The temple lies abandoned.
The Jews had been taken captive because of their disobedience. Here, they return to the Promised Land and begin to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. They begin with the Temple—the place of worship. Later, Ezra restores spiritual purity to their obedience. Finally, Nehemiah rebuilds the walls for protection.
God gave His word to man in perfect form. If this was important to Him, He must also be concerned about passing that word to later generations in identically perfect form.
The book of Daniel contains a wonderful set of prophecies that have thrilled and challenged Bible students for hundreds of years. But the book also tells some great stories. In this series of outlines, we will look at the first six chapters of the book where we will find a couple of the easier prophecies and several interesting stories.
