The Book of the Decree by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 7, 1907

The Book of the Decree

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

S. N. HASKELL

The prophet Daniel, in speaking of the opening of the long period of the twenty-three hundred days, says: “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.” Dan. 9: 25.

The angel spoke these words to Daniel two years before the first part of the wonderful decree to restore and build Jerusalem had been given. God admonishes all to both know and understand in regard to it. We know about many things that we do not understand; but God designs that we should both know and understand in regard to this wonderful decree.

Ezra seemed especially impressed with this thought, and he was inspired by the Lord to write out the history of the decree. The book of Ezra is devoted wholly to the history of that decree, as the following outline of the ten chapters of the book will show:—

Chapter one contains the decree of Cyrus. Chapter two gives a list of those who responded to the decree of Cyrus and went up to Jerusalem. Chapter three tells of the work of establishing the religious services and laying the foundations of the temple. Chapter four tells of the trouble with the Samaritans, and records the fact that the work of rebuilding was stopped by Artaxerxes, or Smerdis the Impostor. Chapter five tells of the resumption of the work on the temple, and also of Tatnai’s letter and reply. In chapter six is recorded the second portion of the great decree of Darius the Persian.

Between the sixth and seventh chapters there is a period of more than half a century; during this time the Jews were seeking their own pleasure, and intermarrying with the heathen. Ezra’s burden seems to be to follow the history of the decree; and as there was nothing being done to forward the decree during this period, it is not mentioned in Ezra’s record. The book of Esther is the only inspired history we have that gives us any account of what befell the Jews during this period.

The seventh year of Artaxerxes marks a revival in the work of forwarding the decree. Chapter seven of the book of Ezra contains a record of the going forth of the third and last portion of the great decree. Chapter eight gives an account of the journey of Ezra and his company as they went from Babylon to Jerusalem with the decree of Artaxerxes. Chapters nine and ten give an interesting account of Ezra’s efforts to separate the people from the heathen, and get them in such

a spiritual condition that they could realize the importance of rebuilding Jerusalem.

The book of Ezra covers the seventy-nine years of the decree, from the first year of Cyrus, 536 B. C., to the seventh year of Artaxerxes, 457 B. C. The book ends with the last portion of the decree, although Ezra’s work continued for many years. For thirteen years he labored faithfully alone in Jerusalem, then Nehemiah went up to hasten the work, and Ezra united with him in spiritual work for the people. Nehemiah, not Ezra, gives the record of this work. Ezra has not written a history of his own work; he wrote of the great decree, and mentioned himself only as he is connected with carrying out the decree. Ezra personally had no part in the work until the last of the seventy-nine years. He had the honor of carrying up to Jerusalem the last portion of the decree.

The book of Ezra has truthfully been styled “The history of the decree.” It contains most valuable information. Those who study it carefully will find it full of present truth. The three portions of the great decree were really three loud calls to come out of Babylon. When Cyrus issued his decree, every provision was made to take all of Israel from Babylon; and had the millions of Jews in the kingdom of Babylon responded and arose in a body and left Babylon, the whole world would have heard of the true God; for the decree commanded the neighbors of the Jews everywhere to give them financial help. It would have been a far greater object-lesson to the whole world than when Israel came out of Egypt. Twice through the prophet Jeremiah the Lord had sent the comforting promise to Israel before they went into Babylonian captivity: “The days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I have driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.” Jer. 23: 7, 8; 16: 14, 15.

The Lord longed to do a great work for Israel that would magnify his name in all the earth. God was ready; the heathen were ready; but the people of Israel were sleeping in Babylon.

Israel did not leave Egypt empty handed. Neither did those who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem in response to Cyrus’s decree go without treasure. Ezra 1: 4. Out of the millions of Jews in Babylon hardly fifty thousand responded to the call. While Israel was unmindful of God’s wonderful providence that opened the way before them, the heathen fulfilled their part, and wherever a Jew arose to return to Jerusalem, his neighbors gave him treasures of silver, gold, etc. Ezra 1: 6. A wonderful opportunity was lost because God’s people lingered in Babylon at this time.

The decree of Darius the Persian was a second call to come out of Babylon, and notwithstanding the fact that Zechariah sent special messages to Babylon, urging them to flee from Babylon (Zech. 2: 6, 7), there is no mention of any leaving Babylon in response to this call. But the Jews at Jerusalem were aroused to new activity, and finished building the temple.

The decree of Artaxerxes was a third call to come out of Babylon. After the Jews had passed through the experiences recorded in the book of Esther, one would suppose they would be glad to escape from Babylon; but when the third and last call came, only about fifteen hundred men with their families responded to the call.

God wanted to make Jerusalem a wonder in the earth: “For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” Zech. 2: 5. When Israel had been in Babylonian captivity only twenty-five years, Ezekiel, in vision, was shown the city as it would doubtless have been built if all Israel had responded to the three calls and gone out of Babylon. (See the last nine chapters of Ezekiel.) Jer. 17: 24, 25. But Babylon was dearer to Israel than the Jerusalem that they professed to love. Jerusalem was destroyed. The city shown to Ezekiel was never built, not because God’s mind changed, but because Israel failed to do their part; in order to have a holy city God had to prepare it in heaven. That city is prepared, and will descend upon the earth. The last call to come out of Babylon is now sounding through the earth. The ancient calls were an object-lesson of the present time.

“Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.” Utter destruction awaits those who linger in Babylon to-day. Rev. 18: 4-8.

“Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.” Ps. 107: 43.

Oakland, Cal.