Ezra 6:21
And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat, And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,
In Ezra 6 Darius issues the second decree for building the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, showing that Persian rulers supported the rebuilding. The verse describes the children of Israel which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel. Those returned exiles and separated seekers together ate the Passover. They then kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, thanking God for strengthening their hands in the work of rebuilding His house.
The account shows that the Lord still moves upon the hearts of kings and rulers in behalf of His people. God has placed His goods in the hands of unbelievers to be used in favor of the work that must be done for a fallen world. Gifts and opened avenues through which the truth may go are not to be refused even when those who give them have no sympathy with the work and no faith in Christ. As long as the Spirit of God is striving with the world and the door of mercy is not yet closed, believers are to receive as well as to impart favors and to accept the help God moves men to give for the advancement of His cause, and they are not to build a wall of separation by their own ideas, cut off favors, withdraw from help, bind up the means God would have set free, come into conflict with authorities and powers, or bring on the time of trouble before the time.