How to Answer a Letter

Some correspondence is pleasant - a birthday card, a letter from an old friend, a notice about a financial gift, the resolution to a business complication. Other correspondence is not so nice - a bill, a notice of legal action, a complaint, junk mail, or a request for a contribution. Both positive and negative letters have been around for a very long time.

Ezra was not the recipient of a particular letter (Ezra 5:6-17), but he was the subject of that letter. The letter was written by Tattenai, a governor and adversary of the Jews who were attempting to rebuild the temple. Tattenai wrote his letter to Darius the king for the purpose of stopping the temple construction.

Tattenai had composed his letter well. He made it sound like an objective report designed to protect the king's interests. The letter reported that Tattenai and his colleagues had gone to observe the temple construction, which was proceeding successfully. It conveyed the idea that these men were doing a service for the king. Not only did these men visit for observational purposes, but they also made deliberate inquiries (which called into question the legitimacy of the work). The men inquired about authorization for the project and took down the names of the "conspirators."

The letter recorded the response of Ezra and his fellow workers to this investigation, an answer which the letter tries to call into question. Basically, the letter reported, "They told us Cyrus sent and authorized them." The skepticism bleeds through the page. Tattenai made a bold and confident request, of which he was "sure" of the answer. He asked the king to make a search in the records to see if any such authorization had ever been issued. He was certain this authorization was made up. Even if it had happened, it was probably a casual verbal assent with nothing to back it up. Or if it had perhaps been written down, surely no one would be able now to locate that authorization. Whether it had really happened or not was immaterial if the work could be stopped due to lack of clear documentation.

Much of the content of the letter records the interrogation that took place, and it shows that God's people responded well. First, they acknowledged their relationship with God before anything else. Instead of providing or promoting their own individual names, they identified themselves as "the servants of the God of heaven and earth" (5:11). This project was not about them. It was about God.

Second, they forthrightly acknowledged their weaknesses. Instead of trying to protect their reputations or exalt their positions, they described themselves humbly. They told the reason for the destruction and shame that had led to the need to rebuild: "because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath" (5:12). These men held no pretext that they were anything great.

Third, they provided a simple yet complete answer to the question about authorization. "In the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God" (5:13). They shared the detail (5:14-15) that Cyrus also provided the temple utensils and that he sent the people with the provisions for the purpose of rebuilding. They confirmed that they were following orders that had not yet been completed (5:16).

Having appropriately identified themselves, having humbly declared their position, and having forthrightly detailed their authorization, these men left the rest up to God. God worked it out so that Tattenai and his friends got exactly what they requested. An official search was made of the records, and a scroll was discovered that confirmed exactly what Ezra and the elders had said (6:1-5).

Tattenai's attempt to stop the construction backfired, as he was ordered to "leave this work on the house of God alone" (6:7). Furthermore, he was to provide tax contributions to support the full cost of the building (6:8) and of the sacrifices to follow completion (6:9).

Threat and danger came in the form of a letter. The letter could have been a catastrophe for God's people. The people responded well. They didn't worry or fret. They didn't panic or become upset. They didn't lash out. They responded with humility, calmness, simplicity, and trust. God honored their response by confirming and blessing their work even more.