Ezra 4:12 (KJV)
Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations.

My attention was drawn to the word bad in this text. I means wicked. Those who were opposed to the rebuilding of the city accused it of being rebellious and bad.

Rebellious is a definite act. A search was made and it could be proven that those of Jerusalem tended historically to resist authorities other than their own.

Bad is nondescript. It is a negative without any definitive reason. It’s a word that is used when we can’t think of anything more specific to say. It is a word that evokes suspicion on my part. If something is said to be bad with no definite bad act to back up the accusation I tend to expect that the accusation is unfounded and prejudiced.

These enemies were able, for a time, to stop what God had begun through Cyrus. That there are enemies and that they may sometimes be successful in no way changes whether God is at work or not. He allows trials to test and strengthen us.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

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Ezra 4:12 (KJV) The Bad City

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