Ezra 4:12-16: a reflection

12Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and bad city, and have finished the walls and repaired the foundations. 13Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings. 14Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king, 15that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed. 16We inform the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.

As God's people rebuild, opponents write to the king, misrepresenting the work as rebellion in order to stop it, a reminder that good work for God can draw distortion and false accusation. Be it known to the king that the Jews are building the rebellious and bad city, the opponents write, warning that if it is finished they will not pay tribute, and it will be hurtful to kings. The people were doing a good work, rebuilding what had been ruined, at God's direction. But their opponents did not oppose them openly and honestly; they wrote to the king, misrepresenting the work, casting the rebuilding as rebellion, portraying the builders as troublemakers and a threat, distorting their good work into something sinister, in order to have it stopped. Good work drew distortion and false accusation. This shows that good work for God can draw distortion and false accusation. Good work for God can draw distortion and false accusation from opponents. Do not be surprised when doing good is misrepresented by others. Opposition to God's work often uses distortion, not honesty. Do not be discouraged when your good work is cast in a false light.

Notice the method of the opposition. The people were engaged in a good work: rebuilding their city and its walls, restoring what had been ruined, in accordance with God's purpose. Their opponents wished to stop this. But they did not oppose the work openly and honestly, on its own terms; they resorted to misrepresentation. They wrote to the king, casting the rebuilding as the raising of a rebellious and dangerous city, portraying the builders as troublemakers who would refuse tribute and threaten the king's interests, distorting a good and lawful work into something sinister and threatening. By this distortion and false accusation, they sought to get the work stopped. This holds a lesson worth expecting. When we do good, especially good work for God, we may find that our opponents do not always oppose us openly and honestly, but resort to distortion and false accusation: misrepresenting our motives, casting our good work in a false and sinister light, portraying us as something we are not, in order to discredit or stop us. This can be discouraging and unjust; it is hard to have our good distorted and ourselves falsely accused. But it should not surprise us; opposition to good, and to God's work, has often used such distortion. To expect this, and not to be discouraged or turned aside from good when it draws misrepresentation, is wise. We do well not to be surprised or discouraged when our good work draws distortion and false accusation from opponents, but to continue in the good, trusting God. Do not be surprised when your good work draws distortion and false accusation. Opposition to good often uses misrepresentation, not honest disagreement. Do not be discouraged or turned aside when your good is cast in a false light. Continue in the good, trusting God, though others misrepresent it.

That is worth taking to heart, for good work for God can draw distortion and false accusation, and we do well not to be surprised or discouraged, as the builders' good work was cast as rebellion. We can be surprised and discouraged when our good is misrepresented; but the builders' opponents distorted their good work into rebellion to stop it. Expect it. When your good work draws distortion or false accusation, do not be surprised or discouraged; continue in the good, trusting God, though others cast it in a false light. Do not be surprised or discouraged when your good work for God draws distortion and false accusation from opponents, but continue in the good, trusting God, as when God's people rebuilt, their opponents wrote to the king misrepresenting the work as rebellion in order to stop it, a reminder that good work for God can draw distortion and false accusation, since the opponents wrote that the Jews were building a rebellious and bad city and warned that if it was finished they would refuse tribute and it would be hurtful to kings; for the people were doing a good work, rebuilding what had been ruined at God's direction, but their opponents did not oppose them openly and honestly but wrote to the king misrepresenting the work and casting the rebuilding as rebellion and portraying the builders as troublemakers and a threat and distorting their good work into something sinister in order to have it stopped, so that good work drew distortion and false accusation, which holds a lesson worth expecting, that when we do good, especially good work for God, we may find that our opponents do not always oppose us openly and honestly but resort to distortion and false accusation, misrepresenting our motives and casting our good work in a false and sinister light in order to discredit or stop us, which can be discouraging and unjust since it is hard to have our good distorted and ourselves falsely accused, but it should not surprise us since opposition to good and to God's work has often used such distortion, so that to expect this and not be discouraged or turned aside from good when it draws misrepresentation is wise, and we do well not to be surprised or discouraged but to continue in the good, trusting God.

Lord, as your people rebuild, opponents write to the king, misrepresenting the work as rebellion in order to stop it, a reminder that good work for you can draw distortion and false accusation. Be it known to the king that the Jews are building the rebellious and bad city, the opponents write, warning that if it is finished they will not pay tribute, and it will be hurtful to kings. The people were doing a good work, rebuilding what had been ruined, at your direction. But their opponents did not oppose them openly and honestly; they wrote to the king, misrepresenting the work, casting the rebuilding as rebellion, portraying the builders as troublemakers and a threat, distorting their good work into something sinister, in order to have it stopped. Good work drew distortion and false accusation. Show me the method of the opposition. The people were engaged in a good work, restoring what had been ruined, in accordance with your purpose. Their opponents wished to stop this. But they did not oppose the work openly and honestly, on its own terms; they resorted to misrepresentation, casting the rebuilding as the raising of a rebellious city and portraying the builders as troublemakers, distorting a good and lawful work into something sinister. By this distortion, they sought to get the work stopped. This holds a lesson worth expecting. When I do good, especially good work for you, I may find that my opponents do not always oppose me openly and honestly, but resort to distortion and false accusation: misrepresenting my motives, casting my good work in a false and sinister light, portraying me as something I am not. This can be discouraging and unjust. But it should not surprise me; opposition to good, and to your work, has often used such distortion. To expect this, and not to be discouraged or turned aside from good when it draws misrepresentation, is wise. Take that to my heart. When my good work draws distortion or false accusation, keep me from being surprised or discouraged; help me continue in the good, Lord, trusting you, though others cast it in a false light, knowing that opposition to good often uses misrepresentation rather than honest disagreement.