In these days, possession was nine tenths of the law! A decree from the king (hundreds of miles away) didn’t mean too much to the men out on the frontier. The Jews were a minority. Even though they were scared, it is admirable that the Jews immediately acted on their fear, building the altar. It would have been easy to set up a low profile. For more information, read the book of Nehemiah, where we see an intense battle over reclaiming this territory.
James earned a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, graduating magna cum laude. He is the founder of Evidence Unseen and the author of several books. James enjoys serving as a pastor at Dwell Community Church in Columbus, Ohio, where he lives with his wife and their two sons.