In Ezra 4-6, the syncretistic Samaritans harrassed the returned exiles who are trying to rebuild the temple and city of Jerusalem. They wait until Cyrus is gone (who told them they could build), and write the next king that Jerusalem will be rebellious. He orders it stopped, and they do.
At the beginning of chapter 5, the Jews begin to rebuild.
They did not consult with the authorities before they went ahead and began building. God had told them to, through Haggai and Zechariah. They KNEW Ahasuerus' decree that they stop and not build. But they listened to God instead of the king.
But this is not as clear cut as it seems.
Many today, eager for civil disobedience, infer that the Jews were right to completely disregard any Persian king's order, and do what they know is right, come what may. But it seems from Ezra 5:1-5 and Haggai 1 that God waits to speak until Darius has come to the throne.
So I would make two more modest claims.
1. It can be fine to challenge a bad law legally by intentionally disobeying it.
God, through Haggai and Zechariah, endorses it! Daniel does it by praying to God publicly after the king's command not to.
2. Who is in power makes a difference, in civil disobedience decisions.
Ahasuerus believed slander, and sometimes you reach a legal, dead-end loss, and need to take your lumps. Darius was more judicious, and Judah probably discerned this from the Empire News headlines. "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan" (Proverbs 29:2).
In just war theory, one factor in deciding whether to go to war is the chances you have of winning. So here, we ought to be more willing to make a legal or public square challenge, the more likely we are to win.
You could even say that God said to Israel through Haggai, "It's time, take this on, all the way to the emperor if you have to. This one's going to listen." They have a new opening to get the government's approval.
The typical rejoinder to this is that Haggai said Israel was disobeying Him to not rebuild. It's not about the timing or who's in charge, but about obeying God rather than men, right?
But a close reading of the beginning of Haggai does not confirm this view. God does NOT say, "You've been sinning all along, to not rebuild the temple against the king's command. You never should have stopped." No, He says, over a year into Darius' ascension, "Judah says it's not time to rebuild yet, but it IS time. You've sat in your fancy houses long enough." This confirms my point, especially Haggai mentioning the timing of Darius' reign. And it refutes those who say, "When it comes to matters surrounding worship (circa sacris, like temple rebuilding, or zoning restrictions on churches), we always do what God says and never pay heed to Caesar."
There are certainly times to disregard or resist government intervention into our worship.
But to begin with the assumption, "You never have any right to give input on anything about the gathering of the church" is an overstep on the church's part.
A Coda
Personally, I think God used the sin of Judah's enemies and Ahasuerus, to provide for impoverished Israel to get their own families cared for first, before building HIS house. God establishes/redeems/saves His people, gets them set up securely, then has them build Him a house.
1. Exodus
- then families get plunder and set up their tents,
- then Sinai and tabernacle.
2. Conquest of Canaan
- then inheritance to the tribes
- then temple with Solomon.
3. Return to the land
- then families build houses,
- then rebuilt temple and city.
4. Cross, Resurrection and Ascension
- then apostles ordered and believers counted (Acts 1),
- then Pentecost (Spirit takes residence in His Church).
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