The Return: Decreed and Started (Ezra 1)

Introduction

Biblical History

The Neo-Babylonian Empire

Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 B.C.).

Amel-Marduk, Nergal-shar-usur, and Labashi-Marduk (562-556 B.C.).

Nabonidus (556-539 B.C.).

Belshazzar (Co-regent)

The Persian Empire

Cyrus the Great, 553-530 B.C.

Cambyses, 530-522 B.C.

Darius I, 522-486 B.C.

Xerxes, 486-465 B.C.

Artaxerxes I, 465-423 B.C.

Darius II, 423-405/4 B.C.

Restoration of Israel (Ezra/Nehemiah)

God is about to act and restore Israel to the Land and as a nation.

God will be using Cyrus, Zerubabbel, Joshua, Ezra, Nehemiah, and others to accomplish His will.

The Decree of Cyrus(1-4)

The Prophecy (1a)

Ezra 1:1a (ESV)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

1st Year of Cyrus

“Cyrus becomes king of Persia (559 BC), Cyrus conquers Babylon (539 BC), Cyrus allows Jews to return to Jerusalem (538 BC)” (Barry, John D. et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016. Print.)

Jeremiah’s Prophecy

Jeremiah 29:10–14 (ESV)

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 25:11–12 (ESV)

11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste.

“It seems more likely, then, that the meaning in Ezra and Chronicles is that the word of Jeremiah concerning the seventy years of Babylonian domination has come to an end now that Cyrus the Persian has assumed control. Since this has come to pass just as Jeremiah predicted, the expectation is that it will mark a turning point in God’s dealings with his exiled people, initiating all the blessings of restoration also mentioned by the preexilic and exilic prophets.” (Nykolaishen, Douglas J. E. “Ezra and Nehemiah.” Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018. 11. Print. Teach the Text Commentary Series.)

Now that Babylon was taken over by Cyrus, this marked the end of the Babylonian Empire and the Persian Empire.

The Fulfillment (1b-4)

Lord stirs the heart of Cyrus (1b)

Ezra 1:1b (ESV)

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

Stirred up - to agitate (rouse) v., to cause to be agitated, excited, or roused. (The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible 2017: n. pag. Print.)

God starts moving in the spirit of Cyrus and Exiled Jews (5) to set in motion the return to Israel.

Cyrus’s Decree (2-4)

His Charge (2)

Ezra 1:2 (ESV)

2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Jews Charge (3)

Ezra 1:3 (ESV)

3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

Neighbors charge (4)

Ezra 1:4 (ESV)

4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

God will accomplish His will at times using People or events unexpected.

God is using the decree of Cyrus and the prophecy He gave through Jeremiah to indicate His start of restoring them to the Land and as a nation. I wonder how many were surprised when the decree of Cyrus was passed out.

God will use, at times, surprising means to accomplish His will in our lives.

How many times has God accomplish His will, blessed us, or corrected us through events or people we would never have guessed.

God, why would you use them to tell me that. God, I never saw them that that before.

The Donations to the Israelites (6-11)

Not only did God stir the heart of Cyrus to make the decree, but also stirred the hearts of people to provide for what was needed to travel and rebuild.

This chapter reminds me of the exodus. God had the Egyptians provide the Israelites with gold, silver, clothing, etc, when the left.

God is going to provide what is needed for the Israelites to return and restore Israel.

Gifts from neighbors (1:6)

Ezra 1:6 (NET 2nd ed.)

6 All their neighbors assisted them with silver utensils, gold, equipment, animals, and expensive gifts, not to mention all the voluntary offerings.

The citizens living around the Israelite exiles, gave to the Israelites supplies to help in their relocation and rebuilding. They fulfilled their part of Cyrus’ decree.

Gifts from King Cyrus (1:7–11)

Cyrus’s Command (7-8)

Ezra 1:7–8 (ESV)

7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

He returned what was taken from the Temple during the conquest and exile.

Articles returned (9-11)

Ezra 1:9–11 (ESV)

9 And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 10 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; 11 all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

Gifts from family leaders(2:68–69)

Ezra 2:68–69 (ESV)

68 Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests’ garments.

God will always provide what is needed to accomplish His will.

This could be money, ability, knowledge, access, etc.

He has always provided what is needed with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 (NET 2nd ed.)

11 And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and every work of faith, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Dedication of God’s People. (5)

Those dedicated (5a)

Ezra 1:5 (NET 2nd ed.)

5 Then the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites—all those whose mind God had stirred—got ready to go up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Leaders of Judah and Benjamin/the priests and the Levites. (Leaders of the people would help govern the people for the move and settlement and the priest and Levites were necessary for the temple functions.)

Ezra 2:1–2 (ESV)

1 Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. 2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

Their was a large number of people involved in this event. Look over the List of people in Chapter 2.

Events of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

Return 539 B.C. - 433 B.C.

What they were dedicated to do (5b)

Ezra 1:5b (ESV)

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.

When the Lord was stirring the hearts of Cyrus, He was also stirring the hearts of the Leaders of the tribes and religious leaders. When they were touched by the Spirit and seeing what God was doing through Cyrus, they were ready to act.

As I understand the Christian life, the majority of the focus in the Bible is on our daily lives and how we live it.

Very little is about major ministry events (Moses and the Exodus, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lions den, etc).

It really doesn’t focus on a great call/ministry (Apostle, Prophets, Pastors).

God is pleased with His peoples loyalty and daily desire to honor Him and obey. We do this through reading/studying His Word, Prayer (communication with Him), Seeking Help from and to Help our fellow believers, and Daily choices (seek what is good, avoid evil).

As we are daily seeking to Honor Him, we need to be ready to act if and when the Lord stirs our hearts and spirit.

We might be thinking of God calling us to be a missionary and how we need to sell our house.

God might stir our hearts to notice our coworker across the isle needs a word of encouragement, are we ready to act.

It might be our friend lost a loved one, are we ready to act.

It might be a discussion with our family that leads to a discussion about God, are we ready to act.

Being ready to act is not about the big ministry decisions, but the daily interactions we have with those around us.

Lessons from Ezra

“God always keeps his promises, sometimes using surprising means in the process.” (Nykolaishen, Douglas J. E. “Ezra and Nehemiah.” Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2018. 9. Print. Teach the Text Commentary Series.)

God graciously restores the fortunes of his people and will provide what is needed to accomplish His will.

When God is stirring, are we ready to Act.

Benediction

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.