Second return to Jerusalem

Looking back what has happened so far.

-We see God’s sovereignty over Cyrus. Can God use wicked people?

-We see God’s blessing and prosperity through Cyrus

-We see the inhabitants of the land frustrate the rebuilding of the temple

-Ultimately they stopped the work on the temple for how many years? 16

-Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews and building began anew

-Tattenai the governor send a letter to inquire of King Darius to look in to it.

-Darius finds Cyrus’s decree and makes one of his own

-Let the house be built! Also he added that if anyone alters his edict, a beam shall be pulled from house and he will be impaled on it and your house will be made a dung hill.

-Finally the temple is finished a dedicated.

Ezra enters the scene.

What is the purpose of the genealogy? Ezra 7:1-5

It shows that Ezra is a direct descendant of Aaron and that as such he is very much of priestly descent.

We learn that Ezra is a scribe skilled in the Mosaic law.

That is blessed by the king and was granted all that he asked.

The hand of God was on him

Ezra leads the second return to Jerusalem

Ezra 7:8–10 ESV

8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

Ezra 7:8-10

Who returns?

Some priest and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

How long did it take them?

4 months of travel we can’t even comprehend that today.

“for the good hand of God was on him.”

This to me is an evidence that Ezra himself wrote this because he is fondly writing as if he was the recipient of the blessing himself

Ezra had his heart set on the study of God and the Law

“and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Isreal”

King Artaxerxes letter sent with Ezra

Ezra 7:11–20 ESV

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now 13 I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king’s treasury.

Ezra 7:11-20

First it is addressed to Ezra

Any Jews that wants to travel back with Ezra may

He carries silver and gold given to them as well as another free will offering

Money to be used to by priest and Levites to buy offerings to God

All vessels given shall be presented to God for use in the temple

Anything else which fell under Ezra’s responsibility would be paid for out of the kings treasury

The kings decree to the provinces in and near Jerusalem are ordered to help Ezra up to a certain amount if need arises.

The more important aspect in this is that they were not to be “taxed”

Ezra 7:25-26

Ezra is to setup a new governing body over all people in Jerusalem

To appoint magistrates and judges who will have life and death responsibilities and choices.

Ezra is to teach these new leaders in the Law of the Lord.

Ezra’s response

Ezra’s prayer and glorification of God.

Remember to look back and thank God for his hand on your life.