The Persian Proclamation

Context: we tend to read Ezra-Nehemiah often as separate books, and chronologically, due to 2 Chr. ending with the same proclamation that Ezra begins with.

Ezra-Nehemiah were historically taken as a whole, and when you study the books together, as we will, you see similar structures and movements in the Scripture centered around three main characters: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and finally Nehemiah. As a conclusion, Nehemiah 8-13 serve as a sort of commentary on what we’ve just read. Keep that in mind over the next several weeks.

As Westerners, we’ve talked about this before, we think logically, chronologically, and linearly. So, if you’ve ever studying these two books, you’ve probably heard it in a building campaign or a call too renewal, something along those lines. Don’t get me wrong, those ideas are certainly there, but I would suggest that they’re not the point. When you note the Jewish ordering of the OT, you see that the whole OT wraps up with the writings, and you get through the poetry and the wisdom and the laments and the ladies and you arrive finally to this last section of history, beginning with Daniel and ending with 2 Chr. It’s sort of this reverse engineering that begins with Israel in the exile, talks about how they came out of exile, only to end the OT on Israel, the temple, the Passover, and line of Judah…in exile. We studied this during our temple excursus in 1 Peter 2. Isn’t that…peculiar? The final history of the OT begins and ends not with a return to the Promised Land, but with exile and how the people got there. Remember, we’re reading this theologically, not chronologically. Hang on to these ideas, because I think they help us grasp the overarching narrative point to these fascinating books.

We’re going to work our way, pick our way through the text this morning, and then when we get to the end, I’ll give you a couple of points of encouragement I think we can take away from the text.

Ezra 1:1 “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:”

Cyrus’ first year over Babylon would’ve been 538…he captured the city in 539 BC. This is approx 70 years after Israel was first carried away (605 BC).

Jeremiah’s prophecy being fulfilled:

Jer.25:11-14 “This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 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. I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.””

But, don’t let this idea of Jeremiah’s prophecy quickly leave…let it linger in the back of your mind.

Finally, “the LORD stirred the spirit of Cyrus.” It was not uncommon for Persian kings to return people to their place and gods of origin, but the text is particular to point out that this all happens by God’s sovereign hand.

Ezra 1:2-3

So Cyrus commissions God’s people to return. One thing that I want to point out here is the similarities between Cyrus’ commission to build the temple and Jesus’ commission to His disciples:

Cyrus has authority over all the kingdoms of earth, but Jesus was given authority over all of heaven AND earth.

Cyrus issues a command to “whoever is among you of all His people” at a specific time in history, but Jesus issues a command to all Gods people that continues to abide.

Cyrus comforts the people saying, “may his God be with him,” but Jesus promises to be with His people even to the end of the age.

Cyrus commissions that whoever will, “may go up.” Jesus commands His disciples, “As you are going, make disciples.”

Again, this similarity right here at the beginning of the book with what we see finished in Christ will help us understand the book as a whole.

Ezra 1:4 “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.””

There are sacrifices that must be made to see that this happens, that it takes place, and each one must count the cost.

On one hand, there was likely a much more comfortable life that had been built while in exile, and returning to Jerusalem meant letting go of that comfort. Even with the aid of others, you left behind house and home. But on the other hand, to remain in Babylon meant to persist in a life outside of God’s instruction, of God’s promised land.

For us as believers, I believe there’s a question of application for us here: would we be among those returning? In other words and modernized for our context, “Do we love the world and its comfort, or do we embrace surrender because we’re committed to God?”

Ezra 1:5 “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.”

First, we see yet again God stirring people’s hearts. It’s such a fabulous reminder that all of human history, pagan kings and Christ-followers alike, are lead and orchestrated by our great God and King!

Those returning made up the tribes that would’ve lived in Judah in the pre-exile period, and their inclusion here could be meant as a symbolic marker for the true faith community. In this group you have both the line of David and those responsible for carrying out priestly duties in the Temple. But, there are problems with both of these, and as the OT closes, the temple, passover, and the line of David are in exile in 2 Chr. Again, hang on to that idea…let it linger.

Ezra 1:6 “And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.”

The scene here I think is meant to mimic the Exodus, specifically how God provided for Israel as they left Egypt (Ex.12:35-36 “The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”)

Further, “all who were about them contributed,” so it was likely not just the Jews.

And again, what might’ve been thought of as impossible only a generation or two before is now proved not only possible, but true. Such is the nature of our God: what seems impossible with man is not so with God, for all things are possible with God. How much more so in matters of our salvation?!

Ezra 1:7 “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.”

Cyrus even sent back the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple.

This seems a subtle reminder that no nation or king or kingdom holds sway over YHWH, for even the vessels that belong in His temple are returned, similar yet much more subtly to the story of the Philistines taking the ark of the covenant and placing it in the temple of Dagon, only to find the statue of Dagon bowed prostrate before the ark the next day!

Ezra 1:8-11.

The scene wraps up with a detailed account of what was brought up out of exile, and the fact that the exiles returned from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

With the return of the kingly line, the priests, vessels for temple worship, and even the faithfulness of God to preserve for Himself a remnant and a detailed account of Temple items returning to Judah, it seems that there is a restoration, perhaps a revival underway.

And very it well there could have been those blocks there, but again, let me remind you, there’s more to the story!

With all of this in mind, there are a few things I would encourage you with this morning:

Trust God’s Word

Context is set by vs.1 — “that the Word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled...”

What do we see at the end? There is a faithful remnant that returns

We are super-computing information processors, constantly intaking information, turning information into knowledge, and forming value systems based on what we intake. Ezra 1 reminds us that God’s word isn’t just formulaic, isn’t just a set of rules, it doesn’t just tell us how to get saved…it deals in the areas of real life. What is going to be the lead-determiner of our value systems? What will be the primary influence in how we live and what we live for?

Trust God’s Sovereignty

First, God stirs the heart of Cyrus

Second, God stirs the hearts of His people, particularly the heads of Judah, Benjamin, and the priests and Levites.

Trust God’s Plan

From exile to return, from judgment to restoration

God orchestrates history to bring about His purposes, a fit reminder that the story is larger than any one of us

Further, while a remnant returned, many stayed…a reminder that we do well to count the cost of following Christ…sometimes the comfort of the current situation causes us to compromise