Ezra Chapter 1
Please read: Ezra 1 –
The people of Judah had been taken captive by the Babylonians. The king and the people had rejected the warnings of the prophets of God. They rejected the prophet Jeremiah, but soon his words will be imperative to them as they see the hand of God working in their lives to redeem them.
Jeremiah 29:10 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.
The Persians had taken control of the Babylonian territories, and their new king did something remarkable in his very first year on the throne. The Bible says that God stirred the heart of King Cyrus to let the people of Judah go free and to go back to the promised land. He made his decision official by writing a proclamation of freedom so that all would know that the Hebrews could return to Jerusalem and Judah. He also encouraged them to rebuild their center of worship, the temple.
The prophecy of Jeremiah was being fulfilled. Another prophet that was there in captivity at the time was Ezra and he was going to be free to go home. It is believed that the book of Ezra was written by Ezra the prophet.
Let's Reflect
1. According to verse 2 what did King Cyrus say was his purpose given to him by God?
2. This foreign king not only made a proclamation of freedom for the people, but he encouraged the people to rebuild. He remarked that they should rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Why did he say they should rebuild the temple?
3. He encouraged the people to give freewill gifts to help with the cost of the rebuilding. He himself gave them a special gift for the temple. What did he give? See verse 7.
4. Notice in verse 5 that it does not say that all the people of Judah decided to go back to their homeland. Perhaps they had become too comfortable living where they were. Who did rise up to go back?
5. All of the gifts that King Cyrus gave to Judah were counted out and given to a man who was named a prince of Judah or a governor. What was his name?
6. It is amazing that so many vessels of the temple had been kept and returned to the people of Judah. This was a start. It would have been an encouragement to them that the temple Solomon had built could once again be re-built just as their lives in Judah could be re-built. What was the total number of gold and silver vessels of the former temple that would be returned to Jerusalem?
7. As you read this, did the question enter your mind as it did mine, did King Cyrus believe in God as the one true God? It certainly sounds like he did, but we know that God can use anyone to fulfill his purposes. The real force behind this proclamation of freedom was not King Cyrus but whom?
