SS Lesson November 26th, 2006 Ezra 1(1-7)
Ezra
(from Smith’s Bible Dictionary)
(help ),
called
ESDRAS
in the Apocrypha, the famous scribe and priest. He was a learned and pious
priest residing at Babylon in the time of Artaxerxes
Longimanus. The origin of his influence with the
king does not appear, but in the seventh year of his reign he obtained leave
to go to Jerusalem, and to take with him a company of Israelites.
(B.C. 457.) The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem
took just four months; and the company brought with them a large freewill
offering of gold and silver, and silver vessels. It appears that Ezra’s great
design was to effect a religious reformation among the Palestine Jews. His
first step was to enforce separation upon all who had married foreign wives.
(
Ezra 10:1)
... This was affected in little more than six months after his arrival at
Jerusalem. With the detailed account of this important transaction Ezra’s
autobiography ends abruptly, and we hear nothing more of him till, thirteen
years afterwards, in the twentieth of Artaxerxes,
we find him again at Jerusalem with Nehemiah. It seems probable that after
effecting the above reformations he returned to the king of Persia. The
functions he executed under Nehemiah’s government were purely of a priestly
and ecclesiastical character. The date of his death is uncertain. There was a
Jewish tradition that he was buried in Persia.
CYRUS —Holman Bible Dictionary
(ci’ ruhss) The third king of Anshan, Cyrus (the Great) assumed the throne about 550 B.C. According to the best histories Cyrus was reared by a shepherd after his grandfather, Astyages, king of Media, ordered that he be killed. Apparently, Astyages had dreamed that Cyrus would one day succeed him as king before the reigning monarch’s death. The officer charged with the execution instead carried the boy into the hills to the shepherds.
As an adult, Cyrus organized the Persians into an army and revolted against his grandfather and father (Cambyses I). He defeated them and claimed their throne.
One of his first acts as king of Medio-Persia was to launch an attack against Lydia, capital of Sardis and storehouse for the riches of its king, Croesus. Turning eastward, Cyrus continued his campaign until he had carved out a vast empire, stretching from the Aegean Sea to India.
The Babylonian Empire next stood in his path, an obstacle which appeared to be insurmountable. Engaging the Babylonian army at Opis, Cyrus’ troops routed them and moved on Babylon. The people in the capital welcomed Cyrus with open arms, seeing him as a liberator rather than a conqueror. All that remained was Egypt, which he left for his son, Cambyses II. Cyrus truly was the ruler of the world.
Cyrus’ military exploits have become legendary. However, he is best remembered for his policies of peace. His famous decree in 539 B.C. (2 Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4) set free the captives Babylon had taken during its harsh rule. Among these prisoners were the Jews taken from Jerusalem in 586 B.C. They were allowed to return to rebuild the Temple and city. Along with this freedom Cyrus restored the valuable treasures of the Temple taken during the Exile. Since the Jews had done well in Babylon financially, many of them did not want to return to the wastes of Judah. From these people Cyrus exacted a tax to help pay for the trip for those who did wish to rebuild Jerusalem.
An astute politician, Cyrus made it a practice to publicly worship the gods of each kingdom he conquered. In so doing, he won the hearts of his subjects and kept down revolt. His last years are obscure. Cyrus was killed while fighting a frontier war with the nomadic Massagetae people. His tomb is in Pasargadae (modern Murghab).
Ezra 1:1 Now 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, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
God keeps His promise
God had spoken through the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah about the destruction of Jerusalem. He warned His people that if they did not repent, judgment would surely come upon them. This judgment would cause them to have to live outside their beloved land of Israel, but as God always does; He tempered His judgment with mercy. I have often heard people question how God could watch His people suffer, but I think what we should observe is that God is merciful to the wicked everyday. His mercy is underserved. God didn’t have to cause them to return. He could’ve turned against them and abandoned them to the will of Satan, but He did not. They had to be punished for sin, but God never forsook them. He went with them to Babylon. I know this because God showed His love and presence by delivering Daniel, the 3 Hebrew Children, Esther, Mordecai, and countless others when safety was not available through any other means. He rose up folks like Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel and others to lead them back home. God promised to visit His people after 70 years and cause them to return to the land. In our lesson today that time has expired. God didn’t forget His promise. He moved upon His people to desire to return. (Daniel chapter 9) He moved the heathen King Cyrus to act in a way which would cause the promises of God to be fulfilled. He is a great, merciful, and powerful God!
2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Power and promotion is of God
We know from history that Cyrus respected the gods of the lands he conquered. He seems to have a special respect for Jehovah God. In this verse Cyrus attributes his success to the will of God and acknowledges Jehovah as the supreme God. This realization could very well have come from the Jewish scribes showing Cyrus that his name was recorded in their Scripture. Let me show you one of the truly amazing prophesies ever recorded. Isaiah 44:28 “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” Jehovah God through the Holy Spirit directed the prophet Isaiah to record the surname of the one who would “perform all my pleasure.” Are you impressed yet? What if I told you that Isaiah 44:28 was written about 700 BC and Cyrus wasn’t even born until about 500 BC or some 200 years later. Kind of makes them tabloid predictions concerning Michael Jackson and Brittany Spears look bad doesn’t it! Now are you impressed? You shouldn’t be surprised? God knew Cyrus would come along and what his name would be before he ever existed. He knew all about me also!
3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
God works it out
Ezra may have devised his own plans to return to Jerusalem to build the Temple back to a respectable state. No doubt he worried how this might be accomplished. When God’s timing was right, He did all the work. It was God who moved Cyrus to have a desire to build the Temple back. It was God who had him pick Ezra for the work. It was God who gave Ezra a desire to study the Word of God in a strange land so that when the time came he would be ready. It was God who prepared others hearts to have a desire to accompany Ezra. It was God who moved folks to give so they would have the materials to rebuild the house. God was in the midst of the plan from the beginning. With Him involved it would work out right. Without Him it would’ve been impossible!
5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
They gave
The elders of the people of Israel had a great desire to see the land recover and the worship center of Jehovah God be rebuilt. They had been in captivity for at least 70 years, but their hearts had never been removed from Jerusalem. Many of them had never lived in Jerusalem; they hadn’t known any other country but Babylon, but Babylon was never their home. I’ve never been to heaven, but it is my home. I’m not at home in this world. Home will come when we see the face of our Savior! God gave them a desire and a vision which called them into action. God put together a plan. Think about why this must happen. The most important reason that the Jewish people needed to be back in the land the Temple worship had to be restored is because Jesus is going to be born to save His people from their sins. He was not to be born in Babylon, but in Bethlehem. He wasn’t to be crucified in Babylon, but in Jerusalem. God’s plan had to be fulfilled. He would see to it that every detail came together correctly. Aren’t you glad for the perfect will of God?
7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
God repossesses His belongings
Remember the story when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant? Oh, how the people of Israel must have wondered how they would ever bring back this sacred creation. They shouldn’t have worried about it. Our God can defend Himself. God brought emerods and mice upon the Philistines to the extent that they sent the Ark back willingly. God also reclaimed these vessels which Nebuchadnezzar stole from His temple in Jerusalem. God allowed the Babylonians to keep them for a while, but now they were due back home. Cyrus was led by the Spirit of God to send them back. I wonder what might have happened if he had refused. Remember Belshazzar? He decided to have a drunken party with those same vessels once. The party was broken up by a hand writing out his destiny. His kingdom was conquered and delivered to the Medes and the Persians. Cyrus had heard the story. Daniel was still alive when Cyrus took over. I’m sure Cyrus wanted no part in angering Daniel’s lion delivering, furnace saving, dream revealing, prophesy giving God!
New American Standard Version (to be used as a
commentary only)
1 Now
in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the
LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah,
the LORD stirred up the spirit
of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his
kingdom, and also put it in
writing, saying:
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
appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3 'Whoever
there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! 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.
4 'Every
survivor, at whatever place he may live , let the men of that place support
him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill
offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.' "
5 Then
the heads of fathers' households
of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone
whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the
LORD which is in Jerusalem.
6 All
those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with
goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a
freewill offering.
7 Also
King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the
LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had
carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;
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