Book of Ezra, chapter 1
The people from Jerusalem and the land of Judah lived many years in Babylon and the nearby country; many of them built houses for their families, but worked for the king; some were servants in his palaces. After a few years the great king who made them captive died, and other kings conquered the land; some of them were good to the Jewish captives; some were not.
You remember it was because these people had worshiped idols and done so wickedly, that God had let them be taken from their own land. But they had found that the idols could not help them, and that only the Lord was true and right. Many were sorry for their sins, and wished to honor God, but could not offer sacrifices. in the heathen land (Deut. 12).
They had been told by Jeremiah that God would send them back after seventy years, but they seem to have forgotten that promise until Daniel read the letter of Jeremiah, and prayed to God to forgive the people’s sins, and let them return to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 29:10, Dan. 9:1-20). But how could these people leave Babylon, for they could not go anywhere except by the king’s order?
There was a new king over the land, named Cyrus, who ruled also over all the world, of whom you may read in school. The Lord caused this great king to plan for the return of the Jewish people to rebuild the House of God, and he sent this writing to all places of the land.
“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 a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem ... .and build the house of the Lord God of Israel.”
This writing of the king gave the Jewish people, who wanted to worship thy Lord, full permission to return to Jerusalem, and very many men and their families made ready to go. Some of the people seemed to be satisfied to remain in the country of Babylon, although they gave much to help those who returned and later many of these also went back.
King Cyrus gave them the many valuable gold and silver dishes which had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem and kept all those years in the idols’ temple, in Babylon, to carry back there.
Do you know that many years before, God had said Cyrus should be the one in have the people rebuild the city and temple of Jerusalem? He had told this to Israel at least one hundred and eighty years before this, and long before Cyrus was born. (Isa. 1:1; Isa. 45:28; Isa. 46:1).
So all came true for the captive Jews and after seventy years in Babylon all who wished, started for the land of Judah, just as God had said; and we will read another time of how they rebuilt the temple.
What did the king say should be given to the people who returned to Jerusalem: Did the people obey? (Ezra 1:4,6).
What had the Lord said about the dishes of the temple? (Jer. 27:21, 22).
From what tribes of Israel were the Jewish captives who returned? (Ezra l:5).
ML 11/19/1939