June 2nd Ezra 1 A. The Return led by Zerubbabel
(About 50,000 people)
The edict of Cyrus
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, 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. 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.
The
exiles return to Jerusalem
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. 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; 8:
Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of
Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the
prince of Judah. 9:
And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand
chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10:
Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred
and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11:
All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four
hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the
captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.
Ezra 2 The people who
returned
1:
Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the
captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar
the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again
unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; 2:
Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the
men of the people of Israel: 3:
The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two. 4:
The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two. 5:
The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five. 6:
The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two
thousand eight hundred and twelve. 7:
The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four. 8:
The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five. 9:
The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore. 10:
The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two. 11:
The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three. 12:
The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two. 13:
The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six. 14:
The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six. 15:
The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four. 16:
The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight. 17:
The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three. 18:
The children of Jorah, an hundred and twelve. 19:
The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three. 20:
The children of Gibbar, ninety and five. 21:
The children of Bethlehem, an hundred twenty and three. 22:
The men of Netophah, fifty and six. 23:
The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight. 24:
The children of Azmaveth, forty and two. 25:
The children of Kirjath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred
and forty and three. 26:
The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one. 27:
The men of Michmas, an hundred twenty and two. 28:
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred twenty and three. 29:
The children of Nebo, fifty and two. 30:
The children of Magbish, an hundred fifty and six. 31:
The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and
four. 32:
The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty. 3:
The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.
34:
The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five. 35:
The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.
36:
The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine
hundred seventy and three. 37:
The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two. 38:
The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven. 39:
The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 40:
The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of
Hodaviah, seventy and four. 41:
The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred twenty and eight. 42:
The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of
Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of
Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all an hundred thirty and nine.
43:
The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the
children of Tabbaoth, 44:
The children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,
45:
The children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of
Akkub, 46:
The children of Hagab, the children of Shalmai, the children of
Hanan, 47:
The children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of
Reaiah, 48:
The children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of
Gazzam, 49:
The children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
50:
The children of Asnah, the children of Mehunim, the children of
Nephusim, 51:
The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of
Harhur, 52:
The children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of
Harsha, 53:
The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of
Thamah, 54:
The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. 55:
The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the
children of Sophereth, the children of Peruda, 56:
The children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of
Giddel, 57:
The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of
Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Ami. 58:
All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three
hundred ninety and two. 59:
And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub,
Addan, and Immer: but they could not shew their father's house, and
their seed, whether they were of Israel: 60:
The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of
Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. 61:
And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the
children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the
daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their
name: 62:
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by
genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted,
put from the priesthood. 63:
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the
most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with
Thummim. 64:
The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three
hundred and threescore, 65:
Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven
thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them
two hundred singing men and singing women. 66:
Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two
hundred forty and five; 67:
Their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand
seven hundred and twenty. 68:
And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of
the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God
to set it up in his place: 69:
They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work
threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of
silver, and one hundred priests' garments. 70:
So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the
singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt in their cities,
and all Israel in their cities.
Ezra 3 The worship is
restored
1:
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were
in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to
Jerusalem. 2:
Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the
priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and
builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings
thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3:
And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because
of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings
thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. 4:
They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and
offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom,
as the duty of every day required; 5:
And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new
moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated,
and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the
LORD. 6:
From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt
offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD
was not yet laid. 7:
They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and
meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to
bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the
grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
The
Temple is being built
8:
Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at
Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their
brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out
of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from
twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of
the LORD. 9:
Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his
sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the
house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren
the Levites. 10:
And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD,
they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites
the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the
ordinance of David king of Israel. 11:
And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto
the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward
Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they
praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was
laid. 12:
But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who
were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation
of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and
many shouted aloud for joy: 13:
So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy
from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted
with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.
Today we begin our
readings in the book of Ezra. This little book of 10 chapters was
written by Ezra in about 450 BC. Ezra writes to encourage the people
of God to trust in Him. His theme is that God has kept his promise to
deliver them from Babylon and restore them to their own land. The
book of Ezra follows 2 Chronicles as the History of Israel recording
their return from captivity. The Children of Israel returned home in
two stages. A key verse might be - Ezra
9v4 Then
were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the
God of Israel, In
the first few chapters we have the description of the return of
Zerubbabel with only 50,000 people back to Palestine. We read of the
Edict of Cyrus who orders their return. Then we get a list of the
main families that returned and of how the worship of the LORD is
restored. And lastly we read of how they rebuilt the temple. The
prophecy of the Prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled by the decree of Cyrus
who was stirred by the Lord to declare the LORD God of heaven had
given him all the kingdoms of the earth and that he has given him the
responsibility to rebuild the temple. It is at this time that we have
the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah. And so after the conversion of
Nebuchadnezzar and now Cyrus the Lord brings his people home. The
holy vessels are returned that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Judah.
Next the families are named. I won’t list everyone but they
amounted to 42,360, not including the servants and maids – 7,337
and a choir of 200. They even counted the cattle. There were Levites
among them and so worship was restored in Judah. The high priest was
Joshua and they gathered to offer burnt offerings to the Lord.
Eventually after 2yrs the temple was restored. It was a time of great
rejoicing and blessing.
- How long had Judah been in Babylon?
- How did Judah return?
- What must it have felt like to return home to Canaan?
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