[:en]SCRIPTURE: EZRA 1
“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you – may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:2-4)
INTRODUCTION:
Babylon conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the city and temple and deported the people in 587-586. In 538 BC, Cyrus, the king of Persia issued a proclamation allowing the Jews to return to their land and rebuild their temple. Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, about 50,000 returned to Jerusalem. The people tried to build the temple but they were delayed from their work for 18 years by enemies. The temple was finally completed in 515 BC.
Ezra was a scribe who went to Jerusalem in 458 with the Babylonian exiles to help in the temple ministry. He taught the people the law and reformed their religiouis life. He was the author of the book of Ezra and Nehemiah.
CYRUS HELPS THE EXILES TO RETURN (vs. 1-11)
Cyrus, the king of Persia fulfilled a prophecy given a century and a half before (Isa. 44:28) God used a pagan ruler to accomplish His divine purpose. Cyrus allowed the exiles to return with goods, livestock and freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem. Those whose heart God had moved prepared to go and build the house of the Lord. The king of Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.[:]