Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)

Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)

EZRA 1

Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

2 “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. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’ ”

5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

7 Moreover, King 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. 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

9 This was the inventory:

gold dishes    30

silver dishes    1,000

silver pans    29

10 gold bowls    30

matching silver bowls    410

other articles    1,000

11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Application Notes

1:1 The book of Ezra opens in 538 BC, 48 years after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, defeated the southern kingdom of Judah, and carried the people away to Babylon as captives (2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36). Nebuchadnezzar died earlier, in 562. Because his successors were weak, Babylon was overthrown by Persia in 539, just prior to the events recorded in this book. Both the Babylonians and the Persians had a relaxed policy toward their captives, allowing them to own land and homes and to take ordinary jobs. Many Jews, such as Daniel, Mordecai, and Esther, rose to prominent positions within the kingdoms. King Cyrus of Persia took things a step further: He allowed many groups of exiles, including the Jews, to return to their homelands. By doing this, he hoped to win their loyalty and thus provide buffer zones around the borders of his empire. For the Jews this was a day of hope, a new beginning. 

1:1 Cyrus, king of Persia (559-530 BC), had already begun his rise to power in the ancient Middle East by unifying the Medes and Persians into a strong empire. As he conquered cities, he treated the inhabitants with mercy. Although not a servant of God, Cyrus was used by him to return the Jews to their homeland. Cyrus may have been shown the prophecy of Isaiah 44:28-45:6, written over a century earlier, which predicted that Cyrus himself would help the Jews return to Jerusalem. Daniel, a promi­nent government official (Daniel 5:29; 6:28), would have been familiar with the prophecy. The book of Daniel has more to say about Cyrus. 

1:1 Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews would remain in captivity for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10). The 70-year period has been calculated two different ways: (1) from the first captivity in 605 BC (2 Kings 24:1) until the altar was rebuilt by the returned exiles in 536 (Ezra 3:1-6), or (2) from the destruction of the temple in 586 until the exiles finished rebuilding it in 515. Many interpreters prefer the second approach because the temple was the focus and heartbeat of the nation. Without the temple, the Jews did not consider themselves reestablished as a nation.

1:2-4 This proclamation permitted the Jews to work together to ac­complish the huge task of rebuilding the temple. Some did the actual building, while others operated the supply lines. Significant ventures require teamwork, with certain people serving in the forefront and others providing support. Each function is vital to accomplishing the task. When you're asked to serve, do so faithfully as a team member, no matter who gets the credit. 

1:2 Cyrus was not a Jew, but God worked through him to return the exiled Jews to their homeland. Cyrus gave the proclamation allowing their return, and he gave them protection, money, and the temple articles taken by Nebuchadnezzar. When you face difficult situations and feel surrounded, outnumbered, overpowered, or outclassed, remember that God's power is not limited to your resources. He is able to use anyone to carry out his plans. 

1:5-6 Many Jews chose to go to Jerusalem, but many more chose to remain in Babylon rather than return to their homeland. The journey back to Jerusalem was difficult, dangerous, and expensive, lasting over four months. Travel conditions were poor, Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside were in ruins, and the people living in these areas were hostile. 

     Persian records indicate that many Jews in captivity had accumulated great wealth. Returning to Jerusalem would have meant giving up every­thing they had and starting over. Many people couldn't bring themselves to do that; they preferred wealth and security to the sacrifice that God's work would require. Their priorities were upside down (Mark 4:18-19). We must not let our comfort, security, or material possessions prevent us from doing what God wants. 

1:5 Cyrus was king over the entire region that had once been Assyria and Babylon. Assyria had deported the Israelites from the northern kingdom (Israel) in 722 BC. Babylon, the next world power, had taken Israelites captive from the southern kingdom (Judah) in 586 BC. Therefore, when the Medo-Persian Empire came to power, King Cyrus's proclamation of freedom went to all the original 12 tribes, but only Judah and Benjamin (the southern kingdom) responded and returned to rebuild God's temple. They had been taken captive just 48 years earlier, so the event would have still been fresh in their memories. The ten tribes of the northern kingdom, however, had been carried into captivity almost two centuries earlier and had been so fractured and dispersed by Assyria that many may have been unsure of their real heritage. Thus, they were unwilling to share in the vision of rebuilding the temple. 

1:5 God moved in the hearts of the leaders, family heads, priests, and Levites and gave them a great desire to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Major changes begin on the inside as God works on our attitudes, beliefs, and desires. These inner changes lead to faithful actions. After 48 years of captivity, the arrogant people of Judah had been humbled. When the people's attitudes and desires changed, God ended their punishment and gave them the opportunity to go home and try again. In the New Testament, Paul reminds us that ·it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose· (Philippians 2:13). Doing God's will begins with your desires. Are you willing to place his desires before yours, to be open to his opportunities, and to move at his direction? Ask God to give you the desire to change in order to follow him more closely. 

1:7 When King Nebuchadnezzar ransacked the temple, he took many of the valuable furnishings with him. What he did not take, he burned (2 Chronicles 36:18-19). Most of the captured items were made of solid gold (1 Kings 7:48-50), and Cyrus kindly (and amazingly!) returned them to the Jews for the temple they would soon rebuild. 

1:8 Sheshbazzar was either the Babylonian name for Zerubbabel, one of the Jewish leaders during the first return (2:2; 3:8; 4:3), or the name of another government official with responsibility for the returning party. The reasons Sheshbazzar may be identified with Zerubbabel are as fol­lows: (1) Both were called governors (5:14; Haggai 1:1); (2) both laid the temple foundation (Ezra 3:8; 5:16); and (3) Jews in exile were often given Babylonian names (see Daniel 1:7, where Daniel and his companions are given new names). 

1:9-11 Every article of gold and silver was a witness to God's protection and care. This list does not add up to 5,400 articles, so perhaps this sam­pling includes only the most important things. Although many years had passed, God delivered these temple articles back to his people. We may be discouraged by events in life, but we must never give up our hope in God's promises to us. The turning point may be just ahead. 

Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)