Ezra

The Jews from Judah spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon. At the end of this period, the Medes and Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus took the throne. He was much more agreeble to the Jews' return home.

The First Group Return (Ezra 1-6)

In the first year of King Cyrus, he declared that the Jews could return to Jerusalem, and rebuild the temple there. They would receive funds from the treasury, gained from taxes on the surrounding area, and he even handed back the sacred items stolen from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.

Around 50,000 people returned from Babylon to Jerusalem, and settled in to the towns they originated from. They all put their wealth together in a fund to start the rebuilding effort.

First of all the altar was built. This meant that the Jews could restart their offerings and sacrifices to God, along with the various feasts held throughout the year. 1 year and 1 month after the return, they started to build the foundations of the temple. The people praised God, while some of the older ones, who remembered the previous temple, wept. The joy and weeping joined together to make a great noise.

The people who had moved in to the local area around Jerusalem when the Jews were captured weren't happy at the temple being built. They offered to help in the hope of getting men on the inside, but the Jewish leader, Zerubbabel, said only the Jews should do the job. The locals put together a letter of complaint to the current king, Xerxes, who said that the building work should stop.

The Jews stopped building for a number of years, but Haggai and Zechariah prophecied and exncouraged the people back to work. Again the locals sent a letter of complaint to the king, who was now Darius.

Darius received the letter, and had his men check back in the records. They descovered the decree from Cyrus that the temple should be built and funds provided from the royal treasury, and so approved the Jews' efforts. The temple was finished and a special dedication ceremony was held. When the 14th day of the first month came round next, the Jews were able to celebrate their most important feast, the Passover.

Ezra Returns (Ezra 7-10)

Nearly 60 years pass between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7. Then we hear about the second group of people who journey back to Jerusalem. This is a smaller group of about 2,000 and they're led by Ezra: a priest who is very learned in God's laws. Ezra is sent with King Artaxerxes' permission, along with whoever else wants to go, and is given a letter wishing the king's blessing, along with gold and silver, and a command for all to obey and give gifts to Ezra.

Ezra and his band of Levites, scribes, singers, temple servants and so on, travel from Babylon to Jerusalem in 4 months.

When they arrive, the leaders there approach Ezra with worrying news. The Jews who returned before have started mixing with the peoples round about, marrying their daughters and getting involved in their ungodly practices. Ezra is ashamed of his people and goes before the Lord in a prayer of confession.

As Ezra prays and weeps, other around him follow his example. They decide that something has to be done and that the solution is to be rid of all foreign wives and children. All the people of Israel are gathered together to discuss this, as it rains down on them. The family heads are given the task of hearing the cases of each husband, and sending the foreign wives and children away. This is done and the nation purified again.

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