Cyrus was the king who led the army to take the kingdom of Persia from the Chaldeans who reigned there. Cyrus had appointed Darius to reign over the southern portion of his conquered kingdoms- this included Babylon.
God had said that Cyrus would come and that he would be unstoppable when he did.
Isaiah 45:1-2- Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
It was in the first year of Cyrus' reign over his conquered kingdoms that he made a proclamation to all the Jews who had been taken out of captivity. Perhaps it was after he read the account of the Lord God Almighty and his protection of Daniel in the lions den.
II Chronicles 36:22-23- Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, 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, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.
Cyrus proclaimed that any of the captive Jews who wanted to return to his country of Judah, that they had his permission. He wanted the Jews to go back and rebuild the temple to the Lord God Almighty. This was all prophesied by Isaiah back when there were still kings from the line of David sitting on the throne of Jerusalem.
Isa 44:28- That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
So, many of the Jews gathered their things and their families together and headed back to the land of Judah.
Ezra 1:5-8- 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. 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. 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; 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.
Cyrus got the vessels from the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken and sent them back with those who were returning. He was serious about the Jews rebuilding the temple!
Ezra 2:64- The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
There were 42,360 Jews that went back to the land of Judah in the first return trip.
Ezra 3:1-2,6 - 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. 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. 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.
Things were going slowly for the rebuild. It took seven months before they were able to get the altar built. But, they hadn't even gotten started on the temple.
Times were troublesome. The people who were now living in the land didn't want to see these things accomplished and they started to cause trouble for the Jews.
Ezra 4:4-5a- Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia,
When a new king was on the throne, they wrote letters to the kings of Media Persia that followed Cyrus. When the kings read Nebuchadnezzar's account of the Jews rebellion, they worried that another one would soon follow. They ordered the stop of the building of the walls of the city of Jerusalem.
Ezra 4:23-24- Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power. Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Builded was halted for about 7 years, until a new king sat on the throne- Darius the Great (a different Darius than the one Daniel knew).
God knew what was going on. He wanted the walls of Jerusalem to be builded again.
Ezra 4:1-3-Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?
The men started to build the wall again because the prophets of the Lord said that they should. The governor who was set over the land came to them and asked them why they were building. They told him of the captivity of the Nebuchadnezzar, the prophesy of Isaiah, and the decree of Cyrus.
So, Tatai sent a letter to the king. And the king went and found where Cyrus had decreed that the temple and the city should be rebuilt.
This king sent the reply back that no one should stop the work of the rebuilding. And, if anyone should try he was to be killed and his house should be destroyed!
Ezra 6:14-15- And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
It took a while before the temple was finished, but they did it!
Ezra 3:10-13- 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. 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. 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: 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.
This new temple was no where near as beautiful as the one Solomon had built so long ago. The old men who had survived Nebuchadnezzar's captivity and remembered the old temple cried at the site of this new temple.
But, the younger men who had never seen the old temple were happy and shouting and singing at the sight of their first temple.
Such a mixture of emotions during this time.
It was after the temple was finished that Ezra came to Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:6, 10- This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
God named this book of the Bible after Ezra because he had prepared his heart to obey God. He isn't mentioned in the first 6 chapters of the book!
Ezra wanted to make sure that the Jews followed God according to His laws!
Ezra 7:12-13- Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
Again, another decree was made for the Jews who wanted to return to the land of Judah to go. There was another trip of Jews who went, and the king sent gold and silver and supplies with the people to help them with whatever they would need to rebuild the city.
When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, he was shocked to find the Jews there had mixed themselves with the Gentiles and Samaritans of the area. God didn't want His people intermingling with them and learning their sinful ways- that's the reason they were led captive to Assyria and Babylon!
Ezra started teaching the people the ways of the Lord God Almighty. He was also trying to lead the Jews to rebuild the city wall. For 13 years Ezra worked to keep the people doing right.
Psalm 37:3-5- Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Ezra was trusting God. He was doing what the Lord wanted and he was committed to doing things God's way. And God was going to make sure that what Ezra desired would come to pass.
