Ezra 1
Ezra, chapter 1 introduces the opening of a historical event in which God’s people of Israel who had completed their exile in Babylon return to Jerusalem. First, King Cyrus (of Persia) is moved by God and issues a decree. Through this decree, he proclaims throughout the whole nation that they should return to Judah and Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple. The first half of chapter 1 (verses 1-4) quotes the content of Cyrus’s decree, and in the latter part (verses 5-11) it records how, in response, the leaders and the people of the tribe of Judah prepare, and how the furnishings (articles) of the temple are entrusted to the Persian official Sheshbazzar and the process of returning home is carried out.
1verseNow in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the LORD’s word by Jeremiah’s mouth might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2verse“Cyrus king of Persia says, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
3verseWhoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.
4verseWhoever is left, in any place where he lives, let the men of his place help him with silver, with gold, with goods, and with animals, in addition to the free will offering for God’s house which is in Jerusalem.’”
5verseThen the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up, rose up to build the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem.
6verseAll those who were around them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with animals, and with precious things, in addition to all that was willingly offered.
7verseAlso Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;
8verseeven those, Cyrus king of Persia brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
9verseThis is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, one thousand platters of silver, twenty-nine knives,
10versethirty bowls of gold, four hundred ten silver bowls of a second kind, and one thousand other vessels.
11verseAll the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought all these up when the captives were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
The Overall Meaning of the Passage
In this chapter, the important points are God’s sovereignty and fulfillment working behind the scenes of human history. After 70 years since Israel’s people were taken into exile, at the time when King Cyrus held world power, God moves his heart so that Israel’s people can return to Jerusalem. Also, the record that the temple furnishings are returned as they were shows that even during the exile period, God preserved His people and did not forget His promise. You can understand Ezra 1 as a flow of God’s covenant being fulfilled, the beginning of restoration, and the obedience of the people who respond to God’s call.
Points to Reflect On
- How do you come to terms with the fact that God moves the “big flow” of history so that, at times, He accomplishes His will even through the most unexpected person?
- Just as the people of Israel responded immediately to King Cyrus’s decree, how are you responding to God’s call today?
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Let’s look back and see where, in my life right now, I can find God’s guidance and His working in history.
- Also, think about how you can put into practice in real life the “way of obeying God’s sovereign providence and taking the first step by faith.”
