1. First return of the exiles. Imagine a prophecy so precise as the one predicting that for 70 years, God’s people would live in desolation, and then they would be released. Now it was almost time for that promise to be fulfilled. Why was Daniel upset?  Should he have been? Do you and I ever feel distraught by the way the Second Coming seems to be delayed and Jesus still hasn’t come? No longer under the rule of Babylon, the Israelite people were now under the command of the Persian empire led by Cyrus as its king. What was the promise to God’s people by Cyrus as recorded in Ezra 1? Besides proclaiming their freedom to return to Jerusalem, what did Cyrus do to make the move even more rewarding and joyful? God hasn’t given us an exact date of the Second Coming of Jesus.  But do you think that the exact fulfillment of God’s promise to release His people after 70 years in Babylon should bring us comfort at this time?
2. Kings and events.  What was the first work to be done when God’s people arrived in Jerusalem? Be sure to look closely at the notes for Monday’s lesson. The list showing the Persian kings while God’s temple was being rebuilt is given by our lesson authors in chronological order. The narrative of how this all took place as given in Ezra 4, 5, and 6 is not in chronological order. Aren’t you thankful for the chronological list? How do you suggest keeping from drowning in this sea of dated perplexity? 
3. The second return. Ezra emerges as a leader in the restoration process. What would a resume for Ezra look like if he were applying for a position of some kind today? What do you learn about Ezra’s integrity and leadership in the first ten verses of Ezra 7? Imagine yourself on a committee for the Israelites trying to choose a stalwart and helpful leader and someone (or several people). Of course you would recommend Ezra? Why? How would you feel about working with Ezra in a busy time that could have been hectic but was not? Could we use people with Ezra’s qualities in the church today? 
4. King Artaxerxes. Even though most of the Jews stayed behind in Persia, some of them were eager to live in Jerusalem and do everything they could to make the city beautiful. How did King Artaxerxes contribute to the restoration project? Why do you think Artaxerxes put Ezra in charge of making sure that the inhabitants of the restored Jerusalem obeyed the laws of their God as well as the rules and regulation of the country? As much as he respected and honored God as the leader of the people moving into Jerusalem, why do you think Artaxerxes apparently did not even seriously consider being a follower of the most high God? Our lesson contains this note: “The Lord can use even unconverted people to do His will on earth.” Artaxerxes was one of those people. 

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The first group of returnees received the task of rebuilding the temple of God. We will study about the opposition to the building of the temple in a later lesson. Now, we will discuss the succession of Persian kings during the temple’s prolonged construction and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. It is important to know the history behind the stories of Ezra and Nehemiah, as it provides a deeper insight into their messages.

Read Ezra 4:1-7. Who were the different kings mentioned during whose reign the opposition to the building of the temple occurred?

Prophecy to rebuild

Here is the list of Persian kings, in their chronological order, who are connected with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. It begins with Cyrus, who established the Persian Empire and conquered Babylon in 539 B.C.:

• Cyrus II “the Great” (559–530 B.C.)
• Cambyses II (530–522 B.C.)
• Darius I (522–486 B.C.)
• Xerxes I (485–465 B.C). (Also known from the book of Esther as Ahasuerus.)
• Artaxerxes I (465-424 B.C).

As we study these books, it’s very important to know that the appearance of these kings is not mentioned in Ezra in chronological order. For example, Ezra 4:6-24 is inserted before chapter 5, which continues the story of the opposition to the building of the temple. Consequently, the letters involving Xerxes I (Ahasuerus) and Artaxerxes I described in Ezra chapter 4 occurred after the events recorded in chapters 5 and 6, dealing with Darius I. This sequence can seem perplexing to readers, and it may account for some of the confusion that people have had over the centuries regarding the books. As we go through the quarter, knowing the order of events will help us better understand the messages of Ezra and Nehemiah.

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Read Jeremiah 25:11-12 and Jeremiah 29:10 and Daniel 9:1-2. When did the first return of the exiles happen? What prophecy was the return fulfilling?

The Lord influenced Cyrus to allow the first return, in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s 70-year prophecy. Jeremiah had written that the land of Judah would lie desolate for 70 years under Babylon (this happened, from 606/605 B.C. to 537/536 B.C.), but then God would open the doors for the captives’ return. As Daniel studied the writings of Jeremiah, he realized that the time had come for that promised return.

Cyrus and Daniel

In Daniel 9, Daniel is distraught because the 70 years were nearly up with no apparent change, and the new Persian empire had now risen to power. He mourned and turned to God, pleading for mercy and the fulfillment of His promises. In the same chapter (Dan. 9:24-27), God assured Daniel that He watches over everything and has a future planned, with a Deliverer who will die for the people to atone for their sins, bring righteousness, and fulfill the sacrificial system. In effect, God was saying, “Daniel, don’t worry. Since the true Deliverer (Jesus) will surely come, I will also send a deliver for you now”. Shortly afterward, God moved Cyrus, the king of Persia, to give the command to release the captives. God is always true to His promises (See Daniel 10 for how God intervened in order to secure the prosperity of His people in their homeland.)

Ezra 1 records King Cyrus’s proclamation that the nation of Israel was free to return to Jerusalem and to build the house of the Lord. The command was given sometime between the years 539–537 B.C. Not only does Cyrus let them go, but he also makes sure that they return with gifts and offerings, including the original vessels from the temple, which had been stolen by Nebuchadnezzar. This event reminds us of the Israelites leaving Egypt many years before, when God also moved the hearts of the people to present them with parting gifts. This first group to return to Judah was composed of about 50,000 people, which most likely included women and children from other territories.

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Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study: Jer. 25:11-12; Dan. 9:1-2; Ezra 4:1-7; Isa. 55:8-9; Ezra 7:1-28.

Memory Text: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah”. (Ezra 1:2, NKJV).

In the writings of Jeremiah, God had promised that His people would return home after 70 years of Babylonian exile. King Cyrus was God’s instrument to allow this return to happen. Anointed by God (Isa. 45:1), Cyrus issued a decree about 538 B.C., freeing up God’s people to return to their country and to rebuild the temple.

It was God (not Cyrus) who spoke regarding Jerusalem: “ ‘Let it be rebuilt’, and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid’ ” (Isa. 44:28, NIV). God was the guarantor that Jerusalem would be rebuilt, and He stirred the heart of Cyrus to grant permission to build the temple.

It is always encouraging, too, to see God’s people respond positively to the Lord’s actions: “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” (Ezra 1:5, NIV).

Here we see an example of people responding positively to God’s mighty and gracious acts. Our best performance comes from a realization of who God is and what He has done, and from knowing how He lovingly intervenes on behalf of His people.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 5.

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Ezra and Nehemiah

The Gospel According to Ezra and Nehemiah

Ezra and Nehemiah were exceptional, God-centered, Word-oriented, and Spirit-led leaders who deeply desired that God’s people prosper and that His name be uplifted and proclaimed worldwide. Their lives modeled what God can do through dedicated, faithful servant leaders.

Because of our sinful natures, cultivated habits, and hereditary traits, we can experience true, lasting changes only through the study of God’s transforming Word and the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Believers live “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” (Zech. 4:6, NKJV)and by embracing God’s promises by faith (Hab. 2:4), resulting in a vibrant spiritual life.

Image © Pacific Press

This quarter’s lessons illustrate that life is complicated. As soon as we try to do good things, obstacles appear and opposition arises. Even friends may openly or secretly oppose us and, perhaps, become our enemies. Hurdles and resistance to good demonstrate that Satan is alive and that sin is real. Fighting Satan is humanly impossible because evil is stronger than we are. Only God can secure victory, revolutionize thinking, and give us power to live balanced lives. Life’s discouragements are opportunities for change. Disappointments may help us focus on essentials and accelerate our spiritual growth, as we obtain victory over each crisis through God’s empowerment.

Neither the book of Ezra nor Nehemiah ends with optimism. Sin is a serious matter, spreading easily and quickly. The biggest challenge does not come from outside, but from infidelity to God with His own people not following His revealed will. To be faithful to the Lord and persevere in following His instruction is the strongest test for God’s church. As Ezra correctly understood, the only power to change comes through diligently searching the Scriptures, comprehending, and internalizing them.

In order to fulfill the starting point of the prophecies of the 70 weeks and the 2,300 evenings and mornings (which both began in 457 B.C.), God graciously intervened and influenced King Artaxerxes I to allow Ezra along with a group of Israelites to return to Jerusalem, to secure the safety of their journey, and even to provide needed physical and financial provisions for the temple services(Ezra 7:11-28).

The key theological themes of these two books are God’s providence, faithfulness, and covenant. God fulfilled His promises, even though His people were narrow-minded, disoriented, distracted, and stubborn. Through His servants, He called them from their state of lethargy to revival and reformation.

“The work of restoration and reform carried on by the returned exiles, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, presents a picture of a work of spiritual restoration that is to be wrought in the closing days of this earth’s history. The remnant of Israel were a feeble people, exposed to the ravages of their enemies; but through them God purposed to preserve in the earth a knowledge of Himself and of His law. They were the guardians of the true worship, the keepers of the holy oracles” – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 677.

Ezra and Nehemiah are historically linked, and they cover a crucial transition in the life of God’s people. These 23 chapters form one big story, but with subunits; they are complementary and cover similar theological issues. By carefully studying the pattern revealed in the composition of these two books, we can discern God’s great historical actions and gracious leadership.

Keep in mind that not everything presented in these books is written in chronological order, and that some parts are composed in a thematic manner.

As we will see, the challenge for Ezra and Nehemiah was not to reconstruct the temple (it was finished and dedicated in 515 B.C., more than 50 years before Ezra’s arrival) but to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, her administration, and the national autonomy — all eventually paving the way for the coming of the Messiah.

As we study God’s Word this quarter, may the Lord bless us by inspiring us, touching our hearts, transforming our thinking, and enabling us daily to follow Him faithfully and enthusiastically.

Jirí Moskala, ThD, PhD, is dean and professor of Old Testament exegesis and theology at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He joined the faculty in 1999. Prior to coming to Andrews, Moskala served in various capacities (ordained pastor, administrator, teacher, and principal) in the Czech Republic. He is a member of various theological societies and has authored or edited a number of articles and books in the Czech and English languages. In addition, he has participated in several archaeological expeditions at Tell Jalul, Jordan.

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