Ezra 1: The Return

Ezra 1:2 "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."

After the seventy years in captivity, it's time to fulfill Jeremiah's prophecy which was evidently about Israel no longer being in exile. It is touched on in the Chronicles, but not detailed. Cyrus king of Persia has apparently conquered the known world, and at the very least taken control of Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon.

Cyrus was moved by God to allow Israel to return home with the expressed intent of reconstructing the temple. Seventy years is an extremely long time to allow any building to fall into disrepair, and I presume it was a pretty horrific and desolate sight. Especially compared to the glory of the days when Solomon had it built. I find it interesting that Cyrus doesn't seem to mind allowing the nation of Israel to return home. Why wouldn't he see any harm in it? Did he know his history? Did he realize that when Israel is right with the LORD that they were invincible? I don't know. Cyrus actually took the articles out of Nebuchadnezzar's temple that belonged to the temple of God, and sent them back with the remnant. He probably didn't have to. I wonder if he knew Who he was messing with if he didn't send the temple treasures back. Was he perhaps inspired by those who gave to those who were moving back to construct the temple?

Consider also those who lived on both sides of the exile...the longing and the heartbreak they must have felt returning to where they lived to see the desolation, the looted and destroyed homes and fields. 

2 Ch. 36: Jerusalem's Captivity

2 Chronicles 36:20 "He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power."

The final kings of Jerusalem are all nitwits. Every last one of them after Josiah is described the same way: "He did evil in the eyes of the LORD."

Neco removed Jehoahaz from the throne and took him to Egypt, installing Jehoiakim, after changing his name from Eliakim. Why? Probably because he could, since he was in charge of Israel now.

Then Nebuchadnezzar comes on the scene and shows his power, and takes tribute from Israel.

What is amazing is the repeated attempts God makes to get through to the people of Israel. But the people, in their despair and captivity under Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar still manage to mock and ignore the prophets sent to them.

Nebuchadnezzar carries off the remaining Israelites he didn't kill to Babylon, where they stay for 70 years. There is another very interesting emphasis on rest. The land is said to have "enjoyed" its rest for those seventy years, until the word of Jeremiah the prophet is fulfilled. All this time, the people were not only sinning against God, but apparently sinning against the land, which was given by God as a vital part of the covenant originally made with Israel at the time of Abraham.

Power must have changed hands since Nebuchadnezzar's takeover, as the one who allows the Israelites to return home is Cyrus, the king of Persia, who was moved by God to let His people return back home.