Day 229 – King Cyrus

• The books of Daniel, Ezekiel and Esther have given us an idea of what it was like for the people during the exile. Today’s readings bring us back into the historical story of the nation as a whole, and follow on directly from the end of 2 Chronicles and 2 Kings. In summary, as we shall read, Ezra (and Nehemiah which follows it), will show us how the people returned from exile and the challenges they had as they rebuilded the nation.
• What decree did Cyrus, the King of Persia, make in the opening verses of Ezra 1? It seems amazing that he would just allow the captives to return – but of course God was at work! How did this enable the Jews to obey the words of 2 Chronicles 36?
• What had happened, from the book of Daniel, to the contents of the temple of Jerusalem? How does Cyrus repay this?
• How many items were returned with the people to Jerusalem? Notice that the total number of items in Ezra 1:9-10 doesn’t match the total in verse 11. The second total probably includes small items not included in the earlier figures.
• Why do you think Cyrus was so willing not only to let the Jews return to their land, but to give them back the loot that Nebuchadnezzar had taken?
• Look at Isaiah 45, where the prophet Isaiah told of what God would do. What phrase does God repeatedly use to Cyrus in describing Himself?

The passage in Isaiah describes King Cyrus, and how he didn’t worship God (Isaiah 45:4). Yet it also says that he would call for the rebuilding of the temple in Isaiah 44:28. Cast your eyes down to Isaiah 45:13 too, which gives the clearest verse about Cyrus’ role in the return from exile.

Isaiah isn’t writing about events that had happened when he was alive. He wrote these words 150 years before the events happened. Doesn’t that just blow your mind? You know there is prophecy in the bible, and that much of it has already come true. But this is one of the clearest examples of someone foretelling something that he could not have possibly known about. Not only did Isaiah prophecy the return from exile, but specifically names the king who would order it, hundreds of years before it came to be!