Because they had drifted into idolatry, God punished the Jews by allowing them to be carried away into Babylonian captivity for seventy years, 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 / Jeremiah 25:11.
However, it was twenty years from the beginning of the captivity until the final overthrow of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the temple took place as the people were carried away in different contingents at different times.
This means that some were not in captivity for the full seventy years. Some of the people would have died by the time Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem, but some would have been young enough that they could remember the temple that Solomon built and the city of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah had prophesied they would return from captivity after seventy years, Jeremiah 29:10-12. This would be fulfilled as the Lord stirred “up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia”, Ezra 1:1 / 2 Chronicles 36:22, to allow them to return to their homeland.
A decree was issued by Cyrus, liberating the Jews, Ezra 1:1-4 / 2 Chronicles 36:22-23. Cyrus actually allowed them to carry back many of the things that had been taken from the temple during the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem, Ezra 1:7-11.
While liberated, no one was forced to return. Those who did not wish to return were to assist those who did return by contributing money to help them make the long journey back to their homeland, Ezra 1:4. The first contingent of fifty thousand returned under the leadership of Jeshua, a priest and Zerubbabel about 525 B.C., Ezra 2:1-2.
This was only a remnant of those who had been carried into captivity. It has been estimated that the Jewish people in Babylon, now Persia, may have numbered at least two million. We are somewhat surprised that more did not want to return, but obviously, most did not want to return.
They were satisfied to remain in Persia. They had now established their homes, attaining some degree of prosperity. They did not wish to return to a depopulated country and go through the hardships of rebuilding their cities and homes.
Many who were young had never lived outside of Persia; it was difficult for them to appreciate what a privilege it would be to return. They could not understand what it would be like to see the glory of the temple and Jerusalem.
We can see this even today. Most immigrants who come to America have no desire to return to their original homes in Europe, and certainly not their children. It is a credit to those Jews who wanted to return and to undertake the work of rebuilding. Those who returned did so with great joy.
In the seventh month, the first contingent assembled in Jerusalem and the altar of burnt offerings was erected with the burnt offerings restored, Ezra 3:1-6. In the second month of the second year, work started on the temple. Ezra 3:8.
Using the old foundation, they began to rebuild the temple, Ezra 3:1-13. The work was accompanied by praise and weeping. It is said, “The people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people,” Ezra 3:13.
This was a very emotional time for the Jews. The second temple would never have the magnificence of Solomon’s temple, Haggai 2:3. It would be seventy years from the destruction of the first until the completion and dedication of the second, Jeremiah 25:11-12 / Jeremiah 29:10.
The people of Samaria, hearing of the rebuilding of the temple, came to Zerubbabel and asked to be permitted to help in the work, Ezra 4:1-2. They said, “For we seek your God, as you do,” Ezra 4:2, but they were rejected. But why was their offer rejected? The greater portion of the people of the Northern Kingdom was carried away into Assyrian captivity, 2 Kings 17:6.
A few of the poor were left. These intermarried with the heathen colonist, and there resulted a mixed race with a mixed religion of idol worship associated with the worship of the true God, 2 Kings 17:24-41.
Judah had learned their lesson about idolatry and its consequences, so they very wisely refused the help of the Samaritans. This resulted in opposition by the Samaritans. Thus, the work was suspended for two years, Ezra 4:24.
Two of the Minor Prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, did much to encourage the resumption of work on the temple and finally, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the temple was completed, Ezra 6:15.
As we come to the end of Ezra 6, we find there is a gap of fifty-seven years until the beginning of Ezra 7. Zerubbabel and Jeshua have now passed away, and there was no one to take their place.
At this critical moment, Ezra rose to meet the need for a strong leader of the people. Artaxerxes, the Persian king, was very friendly toward the Jews. He authorised Ezra to go to Jerusalem, Ezra 7:12-13.
There were one thousand seven hundred and fifty-four males in this second contingent who made the four-month journey around 458 B.C., Ezra 8:1-14. Ezra was well qualified.
He was a descendant of Aaron through Eleazar, Ezra 7:1-5. He was a skilled scribe and teacher with extensive training in the Books of the Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), Ezra 7:10.
After his return to Jerusalem, he apparently did a lot of work on the Hebrew Bible of that time. He is supposed to have decided the Old Testament cannon having restored, corrected, and edited the entire volume.
If he did, then it would have been by the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit. He was also a priest, Ezra 7:1-6 / Ezra 7:11-12 / Ezra 7:21 / Ezra 10:16 / Nehemiah 8:2, and it is believed by some that he is the one who instituted the synagogue while back in Babylon.
He refers to himself in his own book as a “skilled scribe”, Ezra 7:6 / Ezra 7:12, whose task was to copy, interpret and transmit the books of the law. He himself tells us that he, “had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments,” Ezra 7:10.
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra 7:8-9. He left on the first day of the first month on his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month, he came to Jerusalem, “according to the good hand of his God upon him,” Ezra 7:9.
He carried a special letter that Artaxerxes had given him, which authorised him to rule over the people once he arrived, Ezra 7:25-26. He could also “set magistrates and judges” to judge the people, Ezra 7:25.
It is interesting that Artaxerxes said that he was to teach the laws of God to the people, Ezra 7:25. Artaxerxes must have been impressed by the laws of God, but had he been converted to the truth that there is but one God? This is not likely.
Artaxerxes also sent gifts for the temple, Ezra 7:15-16 / Ezra 7:20-22. The people were encouraged to send free will offerings to help in the restoration of the temple, Ezra 7:16.
After a period of fasting and prayer, Ezra 9:3 / Ezra 9:15, he insisted that these men divorce their wives, Ezra 10:1 / Ezra 10:17. He feared that intermarriage with pagans would lead to the worship of pagan gods among the restored community of Judah. It was intermarriage with pagans in previous years that had led to their turning away from God to serve idols.
Ezra did not want them to repeat their old mistakes. It was important that they remain faithful to God. Ezra also led his country to give attention to the reading of the Law, Nehemiah 8:1-8.
Several priests helped Ezra read the Law, translating and interpreting it so the people would have a clear understanding in their new language of Aramaic, Nehemiah 8:3-4. The reading went on for seven days as the people focused on God’s commands, Nehemiah 8:18, and a reformation began.
This was not the first time the people had the Law read to them. In Joshua 8:33, while standing in front of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, Joshua read “all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law,” Joshua 8:34. This was not long after they had entered the Promised Land.
They needed to be reminded of God’s law as they were now moving into a land filled with paganism. Thus, Joshua renews their covenant with God by requiring everyone to hear God’s Law. In much later years, the temple had fallen into bad condition.
During the reign of Josiah, one of the few good kings, he ordered it to be repaired, 2 Kings 22:5-6 / 2 Chronicles 34:8. While work was underway, a copy of the “Book of the Law” was found (evidently misplaced for years), 2 Kings 22:8 / 2 Chronicles 34:14-15. Can you imagine what a terrible spiritual condition they were in without God’s law?
Upon hearing it read to him, Josiah tore his clothes, 2 Kings 22:11. He said, “For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord to do what is written in this book,” 2 Chronicles 34:21 / 2 Kings 22:13.
Thus, he then required the people to gather together to hear the reading of the Law, 2 Kings 23:1-3 / 2 Chronicles 34:29-32. It is amazing how quickly people can forget God’s Word. Even the disrepair of the temple shows great disrespect on the part of the priests.
We need to realise that it will only take one generation failing to teach God’s word for the church to go into apostasy. The work of restoring New Testament Christianity is an unending work that must be in constant progress.
We need men today like Ezra who are determined to preserve the teachings of the Lord. Every new generation needs to realise the importance of preserving God’s Law.