The Book of Ezra
Study #3
(Ezra 1:1-4)
The Decree of Cyrus
Introduction
• Israel ignored the Sabbath rest principle for the land.
• God declared that they would spend one year in captivity for each year the Sabbath rest was not kept.
• Add to this the wickedness and false worship of Judah.
• God keeps His word and does not ignore sin.
• But now God is ready to forgive and heal!
• So, as He had prophesied through years before, He brings a king to power, then stirs his heart to “Let my people go.”
I. The Sovereignty (1a)
Ezra 1:1-11 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled,
• God is zealous to protect the integrity of His Word.
• God is desirous that you and I know that we may have rock-solid confidence in His Word!
• Jeremiah had prophesied that Israel would be there for 70 years. (See Study #1)
The Believer’s Bible Commentary reminds us that, “The decree ended seventy years of captivity for the Jews. The seventy-year period can be calculated in two ways:
* from 605 b.c., when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and led off the first deportation, to 535 b.c., when the foundation of the temple was laid;
* or from the fall of Jerusalem, in 586 b.c., to the completion of the temple, in 516 b.c.”
• And even though he used Babylon to punish His children, He will punish those who lift a hand against His people.
• And that is exactly what happened as we see in the handwriting on the wall in Daniel.
II. The Stirring (1b)
[1B] the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
• God made it so that Cyrus could find no peace till he had moved in the way that the Lord directed.
A. The Prophecy (Isaiah 44:28-45:13)
1 Kings 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
• Please keep in mind that Isaiah wrote prior to 700 B.C.
• This would be 200 years before the events in Ezra.
• To deny this would be to make God no better than the idols mentioned in the chapter.
• Yet the prophecy in Isaiah reads like a newspaper account.
• Can you imagine a prophecy of George Washington that the events of 9/11 would take place.
• Yet that is exactly what Isaiah did!
• As you read this, the absolute rock-solid reliability of God’s word should fill your mind.
Isaiah 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 45:1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: 3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 8 Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. [NOTE: how silly that the broken pieces of pottery shall rise up in league against the potter who made them!] Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10 Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth? 11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
B. The Person (Daniel)
QUOTE: The historian Josephus records an account of the day when Daniel read Isaiah’s prophesy to Cyrus, and in response he was moved to declare the proclamation of 1:2–4. (The MacArthur Study Bible)
• Daniel served the kings of Babylon, and now the Media-Persian king.
• God may very well have used Daniel to influence the king.
• Yes the Lord stirred, but perhaps Daniel planted the word.
• Certainly, Daniel did not relish captivity.
• But God used him mightily.
C. The Principle (Proverbs 21:1)
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
III. The Statement (2-4)
• The essence of this is found at the end of 2 Chronicles. (2 Chronicles 36:22,23)
• Such statements would be written down by the king’s scribe (Daniel?).
• We know that Daniel worked for Cyrus’ administration (Daniel 6:28)
• The herald would read them in the public square.
• Then, a written copy would be filed in the royal library.
A. His Destiny (2a)
[2] Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth;
• We have just read the prophecy of Isaiah.
• The rise of Cyrus is clearly spelled out in prophecy hundreds of years before his birth!
• Based on Daniel’s reading of Isaiah to Cyrus, the king gives credit to the God of Heaven.
• We should not become all excited about the confession of Cyrus.
• Cyrus, history reveals, made it a practice to convert to the Gods of all his conquered peoples.
As is evidenced from Cyrus’ attitude concerning the God of Israel (whom he did not worship) he was not a true believer in Yahweh. Cyrus’ concern was to establish strong buffer states around his empire which would be loyal to him. Also by having his subject peoples resettled in their own countries he hoped to have the gods in various parts of his empire praying for him to his gods Bel and Nebo. The famous Cyrus Cylinder (538 B.C.), which records his capture of Babylon and his program of repatriating his subject peoples in their homelands, includes this statement: “May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities daily ask Bel and Nebo for a long life for me.” (BKC)
• But like the prophecy of Caiaphas, God used the mouth of the king to speak His truth!
B. His Duty (2b)
[2B] and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
• Again, see Isaiah 44 and 45 that we looked at earlier.
• When God wants a work done, he lays in on the heart of a man.
Isaiah 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
C. His Declaration (3-4)
1. The Call to Go (3)
[3] Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
QUOTE: A document called the Cyrus Cylinder, recovered in reasonably good condition by archeologists, commissions people from many lands to return to their cities to rebuild the temples to their gods, apparently as some sort of general policy of Cyrus. (The MacArthur Study Bible)
• Imagine with me how precious these words would have been to the Jews.
• Think of a little boy going to the market for his mom.
• He hears these words and rushes home to tell Mom.
• She can’t believe it, so she runs to the streets.
• Hundreds, maybe thousands, are gathering to discuss the matter.
• FREEDOM! What a sweet word.
2. The Call to Give (4)
[4] And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
• Cyrus, a pagan king, knew then what saved, church going Baptists don’t all understand today!
• It takes MONEY to fund a work for God!
Conclusion (Lessons from our text)
• God has a plan.
• Nothing surprises God.
• When God is ready to move, He will move a man.
• We can trust with absolute confidence the Word of God.
• Illustrated in our text is this certainty: For God’s work to succeed, giving is required! Are you giving?
• While not everyone will take advantage of God’s offer, it is in your best interest (earthly and eternally) to go with God!
• How marvelous that God allows His wandering children to come home!
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
Isaiah 48:9 For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
• Are you away from God?
• He is giving you an opportunity to come home.
