Exiles Return Home

MEMORY VERSE: “And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” —Ezra 3:11

EZRA 1:14; 2:68,69; 3:10-13

GOD is an accurate timekeeper. Seventy years was to be the period of the captivity, and in the first year of Cyrus the seventieth year was reached. Then the Spirit of the Lord stirred up Cyrus to issue the necessary decree granting liberty to the captives. The record is silent on the point, but it seems likely that the Lord may have used the Prophet Daniel to stir up the spirit of Cyrus to issue his decree of liberation. Cyrus may also have been influenced by Isaiah 45:1-6. Certainly Daniel knew when the foretold seventy years of punishment ended.—Dan. 9:2

While Cyrus’ decree gave liberty to all Jews to return to their own country, he realized that probably there would be many who would not desire to go. The Prophet Jeremiah had admonished the Israelites to make the best of their situation in Babylon. They were to build houses and plant gardens, etc. They were to raise families so that their numbers would increase, not diminish.

It seems evident that the captives generally followed this admonition, and in seventy years would have had their roots rather deep in their alien home. Indeed, all the older ones among them would have died before the seventy years were ended, so that the decree of liberation would fall upon the ears of those who were young when the captivity began, and those of a new generation. Returning to Judah would have been too much of a task for the very elderly, and it is understandable that many of the new generation would not be interested in leaving Babylon.

Because of this, Cyrus admonished that any who stayed behind should grant assistance to those who returned—helping with their expenses for the journey—and also make donations for the new temple which he decreed they should build in Jerusalem. This was a good suggestion on his part, and revealed a true interest in those he was setting free.

When the returning exiles reached the site of the temple “some of the chief of the fathers” made liberal donations toward the cost of its restoration: “They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests’ garments.” (Ezra 2:69) This suggests that although there were many who did not return from Babylon, those who did were deeply moved by the mercy of the Lord which had released them from captivity, and given them an opportunity to worship their God as they desired to do.

There was a great celebration when the foundation of the new temple had been laid, the priests and the Levites leading the songs of praise on trumpets and cymbals. The people “shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord.”

But there were some who were not so filled with joy—many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, had seen and remembered the original temple built by Solomon. These were now old men, but not so feeble that they could not journey from Babylon to Jerusalem.—Ezra 3:12,13

So there was a mingling of nostalgic tears on the part of these “ancient men,” as they remembered the greater glory of the past, with the joy and hope of the younger people as they anticipated the completion of the new temple. True, the “ancient men” must have been in the minority, but they made themselves heard, “so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.”

The Lord’s people of the Christian era worship God in spirit and in truth. While many costly edifices are built in which to worship God, these are but buildings “made with hands.” The church itself—that is, the congregation of Christ’s followers—is now being “built” as a spiritual house, and through these the Lord will reveal himself to mankind during the messianic kingdom age.—I Pet. 2:3

QUESTIONS

Did the decree of Cyrus result in all the Jews returning to Judah? Explain.

Was there a unanimity of viewpoint concerning the new temple in Jerusalem? Explain.

How will God reveal himself to the people during the messianic kingdom age?

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