These small group studies of Ezra contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, verse by verse commentary, and applications. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Ezra 1-2 Bible Study Commentary With Discussion Questions
Ezra 1-2 Video Bible Study
Ezra 1-2 Audio Bible Study
Outline
I. Cyrus authorizes the people of Judah to return and build the temple (1:1-4)
II. God stirs a group of people to return and others to help them (1:5-10)
III. List of the families returning and number of people in each family (2)
Background Passages for Reference
Jeremiah 2:14-25 – If Judah chose to break God’s covenant, He would again allow them to be taken into slavery.
2 Kings 17:7-18, Jeremiah 2:7-13 – Judah did commit gross idolatry.
Jeremiah 25:11, 29:10-14 – God promised 70 years of captivity.
Nehemiah 8:1-9, 12:36 – Ezra is a contemporary of Nehemiah.
2 Chronicles 36 – Judah is conquered and exiled to Babylon.
2 Chronicles 36:22-23 – Parallel passage to Ezra 1:1-3a.
I. Cyrus authorizes the people of Judah to return and build the temple (1:1-4)
Discussion Questions
- If Judah was taken captive by Babylon, why do we read here that Cyrus, king of Persia, is in charge? Can anyone fill in the background of what happened in between these events?
- Which book of the Bible writes about Persia’s victory over Babylon? (Daniel)
- What did Cyrus order in verses 1-4?
- Why did he treat the people of Judah so favorably?
- What do we learn about Cyrus and his character from these verses?
- Why would Cyrus even know about the LORD, much less credit his kingdom to Him?
- Who really decided that the people of Judah could go back to the land and rebuild the temple?
- What can we learn about God’s character from these verses?
- Can you notice any similarities between this passage and the Exodus?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Here, we see that all the prophecies God made through the prophets about Judah’s return to the Promised Land start to be fulfilled. Just like in the book of Exodus and after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, the people of Israel finally return.
Amazingly, although they were sojourners in a foreign land for 400 years (Exodus), 1900 years (Roman destruction of Jerusalem), and 70 years (exiles in Babylon), God divinely brings them home again. Each time, He brings them home through extraordinary historical events. All of these events were predicted ahead of time. God’s powerful and sovereign hand in bringing about His plan for the nation of Israel is a clear underlying message seen throughout the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Visual of the return of the exiles from Babylon. About 900 miles (1450 KM) and 4 months. Created by Study and Obey With Accordance Bible Software
2. God’s chosen instrument was Cyrus. In one of the clearest prophecies in the Bible, Isaiah predicted about 100 years ahead of time that Cyrus would authorize the return to Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28). From Daniel 6, we see that Daniel had a high position within the Persian kingdom. He served a king who is identified as Darius. Most Bible scholars believe that the term “Darius” is a title something like “Pharaoh” and that the king Daniel served was King Cyrus (See Daniel 6:28. This verse can be translated, King Darius…even Cyrus).
The Jewish historian Josephus wrote that Daniel was Cyrus’ prime minister and that Daniel shared with Cyrus the prophesies that Isaiah made regarding his involvement in Judah’s return. According to Josephus, Daniel’s shining testimony prompted Cyrus to make this decision. Once again, we see that a person who lives righteously without compromising can be used mightily by God.
3. From these verses, we can learn a lot about Cyrus. His attitude contrasts sharply with most powerful kings (Daniel 4:28-30). The well-known phrase that absolute power absolutely corrupts was generally true in those days. Most formidable kings of that day exalted themselves. They were egotistical and prideful, and many claimed to be divine. But note that Cyrus, in verse 2, gives all the credit for his kingdom to God. See the usage of the word “LORD” in all caps. (The all-caps version of LORD means that the Hebrew word for YHWH is used in the original language.) Thus, Cyrus is giving the credit not just to a god or the Persian god but to YHWH. This is an amazing confession. It really shows his humility. Unlike Pharaoh, who resisted God’s commands but was forced to comply, Cyrus is a willing and humble tool in God’s hands.
This teaches us that, like Daniel, we should pray for our leaders. God will use them to accomplish His purposes.
Application: Like Cyrus, we should recognize that whatever we have is given to us by God. No matter how rich or successful we are, those riches and successes came from God. We should not become prideful about what we have. Instead, we must give God the glory and remember to use what we have for Him. In fact, we belong to God anyway, so all of our money, time, and everything we own is His. (1 Peter 2:9)
Can you share an example of a success that God helped you achieve?
4. May his God be with him. This will be a continuing theme throughout this book and also Nehemiah. We see that God was with His people. He disciplined them for 70 years in Babylon. Now, the time for discipline was over, and He was going to restore them to their land. This teaches us a very distinct lesson about God.
5. He is sovereign. The nations and powers around Judah rose and fell. Kings rose up and were conquered. Empires tumbled. But God continued to preserve a remnant of His people, according to His prophesies and perfect will. Cyrus was a willing tool in God’s hand as he sent some of the people back. But even if Cyrus wasn’t willing, it wouldn’t have mattered. God’s prophecies never fail. See Deuteronomy 18:20-22.
6. Besides showing us God’s sovereignty, this passage also demonstrates God’s mercy. The people of Judah had deliberately disobeyed Him over and over and over again. Yet He didn’t cast them out. He didn’t permanently reject them or abandon them.
God’s discipline was temporary. It was meant to teach them a lesson and eventually bring them back to Him again.
Application: The final goal of discipline should always be restoration. Parents should not discipline their children merely to mete out pain or punishment. The temporary pain is for the purpose of restoring the child to right fellowship with God and fellow man and as a warning not to repeat the same sins.
7. Cyrus also asked the Israelites who were not returning to help those who were. I imagine most of them were happy to do this. They wanted to see the land populated again. They couldn’t or wouldn’t go for many reasons but would like to help those who did return. This part is similar to the book of Exodus, where the Israelite’s neighbors gave them gold, silver, and other valuables before they left the land.
Cross-Reference
Isaiah 44:28 – Isaiah prophesies about the rebuilding of Jerusalem, “who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’
II. God stirs a group of people to return and others to help them (1:5-10)
Discussion Questions
- Who went back to the land?
- Do you think this was an easy decision? Why or why not?
- What may have motivated them to go back?
- What could have motivated them to stay?
- What kind of life could they expect to have back in the land of Judah?
- What were they going to do when they returned?
- In what other ways did Cyrus show favor towards them? Why would he do this?
- What lessons can we learn from them that can be applied to our lives today?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Many of the families decided to go back to Jerusalem. This could not have been an easy decision. Most of them were born and raised in the Babylonian Empire, which was “home” to them in a very real sense. The people they knew were there. Their houses were there. They had friends there as well as careers, jobs, and possessions. Staying meant security and comfort. Back in Jerusalem, they didn’t know what to expect. Certainly, there would be dangers both on the way and when they arrived back. They would have to start their lives completely from scratch while facing many difficulties and much opposition.
But they made the choice to go because God stirred their hearts. God put this desire in their hearts, and they responded. The Jews realized that Babylon wasn’t really their home. It wasn’t the land God had promised to them. Judah was their home because it was the place God had given to them. This is similar to the concept that we are also aliens in a foreign land, and our citizenship is in heaven.
Application: These people obeyed God’s will for them much like their ancestor Abraham had done so long before. We must be willing to obey Christ no matter how much it costs. That is what it means to be His disciple. Often, obedience means we must leave our comfort zones in order to serve Him better. It could simply mean introducing ourselves to a newcomer at church and inviting him to our house for a meal or perhaps volunteering to serve in an area of ministry that is new or difficult for us. However, following God could also include the big things like leaving our country to go on the mission field.
What is God calling you to do that is outside of your comfort zone?
2. Once again, God blessed the people of Israel through Cyrus by moving him to return all of the valuables that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple 70 years before. This event, where a king returns the spoils to the conquered nation, seems very unlikely. Why would a king do this?
He would do this if God touched his heart. It shows God’s power. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Application: Stories like this should build our faith in God. God can indeed provide for all of our needs abundantly. He can keep every promise He has ever made to us. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Our job is simply to have faith and follow.
III. List of the families returning and number of people in each family (2)
Discussion Questions
- Where did all the people return to? (each to his city 2:1)
- Why do you think Ezra lists out the families and numbers them?
- What purpose do this and other potentially “boring” passages fill?
- What is the total number of people? Compare that to the total number of people in the Exodus (almost 2 million).
- Do you notice anything else interesting from this chapter?
- What was one of the first actions they did when they returned?
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The people each returned to their own city. Although 70 years had passed, they continued keeping track of family lines and property ownership.
2. Ezra numbers all the people meticulously. I get the impression of a very organized return. It is not chaos. Everything is done in order. The leaders taking them back knew exactly who was going back, where they would go, and who they were with. This gives a certain amount of safety and accountability. Anyone with a large family knows it can be easy to leave people behind accidentally. With an orderly list like this, it would be possible to make regular counts and ensure everyone was still in the caravan and not left behind.
3. We see some people from all of the key groups returning, including Benjamin, Judah, Levites, priests, and temple servants.
4. If you add up all the numbers given in the first part of the chapter, it is actually around 10,000 short of the number given in verse 64. This is explained by the fact that Ezra doesn’t list out everyone by family, most likely leaving out the numbers for non-Judah and non-Benjamin tribes.
5. We also see that a couple of groups could not find records of their ancestry. Therefore, they were excluded from serving as priests until a priest could ascertain God’s will for them by using the Urim and Thummim, an Old Testament method of discerning God’s will something akin to casting lots.
6. Upon returning to the land, one of the first things they did was give a contribution to the temple for building the foundation. This appears to be on a volunteer basis. The people freely gave from what they received when they left Babylon. These contributions got the temple construction project off to a good start.
7. The number of people returning seems very few–only 42,360. Contrast that with the probable 2 million people leaving Egypt at the Exodus. We can see Israel has been humbled. Its people have lost their wealth and prestige. They have no standing, status, or power in world affairs. Later, we will see that Jerusalem is a pitiful sight with no walls. The few things they have were mostly given to them by charity. And while the Israelites have returned to the land, they only have the right to be there because the leader of the empire they now serve permitted them. No more are they a strong, proud, independent nation. They are lowly servants dependent on the crumbs falling from their masters’ tables. What can we learn from this?
God certainly blessed them and showed them His grace in allowing them to return. But sin doesn’t come without consequences. God eventually forgave them and restored them. But what they were restored to was much less than what they had before. In our own lives, God will always be willing to forgive us and accept us back, but it doesn’t mean we can get everything we had before we sinned. Therefore, by far, the best choice is to never stray from or disobey God.
Application: Many sins are so serious that even forgiveness by God does not restore one’s previous position or relationships on earth. Consider criminals who are in prison. While they can be forgiven by God, they must still pay for their crimes. Relationships, too, can be destroyed by sin, and though God forgives, sin can cause damage to marriages or other relationships too severe to be undone.
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Hallelujah, God bless everyone of you and your words of encouragement gives us a sense of belonging – to God