Summary of Daniel Ezra 1:5-11
God’s people prepared to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. They were given valuable gifts to do the project. All of the articles taken from the temple by the Babylonians were returned as well.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 9, Day 4: Ezra 1:5-11
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 9, Day 4: Ezra 1:5-11
Great lesson about how where there’s God’s will, there is always a way.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 9, Day 4: Ezra 1:5-11
God encouraged His people through the challenges they were facing.
The treasures of the Temple were taken to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:18). Now, Cyrus returns them.
Notice what is missing: the Ark of the Covenant, the altar, the lampstands, the incense. Presumably, these were destroyed when the Jews were exiled and Jerusalem was conquered.
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
Ezra 1:5-11 describes the two-fold response to King Cyrus’s decree: the people’s preparation and the king’s provision. It marks the tangible beginning of the mission to return to Jerusalem, showing both a spiritual stirring among the people and the practical return of their sacred heritage.
The People’s Response
Following the proclamation, the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites, were spiritually moved by God to undertake the journey to rebuild the Temple.
Their neighbors, who were staying behind, actively supported them, fulfilling Cyrus’s command from verse 4. They provided generous contributions of silver, gold, goods, livestock, and other valuable gifts, equipping the returning exiles for their massive undertaking.
The King’s Provision
King Cyrus formally returned the sacred treasures of the Temple that King Nebuchadnezzar had looted from Jerusalem decades earlier.
These items were taken from the treasury, counted by a Persian official named Mithredath, and officially handed over to Sheshbazzar, identified as “the prince of Judah.” The text provides a detailed inventory, listing thousands of gold and silver dishes, pans, and bowls, totaling 5,400 articles.
Conclusion
This passage demonstrates the immediate and practical results of God’s divine plan. It shows a unified and divinely-motivated response from the Jewish leaders, the generous support of the surrounding community, and the official, tangible restoration of Israel’s holy treasures. The return of these specific articles was profoundly significant, as it symbolized the legitimate restoration of worship and the direct link between the new Temple and the original one built by Solomon.
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