Summary of Ezra 6:13-22
The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The people celebrated with offerings and then with Passover.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 5: Ezra 6:13-22
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 5: Ezra 6:13-22
I love how the people succeeded with God’s help in rebuilding the temple for worship to the One and Only God!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 5: Ezra 6:13-22
Everyone was strengthened by God, and they prospered. Even though God blessed the people, the work was still hard, but they did it!
It took 4 years to complete the temple from the time the building was resumed. The year was 515 BC. The city walls will be restored during the reign of Artaxerxes in the time of Nehemiah.
For comparison, Solomon sacrificed 142,000 animals when the first temple was dedicated. Here, we see only 712 sacrificed. This was for financial reasons, not for lack of faith and love for the Lord.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrated the purity of God’s people.
The people were full of joy for this!
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
Ezra 6:13-22 describes the triumphant completion and joyful dedication of the Second Temple, culminating in the unified celebration of Passover. It marks the successful fulfillment of the exiles’ mission, brought about by God’s intervention through foreign kings.
Interpretation
- Swift Completion (vv. 13-15): Spurred on by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and now fully funded and protected by King Darius’s decree, the Jewish leaders finished building the Temple with great speed. The work was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of Darius’s reign. The text emphasizes that this success was due to the command of God and the decrees of the Persian kings Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes.
- Joyful Dedication (vv. 16-18): The entire community—the people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites—dedicated the new Temple with great joy. They offered hundreds of animals as sacrifices, including a sin offering for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, symbolizing the reunification of the entire nation. They then organized the priests and Levites for service in the Temple according to the Law of Moses.
- Purified Celebration (vv. 19-22): The returned exiles celebrated the Passover, a festival central to their identity as God’s redeemed people. They were joined by others who had separated themselves from the impurity of the surrounding peoples. The chapter concludes by noting their immense joy, attributing it to God, who had “changed the heart of the king of Assyria” (a term used for the Persian king) to support them.
Conclusion
This passage is the climax of the rebuilding narrative, showcasing a community restored and worship re-established. The dedication and Passover celebration signify more than just the completion of a building; they represent the spiritual rebirth of the nation. It powerfully demonstrates that God fulfilled His promise, turning political opposition into royal support and restoring His people to a state of joyful, purified worship in their own land.
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