Tag: bsf questions answers exile and return lesson 10

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 5: Ezra 6:13-22

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

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

11) With joy. They offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs, and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God.
12) The Passover celebration was profoundly significant as it symbolized a “second Exodus.” It was the first one celebrated in the newly completed Temple, marking not just a return from exile but a spiritual restoration. It unified the community, including all who purified themselves, re-establishing their identity as God’s redeemed people.
13a) The people remembered that God had changed the attitude of the king of Assyria and assisted them with the temple rebuilding. They also remembered how the Lord redeemed them from Egypt.
b) Honestly, every day is a kindness, and there are too many to pinpoint one. I try to celebrate Him every day of my life!

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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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Ezra 4:1-6:12

Ezra 4:

The enemies of Israel offered to help build the temple. The Israelites said no, so they began to work against the building of the temple, using intimidation and bribes. The enemies persuaded King Artaxerxes to make the Israelites stop building the walls of Jerusalem.

Ezra 5:

In the second year of the reign of Darius, the King of Persia, the temple rebuilding began again with the help of the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah. Their enemies tried to stop them again, but the Israelites delayed them by writing a letter to King Darius to make a decision, citing that King Cyrus had granted them permission.

Ezra 6:1-12:

King Darius found the decree issued by Cyrus that allowed the rebuilding of the temple, so the Israelites were allowed to continue. He gave them money to do so and threatened anyone who stopped the Jews with death.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12

9a) First, they offered to “help,” which was turned down. Then they tried to intimidate the Israelites with fear. Finally, they appealed to the King with lies, which worked and forced the construction to stop.
b)
Through His prophets (5:1-2): God used the prophets to prophesy to the Jews to encourage them to rebuild the temple again.
Through powerful kings, despite local resistance (5:3-6:12): The people wrote a letter to the reigning king, King Darius, and used the fact that King Cyrus had given them permission. This proclamation was found, and King Darius honored the terms, so the temple could be rebuilt again.
c) Ezra 4:6-23 is a non-chronological summary of future opposition. The author “flashes forward” to the reigns of Kings Xerxes and Artaxerxes, showing how adversaries wrote letters accusing the Jews of rebellion. This successfully halted the later work of rebuilding Jerusalem’s city walls, illustrating the long-term hostility faced.
10a) Nothing or no one can stop God and His plans. He uses people and moves people so that His plans come to pass.
b) Mostly through other people or life’s circumstances. It comes in doubt, fears, discouragement, and more. Now, it’s time that works against me.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12

Great lesson on how God moves people so that His work is accomplished.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 4: Ezra 4:1-6:12

The foreigners who had been living in Judea since the exiles were not happy that the people were returning. Therefore, they mount an opposition to the temple building. These adversaries were the Samaritans. They were half God-fearing, half-pagans 2 Kings 17:33

Ongoing resistance began to both the temple building and the wall building.

We meet 2 other Persian kings here: Ahasuerus (Xerxes, who reigned between 485 and 465 B.C.) and Artaxerxes I (who reigned between 464 and 424 B.C.).

Fun Fact: Ezra 4:8-6:18 is all written in Aramaic.

The accusations of Israel’s enemies were both true and lies. The past of the Israelites persuaded Artaxerxes, so the building was halted for 15 years.

God sends the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to get the building project moving again.

Haggai records much of what happened here, rebuking the Israelites for their lackadaisical attitude towards the temple rebuilding Haggai 1:2-10. God intervenes (Haggai 1:7-8). He began to speak to the people 16 years after the temple rebuilding first began in 520 BC.

Zechariah means “the Lord remembers.” His job is to motivate the people to continue. God protects His people here.

Tattenai was a local governor for Persia. Tattenai sends a letter to King Darius, explaining the situation. The old scroll of Cyrus is found. Darius allows the work to continue based on historical pretext. The Jews are to pray for his family and his sons. The work should be completed ASAP.

Remember that the book of Nehemiah focuses on the rebuilding of the city and its walls.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

This section of Ezra chronicles a period of intense opposition, prolonged delay, and ultimate divine vindication in the rebuilding of the Temple. It shows how God’s plan prevails despite persistent human resistance.

Interpretation

  • Initial Opposition (Ezra 4:1-5): Immediately, adversaries—the people living in the land, later known as Samaritans—offer to “help” build the Temple, but their intentions are hostile. When their offer is rejected by Zerubbabel to maintain religious purity, they actively work to stop the project through intimidation and political bribery, successfully halting the work for about 16 years.
  • Thematic Flash-Forward (Ezra 4:6-23): The author inserts a summary of later opposition during the reigns of Kings Xerxes and Artaxerxes. This section, which focuses on stopping the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, is not chronological but serves to show that the hostility was a long-term, persistent problem for the returning exiles.
  • Work Resumes Through Prophetic Encouragement (Ezra 4:24-5:5): After the long delay, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah stir the people to resume building. When a local governor, Tattenai, challenges their authority, the Jewish elders cite King Cyrus’s original decree. Protected by “the eye of their God,” they are allowed to continue building while the matter is investigated.
  • Divine Vindication Through King Darius (Ezra 5:6-6:12): Tattenai sends a letter to King Darius requesting a search of the royal archives. Miraculously, Cyrus’s scroll is found. Darius not only reaffirms the original decree but issues a powerful new one: he commands Tattenai not to interfere, orders the entire cost of the Temple to be paid from the royal treasury, provides for the daily sacrifices, and issues a death penalty for anyone who obstructs the work.

Conclusion

This narrative powerfully demonstrates God’s sovereignty over human history and politics. Though the project was stalled for years by fierce opposition, God’s purpose was never defeated. He used the encouragement of prophets and even the legal system of a pagan empire to not only restart the work but to ensure its completion with greater resources and protection than before. It is a story of how God turns obstacles into instruments for His will.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 3: Ezra 3:7-13

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Ezra 3:7-13

The people, along with Zerubbabel and Joshua, began rebuilding the temple. Levites supervised the rebuilding. When the builders laid the foundation, the people praised the Lord loudly.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 3: Ezra 3:7-13

6) The masons and carpenters were paid. Food, drink, and olive oil were given as trade to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs up. The people began the work, and the Levites supervised the building.
7a) People were praising and thanking God using cymbals and song, but the older priests, Levites, and families were weeping as they remembered the old temple. There were shouts of joy and weeping noises. The sound was heard far away.
b) God working in your life can be extremely overwhelming to the point of tears. Happy times can be incredibly sad, too. This bittersweet feeling arises when a happy new beginning is deeply connected to a meaningful ending or loss. The joy for the future coexists with a sadness for what is now in the past.
8 ) God’s words about thinking about Him always. God’s faithfulness in all the daily processes.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 3: Ezra 3:7-13

I love seeing the hard work and preparations that go into such a huge and important project. Everyone is participating, too. So great!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 10, Day 3: Ezra 3:7-13

Now that the altar was finished, the work on the temple could begin. Cedar trees from Lebanon were renowned for being the best. They were used by Solomon in the construction of the first temple (1 Kings 5:6).

Remember that the King of Persia, Cyrus, promised to help support the rebuilding of the temple financially.

Note the temple was called the house of God at Jerusalem.

The mention of the age of the Levites was important because the Law of Moses stated the Levites began their service at 30 (Numbers 4:1-3, 4:3-47), but David changed the age to 20 (1 Chronicles 23:24).

The priests were in ceremonial attire, the musicians sang praises, and the people joined in.

King Solomon spent billions of dollars on the first temple, and the old men knew this temple would be much simpler. They were happy at the restoration, but sad at the destruction of the first one. Some may even have seen the first temple destroyed. And, many things would be missing: the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat, manna, Aaron’s rod, and more.

Many say that the old men should not regret the past but look forward to the future. And, the prophets warned against despising this temple for its humble beginnings (Haggai 2:1-9, Zechariah 4:8-10).

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Ezra 3:7-13 details the official start of the Temple’s reconstruction and the powerful, mixed emotional response of the community. It captures a pivotal moment of transition from planning to action, blending hope for the future with memories of the past.

The Work Begins

The leaders paid masons and carpenters and purchased materials, notably cedar logs from Lebanon, mirroring the process Solomon used for the First Temple. In the second year of their return, Zerubbabel and Jeshua organized the workforce, appointing the Levites to supervise the construction. The work officially began as they laid the foundation of the new Temple.

A Mixed Reaction of Joy and Sorrow

Once the foundation was laid, the priests and Levites led a ceremony of praise and thanksgiving to God. The younger generation, who had never seen the original Temple, erupted in a great shout of joy, celebrating the new beginning.

Simultaneously, the older priests, Levites, and family heads who remembered the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple wept loudly. Their tears were not of joy, but of sorrow, as the new foundation was clearly modest in comparison to the glorious past they had lost. The sound was so profound that the shouts of joy were indistinguishable from the sounds of weeping.

Conclusion

This passage marks the tangible fulfillment of the exiles’ mission, but it reveals the complex reality of restoration. The joy of a new start was mingled with the painful memory of what had been lost. It shows that rebuilding is not just about the future; it is also an act of confronting the past. The scene poignantly captures a community caught between hopeful celebration and sorrowful remembrance, united in a single, powerful sound.

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