The Return of Zerubbabel

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Introduction: Ezra chapter one describes the return to Israel under Zerubbabel. Ezra chapter two gives the official census record of those who returned at this time. [Note: there is no need to deal with chapter two verse by verse; just point out special details.] In this passage, God begins to renew that which had fallen. Though it looked to all the earth as if Israel was gone forever as a nation, God had other plans. After all, He can resurrect the dead back to life. Certainly, He can resurrect a nation.

I.                     THE DECREE OF CYRUS (1:1-4)

A.      The Making of the Decree (1:1)

1.       The time of the decree: first year of Darius king of Persia

2.       The fulfillment of the decree

a.      According to the word of the Lord

b.      By the mouth of Jeremiah (2Chronicles 36:21-22; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10-14)

3.       The bringing forth of the decree

a.      The stirring of the Lord (Haggai 1:14; Acts 17:16; 2Timothy 1:6)

b.      The spirit of Cyrus (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-4; Proverbs 21:1)

4.       The proclamation of the decree

a.      Throughout the kingdom

b.      Put also in writing

B.      The Content of the Decree (1:2-4)

1.       To build the house of God (v.2) – the Mission

a.      According to the commission of the Lord

(1)     The Lord God of heaven

(2)     Having given Cyrus all the kingdoms of the earth (Daniel 4:25)

b.      According to the charge of the Lord

(1)     To build the Lord a house

(2)     At Jerusalem in Judah

2.       To send the people of the Lord (v.3) – the Men

a.      The people sought – “Who is there?”

b.      The people strengthened – “his God be with him” (Joshua 1:9-11)

c.      The people sent – “let him go up”

d.      The people signed up – “build the house”

3.       To gather the offering of God (v.4) – the Means

a.      For the purpose of sending

(1)     The part of those not going; Note: compare to missionaries

(2)     To help those who are going

b.      For the purpose of building

(1)     Set up as a freewill offering (Exodus 25:1-2, 8)

(2)     To build the house of the Lord

II.                   THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE (1:5-6)

A.      The Moving of the People (1:5)

1.       The leadership in motivation

a.      The chief of the fathers

b.      The priests

c.      The Levites

2.       The source of motivation – God (Proverbs 16:1)

3.       The method of motivation – in their spirit (Romans 1:9)

B.      The Offering of the People (1:6)

1.       The strength of the offering (2Corinthians 9:6-8) – “strengthened their hands”

2.       The willingness of the offering (2Corinthians 8:3, 11-12)

III.                  THE BRINGING OF THE VESSELS (1:7-11)

A.      The Commissioning of the Vessels (1:7-8)

1.       By the king of Persia (v.7)

a.      Taken from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (2Chronicles 36:7, 18)

b.      Stored in the house of his gods (Daniel 5:1-4)

c.      Brought forth by Cyrus of Persia

2.       To the rulers of Judah (v.8)

a.      Brought by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer

b.      Numbered by Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah

B.      NOTE: Sheshbazzar is certainly another name for Zerubbabel. He is called Sheshbazzar, an name meaning joy in tribulation, by the Persians. However, his own people called him Zerubbabel, which means a stranger in Babylon. Their common identity is seen in the following facts:

1.       They both were the prince of Judah (Ezra 1:8 with Matthew 1:12, which shows Zerubbabel to be in the royal line of David)

2.       They both led the first return from captivity (Ezra 1:11 with Ezra 2:2)

3.       They were both the governor of Judah (Ezra 5:14 with Haggai 1:14)

4.       They both laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 5:16 with Zechariah 4:9)

5.       Yet, they are never both mentioned in the same place.

6.       Therefore, the two names refer to one person.

C.      The Inventory of the Vessels (5:9-11)

1.       A detailed account of some (v.9-10)

a.      Chargers of gold (v.9)

b.      Chargers of silver (v.9)

c.      Knives (v.9)

d.      Basins of gold (v.10)

e.      Basins of silver (v.10)

f.        Other vessels (v.10)

2.       The grand total of all (v.11)

a.      5400 vessels total

b.      Brought from Babylon to Jerusalem

IV.                THE RETURN OF THE MEN OF ISRAEL (2:1-2)

A.      A Return Out of Captivity (2:1)

B.    NOTE: Both Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 record those who came in the first return under Zerubbabel. The two accounts agree on the total number of the congregation (42,360) and the total number of servants (7,337); see Ezra 2:64-65 and Nehemiah 7:66-67. However, on lesser details, there are a number of differences (for instance, compare Ezra 2:5 with Nehemiah 7:10). Why would this be the case? Ezra gave the number of those "that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city" (Ezra 2:1). That is, he is giving the original list of people who left Babylon and joined the trip to Israel. However, Nehemiah "found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first" (Nehemiah 7:5). According to the best chronology I can find, Nehemiah came to build the walls of Jerusalem 92 years after the original return of Jews under Zerubbabel. Most people have no idea that the time between these returns is so long. This is one of the very interesting details I discovered years ago when I studied the Return from Babylonian Captivity. What Nehemiah found was the official registry of the returning Jews that had been kept for the establishment of genealogical lines. As the official registry, it was probably updated for a time to include the effects of births, deaths, marriages, etc. The total numbers of those who returned did not change, but their numbers in the official registry did change for a time. In neither of the accounts is everyone listed according to family, city, or occupation. Those particularly mentioned in Ezra add up to only 29,818; in Nehemiah to only 31,089. There are over 10,000 people who are not mentioned by family or city but are included in the total. These people probably included those who made up very small groups and those who were from tribes other than Judah, Benjamin, or Levi.

C.      A Listing of their Leaders (2:2; Haggai 2:2)

V.                  THE ACCOUNT OF THE CONGREGATION (2:3-35)

A.      By Families (2:3-20)

B.      By Cities (2:21-35)

VI.                THE ACCOUNT OF THOSE IN CHARGE OF WORSHIP (2:36-42)

A.      The Priests (2:36-39)

B.      The Levites (2:40)

C.      The Singers (2:41); Asaph (1Chronicles 25:1-2)

D.      The Porters (2:42; 1Chronicles 26:1; Psalm 84:10); a doorkeeper or gatekeeper

VII.               THE CHILDREN OF THE SERVANTS (2:43-58)

A.      The Nethinims (2:43-54)

1.       Those set apart to do the menial work of the sanctuary (Ezra 7:24; 1Chronicles 9:2)

2.       Originated with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:22-27)

B.      Solomon’s Servants (2:55-58)

VIII.             THOSE WITH INCOMPLETE GENEALOGIES (2:59-63)

A.      From Various Cities (2:59-60)

B.      Children of the Priests (2:61-62)

C.      Decision of the Tirshatha (2:63)

1.       Tirshatha is the governor

2.       Wait for the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 29:21)

IX.                 THE RESULTS OF THE NUMBERING (2:64-70)

A.      The Congregation (2:64)

B.      The Servants (2:65)

C.      The Animals (2:66-67)

D.      The Offering (2:68-70)

CONCLUSION:  For decades, all most of these Jews had known was the metropolis of Babylon. Now, they leave their comfort and the security of what they have known in order to return to a ruined land and restore the kingdom of Israel. They put for the effort to start all over again. We need people with that same kind of spirit today.

MEMORY VERSES:

• Psalm 46:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
• Isaiah 45:4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
• Ezra 1:5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

Y STAR [Story, Theme, Application, Resources]

• STORY – The first return is a trip into the fog. They do not know exactly what will greet them. They do not fully know the condition of the land. The journey of hundreds of miles will take them weeks to complete. Yet they go because they have a higher purpose in mind. They go to rebuild God’s holy temple and to reestablish the true worship of God in God’s chosen city of Jerusalem. They go also to replant the land given to their father Abraham.
• THEME – This lesson is about the efforts and dedication needed to reestablish that which has been lost. If we have lost something like our testimony, or zeal for God, or place in ministry, we should not think it a simple task to restore what has been lost. It takes commitment, dedication, and effort. But, most of all, it takes the help of the Lord.
• APPLICATION
  • Are you where you used to be with the Lord? What has been lost? How can you restore it?
  • What can cause your parents (or others) to stop trusting you? What is needed to gain that trust back?
  • Why do so many people not return to the place of blessing in their life?
• RESOURCES
  • Map showing the trip from Babylon to Jerusalem. Remember, they traveled to the north in order to avoid the desert.
  • Consider why the vessels of the temple were so important to them. Why did they take such care to take them back after so many years?
  • Make a list of steps that need to be taken for different kinds of restoration. Get the class to help make the list.
  • What do you think the people were thinking as they left the only home they knew? Consider someone the age of your students.
  • Discussion: How does their leaving home apply to missionaries?