Ezra
1:1–4
King Cyrus ruled over Persia for 30 years. He was a good military leader. He was also the first king to establish human rights in his kingdom. Cyrus didn’t worship the Lord, but he did obey him! The Lord asked him to build a temple in Jerusalem. Cyrus obeyed and sent the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The Lord used Cyrus to keep his promise to his people.
2:1
The people of the northern kingdom of Israel never returned to Jerusalem. But the people of the southern kingdom returned to Jerusalem and Judah. From that time on those people were called Jews. They were no longer known as Israelites.
2:68 – 3:6 (Talky)
Talky wants to know what the people did when they reached their country. What was the first thing they did? Why was what they did so important?
What were the people afraid of? Read the answer in Ezra 3:3. What did they do even though they were afraid? Do you think it was the right thing to do? What would you have done if you had been there?
3:1–6, 8
The people built an altar at the site of the temple. By doing this they showed that worshipping the Lord was important to them. And they wanted to show that sacrifices and offerings were an important part of their worship. They wanted to serve God by following the laws and commands he had given Moses. They also wanted God to live among them. That’s why they began to rebuild the temple.
4:21–24
The Jews returned to their country. When the Jews arrived home they discovered that other people were living there. These people weren’t happy to see the Jews return! They plotted against the Jews. Their plan stopped the Jews from rebuilding the temple. But they couldn’t stop God’s work from going forward. It only looked like they had. The Lord made sure that the work didn’t stop altogether. The Jews soon got permission to start building the temple again. You can read about King Darius’ instructions in Ezra 6:7.
6:6–10 (Hearty)
Hearty was sad when he read that the work on the temple had to be stopped. It looked as if the Lord’s enemies were winning. But the enemies of the Jews didn’t fool the new King Darius. He told the Jews to continue the work on the temple. He even ordered the Jews’ enemies to help with the building.
How did they have to help the Jews? You will find the answer in verses 8–9.
How does reading these verses make you feel?
6:13–22
The Jews were happy when they set apart the temple for God and celebrated the Passover. The Lord had brought them back to their land. The Passover feast reminded them that the Lord had brought them from Egypt. They remembered that the Lord had protected them in the desert. So they celebrated with great joy.
Hearty wonders if you remember a specific time when the Lord helped you. How do you feel when you think about that time? Can you color a page from Hearty’s chart on page 19 to show how you feel? What can you do to help you remember that special time?
7:1–10
Ezra grew up in Babylon. He was a priest from the family line of Aaron. Ezra was well educated. He had studied God’s laws and instructions. He knew them well and obeyed them.
Ezra became an important man in the palace of King Artaxerxes of Persia. The king liked and trusted him. Ezra went back to Jerusalem to teach the people there about God’s laws and instructions. He also taught them how to worship and serve the Lord.
8
The first group of Jews returned to Jerusalem during the reign of King Cyrus. They rebuilt their homes and then they rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra went to Jerusalem 80 years after the first group. He also took a large group of people with him. They returned during the time of King Artaxerxes. Ezra took many Levites and priests with him. Ezra, with these priests and Levites, brought special sacrifices and offerings to be offered in the temple. They wanted to thank the Lord for bringing them safely back to Jerusalem.
10:1–5
After confessing their sins and being forgiven, the men still had to obey the Lord. So Ezra told them what they had to do. And it was a hard and sad thing to do. All these men had to send their wives from other nations and their children away. They would have to return to the countries they came from. And the men promised the Lord that they would do it. Read verses 2–3.
