RETURN FROM EXILE

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1. The Temple Rebuilt (Ezra 1:1-5; 3:8-13; 6:13-18)

2. Jerusalem’s Wall Rebuilt (Nehemiah 1:3; 2:11-20; 3:1-2, 28-32; 6:15-16)

3. God’s People Called to Reform (Malachi 3:7-12, 16-18)

Central Truth: Christians can trust God to keep His covenant promises.

Focus: Examine the Jews’ return to the Promised Land and affirm that God keeps His promises.

Evangelism Emphasis: God promises salvation to all who call on the name of Jesus Christ.

Text: “ Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:2).

INTRODUCTION

There are three major events in the history of Israel—the Exodus, the Exile, and the Return. In the Exodus, God took a motley crew of Hebrew slaves and transformed them into a kingdom of priests. For more than seven hundred years the people of Israel inhabited the Promised Land. As long as they lived in the Promised Land, they failed to be faithful to God, with few exceptions. Generations of idolatry led to God’s judgment. In 722 BC, the Assyrian armies destroyed the northern kingdom of the ten tribes of Israel.

In 586 BC, the Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the surviving citizens of Judah to the Babylonian provinces around the Euphrates River. After generations of infidelity to God, He abandoned the Judeans to their enemies. This signified the end of the Davidic dynasty and the death of the nation. But this is not the end of the great story.

After seventy years in Babylonian exile, God allowed the Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem. God would not allow the covenants He made with Abraham, Moses, and David to fail. God’s enduring mercy is demonstrated in the resurrection of the nation.

1. THE TEMPLE REBUILT

When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, they razed the Temple and confiscated all the sacred treasures (2 Kings 24:10-13). The destruction of the Temple was the ultimate sign that Yahweh had abandoned Jerusalem. But God had promised that the Judean exile would not be permanent. God’s enduring mercy was once again extended to the descendants of Abraham.

A. God Stirs the People (Ezra 1:1-5)

2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

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.

The great story assures us the geopolitical affairs of the world are not arbitrary, but that human events are guided by the hand of Yahweh. During Israel’s exile, God allowed the Babylonians to be conquered by the Persians (539 BC; cf. Jer. 51:11; Dan. 5:25-28). Cyrus of Persia was anointed by God for the ultimate purpose of restoring Jerusalem to the Judeans (Isa. 44:28; 45:13). Yahweh “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus” so “the word of the Lord . . . might be fulfilled” (Ezra 1:1 NKJV). Just as God’s word of judgment in the destruction of Jerusalem was certain; likewise, God’s promise of the restoration of Jerusalem was dependable.

Cyrus was not devoted to the religion of Yahweh. Cyrus’ designation “the Lord God of heaven” (v. 2) was a consistent policy to use the title of the gods recognized by the local population. Because the decree was issued in behalf of the Judeans, Cyrus used the name of the God of the Judeans—“the Lord,” that is, Yahweh . Cyrus’ use of the name of Yahweh was not a declaration of faith, but an announcement of political policy. In fact, the repatriation of all conquered peoples to their homelands was a Persian policy. Cyrus’ true religious sentiments would be expressed in the declaration, “The great gods have delivered all the lands into my hand” (H. G. M. Williamson, Word Biblical Commentary: Ezra/Nehemiah ).

Cyrus was not concerned that Yahweh be honored, but that the people who worshiped Yahweh be pacified. The irony is that even as Cyrus was attempting to use the name of Yahweh for political purposes, Yahweh was exercising the power of His divine reign to manipulate Cyrus. Not only did Cyrus allow the Judeans to return to Jerusalem, he financed the endeavor and returned the Temple treasures (vv. 4, 6-11).

Yahweh also stirred up (“raised,” v. 5) the elders and priests of Judah and Benjamin. After decades of living in the provinces along the Euphrates River, many Judeans had made Babylon their home. They had no intentions of returning to the ruins of Jerusalem. So, God began to stir the hearts of a remnant of the people, beginning with the leaders. Ezekiel prophesied that a remnant of the exiles would be given “one heart, and . . . a new spirit” so they would be faithful to God’s covenant (Ezek. 11:19-20; 36:26-27). As God began to stir the hearts of the people, they began to remember His promise. It was time to leave Babylon—time for a new exodus. Just as their ancestors had been delivered from Egypt, now God was delivering a new generation. Just as the Exodus generation had to receive their inheritance, the Return generation had to reclaim the promise.

How does God show His sovereignty over kings and presidents today?

B. The Temple Foundation Laid (Ezra 3:8-13)

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

The leaders of the initial return of the remnant were Jeshua and Zerubbabel (v. 8). The work of the Temple began in the second year of Israel’s return, in the second month of the year. The timing for the beginning of construction was symbolic, as it was the second month of the year that Solomon began construction on the first Temple (1 Kings 6:1; 2 Chron. 3:2). The people “stood united” in the massive task (Ezra 3:9 NASB). The laying of the foundation of the Temple was a “small thing” in the building of a massive structure (see Zech. 4:10), but it signified the certainty that the Temple would be completed. Yahweh would see to the building of His Temple.

When the foundation of the Temple was established, the people gathered to worship according to the ancient tradition of King David (1 Chron. 6:31; 25:1). The rebuilding of the Temple signified that neither God, nor the people, had forgotten the Davidic covenant. Decades of Babylonian captivity could not quash the sacred memory of Israel. The gathered worshipers sang together, “The Lord . . . is good, for his mercy endureth for ever ” (Ezra 3:11). It is likely that the worshipers were singing Psalm 136, also known as the “Great Psalm of Praise,” in which the refrain—“for His mercy endures forever” (NKJV)—is repeated twenty-six times. The return of the remnant to the Promised Land and the laying of the foundation of the second Temple was a testimony to the enduring mercy of Yahweh.

As the people worshiped, some shouted with joy while others wept with a loud voice. Many of the elders remembered the first Temple and were overcome with sorrow (Ezra 3:12). While it is true that remembering the glory of the first Temple provoked their sorrow (Hag. 2:3), it is also likely that their sorrow was provoked by memories of the invading Babylonian armies, the sounds of women and children screaming in the streets in Jerusalem, and the smell of the flames that consumed the first Temple. As young men, they had witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, as old men, they witnessed Israel’s return and the rebuilding of the Temple. The great story includes Exodus, Exile, and Return; salvation and judgment; destruction and rebuilding. Worship that faithfully remembers the great story will be expressed in shouts of joy and loud lamentation (see Rom. 12:15).

Why should both weeping and rejoicing be heard in God’s house today?

C. The Temple Rededicated (Ezra 6:13-18)

15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. 16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.

The rebuilding of the second Temple would prove to be a difficult and long task. The time from the dedication of the Temple’s foundation (3:10) until the completion of the second Temple spanned the reign of three Persian kings over a period of twenty years, all of which were filled with conflict. The people became discouraged, and work on the Temple ceased shortly after the dedication of the foundation. For more than fifteen years the foundation lay dormant.

The people needed to be encouraged, and it was the prophetic preaching of Haggai and Zechariah that energized them (5:1-2; 6:14). Through the preaching of Haggai, “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel . . . and the spirit of Joshua . . . and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Hag. 1:14 NASB). Zechariah reminded the people that they were empowered by the Spirit of Yahweh: “ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6 NASB). After fifteen years of inactivity, the people resumed work on the Temple. Four and a half years after the first preaching of Haggai, the Temple work was completed in 516 BC.

The people of the Return experienced the joy of living in obedience to the word of the Lord. During the post-exilic period, there is something that is conspicuous by its absence— idolatry . The remnant people did not fall into the temptation of worshiping the gods of Babylon, Persia, or Samaria. They did what their ancestors failed to do—the remnant maintained fidelity to Yahweh.

During the dedication of the second Temple, twelve male goats were sacrificed as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel (Ezra 6:17). This is a remarkable act of confession and faith. The returning remnant was comprise of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, as well as Levites. The ten tribes that comprise the northern kingdom of Israel lost their homeland in 722 BC when the Assyrian armies conquered Israel. By sacrificing twelve goats as a sin offering for the twelve tribes, the people were expressing solidarity with the ancestral sins of all of Abraham’s descendants. This act signified the reunion of the tribes that had been divided since the death of Solomon. The sin offering was also an act of faith that implied atonement and covenant remained available for all twelve tribes (Derek Kidner , Ezra and Nehemiah ).

Worthy of Trust

The world offers a variety of options in which to place our trust. God offers Himself, and He shares His names and attributes so we might know that the One we trust is trustworthy.—Ava Pennington

2. JERUSALEM’S WALL REBUILT

Nehemiah served the Persian king Artaxerxes I as cupbearer; that is, he was the king’s wine taster. As cupbearer, Nehemiah enjoyed the trust and favor of the monarch.

A. The Disrepair of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:3)

3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

Seventy years after the completion and dedication of the second Temple, Nehemiah was informed that the situation in Jerusalem was desperate (446 BC). The city wall and gates remained in ruins, still bearing the scars of the Babylonian invasion after 140 years. The “great affliction and reproach” of Jerusalem (v. 3) was because the remnant had “dealt very corruptly” against God by not maintaining the Mosaic covenant (v. 7), which they had pledged to do when the second Temple was dedicated. The sin of the remnant was not idolatry, but half-heartedness. The mission of God is often difficult, and without the right leaders the people got discouraged.

Upon hearing of the desperate situation in his homeland, Nehemiah requested permission to travel to Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes granted permission for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the city. Artaxerxes even financed the mission by providing building materials (2:8). Again, Yahweh moved the hearts of many people—Jews and Persians, believers and unbelievers—to accomplish the divine purpose.

B. Repairing the City Walls (Nehemiah 2:11-20)

12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

After arriving in Jerusalem, at first Nehemiah told no one of the purpose of his visit. He knew there would be opposition from Israel’s enemies in the land. So, during the night he secretly inspected the walls of Jerusalem and discovered “how Jerusalem lieth waste” (vv. 12-17). Jerusalem was in a state of reproach; that is, Jerusalem had been disgraced—the ruined city walls and burned gates signified a time when Yahweh withheld divine grace from the city. But with the Return, Yahweh again extended divine grace to the city. It was time that the city show signs of grace, time for the city to be rebuilt.

There were two things necessary for the rebuilding of the city wall—the hand of God and the words of the king. We should not dismiss the divine-human cooperation in these events. Yahweh created humans to cultivate and rule the earth as God’s co-regents (Gen. 1:27-28). God has established governments to provide for the flourishing of human civilization (Rom. 13:1-7). Although Artaxerxes was a devotee of the Persian religion—Zoroastrianism—he remained subject to the rule of Yahweh. Throughout the great story, the kings of the world—from the Pharaoh of Egypt to the king of Persia—are subject to the will of the God of Abraham (cf. Ex. 4:21; 7:3). The conspiracies, or false religions, of human kings cannot subvert the rule of Yahweh (Ps. 2; Nah. 1:9-11). Because of God’s enduring grace, Nehemiah had the favor of the king.

The divine-human cooperation in the rebuilding project is especially demonstrated among the people of the Return. God’s hand is upon Nehemiah. The metaphor of God’s hand speaks to presence and authority which rests upon Nehemiah. Nehemiah is cooperating with God by proving himself obedient to God’s mission. With Nehemiah’s encouraging words, the people of the Return begin to cooperate in God’s mission—“they put their hands to the good work” (Neh. 2:18 NASB). By cooperating in the rebuilding project, the people of the Return are fulfilling the Mosaic covenant—they are acting as a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:5-6). Much of the work of God in the world is accomplished by divinely empowered human hands.

When people of authority arose to try to stop the rebuilding effort, Nehemiah declared, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build” (v. 20 NKJV).

Describe the faith Nehemiah possessed.

C. The Work of God (Nehemiah 3:1-2, 28-32; 6:15-16)

6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. 16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

Chapter 3 gives the record of those who worked together to rebuild the city wall. Appropriately, it begins with “ Eliashib the high priest . . . with his brethren” leading the way (v. 1), and concludes with the account of goldsmiths and merchants doing their part (v. 32).

In 6:15 we see the wall was finished in fifty-two days, but there would be more work to do. The rebuilding of Jerusalem was a massive task that would require many years and much money. It was to be done one stage at a time. Projects were prioritized. The people of the Return rebuilt the Temple first (Ezra 6:15), as a testimony that the peace of Jerusalem depended on the enduring grace of God. The rebuilding of the city walls signified that the disgrace of the Babylonian invasion was long behind them. Yahweh was the divine architect guiding each stage of the rebuilding project.

The rebuilding project had many enemies who sought to subvert the work for a variety of reasons (Neh. 4:1-5). But the enemies of the Return could not prevent the work from being completed. With the wall finished, the enemies who sought to discourage the rebuilding project were now discouraged. In their defeat, they confessed to the enduring grace of Yahweh—“they perceived that this work was done by our God” (6:16 NKJV).

When people look at your life, how can they see the hand of God?

God’s Triumphant People

Throughout the Old Testament, the false gods of the nations failed to protect the interest of their patrons. The gods of Egypt could not prevent Yahweh’s plagues. The gods of Canaan could not prevent the victories of Joshua’s armies, or the ascension of David to the throne. When Judah and Israel sinned by worshiping the gods of Canaan, their new idols could not prevent Yahweh from judging both nations. When God initiated the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the gods of Persia proved inept. An ancient blessing, pronounced many generations before, stood the test of time and proved the enduring mercy of God: “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, O victorious people? Yahweh is the shield that protects you and the sword that leads you to triumph. Your enemies will try to corrupt you, but you yourself will trample on their backs” (Deut. 33:29 NJB).

3. GOD’S PEOPLE CALLED TO REFORM

A. Return to the Lord (Malachi 3:7)

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

With the Temple finished and the walls and gates of Jerusalem completed, the work still continued. Now, the hearts of the people needed to be reformed. The returning people needed to return to the Lord. The only thing that could accomplish that task was the word of the Lord. So, God spoke through the prophet Malachi, the last prophetic voice in the Old Testament. His message was about the coming Day of the Lord—a time when Yahweh would return to the Temple. Malachi called the people to see: “Behold . . . the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple” (v. 1).

Speaking through Malachi, the Lord said, “I will come near to you to judgment” (v. 5). God’s purpose in judgment is the sanctification, not destruction, of the people. It is true that in sanctification sinful attitudes and practices must die, but the Lord will preserve the people who cooperate. When Yahweh appears, the people will stand before His holiness and be transformed. God’s purpose has not changed. Because of His enduring mercy toward the descendants of Abraham, Yahweh’s “refining fire” will not consume the people; instead, it will purify them (see vv. 2-3, 6).

What does God promise those who return to Him?

B. A Blessed Nation (Malachi 3:8-12)

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Since the days of Abraham, it was the custom that the tithe (one-tenth) of one’s income was to be given to the service of God. Divine blessing has always been associated with the faithful giving of the tenth (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:4-6). The tenth is “holy unto the Lord” (Lev. 27:30).

Malachi charged the people of robbing God (Mal. 3:8-9). The Hebrew word qābá means “to take forcibly.” Malachi did not charge the people with failure to give, but with forcibly taking the tenth from the treasury of the Lord. In other words, failure to obediently give the tenth is not a small matter—it is an act of violence against the mission of God. Just as faithful tithing ensures divine blessing, failure in tithing incurs divine curses (cf. Deut. 28:15ff; Mal. 1:14; 2:2).

The tithe is a test of the people’s fidelity to God, and God’s faithfulness to the people. Yahweh challenged them, “Test Me now in this” (Mal. 3:10 NASB). The response of the people is telling: “It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance?” (v. 14). Failure to tithe is a crisis of faith. The people were quick to question the faithfulness of God; but they were unwilling to discern their own sinfulness, and unwilling to take up God’s challenge. The people’s unwillingness to open their hearts toward God led to an impoverished nation.

The key to national blessing is generosity . God’s desire is that Israel—the Promised Land—be known as the “delightful land” among all the nations of the earth (v. 12 NKJV). Generosity opens the windows of heaven so that blessings may overflow (v. 10). Why? Because it demonstrates a heart after God (cf. Deut. 15:7-10; 1 John 3:17-18).

What is your experience with tithing to the Lord?

C. A Righteous Nation (Malachi 3:16-18)

16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Even as many of the people rejected Malachi’s message, there were some who feared the Lord (v. 16). Those who feared Yahweh would be remembered in the Day of the Lord. In other words, those who maintained covenant with God would survive the coming judgment. A “book of remembrance” would be kept to record the righteous deeds of the faithful for posterity, and as testimony before the coming Judge. The first mention of a book of remembrance is found in Exodus 17:14, in which the destruction of Amalek is recorded. Moses references a book in which the names of the people of the Exodus are recorded, and some are blotted out because of rebellion (32:32-33). Psalm 69:28 speaks of “the book of the living,” and Daniel references “the book” in which everyone whose name is written will be rescued during a time of great distress (12:1). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul tells us that the names of his fellow workers are written in “the book of life” (Phil. 4:3). Also, Revelation says those whose names are “not found written in the book of life” will be “thrown into the lake of fire” (20:15 NASB); and “only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” will be granted entrance into the New Jerusalem (21:27 NASB).

Malachi is reminding the Israelites that keeping covenant with God is more than heritage or genealogy, more than biological descent from Abraham. In the Day of the Lord, only those who have been faithful are the true descendants of Abraham. Only the faithful will be God’s “own possession,” and only the faithful will be spared in the coming Day of the Lord (3:17-18 NASB).

GOD’S PROMISES

Throughout the period of the Return, God’s enduring mercy proved more than sufficient to restore the nation. However, there was not a restoration of the Davidic monarchy. Israel was not an independent nation, but continued to be governed by foreign powers. The Lord’s final statement in the Old Testament begins, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5). In other words, the great story would be continued.

In AD 70, the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and its Jewish population was scattered throughout the world. For centuries the Jews were a people without a country. The Jewish diaspora settled throughout Europe, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Russia. When Europeans immigrated to the Americas, Jews immigrated as well. For almost nineteen hundred years there was no Jewish state. During World War II, the German Nazis executed over six million European Jews in an effort to cleanse Europe of all Jewish influence. Then suddenly, in 1948, a modern Jewish state was established. The modern nation of Israel is a sign of God’s enduring mercy toward the descendants of Abraham. God’s promises will not fail.