Ezra 2

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Jewish Captives in Babylon Who Returned to Jerusalem

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BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God keeps records of the activities of His people. Ezra 2:1-61

  2. God keeps records of the attitudes of His people. Ezra 2:68-70

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Let’s sing unto the Lord.

QUESTIONS

  1. List three categories of people who had been carried away to Babylon and then returned to Jerusalem and Judah.

  2. Why did Cyrus issue his edict in 538 B.C. allowing Jewish people to return to their homeland?

  3. How many Jewish captives returned to Jerusalem under the edict of Cyrus? How do we know this?

  4. Which other book of Scripture is similar to Ezra 2 concerning this first return of the Jews to their land?

  5. Read Ezra 2:63. What is the Urim and Thummim?

ANSWERS

  1. The leaders, the families, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, the sons of Solomon’s servants.

  2. Cyrus was a polytheist, and he wanted to appease the gods of all the nations. But we know that God was working behind the scenes in all of this to accomplish His good purposes for Israel. “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus…” (Ezra 1:1)

  3. About 50,000. Add the numbers in Ezra 2:64-65.

  4. The historical record in Nehemiah 10-12 is similar to Ezra 2.

  5. We don’t know exactly, but Exodus 28:30 says that the Urim and Thummim were associated with the breastplate of the high priest and were used for making decisions. They may have been precious stones, used like casting lots to determine God’s will in some situations.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Why did God include this long list of names?

  2. Even though the former temple lay in ruins, it was still regarded as the house of the Lord—both by God and by the people (Ezra 2:68). In response, they gave willingly to rebuild it. How does that compare to our attitude today?

CHALLENGE

  1. The singers are given special mention (Ezra 2:65, 70), highlighting the importance of music in worship—then and now. Do you take time to thank those who faithfully invest their time and gifts to lead in worship? (Colossians 3:16)

KEY VERSES

  • “These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city.” Ezra 2:1

  • “…they had two hundred men and women singers.” Ezra 2:65

  • “…when they came to the house of the Lord, they offered freely according to their ability…” Ezra 2:68-69

Talks, Old TestamentRon Reid