Answer: to help them with silver and gold, goods and livestock
Cyrus actually says that God has told him to see that the Temple of Jerusalem is rebuilt! "All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah." (Ezra 1:2, NKJV).
In addition to giving the assistance commanded by Cyrus to returning Jews, he also encourages voluntary donations specifically for the rebuilding of the Temple (verse 4b).
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: all those whose spirits God had moved
Not all the Jews in exile returned at once. This verse indicates that it was those whom God had called who returned first. Many others remained in Persia for a long time to come. Cyrus took Babylon in 539 BC, and issued this command soon afterwards. Nehemiah's return to Jerusalem, for example, took place nearly a hundred years later. Following the first return, led by Zerubbabel, Jews seem to have continued to leave Persia for Jerusalem in groups until at least 400 BC.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: 200 men and women singers
There is no mention of any escort of Persian soldiers, nor of any Persian citizens (who were not Jewish). These singers could well have been important for their role in remembering and communicating the lore of Israel while in Exile, as well as for their role in worship in synagogues and in the Temple. (cf. 2 Chronicles 25:35)
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: 20
From Quiz: Ezra
Answer: offer burnt offerings to the Lord
While Haggai was to rail against the Jews' provision for themselves before they provided for God's Temple, that came much later. The Jews began by reinstituting the worship of JHWH, with the morning and evening burnt offerings, and all the prescribed sacrifices.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: work began on the foundations of the Temple
While it seems to us today that a delay of more than a year in beginning work on the Temple (their whole purpose in returning to Jerusalem!) is very slow progress, we need to bear in mind that in those days there was no such civilised support system in place to sustain life, such as we have today.
No supermarkets, modern transport, hospitals or schools - the returning exiles had first to put in place enough of a base on which to survive: to plant crops, close off fields, dig or open wells, etc. Only after they had done this was it possible for them to give their attention to beginning work on the Temple.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: Cyrus
Ezra 6:3-4 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; 4 With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house.
King Darius also made similar decrees about the temples he made (Ezra 6:1)
From Quiz: Ezra
Answer: Haggai and Zechariah
Ezra and Nehemiah were not prophets, but Jewish leaders! (Nehemiah 8:9 describes Nehemiah as a governor, Ezra as 'priest and scribe'.)
Hosea and Malachi are the first and last of the minor prophets (the Twelve); Hosea prophesied in Israel before the fall of Samaria, and Malachi in Judah after the Temple had been rebuilt.
Habakkuk and Zephaniah both prophesied during the Exile in Babylon, before the return.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: The building costs were to be paid out of the king's own taxes
This is almost as startling as Cyrus's original command. Rulers in those days were extremely possessive about their taxes - how else could they continue to govern? Darius not only commands that the building costs be covered by his taxes from that district, but that this money be paid directly to the builders!
Furthermore, anyone who hindered the work on the Temple was to be hanged from the roofbeam of his own (destroyed) house. (Ezra 6:11-12)
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
Answer: Leave their wives
Ezra 10:3: Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
Ezra knew not only were the people around him guilty of sin, but so was he. It was considered bad to marry outside of the Jewish faith if you were Jewish back then.
The fact that Ezra knew he wasn't perfect, and had weaknesses is what made him such a strong leader.
From Quiz: Ezra
Answer: widespread intermarriage with the pagan tribes
Ezra 9 and 10 conclude with the story of the purification of the Jews: beginning with Ezra (who appears to have gone into mourning on behalf of the nation, rather than from personal guilt), and supported by Shechaniah, the Jews determined to cleanse themselves (spiritually) in obedience to God's command.
In spite of the fact that the worst offenders were among the leaders of the people (Ezra 9:2b), the pagan wives and their children were 'put away'. This is a marked change in the history of Israel's relationship with God: for the first time, the Jews were choosing to be faithful, and were sufficiently in earnest to sustain this faithfulness. What happened to the women and children who were turned out is not recorded.
From Quiz: BBB Bible Series: Ezra
