THE BIBLE TIMELINE: THE HISTORY OF SALVATION - S16: RETURN

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Peace be with you.

We will go back to the pass lesson later but for now we will go forward to Session 16, Return in THE BIBLE TIMELINE: THE HISTORY OF SALVATION.

The two divided Kingdoms namely the Northern Kingdom, Israel and Southern Kingdom, Judah had been in exile but two tribes in the North were not exiled namely Zebulun and Naphthali who were mainly poor shepherds. It seems that God always have a special place for the poor in His Kingdom since the begining.

Before we move on in our lesson, let us ponder on this question.

• What have you learned about the spiritual conditions that exile can represent?

For this coming lesson 16, we are required to read two narative book of Ezra and Nehemiah where the main character was King Cyrus of Persia as an instrument for God to bring back His people to Jerusalem and rebuild His temple which had been burned down during the invasion of Babylon.

In these reading, our task are to:

• Identify the main character,
• Notice the flow of the events
• And take note of where these events take place.

Reflection questions for us to go deep into the story:

The Return Foretold:
1. The events recorded in Ezra were prophesied by Isaiah two centuries earlier, during the time of divided Kingdom. Read Isaiah 44:24-28, 45:1-6, and 45:13.

Isaiah 44





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1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and ungird the loins of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:




2 "I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron,




3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.




4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me.




5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me,




6 that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.




7 I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe, I am the LORD, who do all these things.




8 "Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may sprout forth, and let it cause righteousness to spring up also; I the LORD have created it.




9 "Woe to him who strives with his Maker, an earthen vessel with the potter! Does the clay say to him who fashions it, `What are you making'? or `Your work has no handles'?




10 Woe to him who says to a father, `What are you begetting?' or to a woman, `With what are you in travail?'"




11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Will you question me about my children, or command me concerning the work of my hands?




12 I made the earth, and created man upon it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.






13 I have aroused him in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways; he shall build my city and set my exiles free, not for price or reward," says the LORD of hosts.

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Isaiah 45

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24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread out the earth -- Who was with me? --







25 who frustrates the omens of liars, and makes fools of diviners; who turns wise men back, and makes their knowledge foolish;







26 who confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers; who says of Jerusalem, `She shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, `They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins';







27 who says to the deep, `Be dry, I will dry up your rivers';







28 who says of Cyrus, `He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, `She shall be built,' and of the temple, `Your foundation shall be laid.'"

Whom did Isaiah mention by name and what did he say would be this man's role in the restoration?

The First Return (Read Ezra 1-6)
2. a. Read Ezra 1. How was Isaiah's prophesy fulfilled?

Ezra 1

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1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:







2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.







3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel -- he is the God who is in Jerusalem;







4 and let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem."







5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, every one whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem;







6 and all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.

2. b. Why might God have given his people such exact information so far in advance?

2. c. Ezra 1:1 mention a prophecy by Jeremiah. Read Jeremiah 29:10-14. What is it?

Jeremiah 29

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10 "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfil to you my promise and bring you back to this place.






11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.







12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.







13 You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart,







14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

3. Think about it: Judah went into exile for failing to learn the lesson of the Exodus.
Do you see parallels between this return and the way the children of Israel (the name given by God for Jacob) left Egypt originally?

4. a. Read Ezra 3.
What was accomplished in the first return?

4. b. Read Ezra 4-6.
What kind of opposition did they face, and how were they helped?

The Second Return. (Ezra 7-10)
5. Read Ezra 7. A descendent of a high preistly line that went back to the days of David and Solomon, Ezra returned with the second wave of Exiles. He was also a scribe or teacher of the Law of Moses who had devoted himself to studying, observing and teaching the word of God.

5. a. Why was Ezra sent back to Jerusalem and what assistance was he given?

5. b. Read Ezra 9:1-10-10:17.
What did Ezra find when he arrived, and what kind of reform did he find it necessary to make?

The Third Return (Nehemiah)
6. The book of Nehemiah tells about the third wave of return from captivity.

6. a. Read Nehemiah 2 and 4.
Why did Nehemiah return, and how did fare?

6. b. Read Nehemiah 5:1-13.
What additional crisis did Nehemiah confront at this time?

6. c. After the walls were built and the people settled in their towns, Ezra brought out the Book of the Law and read it to the assembled people. There was great joy as they celebrated the weeklong Feast of Tabernacles. Following this, they confessed their sins and worshiped God, remembering all God had done for them through out the ages.
Read Nehemiah 9:32-10:29.
What else did they do?

Life in Babylon after the Exile (Esther)
7. The Book of Esther fits between the first and second returns (between Zerubbabel and Ezra).
Many of the Jews did not return to Israel. Esther gives us a window into the lives of those who chose to remain in Persia.
Read the Book of Esther.
Did God forsake the people left behind in exile, or is He faithful yet?

Application
This question will help you apply one of the key themes of the lesson to your life.
After meditating upon it, respond to God with a brief written prayer if you choose.

QUESTION:

Have you ever had an experience where you strayed from the Lord, repented and returned to Him? This maybe in term of relationship or attitude.

What rebuilding did you need to do?

Last but not the least,
WRITE A ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY OF WHAT THE RETURN IS ALL ABOUT.
(you may write your 'one-sentence summary of what the return is all about' in your comment.)

Glory be to God and Peace be with you.
(Ps. this blog is not open to all but only for invitated readers namely LRS group.)