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ust as God was big enough to remove the entire nation of
Israel out of their homeland... He was also big enough to bring them back
again. That's the story that we find here in Ezra; at least, part of the return
is recorded here. Nehemiah will tell us
more.
After having spent 70 years in Babylon, some of the people
were sent back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (which Nebuchadnezzar had
formerly destroyed). There were even a few old Jews who had survived the entire
time of captivity and were literally returning to their own property. In other words, they were old enough to
remember what Solomon's temple had looked like.
Jeremiah had prophesied that someday God would bring the
Jews back into their land. And, as it is recorded here in Ezra 1:1-3 (as well
as back in II Chronicles 36:22-23) God used Cyrus, the king of Persia, to bring
about the reviving of Judah and Jerusalem. In the meantime, the Babylonian
empire had been replaced by the Persian. And, most notably, the great Jew
Daniel had risen to great significance during that period of captivity and had
received wonderful prophecies from Jehovah.
Certainly the 70 years were not wasted.
God had accomplished great things even in the disciplining of His
children.
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