From Jonah to Ezra What happened to the Ninevites? To Israel?  The book of Jonah took place between 770 – 750 B.C. o Reign of Jeroboam II B.C. o Assyrian ruler: Assur-Dan III ( B.C) Assyrians conquer the Northern Kingdom in B.C.  Hoshea assassinates Pekahiah to become the last King of Israel Babylonians Exile Judah in 580s B.C. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul, king of Assyria, the spirit of Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, and he took them into exile …. I Chronicles 5:26 Exile of Israel – 2 Kings Exile of Judah – 2 Kings 21-25

Sunday School Spring 2015

13 Week Study Primary Commentary - Ezra & Haggai by Robert Fyall Part of the J.A. Motyer John Stott series Secondary Commentaries J Vernon McGee Dave Pratte Warren Wiersbe Robert Bryce Charles Swindoll Online Material will be posted on the website The Book of Ezra

Ezra – Introduction / Overview Author: Ezra Parts of the book are written in first person, other parts are written in third person It is believed he also wrote Nehemiah and 1 & 2 Chronicles His name translates from the Hebrew as “treasure” or “helper” Descendent of Aaron the chief priest and scribe Access to official Persian / Babylonian documents & papers Ezra 1–6 covers the first return of Jews from captivity, led by Zerubbabel a period of twenty-three years beginning with the edict of Cyrus of Persia and ending at the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (538–515 BC). Ezra 7–10 picks up the story more than sixty years later, when Ezra led the second group of exiles to Israel (458 BC)

Ezra – Introduction / Overview Judah has ceased as an independent nation We see: the rebuilding of the new temple the unification of the returning tribes shared common struggles and challenges to work together Spiritual revival and living in obedience to God One of the great Old Testemant Intercessory Prayer Ezra 9:5-15, Daniel 9, Nehemiah 9 Two main issues: Struggle to restore the temple Need for spiritual reform

Chronology of the Persian Period PERSIAN KINGDATESBIBLICAL CORRELATION CYRUS Return of Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Ezra 1-3) CAMBYSES Rebuilding at Jerusalem stopped (Ezra 4) DARIUS I Haggai and Zechariah prophesy (520) Temple Completed (516) (Ezra 5-6) XERXES Story of Esther (Esther 1-9) ARTAXERXES I Return of Ezra (458) (Ezra 7-10) Return of Nehemiah (445) (Nehemiah (1-2) Prophecy of Malachi (433)

Chronology of the Prophets TO ISRAELTO JUDAHTO FOREIGN NATION ASSYRIAN AGEAmos ca. 760 Hosea ca Isaiah ca Micah ca Jonah ca. 770 BABYLONIAN AGEHabakkuk ca. 630 Zephaniah ca. 627 Jeremiah ca Daniel ca Ezekiel ca Nahum ca. 650 PERSIAN AGEHaggai ca. 520 Zechariah ca Joel ca. 500 Malachi ca. 433 Obadiah ca. 500

Ezra – Setting the stage If you were returning home after your town had been devastated, what would you rebuild first? Why Why do you think it was important for the Israelites to re- establish their base of worship right away? Read 2 Chronicles 36:5-21 How many years have elapsed between the deportation of Judah to Babylon and Ezra 1:1?

Ezra – Setting the stage Why did the three last Kings of Judah fail? Why did God allow the destruction of Jerusalem and the Nation of Judah? Our God is a God of second chances. Where the Israelites warned about their behavior? By who? What was their reaction? Who was the statement that may have set the stage for the return of the Israelites? (Daniel 10:1)

Chronology of the History Books

Artaxerxes I Haggai Temple Completed 516 BC Return under Ezra in the 4th Year of Artaxerxes I 458 BC Return under Nehemiah 444 BC KINGS OF PERSIA Darius Hystaspes Xerxes Babylon Falls & Jews allowed to return to the Land 539 BC Cyrus Cambyses Zechariah