1. Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission
Old Testament
Biblical Backgrounds
Israel After the Exile
Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission

2. By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. 2 Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. (Psalm 137:1-2).

3. For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
How can we sing the LORD’s song In a foreign land? (Psalm 137:3-4)

4. Medes Persians Babylon
Babylon

5. Ezra 1:2-3
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! 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.

6. Ezra 1:4
“Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”
Cyrus
the
Great

7. “I am Cyrus, King of the World, Great King, Legitimate King, King of Babylon, King of Kiengir and Akkad, King of the four rims of the earth, Son of Cambyses, Great King, King of Achamaenes…”

8. “When I entered Babylon as a friend and when I established the seat of the government in the palace of the ruler under jubilation and rejoicing, Marduk, the great lord, induced the magnanimous inhabitants of Babylon to love me, and I was daily endeavoring to worship him...”

9. “… Ashur and Susa, Akkad, Eshnunna, the towns Zamban, Me-turnu, Der as well as the region of the Gutians, I returned to these sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time, the images which used to live therein and established for them permanent sanctuaries”

10. “I also gathered all their former inhabitants and returned them to their habitations.”

11. Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him, And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut (Isaiah 45:1).

12. “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd
“It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” (Isaiah 44:28).

13. “For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me. (Isaiah 45:4).

14. Ezra 1:5-6
Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle, and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering.

15. Ezra 3:1
Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.

16. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. (Ezra 3:2).

17. Ezra 3:8
Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the LORD.

18. Ezra 4:1-2
Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel, 2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”

19. Ezra 4:3
But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”

20. Ezra 4:4-5
Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

21. Permission given to rebuild
The Temple
Cyrus the Great
Haggai &
Zechariah
prophesy
and urge
construction
to begin
again
Cambyses
Construction halted
Permission given to rebuild

22. Ezra 5:1-2
When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

23. Permission given to rebuild
The Temple
Cyrus the Great
Darius the Great
Cambyses
Construction halted
Permission given to rebuild
Permission given to complete

24. 1st Return under Zerubbabel & rebuilding Temple
Ezra 1-6
Ezra 7-10
B.C.
Events of Book of Esther
Book of Esther
473 B.C.
2nd Return under Ezra
B.C.
3rd Return under Nehemiah & rebuilding walls
Book of Nehemiah
B.C.

25. The Esther Narrative

26. Susa Susa Babylon Ancient capital of Elam Winter palace of Darius
Traditional tomb of Daniel 
Susa
Babylon 

27. This palace which I built at Susa, from afar its ornamentation was brought. Downward the earth was dug, until I reached rock in the earth. When the excavation had been made, then rubble was packed down, some 40 cubits in depth, another part 20 cubits in depth. On that rubble the palace was constructed. 
Susa

28. And that the earth was dug downward, and that the rubble was packed down, and that the sun-dried brick was molded, the Babylonian people performed these tasks. 
Susa

29. The cedar timber, this was brought from a mountain named Lebanon
The cedar timber, this was brought from a mountain named Lebanon. The Assyrian people brought it to Babylon; from Babylon the Carians and the Yaunâ [Greeks] brought it to Susa.
Susa

30. Cast of Characters Esther (also known as Hadassah). Ahasuerus: Xerxes
Mordecai & Haman

31. Esther & Mordecai in the Persian Court
1:1 – 2:18
Esther becomes queen
Esther & Mordecai in the Persian Court
2:19-23
Mordecai saves the king’s life
3:1-14
Haman plots against the Jews
Trouble for the Jews
4:1 – 7:10
Esther acts to save her people
Esther throws a party
The King reads an edict
Esther reveals the plot
8:1 – 9:17
Jews allowed to defend themselves
Victory for the Jews
9:18-32
Jews celebrate
Esther & Mordecai in the Persian Court
10:1-3
Mordecai rewarded

32. Esther 9:24
For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them.

33. Haman
Mordecai
A descendant of Agag (Esther 3:1), the king of the Amalekites whose life Saul spared in disobedience to the command of God.
From the tribe and family of Saul (Esther 2:5).
The enemy of the people of God
The savior of the people of God

34. Points to Ponder Esther is the book of God’s Providence
The Success of Haman’s plot would also exterminate the seed through which the Messiah would come
This book reminds us that God works in the lives of both the great and the small

35. Ezra's Return

36. Azariah (“the Lord has helped”)
Variations on a Name
Ezra
Azariah (“the Lord has helped”)
Esdras (Greek form)

37. Ezra 7:1-5
Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, there went up Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.

38. Ezra 7:6
This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.

39. Ezra 7:9
For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.

40. Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.

41. Passage Author Purpose Ezra 1:2-4 Cyrus
Permission for Jews to return and build temple
Ezra 4:11-16
Rehun & Shimsha
Report to the king against the Jews
Ezra 4:17
Cambyses
Order to halt temple construction
Ezra 5:7-17
Tattenai
Report to the king the Jews had resumed construction
Ezra 6:1-12
Darius
Permission to resume work
Ezra 7:12-26
Artaxerxes
Ezra given authority to lead group to Judah

42. Ezra 7:27-28
Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, 28 and has extended loving-kindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthen-ed according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

43. Ezra 9 Ezra 10 The Problem: Intermarriage with the people of the land
The Solution: Divorce those wives
Prayer of repentance
Proposal of divorce

44. Discuss the decision that was made to divorce the foreign wives:
Group Project
Discuss the decision that was made to divorce the foreign wives:
Was it right?
Was it wrong?

45. Nehemiah 2:11 – 6 7 8 – 12 13 1 – 2:10 Nehemiah talks To the King
To God
To the King

46. Nehemiah 2:1-2
And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.

47. Nehemiah 2:3-4
And I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?”
4 Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.

48. Nehemiah 2:5-6
And I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” 6 Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time.

49. Nehemiah 2:10
And when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

50. Nehemiah 2:11-12
So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding.

51. Nehemiah 2:13
So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire.

52. Nehemiah 2:14-15
Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was no place for my mount to pass.
15 So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned.

53. Nehemiah 2:16
And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the work.

54. Nehemiah 2:17-18
Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me, and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work.

56. Nehemiah 4:1
Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.

57. Nehemiah 4:2
And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?”

58. Nehemiah 4:3
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building-- if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

59. Nehemiah 4:8-9
And all of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. 9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

60. Nehemiah 4:16-17
And it came about from that day on, that half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.
17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

61. Attempts at Subversion4 5 6
Threats from without
Threats from within
Threats from without
Enemies threaten to attack and tear down the walls
Rich foreclosing on the lands of the poor who are rebuilding the wall
Enemies plot their schemes
Plan to murder Nehemiah
Jews accused of rebellion

62. Nehemiah 2:11 – 6 7 8 – 12 13 1 – 2:10 Nehemiah talks The work
Number of the people
Covenant renewal
Further reforms
To God
To the King
Plan Set
Job done
Work
Worship
Rebuilding the Wall
Reviving the People

63. Nehemiah 8:1
And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel.

64. Nehemiah 8:2-3
Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could under-stand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

65. Nehemiah 8:5-6
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

66. Nehemiah 8:8
And they read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

67. Nehemiah 8:14
And they found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.

68. Nehemiah 8:15
So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches, and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

69. Nehemiah 8:16-17
So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate, and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And the entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing.

70. Nehemiah 8-12 8 9 10 11-12 Covenant Renewal
Feast of Tabernacles observed
Prayer of national confession
Covenant signed
Listing of the people

71. Nehemiah 13:1-2
On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

72. Nehemiah 13:16-17
Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day?”

73. Nehemiah 13:23-24
In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people.

74. Nehemiah 13:28
Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.

75. Nehemiah 13:30-31
Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, 31 and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.