“Cyrus – Chosen by God”

​B I B L E  B I T S  &  B I T E S
Devotions for Families

Season: Rebuilding Jerusalem
Episode 1: “Cyrus – Chosen by God”
Today’s Bible Bite: Ezra 1-6

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkETkRv9tG8 (the Bible Project – Ezra & Nehemiah)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBCf1YY5pzM (unfolding Word – The Exile and Return)

“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me, Cyrus, all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.” (Ezra 1:2, NLT)

The prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah, had warned the Israelites that because of their disobedience to God he was no longer going to protect them. The Assyrians captured the nation of Israel and about 100 years later the Babylonians captured the nation of Judah. Assyria and Babylonia took all but the poorest of the people away from their home. The prophet Jeremiah promised the people of Judah that after living in captivity for 70 years God would bring them back. It sounded impossible, but that’s exactly what happened.

The Babylonians were themselves conquered by the Persians. Cyrus, the king of Persia, received a message from God that he was to let the people of Israel, the Jews whom the Babylonians had captured, go home. God also told him that he wanted King Cyrus to rebuild his temple. It is amazing that Cyrus obeyed—he was a foreign king, who didn’t have a relationship with God like the Jews. He even gave back all the treasure stolen by the Babylonians! Many of the Jews took up the king’s offer to return home and a man named Zerubbabel led them back. They did rebuild the Temple, but it wasn’t easy. Some of the people who now lived in the land didn’t like being excluded from the project and so made it difficult. However, even with their interference, eventually the Temple was rebuilt and the people held a celebration.

Think about it...
• The people no longer wanted to obey God. What happened to them?
• The prophet Jeremiah promised that God would bring the people who were taken into captivity by the Babylonians back to Jerusalem after 70 years. Why might this have been hard to believe?
• The Persians conquered the Babylonians and a new king came to power. Why did King Cyrus decide to help the Jews to go back home?
• God told Cyrus that he wanted him to help rebuild his Temple. Why would God give this job to someone who wasn’t even an Israelite?
​
Prayer: Thank you, God, that you always keep your promises. Jeremiah had told the people that you would bring them out of Babylon and back to their home…and you did! Thank you that we can trust your promises still.