Page 101 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Revised

5:1–5). Nehemiah demanded that the wealthy forgive the debts and restore what they had taken. This
they agreed to do.” 148

God’s Restoration of His people

There were mainly two contingents of Jews returning to Judah. One under Zerubbabel in 539 BCE,
immediately following Cyrus’ decree. Another one under Ezra in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I or 458
BCE (Ezra 7:1, 8). Those who returned to Judah were the ones God “stirred up” (Ezra 1:5) to do so. Those
who remained generously helped finance the venture (Ezra 1:6). King Cyrus, for his part, sent along
5,400 gold and silver articles that Nebuchadnezzar confiscated from the temple of Solomon (Ezra 1:11).
The Jewish people undertook quite remarkable reforms upon returning to the land. When the exiles
reached Jerusalem, they gathered with great unity (as “one man,” Ezra 3:1) to rebuild the altar of
sacrifice and correctly offer on it the sacrifices prescribed in the Law and to keep the Feast of
Tabernacles. Then, they laid the foundation for the rebuilt temple (Ezra 3:6–13). Intense opposition
arose from surrounding people groups, which heavily discouraged the Jews and caused them to stop the
work (Ezra 4:1–5). Faithful prophets, among them Haggai and Zechariah, constantly urged the people to
continue with the work (Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1; Ezra 5:1–2). Meanwhile, the Jewish leaders
countered opposition by seeking an audience with Darius regarding Cyrus’ decree. Darius honored the
decree and even funded the remainder of the project (Ezra 6:1–15). The temple was completed in 515
BCE”

Even though the Temple was completed, for some years, the city was without walls, a situation
described in Nehemiah 1:3 as shameful and troublesome. Apparently, the returning Jews were
subjected to mockery by those around them. Jehovah raised Nehemiah and others to successfully
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Through their determination and dedication, they triumphed over fierce
opposition. The faithfulness of God is seen not only in the raising of dedicated leaders but also in
meeting the needs. Through another Persian king Artaxerxes, building materials for the wall of
Jerusalem were supplied (Nehemiah 2:17-20).

Meanwhile, the leaders also continuously called for renewal and reformation in the personal spiritual
lives of God’s people. For example, under Nehemiah’s leadership, they renewed the covenant to keep
the Law of Moses and adequately support the cost of maintaining the temple and the whole worship
system of Israel (Nehemiah 9:38).

The renewal of the covenant also involved a pledge not to marry into pagan families of the land. The
prohibition against mixed marriages had nothing to do with racial purity or racial snobbery. Its intent
was to prevent the true faith from being submerged in a sea of idolatry, as Exodus 34:12–16 clearly
demonstrates. We find that the problem continued in Ezra 9–10; Nehemiah 10:30; 13:23–28. However,
it is noteworthy that the people responded to Ezra and Nehemiah, and the practice seems to greatly
reduce over time. 149

148 Ibid., p. 342.

149 Vos, H. F. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible manners & customs: how the people of the Bible really lived (p.
334). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers.

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