Ezra was a man of God who was given the task of leading the people safely out of Babylon. Ezra Chapter 1 begins the story of this journey.

Cyrus Starts the Temple

Ezra Chapter 1 is written much like a historical account of the rebuilding of Jerusalem from 536 to 436 BC. This chapter specifically deals with the first group of people to come back to Jerusalem and the official order to begin the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Cyrus, the king of Persia, helped the Jews return to Jerusalem according to Ezra Chapter 1. Cyrus called for all whose heart was faithful to the Lord to help build a temple in His honor in Judah. All of the heads of every family, holy teachers, and members of the Hebrew tribe from Levi were told that they were to help rebuild God’s temple.

Cyrus Calls for Offerings

King Cyrus also called on those who were physically unable to work on constructing the temple. They were to provide items such as livestock, food, and gold as offerings for the temple. The king wanted to restore all of the items that had been stolen from the Temple of Solomon by the Babylonians who were once in charge. In addition, because of the huge undertaking, he needed a way to fund the restoration project and collecting offerings was a great way to pay for the building.

Listing the Offerings

Ezra Chapter 1 has a written record of the offerings from the survivors and the exiled. Cyrus gave the offerings of all of the volunteers to the treasurer, Mithredath. He took inventory of the items and recorded over 5,000 items.

These items were given to the prince of Judah, Sheshbazzer. Sheshbazzar brought all of the items along with the first wave of exiled Jews back to Jerusalem to establish their presence in the country again.

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Ezra 1 (King James Version)

1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;

8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.

9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,

10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.

11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

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