TAWG - November 17, 2024 - Ezra 6:1-22
November 17, 2024

Ezra 6:1-22

6:2 | Achmetha (also called Ecbatana; modern-day Hamadan in Iran) was one of four cities that served as a capital in Persia. Its elevation (6,000 feet above sea level) provided an ideal climate for keeping royal records and scrolls.

6:6-12 | God often uses unbelievers, like the pagan king Darius, to carry out His will (Isa. 46:10; Acts 4:24-28). In this case, the continued rebuilding of the temple affirmed God’s presence in Jerusalem.

6:14 | The Israelites built and finished the temple according to their highest authority: the commandment of God.

6:15-17 | The temple was completed in 515 BC, about 23 years after the project was started. Although this was a time of great celebration and blessing, the number of sacrifices was less than those offered when Solomon dedicated the first temple (1 Kgs. 8:63). The people were not as prosperous or as numerous as they were before the exile. The priestly divisions are described in 1 Chronicles 24.

6:19-21 | The Passover was celebrated by Jews who had returned from exile and by recent converts who had abandoned (separated from) other religions (the filth of the nations of the land) to follow Israel’s God.

6:22 | The king of Assyria was a title assigned to any Persian king (in this instance, Darius) who ruled the territory previously controlled by the Assyrians. The Feast of Unleavened Bread started on the day immediately following the Passover feast (Ex. 12:15-20; Lev. 23:4-8; Num. 28:16-17).