Lesson 103 Ezra 1-6

Lesson 103: Ezra 1–6

I. Ezra 1  The Lord inspires King Cyrus to allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple

---Before class, write the following things on the board:

---Do you think it is possible for the Lord to inspire someone who is not a member of the Church to accomplish His purposes? Why or why not?

---John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, or Johannes Gutenberg, Cyrus.

---Respond to the questions on the board?

---Do you know who the men are?

Ezra 1. The Lord can inspire people, regardless of their religious background, to accomplish His purposes

“God, the Father of us all, uses the men of the earth, especially good men, to accomplish his purposes. It has been true in the past, it is true today, it will be true in the future.”

The Lord can bless anyone with inspiration, including those of other faiths. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

“No denomination—not even the restored Church—has a monopoly on the blessings of the Lord. He loves and blesses all of His children.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of individuals during the Reformation whom the Lord inspired to accomplish His purposes:

“While some were inspired to translate the Bible, others were inspired to prepare the means to publish it. By 1455 Johannes Gutenberg had invented a press with movable type, and the Bible was one of the first books he printed. For the first time it was possible to print multiple copies of the scriptures and at a cost many could afford.

“Meanwhile, the inspiration of God also rested upon explorers. In 1492 Christopher Columbus set out to find a new path to the Far East. Columbus was led by the hand of God in his journey. He said, ‘God gave me the faith, and afterwards the courage.’”

The following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson further illustrates how the Lord inspired the explorer to accomplish His purposes:

“God inspired … Christopher Columbus, who testified that he was inspired in what he did.

“‘Our Lord,’ said Columbus, ‘unlocked my mind, sent me upon the sea, and gave me fire for the deed. Those who heard of my enterprise called it foolish, mocked me, and laughed. But who can doubt but that the Holy Ghost inspired me?’

---After the Jews were carried away captive to Babylon, Cyrus, the king of Persia, conquered the Babylonians and became the new ruler of the Jews. (The book of Ezra begins with an account of Cyrus’s interactions with the Jews.)

---Read Ezra 1:1–3 aloud looking for what Cyrus did.

                ---What did Cyrus do?

---Cyrus’s actions were a fulfillment of prophecy. Even though the books of Jeremiah and Isaiah come after the book of Ezra in the Bible, Jeremiah and Isaiah prophesied many years before the events recorded in Ezra took place

---Write Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10 and Isaiah 44:28; 45:1 in the margin of your scriptures next to Ezra 1:1..

---Point out the phrase “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus” (Ezra 1:1).

                ---What do you think this phrase means?

                ---What can we learn from this account about how the Lord can accomplish His purposes?

The Lord can inspire people, regardless of their religious background, to accomplish His purposes.

               

---Read Ezra 1:7 aloud looking for what Cyrus did to support the Jews in these efforts to rebuild the temple.

                ---What did Cyrus do to support the Jews in their efforts to rebuild the temple?

II. Ezra 2–3  Many Jews go to Jerusalem and begin reconstructing the temple

---Ezra 2 contains a list of Jews who were among the first to return to Jerusalem and indicates that this group included approximately 50,000 people. The Jews first rebuilt the altar of the temple and began offering sacrifices. They were directed by Zerubbabel, the Jewish man appointed by the Persians to serve as the governor of the Jews, and Jeshua, the presiding high priest of the Aaronic Priesthood. Many Jews contributed time and resources to the reconstruction of the temple.

---Scan Ezra 3:10–13 silently, looking for how the Jews responded when the foundation of the temple was laid.

                ---How did the Jews show their gratitude and excitement for the construction of the temple?

                ---Why do you think their joy was so great? Why do you think that many of those who had seen the original temple wept?

III. Ezra 4–6  The Jews overcome opposition and complete and dedicate the temple

---Display a soccer ball, and ask for a volunteer to come to the front of the class. Give him or her the ball. Tape a small image of a soccer goal on one of the classroom walls near the floor.

---Ask the student what he or she should do with the soccer ball to score. (Kick the ball into the goal.)

---Invite the student to softly kick the ball toward the goal on the wall and score.

                ---What would make this experience more like attempting to score in an actual soccer match? (Having opponents and teammates.)

                ---What is the opposing team trying to accomplish when you have the ball?

---Draw a picture of a soccer field on the board and a circle representing the person with the ball. Then draw 11 X’s representing the 11 opponents who are trying to prevent the other team from scoring.

---How can the opposition someone faces in a soccer match be like what we experience as we try to keep the Lord’s commandments?

                ---What are different forms of opposition we might face in our efforts to obey the Lord? (Label some of the X’s)

---Look for truths as you study Ezra 4–6 that can help you overcome opposition to your efforts to obey the Lord.

---When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, there was a group of people living nearby called Samaritans. The Samaritans were “people who lived in Samaria after the northern kingdom of Israel was captured by the Assyrians. The Samaritans were partly Israelite and partly Gentile. Their religion was a mixture of Jewish and pagan beliefs and practices”  The Samaritans wanted to help build the temple.

---Read Ezra 4:3 aloud and look for how Zerubbabel responded to the Samaritans’ request.

                ---What did Zerubbabel and the leaders of the Jews tell these people?

---This lead to the Samaritans trying to interfere with the construction of the temple. The Samaritans sought to oppose the Jews’ efforts to rebuild their temple and Jerusalem. The reconstruction of the temple halted for several years, largely because of the opposition of the Samaritans. After years of not working on the reconstruction, some Jews lost interest in rebuilding the temple.

---Read Ezra 5:1–2 aloud looking for why the Jews eventually resumed their efforts to rebuild the temple.

                ---Why did the Jews resume their efforts to rebuild the temple?

---When local Persian-appointed governors learned that the Jews had resumed building the temple, they questioned the Jews’ authority to do so and opposed the Jews’ renewed efforts.

---Scan Ezra 5:5 aloud and look for why the local governors could not hinder the Jews’ efforts to rebuild the temple. By this time, a new king, Darius, ruled the Persian Empire.

                ---What do you think it means that “the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease”? (God was watching over the Jews and preventing the local governors from stopping them as they rebuilt the temple.)

                ---What truth can we learn from Ezra 5:5 that can encourage us when we face opposition?

God watches over and helps those who seek to obey Him.

                ---What are some ways in which God watches over and helps His people when they are faced with difficulties in their lives?

---Summary of Ezra 5:6–6:6: The governors over the region wrote a letter to King Darius informing him of what the Jews were doing. They reported that the Jews claimed Cyrus had made a decree allowing them to rebuild the temple and provided them with resources for the endeavor. Darius ordered the king’s records to be searched, and Cyrus’s decree was found, so Darius ordered the local leaders to

---Read Ezra 6:14–16 aloud looking for what happened after Darius’s decree was received.

                ---What were the Jews able to do after King Darius’s decree was received?

                ---What influence did the prophets have on the Jews’ efforts to rebuild the temple?

                ---What principle can we learn from the example of the Jews following the prophets?

By following the prophets, we can overcome opposition and prosper in our efforts to obey the Lord.

---Direct students’ attention to the different forms of opposition listed on the board.

                ---What teachings or examples set by prophets can we follow to overcome these different forms of opposition?

                ---When have you seen someone overcome opposition and prosper in his or her efforts to obey the Lord by following the prophets?

---Invite students to reflect on opposition they might be experiencing in their efforts to obey the Lord.

---Respond to the following question in your class notebooks:

                ---What will you do to follow the prophets so you can overcome opposition and prosper in your efforts to obey the Lord?

---Summary of Ezra 6:15–22: The Jews offered generous sacrifices as part of the dedication of the temple. They also celebrated the Passover.

---Read Ezra 6:22 silently, looking for an illustration of the first truth identified in this lesson.

---Conclude by sharing your testimony of the truths discussed in this lesson.

 (Jacob Wasserman, Columbus, Don Quixote of the Seas, pp. 19–20.)” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [1988], 577).

Ezra 4:3. Why did the Jews reject the Samaritans’ offer to help rebuild the temple?

Jewish leaders cited King Cyrus’s decree that the Jews were the ones who were to rebuild the temple. The leaders of the Jews may have rejected the Samaritans’ offer because the Samaritans were not faithful worshippers of Jehovah. Furthermore, the Samaritans’ participation could have led to future conflicts if they claimed shared ownership of the reconstructed temple.