A New Hope: Return Of The Remnant

RETURN, REBUILD, RESTORE

A NEW HOPE: RETURN OF THE REMNANT

Ezra 1:1 – 2:67

God promised that the captivity of the Jews in Babylon would last 70 years in Jeremiah 25:1-14 and 29:10. Scholars, however, disagree on the timing of the Babylonian captivity. Some believe this period began during Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion in 606 BC and concluded in 537 or 536 BC as the first exiles returned to Judah after the decree of Cyrus in 538 BC. Others believe it began when the temple was destroyed in 586 BC and ended when the temple was rebuilt and rededicated in 516 BC. For me it doesn’t matter. Either time period fulfills God’s promise. I don’t think the Jews of that day knew either, otherwise they would have been counting down the years to their release. From the narrative, it seems no one was expecting the decree of King Cyrus, and the temple’s rebuilding was delayed because of friction rather than a means of creating a 70-year timelapse. The point is that God keeps His promises.

How confident are you in God’s promises? Are there some losses or disappointments in your life that make you think God hasn’t kept His promises to you? Are you frustrated with God over His delay in fulfilling some promise to you? How can reading the fulfillment of God’s promises in Scriptures like Ezra 1 and 2 help you trust that God will keep His promises and fulfill them in perfect timing for your good and His glory?