What is the meaning of Ezra 5:13? In the first year of his reign • God timed Cyrus’ action precisely. As soon as Cyrus took the throne (539 B.C.), the Lord stirred his heart (Ezra 1:1). • The date anchors the prophecy of Jeremiah that the exile would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11–12; Daniel 9:2). • It proves God’s faithfulness: He moved a foreign ruler at the exact moment He had foretold (Isaiah 44:28). however • This small word contrasts Persia’s new policy with the opposition God’s people had just faced (Ezra 4:24). • It highlights that earthly resistance never thwarts divine purpose; God simply shifts the scene and presses on (Romans 8:31). • The “however” signals a turning point—from delay to renewed progress (Haggai 1:13–15). Cyrus king of Babylon • After conquering Babylon, Cyrus ruled its former territory; Scripture can call him “king of Persia” (Ezra 1:2) or “king of Babylon” interchangeably. • Isaiah named Cyrus nearly two centuries earlier and called him God’s “shepherd” who would “say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt’ ” (Isaiah 44:28). • By placing a pagan monarch in this role, God shows He is sovereign over all nations (Proverbs 21:1). issued a decree • Cyrus put his decision in writing—an irreversible royal edict (Daniel 6:8). • The written decree appears in Ezra 1:2-4, granting permission, protection, and resources. • That document later becomes legal evidence when opponents question the work (Ezra 5:17-6:5). God provides not only vision but also paperwork! to rebuild this house of God • The focus is worship, not politics. The goal is “the house of the LORD, the God of Israel” (Ezra 1:3). • Restoration of the temple restores covenant life: sacrifices (Ezra 3:3-6), feasts (Ezra 6:19-22), and teaching (Nehemiah 8:1-8). • The temple foreshadows Christ, the true dwelling of God with us (John 2:19-21), and anticipates the living temple made of believers (1 Peter 2:5). summary Ezra 5:13 records God’s precise, powerful intervention: in Cyrus’s very first regnal year, the Lord turned an emperor’s heart to issue a binding decree so His house could rise again. Every phrase underscores God’s sovereignty, His faithfulness to prophecy, and His unwavering commitment to restore worship among His people. |
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