(a) Describe the return of the Exiles from Babylon during the reign of Cyrus. (b) Give two reasons for the positive response from the people.

(a) The return of the Exiles from Babylon during the reign of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-11)

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. He made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing.

• The decree of Cyrus: Cyrus declared that the Lord, the God of heaven, had given him all the kingdoms of the earth and had charged him to build a house for God at Jerusalem in Judah. He therefore permitted any of God's people to go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, and asked God to be with them.
• Support for those who returned: Cyrus commanded that those who remained behind should help the returning exiles with silver, gold, goods, beasts and freewill offerings for the house of God.
• Those who responded: The heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites, and every one whose spirit God had stirred, rose up to go and rebuild the house of the Lord. Their neighbours strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, gold, goods and beasts, besides freewill offerings.
• Restoration of the temple vessels: Cyrus also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. These he counted out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. The vessels of gold and silver numbered five thousand four hundred in all, and Sheshbazzar brought them up with the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem.

(b) Two reasons for the positive response from the people

• God stirred their hearts: The response came because the Lord moved the spirit of those who went up; it was a work of God's grace answering the longing of the faithful to return home and restore true worship.
• Their desire to rebuild the temple and worship God in Jerusalem: After years in exile, the people were eager to return to their homeland, re-establish the house of the Lord and worship in the holy city as God had commanded, fulfilling the prophetic promise of restoration.