The Jews, after an absence of fifty years, returned to Jerusalem with new intentions to follow God. They had been punished for their disobedience and were cured of the sins that brought them into trouble. They had come in touch with other nations, and true Israel was made conscious of her great mission to scatter the knowledge of the true God. These Jews who returned are known as the Jews of Palestine. They developed the spirit of legalism and ritualism and became the strictest of the Pharisees. But many Jews never returned to Palestine. They were scattered among all the nations of the earth and are called Jews of the Dispersion. They naturally developed a more liberal spirit in worship.

I. THE FIRST RETURN TO CANAAN (Ezra. 1:1-2:70). — In 536 B. C, just seventy years after the first captivity of Judah, Zerrubbabel led the first company back to Canaan. The Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great had become the world power, and the great city of Babylon had fallen under the control of the king. Cyrus gave the Jews permission to return to their own land, and Zerrubbabel with 42,360 Jews and 7,337 servants immediately set out for Jerusalem. Cyrus instructed his own people to give them silver and gold and cattle, and he himself restored the sacred vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple.

II. THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.

1. The Altar Built (Ezra 3:1-7). — Immediately after their arrival at Jerusalem they built an altar and offered sacrifices to the God of Israel in harmony with the teaching of the law (Deut. 15:5).

2. Foundations of the Temple Laid (Ezra 3:1 - 4:24).— In the second month of the second year after their return the foundations of the house of the Lord were laid amid great rejoicing of the people. The surrounding tribes did all in their power to stop the building, and finally, in 522 B. C, succeeded in doing so by sending a letter of protest to Artaxerxes, *He king of Persia.

3. The Temple Completed and Dedicated (Ezra 5:1-6:22).— After a severe rebuke by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah for their neglect of God's house, Zerrubbabel and Jeshua undertook, in 519 B. C, to complete the unfinished Temple. Tatnai, the Persian governor of Palestine, sent a letter to Darius, king of Persia, to inquire about the decree of Cyrus and the right of the Jews to build the Temple. Darius searched the records and found that Cyrus had not only given permission, but had encouraged the building of the Temple by giving them presents, and so Darius instructed Tatnai to provide the Jews with means and with animals for sacrifices. In 515 B. C, fifteen years- after laying the foundations, the Temple was completed and dedicated with imposing ceremonies, and the Jews once more enjoyed the temple service in their own city.

III. THE SECOND RETURN TO CANAAN (Ezra 7:1-8:36).— After the dedication of the Temple there is a blank of. about fifty years in the history of the Jews. About 457 B. C. Ezra the scribe led a second company of Jews from Babylon to Canaan. The king of Persia granted him a letter of authority, and instructed the Persian treasurers to furnish him the money necessary for the journey and for the improvement of the city of Jerusalem. Ezra with about five thousand faithful Jews set out on the perilous journey. They carried great treasures, but the Lord was with them and protected them from enemies on the way and brought them to Jerusalem in safety.

IV. THE REFORMS OF EZRA (Ezra 9:1-10:44). — On reaching the Holy City Ezra was greatly pained at the conduct of his countrymen. Forgetful of the Law of Moses, they had intermarried with the heathen nations about them. Full of zeal for the law, Ezra assembled the people, and after exhorting them to repentance bade them put away their heathen wives and take heed to the Law of God. Ezra's reform was not without success, but it seems that he returned to Babylon in a short time and the people again returned to their sins.

V. THE THIRD RETURN (Neh. 1:1-2:8). — Although the Persian monarchs had given permission for the rebuilding of the Temple they had not permitted the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. About 445 B. C. an embassy of Jews from Jerusalem, probably headed by Ezra, came to the Persian palace and laid the matter before Nehemiah, a young Jew who was one of the royal cupbearers. At Nehemiah's request, Artaxerxes permitted him to go to Jerusalem to build the walls and fortify the city.

VI. REBUILDING THE WALLS (Neh. 2:12 -4:23).— Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem and at night secretly went about the city to learn the condition of the walls. Then he proposed to the people that they rebuild the walls. His project met with universal approval, and the work was begun with great zeal. The Samaritans, when they heard of the project, tried every plan to defeat the work; but Nehemiah arranged that while half the people builded, the others should stand with weapons ready to defend them, and that the builders should work with one hand and in the other hold the sword. Thus by Nehemiah's dauntless courage and tireless energy, and by the people's readiness to assist, the walls were rebuilt and the old towers set up in the brief space of fifty-two days.

VII. THE REFORMS OF NEHEMIAH (Neh. 8:1-13:31).— Having provided for the defense of the city, Nehemiah at once began to correct the abuses that had crept into the Holy City. They had forgotten Ezra's rebuke and the covenant they had made with Jehovah in his presence, and had broken the Law of Moses in many points. Ezra seems to have been the moving spirit of these reforms, and these two great men labored for the establishment of the Law of God and for a whole dav they directed the reading of the Scriptures in the presence of the multitude. Nehemiah rebuked the nobles for their oppression of their poorer brethren and persuaded the people to promise to keep the Sabbaths and abstain from marrying among the heathen; then he returned to Persia, feeling no doubt that his reforms were conv plete. But during his absence these old sins crept in afresh, and when Nehemiah again came into Jerusalem he found that the high priest had allowed an Ammonite noble to occupy a chamber of the temple, and the people had intermarried with the heathen and were carrying on traffic on the Sabbath. He corrected these abuses with more sternness than the first, and again rid the colony of these sins that threatened to destroy their worship and laws.

VIII THE LAST PROPHETS.— Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are the last prophets of the Old Testament. They arose during a grave crisis in the history of the chosen people. The glory of the restored city and Temple, pictured by the earlier prophets, seemed never to be realized, and it was the mission of these last prophets to restore the people's hope, revive the national hope and point them to the real fulfillment of God's promises by the ushering in of the Messianic age. Ezra had arranged the canon of the Old Testament and the people had the opportunity of studying the Scriptures and preparing for the coming of the Great King, the Anointed One of Israel.

QUESTIONS.

• How long were the Jews absent from Jerusalem?

• What was the mission of the Jews?

• When was the time of restoration?

• Who was emperor when the Jews returned?

• Who brought back the first company?

• About how many returned with the first leader?

• What did they bring with them to Jerusalem?

• What was their first work in the city?

• When did they lay the foundations of the temple?

• Who hindered them?

• Who secured permission to complete the temple?

• When was it completed and dedicated?

• Who was the Persian governor in Palestine?

• Who led the second company to Jerusalem and when?

• What favors were granted by the emperor?

• How many returned this time?

• Who was the reformer in the city now?

• Who was the leader of the third return?

• Give the dates of each return?

• What great work did Jeremiah do in Jerusalem for the Jews?

• Who hindered their work?

• What were some of the reforms Nehemiah brought about?

• Name the last prophets of the Old Testament.

• What was their mission?

• In what way did Ezra aid the Jews in securing a knowledge of Jehovah?

REVIEW.

I. The First Return to Canaan.

II. The Rebuilding of the Temple.

1. The Altar Built.

2. Foundations of the Temple Laid,

3 The Temple Completed and Dedicated,

III. The Second Return to Canaan.

IV. The Reforms of Ezra.

V. The Third Return.

VI. The Rebuilding of the Walls,

VII. The Reforms of Nehemiah.

VIII. The Last Prophets.