Happy Sunday, friend!

Well, good news, the Israelites are being set free from captivity!! Which is super nice, but also weird.

Why in the world is the Persian king so excited to let the Israelites go. . . and to even help them build their temple?? Make sure to check out this week’s FAQ section!
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Let's dive into this week's reading: Ezra 1; 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8!

​Watch this week's video here!​

5 Key Events THE KING’S DECREE: After decades of exile in Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (Ezra 1) ISRAELITES RETURN: The returning Jews rebuild the altar and eventually complete the second temple despite opposition from outside nations (Ezra 3-6) SPIRITUAL RECOMMITMENT: Ezra, a skilled scribe, leads another group of Israelites back to Jerusalem and helps the people recommit to the law of Moses (Ezra 7) REBUILDING THE WALL: Nehemiah receives permission from the Persian king to return and rebuild Jerusalem’s broken walls (Nehemiah 2) THE WALL IS BUILT: Despite threats and mocking by enemies, Nehemiah and others rebuild the walls in an astonishing 52 days (Nehemiah 4-6, 8)

3 Key Scriptures ​Ezra 3:11​ ​Nehemiah 4:7-9​ ​Nehemiah 6:2-3​ Dive into one or more of these verses all week long with my Verse Mapping Study Guide!

Questions your kids (or church class) might ask: Why did a Persian king help the Jews rebuild the temple?

It may seem surprising that King Cyrus of Persia, a non-Israelite ruler, would send the Israelites home and help them rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Why would he do that? There are two possible reasons:

1. POLITICAL: The Israelites were not an anomaly among the Persians’ conquered nations. King Cyrus treated many of the people he conquered very well. This seems to have allowed him to maintain a relatively stable empire by earning the loyalty of conquered nations.
2. SPIRITUAL: According to Josephus (a first century Jewish historian), Cyrus read the prophecy about him that Isaiah had written some 200 years earlier: “Thus saith the Lord. . . That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid” (Isaiah 44:24, 28). Josephus wrote, “Accordingly when Cyrus read this, and admired the divine power, an earnest desire and an ambition seized upon him, to fulfil what was so written.” (Source)

Sources:
​https://penelope.uchicago.edu/josephus/ant-11.html​

​https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cyrus-the-Great​

​https://www.history.com/articles/cyrus-the-great-persian-empire-iran

This week's conversation starter:

Nehemiah 4:7-9 discusses the time period after the Israelites were allowed to return from bondage and rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Read these verses and then discuss with your teen: Why do you think the men in this story set guards over their work even though they’d already asked God to help them? Do you think God would have helped them even if they hadn’t set up guards?

Want to go deeper in your personal study this week? My Verse Mapping for Beginners PDF walks you through exactly how. Get it here!​

Missed previous weeks? You can check out past Weekly Scripture Starter emails here!

You are awesome!

P.S. My son went to the temple on Friday (sob!!) and I am so grateful this book came out before he went. It is a VERY detailed walk through what happens in the temple so that there are fewer unnecessary surprises. (P.S. If you wonder if it’s okay for John to write about these topics outside the temple,this book is published by Deseret Book - which is owned by the Church - and their editing process is beyond rigorous!!)