A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 1
Ezra CHAP. I.
THIS Chapter contains the continued Hiſtory of the Jews Deliverance out of the Bondage of Babylon, and their Return into their own Land, after it had kept its Seventy Years Sabbath or Reſt, when it had been not only toiled and tilled out of Heart (as we ſay) by continual Tillage, but alſo was eaſed ſo long of that wicked weight of its Inhabitants which brought the Curſes of God upon it, 2 Chron. 36.21. as had been before foretold, Levit. 26.34. The Cauſes of this Great Change are here deſcribed.
Remark the Firſt, The Divine Cauſe; the Lord ſtirr'd up Cyrus, ver. 1.
Mark 1. This was God's Anſwer unto Daniel's Prayer, Dan. 9. when he tugg'd hard with God for performance of his Promiſe by Jeremy to the Jews, Jer. 29.1, 10. after 70 Years, &c. and not after two Years, as Hananiah had falſly foretold, Jer. 28.3. The Prayer of Daniel was a Midwife to bring forth God's Promiſe into preſent performance.
Mark 2. The Means whereby Cyrus's Spirit was ſtirred up by the Lord, (ſaith Menochius) was Daniel, who lived in Cyrus's Court, and ſhewed him the Prophecy of Iſaiah concerning him, Iſa. 44.28. and 45.1, &c. or by ſome ſpecial Inward Inſtinct, Prov. 21.1. The hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord; God wrought his Will to work God's Will.
Mark 3. The Time when; Namely, not in the firſt Year of his Reign over Perſia, but of his Empire and Monarchy over a great part of the World after the Deſtruction of Babylon: Therefore Cyrus ſaith here, ver. 2. That the God of Heaven had now given him all the Kingdoms of the Earth, to wit, thoſe parts of the World which formerly lay under the Aſſyrian and Babylonian Power.
Mark 4. All this Vaſt Empire Cyrus, tho' a Pagan and a Worſhipper of Idols, yet aſcribes it (as a Gift to him) from the Great God; which good Language, ver. 2. he might well learn from Daniel, who flouriſh'd in his Reign, Dan. 6.28. and probably informed him of thoſe Prophecies of Iſaiah, That Cyrus by Name ſhould perform God's pleaſure herein, even 200 Years before he was born, Iſa. 44.28. and 45.1, &c. as above. N. B. This muſt needs have a mighty Influence upon him, as Daniel's Prophecy had upon Alexander the Great: When Jaddus the High-Prieſt ſhew'd it him many Years after this: Joſephus relateth, he not only ſpared the Jews thereupon, but highly Honour'd them.
Mark 5. It appears plainly to be the Mighty and Immediate Work of the Almighty God, not only in cauſing this Pagan Potentate to give Jehovah the Glory due to his Name, Pſal. 29.1, 2. and to acknowledge him a greater Potentate than himſelf, 1 Tim. 6.16. doing whatever was his pleaſure both in Heaven and on Earth, Pſal. 115.3. & 135.6. but alſo in Over-ruling ſo Prudent a Prince, to part with and diſmiſs ſo great a People (much Ʋnited in their Religion, and much inclined to Rebellion, as was reported of them, Ezra 4.19.) into their own Country! 'Twas a Work ſo Wonderful, that themſelves thought it but a Dream at firſt, Pſal. 126.1.
Remark the Second; The Humane Cauſe of the Jews Deliverance.
Mark 1. 'Twas a fair and full Patent-Royal which Cyrus publiſh'd by Publick Proclamation, put in Writing, that it might be Poſted up in all parts of his hundred and twenty Provinces, to Impower all the Jews for Returning into their own Land, and for Rebuilding the Temple of Solomon in Jeruſalem, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Mark 2. The Return of the People was promoted by the Pattern of their Princes, ver. 5. who were Bel-wethers to go before the Flock, whoſe Spirits God had raiſed up to obey that Divine Call, [Remove out of the midſt of Babylon, &c. and be as the He-Goats, &c.] Jer. 50.8. Thoſe Chieftains of the Jews were choſen of God, and raiſed up by him to be thus ready for Reformation, notwithſtanding all their Difficulties and Dangers both in that great diſtance of Way (as 500 Miles by common computation) and at the end of their long Journey, where they found their Country poſſeſſed by their Enemies; beſide all this, the Backwardneſs of many of their own Brethren, 1 Chron. 4.23. to go along with them, muſt needs be another great Diſcouragement. Wolphius (P. Martyr's Succeſſor) well obſerveth here, that theſe Nobles were qualified for this Work by that Free and Noble Spirit of God, Pſal. 51.12. (without which no Man can undertake any Noble Matter) therefore are their Names Crowned and Chronicl'd in the next Chapter.
Mark 3. Another Encouragement in this Undertaking the Jews had, was King Cyrus's Command, That not only his own Officers ſhould ſupply them with Gold and Silver out of his own Treaſury, but alſo that all his Subjects ſhould be moderately Taxed, (both Jews that would wilfully ſtay, and his own Gentiles) beſide the voluntary Contributions of the People thereunto, ver. 4, 6. All ſorts were here ready to Gratifie the King, ſeeing himſelf ſo ready to bear his part of the Burden, wherein he became a Living Law to them.
Mark 4. This ſame Cyrus (that he might ſtill the more become a Walking Statute to his Subjects) brought forth the Veſſels of the Houſe of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar (by his Sacrilegious hands) had robb'd the Temple of, and had put them in the Houſe of his Gods, ver. 7. namely, Bel and Nebo, Iſa. 46.1. It was a good Providence that reſerved them to be reſtored.
Mark 5. All theſe Holy Veſſels were delivered by Cyrus's Treaſurer in number unto Zerubbabel, who was call'd Sheſhbazzar, becauſe (ſaith Grotius) he was the Jews Joy in Tribulation, as the Name ſignifies, ver. 8. He was a Prince of Judah, to ſhew the Scepter was not departed, Gen. 49.10.
Mark 6. Theſe Veſſels were reſtored to the Temple, though they had been prophaned by Belſhazzar, Dan. 5.2. N.B. Thus even things abuſed to Idolatry, may be ſanctified again to God's Service, as here, ver. 9, 10, 11.