Week 1: Ezra 1,3,4

Week 7:1: HezekiahEzra and Isaiah1,3,4

End

Hezekiahof andthe Isaiah:Babylonian 2Captivity

Kings

 18-20

Objective: 

• HezekiahEnd Reignsof inthe JudahBabylonian Captivity

• IsaiahWorship AssuresRestored Hezekiah

  at

  Jerusalem

• Sennacherib’sRestoration Threatof andthe Hezekiah’sTemple PrayerBegins

• Sennacherib’sResistance Defeatto andRebuilding Deaththe Temple

• DeathRebuilding of HezekiahJerusalem Opposed

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible study (Arabic)

Reading:

• • 2Ezra Kings 18:1:1-2511
  • 2Ezra Kings2: 19:1-20, 35-37Skip
  • 2Ezra Kings3:1-13
  20:
  • Ezra 4:1-2124

Key verse(s):

• “TheAnd they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: was“For withHe him;is hegood, prosperedFor whereverHis hemercy went”endures 2forever Kingstoward 18:7

Israel.” 

Ezra 3:11

Comments:

• King

  HezekiahCyrus wasof onePersia took over the Babylonian kingdom. Now we are in the era of the bestPersian kingsKingdom.

• God moved King Cyrus's heart to let the Israelites go back to their land to rebuild.

• Zerubbabel was the leader of the first wave of people to come back from exile to Jerusalem.
• Many Israelites were established in Judah.the Babylonian land and did not want to go back and rebuild a demolished country.
• Chapter two has some of the names who came back with Zerubbabel. Church Fathers look at this in a way where those people who believed in God, offered to work and serve, and left their luxurious lives were worthy to have their names written in the Book of Life.
• Chapter 3 talks about the beginning of the service and the leaders that led the people to this reformation.
• Chapter 4 talks about the hardships they are facing. We see the faithdevil clearlyis innot hishappy life. We see this in 2 Kings 18:4-8.

• Sennacherib Boasts Againstwith the Lordspiritual reformation and threatenstrying Hezekiah.to Sennacheribstop what Zerubbabel is the king of the Assyrians and Rabshakeh is the army leader. At this time, the Assyrians took over Isreal and wantedtrying to take Judah into captivity as well.

• King Hezekiah humbled himself against God and prayed. Isaiah the prophet came to him and told him that God heard his prayer and will be with him. This is the same Isaiah who wrote the prophecy.
• God heard Hezekiah's prayer and saved them from going into captivity under the Assyrians.
• Judah did not go into captivity as an angel came and killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians.
• God listened to Hezekiah's prayer again and extended his life.
• Hezekiah was not supposed to show them the silver and gold for two reasons:
  • He did this as a way of showing off
  • The Babylonians will take this gold and defile God's house. We see this clearly with Belshazzar the Babylonian king.
  accomplish.

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. WhatWho was different about Hezekiah comparedwent to allJerusalem to build the kingsHouse of Judahthe thatLord?
preceded
2. Give him?the three main points in the Cyrus Proclamation.
3. . How did they celebrate the laying of the foundation of the temple?
4. Why did the older Israelites weep?
5. Why wouldn’t the Jews accept help from the inhabitants of the land?
6. What didaccusations Sennacheribwere boast about?
7. Show how Hezekiah had faith in God.
8. Who gave Hezekiah the message from God?
9. How many years did the Lord addsent to Hezekiah’sKing life?Artaxerxes?

Homework:
**Servant may add more questions

1. HezekiahCyrus didmade whata proclamation to build the temple because:
   a) the Lord filled his spirit b) Jeremiah ordered him to c) he was rightforced into
the
2. The sightHouse of the Lord.Lord Truewas orto false?be built in:
   a) Persia b) Babylon c) Jerusalem d) Egypt
3. Who exiled the people of Israel to Babylon?
   a) Zerubbabel b) Nebuchadnezzar c) Jeremiah d) the Nethinim
4. What feast did the people keep?
   a) the Passover b) the Feast of Hanukah c) the Feast of Tabernacles d) Christmas
5. Who oversaw the work of the House of the Lord?
   a) Kadmiel b) Jeshua c) the Levites d) all of these
6. Who offered to help the Israelites build the temple?
   a) the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin b) Jerubbabel c) King Darius d) Cyrus
7. The Kingletter of Assyria asked Hezekiahsent to giveArtaxerxes him:was written in:
   a) hisin kingdomEnglish b) Judahin Arabic c) silverin and goldAramaic d) ain great army
8. LORD our God, I _______, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the _______ may know that You are the ______ God, You ________."
9. Who gave Hezekiah the message from God?
   a) the king of Assyria b) Isaiah c) Sennacherib d) the high priest
10. I have heard your ______ and have seen your ________; surely I will ________ you.
11. How many years were added to Hezekiah’s life?
    a) 5 b) 10 c) 15 d) 20Hebrew