Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 123
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CHRONICLES–EZRA–NEHEMIAH
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son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by
the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings
of Persia. The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year
of King Darius’s reign.
The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people
of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile. During the dedication ceremony for the Temple of
God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed.
And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes
of Israel. Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the
Book of Moses.
On April 21 the returned exiles celebrated Passover. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were ceremonially clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests,
and for themselves. The Passover meal was eaten by the people of Israel
who had returned from exile and by the others in the land who had turned
from their corrupt practices to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. Then
they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There
was great joy throughout the land because the Lord had caused the king
of Assyria to be favorable to them, so that he helped them to rebuild the
Temple of God, the God of Israel.
Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was
a man named Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hil
kiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of
Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son
of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.
This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of M
oses, which the
Lord, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to
Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for,
because the gracious hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the
people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers,
and Temple servants, traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year
of King Artaxerxes’ reign.
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year. He had arranged to leave
Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusa
lem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. This was
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