The Bible in a Year

Old Testament

2 Chronicles 19 to Nehemiah 6
Read this coming week:
Jul 25 2 Chron 19‐20, Ps 22:1‐18, Matt 27‐28 Jul 26 2 Chron 21‐23, Ps
22:19‐31, Mark 1
Jul 27 2 Chron 24‐25, Ps 23, Mark 2 Jul 28 2 Chron 26‐28, Ps 24, Mark 3
Jul 29 2 Chron 29‐30, Ps 25, Mark 4 Jul 30 2 Chron 31‐32, Ps 26, Mark 5
Jul 31 2 Chron 33‐34, Ps 27, Mark 6 Aug 1 2 Chron 35‐36, Ps 28, Mark 7
Aug 2 Ezra 1‐2, Ps 29, Mark 8 Aug 3 Ezra 3‐5, Ps 30, Mark 9 Aug 4 Ezra 6‐
7, Ps 31, Mark 10 Aug 5 Ezra 8‐10, Ps 32, Mark 11 Aug 6 Neh 1, Ps 33,
Mark 12 Aug 7 Neh 2‐3, Ps 34, Mark 13 Aug 8 Neh 4‐6, Ps 35, Mark 14

Reading Questions
For next week you’re reading 2 Chronicles 19 to
Nehemiah 6. Answer the following:
• What do Jehoshphat’s reforms include?
• Who was Athaliah and why was she executed?
(23)
• What does Joash do that is counted as evil? (24)
• Uzziah is the first king who lives alongside the
prophet Isaiah, what is he like? (26)
 • What reforms does Hezekiah make? (29)
• Who is Sennacherib? (32)
• What makes Manasseh repent? (33)
• How does Josiah die? (35)
• Who is Cyrus and why does he matter? (Ezra 1)
• What are the first things that get rebuilt in Ezra?
(3)
• Who is Darius and why does he matter? (6)
• Why does Ezra warn against intermarriage? (9)
• What do you learn about Nehemiah in the first
chapter?
• What is the name of the Persian king in
Nehemiah? (2)
• Who opposes the rebuilding in Nehemiah? (4)

The Exile
Deportations of Jews from Judah and Israel took place
during several eras in ancient history. The Babylonian
exile lasted from 586-538 BC. “Exile” means that they
were forced to live outside of the Promised Land.
Babylon had replaced Assyria as the reigning world
power after defeating Egypt at the battle of Carchemish
in 609 BC. They conquered Jerusalem in 586. (All dates
are BC – Before Christ) This was the main exile of Israel
when the Temple was flattened and Jerusalem was
destroyed.

These deportations from the Promised Land actually

began under the Assyrians as early as 733. These were
deported to Ninevah. More deportations to Babylon
occurred in 605, 597 and 582. Many of the Israelites had
chosen to flee voluntarily and had settled in Syria, Egypt
and Turkey. This was a very dark period in the history of
Israel. There was no king and no temple. (See Psalm
137)

In 539 Persia replaced Babylon as the new dominant

empire. They did not believe in exile, but in
resettlement. King Cyrus of Persia decreed that any
Jews who wanted to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the
temple could do so. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah
record the returns of exiles from Babylon to Israel.

The first return occurred in 538 under the leadership of

Zerubbabel. Ezra gives the exact numbers of returnees
as 42,360 Jews with 7,337 servants and 200 singers.
They are listed by “clans” in Ezra 2. They also brought
back horses, mules, camels, donkeys and gold and
silver vessels. The temple is rebuilt under Zerubbabel.
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah are writing during
this period. Zerubbabel seems slow to rebuild and
Haggai spurs him on.

Another return took place when Ezra went to Jerusalem

with 1,754 males and some gold and silver. The other
significant return spoken of in the Bible was Nehemiah.
Nehemiah got an armed escort to bring him safely to
Jerusalem. He was there to be the governor and to
fortify the city.

While nothing was produced in the exile from the point

of view of scripture, this was probably the second most
important event in Jewish history, after the Exodus. The
Israelite nation underwent some profound changes.
Being separated from all signs and symbols of their
God, they learned how much God meant to them. The
dream and the promise of the continuing kingship of
David’s descendents had been shattered. The
synagogue probably got its start during the exile. The
people of God realized that the exile was a punishment
for past sins. Israel would become a kingdom of
ecclesiastical rulers: Sadducees, Pharisees, High Priests
and Scribes. There would never be another Jewish king
of Israel.
Please don’t throw this away. If you’re not going to use it, leave it for
someone else to use.