Today's Passage: Ezra 1-2

The book of Ezra is a continuation of the story that we have been following in 2 Chronicles.  In these two chapters we find God's people, after 70 years, being called back to their land by a very unlikely source, a Persian King.

The most interesting part of the Irealites return to Jerusalem in 538 B.C. is that it was granted to them by the Persian King Cyrus after his conquer of Babylon.  This action by Cyrus can only be described as an act of God.  To think that a worrier king like Cyrus would not only allow a large people group to leave his controlled territory but also for Him to tell everyone else in the region to send money and gifts to them is a little more than a nice gesture.  This story goes to show that God sometimes even uses those who you would think are your enemies to bring you closer to Him.