Today is the fifth day of August. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.

I am Brian. It is wonderful to be here with you today. Just like his fantastic to be here with you together around the global campfire every day.

It is a joy that we even have this place that we can gather together.

And so I am thrilled that we can do that. Gather together and take the next step forward.

Yesterday we took a step in the Old Testament that brought us to the conclusion of a book named Second Chronicles,

which means that as we move into our reading today we have brand new territory to move into.

Although it might not feel exactly like that, we are not moving into a completely different story at a completely different time.

We are actually just picking up where Second Chronicles leaves off.

The children of Israel are in exile in Babylon. They were carried away by the King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.

Who came and conquered as a result of the rebelliousness of God's people.

And so Ezra, as we read this, will cover about 80 years of time and three different kings of the Persian Empire.

Cyrus the Great, Darius, and then Art exerxes.

And each of these kings use their power, influence, and their kingdoms to favor the Israelites who are returning to their homeland

so that they could rebuild the Temple of God and resume worship of the Most High God in Jerusalem.

In fact, that's the first king's mission. Cyrus the Great begins all of this with the desire to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem to worship God.

And he gives permission and resources for it and about 42,000 of the exiled Israelites who have been crying and weeping for restoration

finally actually make the trip back so we're going back.

And they will be under the leadership of a person named Zarubabal to rebuild.

And once they get there we will find that they have all kinds of things that they have to face.

All kinds of things to endure, opposition to overcome.

Some of that comes through the intimidation of the people that are nearby.

Some of it comes through like political maneuvering.

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