The exile did not thwart the purposes of God. This happened according to the prophetic word and Ezra is just picking up where the Chronicle left off, and it will happen in the fullness of time (Galatians 3:1–29) that God will send forth his Son, to be born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who are under the law. God is not frustrated, his plan is not in ruins, his purposes are not being thwarted by this exile. This is all going according to plan. Ezra is picking up the continuing story that will go on beginning from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Josef to Moses to Joshua to the Judges to David and Solomon, the splitting of Judah from Israel, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, Josiah, the exile, and now the return. Restoration begins with God. This is a part of the continuing work of God through whom he will bring the Messiah into the world. God is restoring his people. God's purposes, God's plan is being carried out. He does his will, as he says through Daniel, among the hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of earth, and there is no one who can thwart his purposes. There is no one who can frustrate his plans. His plan goes on, as it will go on right to the end when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in the clouds and history seizes to be and his eternal kingdom is established.1
Terry L. Johnson
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: