These Jews are not afraid to testify to their faith in God; they understand that God works in history and their captivity was due not to God’s failure but his discipline of them.1 The Jews were well aware of the reason for their exile. They acknowledged that their ancestors provoked the Lord by worshiping other gods (Ezekiel 23:1–49; Hosea 2:1–13). As a result, the Lord punished them by scattering them among the nations (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:64) and allowing their temple to be destroyed (2 Chronicles 7:20–22). Preaching of prophets and experience of exile had taught these Jews that God punishes those who break his covenant relationship.2 The remnant is but a small group compared to the nation under Solomon, but they are now a purified and chastened people, and they recognize the sin that forced those who had worshipped at Solomon’s temple into captivity.3 Thus, the people are rebuilding the house of the Lord, which was destroyed not because he is not great, but because of the sins of his people.4
12 But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.