For thus
saith the LORD, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will
visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to
this place - Jeremiah 29:10
The
Hebrew people were prophesied to go into captivity because of their sin; yet,
in grace and mercy, after 70 years they would return home to Judah. The Book of
Ezra, which was once attached to Nehemiah as one book, tells the needful story
of the fulfilment of this prophecy. Ezra was the religious and Nehemiah the
political leader.
The
twin-themes of the Hebrew prophets of the Old Testament was condemnation for
sin yet comfort and consolation in mercy; of rebuke and restoration; of reprobation
and revival. We see in Ezra that there is hope in God and He always keeps His
promises.
HEBREW NAME
‘Ezra’ is
the Aramaic version of the the Hebrew ezer. It means ‘help,’ which is
something God is more than willing to do.
AUTHOR
Ezra is universally considered to be the author of the book that
bears his name. This seems reasonable since parts of the book are written in
the first person with lots of vivid detail. Ezra was a priest and scribe
(7:6,21).He is
considered the reformer who reformatted Israelite worship in the post-monarchy
period. Some even call him the ‘Father of Judaism.’ This may be because of his
putative founding of the Great Synagogue, which settled the canon of Old
Testament (the Hebrew Bible or TANAKH), and the codification of Jewish law and
practice.
Ezra was a contemporary of some important leaders of his day:
Nehemiah, the Israelite leader; Gautama Buddha (560-480 BC), a reformer of
Hinduism who founded Buddhism; Confucius in China (551-479 BC), the founder of
Confucianism; and Socrates in Greece (470-399 BC). Like the 18th century AD
Enlightenment Genius Period, Ezra’s era was a beehive of reform and
restoration. While we are not necessarily endorsing all that was done by these
non-Biblical personalities, we recognise they played a pivotal role in history.
PORTRAIT OF CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the One who leads out of Babylon. In Him there is
forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation, and revival.
THEME OF EZRA
The physical, political, and spiritual restoration of the nation
of Judah.
KEY VERSES
Who is there
among you of all His people? May his God be with him! Now let him go up to
Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He
is God), which is in Jerusalem (1:3)
For Ezra had
prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach
statutes and ordinances in Israel (7:10)
SUMMARY OF EZRA
Cyrus the Great, as prophesied by Isaiah, gave a decree that the
people of Judah were free to go home after 70 years of captivity and rebuild
the temple of the God of Israel. The Book of Ezra tells us the story of two returns
from Babylon. The first return was led by Zerubbabel, a ‘prince of Judah,’ around
536 BC a small minority took up Cyrus’ invitation: 49,897 out of 1.5 million
Israelites.
During the next twenty years the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt.
Opposition arose to this rebuilding but the prophets Haggai and Zechariah
exhorted the people to persevere. When king Darius discovered the decree of
Cyrus, he commanded that the work of temple re-commence. It was completed in
516 BC. These events are covered in chapters 1-6. A few decades later Esther
becomes Queen of Persia.
The second return happened 80 years later after the first under
Ezra himself. He and 2,000 people travel the 1,500 kilometres to Judah without
any armed escort; only the protection of God. He wanted to rebuild the
spiritual side of his people and became the great reformer, compiler, and
organiser, leading to the formation of canon of the Old Testament and Biblical
Judaism. He discovered the people had intermarried with foreign women who did
not worship the God of Israel. They confessed their sins and responded
positively to the Word of God. Reformation and revival were the results.
OUTLINE OF EZRA
I.
First Return
from Babylon with Zerubbabel (1:1-6:22)
A.
Zerubbabel
(1:1-2:7)
1.
Cyrus’ Decree
& Gifts (1)
2.
Census of the
Returnees (2:1-63)
3.
Completion of
the Return (2:64-70)
B.
Rebuilding of
the Temple (3:1-6:22)
1.
Foundations (3)
2.
Rebuilding
Interrupted (4)
3.
Temple Completed
(5-6)
II.
Second Return
under Ezra (7:1-10:44)
A.
Ezra returns
(7:1-8:36)
1.
Artaxerxes (7)
2.
Census of
Returnees, spiritual preparation (8)
B.
People Edified
(9:1-10:44)
1.
Ezra intercedes because of intermarriage (9)
2.
Revival in Israel (10)
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