Ezra

Date Written: around 450 B.C.

Author: Ezra

Setting: This book follows II Chronicles as a history of the Jewish people. It opens 48 years after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, defeated the southern kingdom of Judah & carried the Jews away to Babylon as captives. God’s temple is in ruins. Ezra tells of the return of God’s people, the rebuilding of the temple & the restoration of the sacrificial worship system. Similarly, God is able to restore & rebuild the lives of people today. No one is so far away from God that they can’t be restored. Repentance is all that is required. No matter how far we have strayed or how long it has been since we have worshiped God, He is able to restore our relationship to Him & rebuild our lives.

Key People: Cyrus, Zerubbabel, Haggai, Zechariah, Darius, Artaxerxes I, Ezra

Purpose: To show God’s faithfulness & the way He kept His promise to restore His people to their land.

Key Verses: With praise & thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good, His love to Israel endures forever. And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 3:11

So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel. 6:21-22

Chapter Outline:

1-2 The Exiles Return (the first group of exiles return)

3-6 Rebuilding the Temple

7-10 The Work of Ezra (the second group of exiles return)

Importance of reading Ezra:

What we read: Babylon was overthrown by Persia. Cyrus, king of Persia, is now in power. He allowed many groups of exiles to return to their homelands. By doing this, he hoped to win their loyalty & have a buffer zone around the borders of his empire. God worked through Cyrus to return His people to their homeland. What we can learn: Don’t ever think that a situation is hopeless. God’s power isn’t limited to our resources or abilities. He is all-powerful.

What we read: They began rebuilding the temple even before building the city walls to protect the city. What we can learn: Nothing we do can protect us if God isn’t with us. God has to come first.

What we read: The Israelites (not all returned, just some chose to return) started to rebuild the temple once they returned to their land. But they let opposition stop them. Discouragement & fear are two of the greatest obstacles to doing what God has called us to do. Discouragement takes away our motivation & fear paralyzes us. Later they continued the work with encouragement from the prophets. What we can learn: There will always be opposition from the enemy. He doesn’t want to see you do anything for God. But don’t let that stop you or even discourage you. Be bold & do the work of the Lord.

What we read: Chapter 4, the enemies of Judah & Benjamin were people who had been relocated in the northern kingdom when Assyria conquered Israel. These people offered to help rebuild the temple as a way to keep an eye on them & to disrupt the project. They wanted to keep Jerusalem from becoming strong again. What we can learn: Be aware of who you align yourself with. They may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing & will try to disrupt your work for the Lord. 

What we read: By returning to the land of Israel from Babylon, the Jews showed their faith in God’s promise to restore them as a people. They went back to the place that their forefathers had promised to follow God. What we can learn: No matter what is holding you “captive” & away from God, He will restore you when you return to Him.

What we read: The prophets Haggai & Zechariah helped encourage the people & Ezra preached God’s Word to encourage them. What we can learn: We need God’s Word to encourage us. It is the foundation for our faith. His Word is what we build our Christian walk on.

Things to think about as you read Ezra:

• How did the people in Ezra’s time deal with their sin? What showed you whether their sorrow led to repentance or simply regret? How do you deal with sin in your own life? How is it dealt with in your church?
• What did you learn about prayer & fasting? Are both of these part of your walk with the Lord? Why?
• What have you learned about God, His promises & His ways? What difference can this knowledge make in your life?

Link to Teaching Video: https://youtu.be/a-9qUpV2W_Y?si=ENkakPTVAfjyohdr

Blessings,

Nichole Henson, Fullness of Joy Ministry