Ezra

Ezra

Historical Background and Purpose

The book of Ezra was most likely written by the scribe and priest, Ezra.  God had promised His people that they would return to the Land of Promise after seventy years of exile in Babylon.  God was now fulfilling His promise.  In 539 BC, King Cyrus of Persia conquered the Babylonians.  God stirred the heart of King Cyrus to proclaim the following message to the people throughout his kingdom:  “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth.  He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.  Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem.  And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:2-4).  With this proclamation by King Cyrus of Persia, all of the Jews were now allowed to return to their homeland and build the Temple; however, only a small remnant (approximately 50,000) chose to do so.  According to Nelson’s Complete Book of Maps and Charts (page 151), “the Israelites were taken into exile in three successive states (605, 597, 586 B.C.), they returned in three stages.  The first occurred under the leadership of Zerubbabel (c. 538 B.C.).  After considerable delay, this return resulted in the rebuilding of the temple (c. 520 – 516 B.C.), encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.  Ezra led the second return in the seventh year of Artaxerxes I (c. 458 B.C.).  Nehemiah led the final return in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I (c. 444 B.C.).”  The book of Ezra records that the Jews encountered a lot of local opposition while building the Temple; however, it also records that the Jews received a lot of support via the following kings of Persia: King Cyrus II, King Artaxerxes I, and King Darius I.  Originally, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were linked together as one single book in the original Hebrew Bible (see introduction to the book of Ezra in the Sourceview Bible).  The book of Ezra is a written historical record of what transpired with the Israelites after they had spent seventy years in Babylonian captivity.

Character and Nature of God

God makes promises to His people and God is faithful to keep His promises to His people.  God had made a promise to His people that they would return to their homeland after seventy years of captivity in Babylon and God kept His promise.  God stirred the hearts of Persian kings (King Cyrus II, King Artaxerxes I, and King Darius I) to accomplish His will for His people.  Each of these kings supported the Jews in building a Temple in Jerusalem.  God is forgiving.  God allowed His people a fresh start in Jerusalem.  God protects His people.  Ezra proclaimed, “’Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.’ So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayers.” (Ezra 8:22).  God protected His people during their journey from Babylon to Jerusalem.  God also kept them safe as they were building the altar and the Temple.  God is the Most High God.  God is the One who stirred the hearts of Persian kings to accomplish His purposes for His people.  God is worthy of praise.  Ezra 3:11 states, “With praise and thanks, they [the Levites] sang this song to the LORD: ‘He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!’  Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD’s Temple had been laid.”  God is faithful and God’s faithful love endures forever!  He indeed is worthy of all our praise!

God's Redemptive Plan for Mankind

God had punished His people by allowing them to be taken away as captives by the Babylonians for seventy years.  However, God is a God of restoration.  God in His sovereignty made a way for His people to return to their homeland after seventy years of exile.  God restored His people.  God’s people restored the altar. God’s people restored the Temple.  God had judged and punished His people; however, God then restored His people.  God is forgiving and God gave His people another opportunity to live their lives for God.  God’s people could obey God and receive His blessings or they could disobey God and receive His curses. 

Personal Application / Point of Passion

The scribe and priest, Ezra, was determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and teach it to the people of Israel (see Ezra 7:10).  My personal application for the book of Ezra is to become like Ezra by diligently studying the Word of God, obeying the Word of God, and teaching others the Word of God as well.  I do not want to simply read the Word of God, I want to really know the Word of God.  I do not want to simply know about the truth, I really want to know the truth.  I do not want to simply hear the Word of God, I want to faithfully obey the Word of God.  I truly desire to live the Word of God.  I desire to teach others to do the same.  May God receive all of the honor and the glory!