Ezra

Ezra

Brochure

Ezra

I. Introduction

  1. Authorship
    1. It is anonymous, but most identify Ezra as the author.
    2. The approximate date for writing is 455-440 BC.
    3. In the Hebrew Bible, Ezra-Nehemiah is one book.

      “The last verses of 2 Chronicles (36:22-23) are the same as Ezra 1:1-3a. In fact, Chronicles ends in the middle of a sentence that only occurs in full in Ezra. This overlapping may indicate that the books were intended to be read together.”[1]
  2. Keywords
    1. “Temple” 25 times
    2. “Jerusalem” 48 times
    3. This is all about reestablishing the nation and reinstituting worship at their temple site, which was destroyed in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar.
  3. The book of Ezra is the story of two men who led the exiles of Judah back into the land of Israel from Babylon.
    1. Zerubbabel
      1. Chapters 1-6 chronicle the return of approximately 50,000 Jews under the leadership of Zerubbabel in 538 BC.
      2. His name means “sown in Babylon.”
      3. Also known as Shesh-Bazar.
      4. He is the great-grandson of King Jeconiah, who enjoyed a 3-month reign before being taken to Babylon as a prisoner.
      5. He is in the lineage of Jesus.
    2. Ezra
      1. Chapters 7-10 chronicle the return of 2000 men under the leadership of Ezra in 458 BC.
      2. His name means “help.”
      3. He was a direct descendant of Aaron the High Priest?
      4. He was a scribe.
      5. A few of the accomplishments attributed to Ezra, which many believe to be at least partially true, are:
        1. Father of the Pharisees.
        2. Canonized the Hebrew Scriptures.
        3. Established the Synagogue meetings.
  4. Themes of the Book
    1. God is faithful to restore.
    2. God will use pagan kings to accomplish His will.
  5. Timeline[2]
    1. 586 – Jerusalem and the temple destroyed (2 Chronicles)
    2. 538 – Cyrus decrees that Jews may return home (Ezra 1:1-4)
    3. 536 – Temple altar is built in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:1-6)
    4. 535-520 – Temple reconstruction is halted (Ezra 4:4-5, 24)
    5. 520 – Temple reconstruction resumes (Ezra 5:1-2)
    6. 515 – Temple is completed (Ezra 6:15)
    7. 483 – Esther becomes queen (Esther 2:17)
    8. 458 – Ezra leads group of exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezra 7:7-8)
    9. 444 – Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem (Neh 2:1-10)
  6. Outline[3]
    1. Return from Exile (chs 1– 2)
      1. Proclamation of Permission (ch 1)
      2. List of Returnees (ch 2)
    2. Rebuilding of Temple and Community (chs 3– 6)
      1. Preparation for Rebuilding (ch 3)
      2. Opposition to Rebuilding (ch 4)
      3. Continuation of Rebuilding (ch 5)
      4. Completion of Rebuilding (ch 6)
    3. Return of Ezra (chs 7– 8)
      1. Arrangements for His Return (ch 7)
      2. Entourage with his Return (ch 8)
    4. Ministry of Ezra (chs 9– 10)
      1. Sin of the People (9:1– 4)
      2. Ezra’s Prayer for the People (9:5– 15)
      3. Ezra’s Leadership in Reformation (ch 10)

II. Ch 1

  1. vv. 1-4 The decree of Cyrus

    Ezra 1:1 Now 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, saying,  2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.  3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and 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.  4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.[4]
    1. v. 1 Ezra notes that this decree comes in fulfillment of the prophecy made by Jeremiah that there would be 70 years of captivity.
      1. This book is all about the forgiveness, grace, and restoration that God brings to His people.
      2. How wonderful it is to know that we can always look for the grace of God.
    2. vv. 2-4 We are immediately struck by the testimony of King Cyrus and wonder how he arrived at such conclusions.
      1. The only clue I am aware of is the prophecy of Isaiah and the historical information given by Josephus.
      2. Isaiah prophesied that Cyrus would reign as king and would rebuild the temple.

        Isaiah 44:28 – 45:5 28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ‘  NKJ Isaiah 45:1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held — To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:  2 ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron.  3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.  4 For Jacob My servant’s sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.  5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me

      3. Josephus states that this prophecy was shown to Cyrus, and he was amazed at his name being mentioned 200 years prior and desired to help fulfill that prophecy.
      4. It may be that the wonder of the Word of God led Cyrus to these conclusions.
    3. A significant archaeological discovery is the Cyrus Cylinder.
      1. This artifact explains the release of exiles to return to their homelands.
      2. This decree gives credit to the Babylonian god Marduk for leading Cyrus to release the peoples to their homeland.

        “The Cyrus Cylinder inscription gives the Persian account of Cyrus’s decree. It explains that the Babylonian god Marduk called him to release the exiles to return to their homelands. The Hebrew version of this decree applied to the Jews (2 Chr 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). Biblical writers interpreted the decree as the act of God(Isa 45:1-3) in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jer 25:11-12; 29:10).”[5]
  2. vv. 5-6 The response of the Jews
    1. Few from three tribes arise to build.

      5 Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
      1. We will find out in chapter 2 that this is approximately 30,000 men who were moved and felt the call to go and rebuild.
    2. v. 6 Many supported the work with freewill offerings.

      6 And all those who were around them encouraged them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
      1. Few were excited by the idea of returning.
      2. Most of the Jews in Babylon were quite comfortable in the big city and in a prospering kingdom of the Persians.
      3. The idea of being pioneers did not move many to return.
      4. We do read that many were glad to support the work financially.
  3. vv. 7-11 Articles of the house of the LORD are returned.

    7 King Cyrus also brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods;  8 and Cyrus king of Persia brought them out by the hand of Mith-re-dath the treasurer, and counted them out to Shesh-bazzar the prince of Judah.
    1. No mention of the Ark of the Covenant.
    2. This stands as a mystery today.

III. Ch 2

  1. Chapter 2 gives us a detailed genealogy of the families that returned.
    1. vv. 59-63 tell us that there were some who could not prove their lineage among those who claimed to be priests.
    2. They were forbidden until the Urim and Thummim could be used by the priest to consult the Lord.
  2. v. 64 tells us that 42,360 Jews returned, and the servants that accompanied them (v. 65) brought the total to 49,897.
    1. This number is different than Nehemiah’s total number of 49,942. A difference of 45.
      1. The following comment suggests one possible reason. This explanation seems to be as reasonable as any other.

        “Ezra’s grand total of 49,897 is very close to Nehemiah’s total of 49,942 (Neh. 7:66-67). Nehemiah’s extra 45 people are in the singers (Ezra had 200 but Nehemiah referred to 245). This may have been a scribal error, an error not in the original manuscripts but in the numerous copyings of the text in its transmission. A scribe, in copying Nehemiah 7:67, may have inadvertently picked up the 245 in verse 68, in reference to mules, and inserted that number for the 200 singers. This kind of error may also account for several variations in the other numbers in these lists.”[6]
  3. The importance of genealogy is for land rights purposes as well as tracing the lineage of the Messiah.
  4. To us, this list may seem long and boring, but to the Lord, it was precious and beautiful.
    1. I can tell you that I love to look over the list of people who serve this body and want to see the living temple edified/built up.
  5. This is a list of brave champions of the faith.
    1. They are the missionary type, the church planters. Those who are willing to take a step of faith.
    2. People who are not afraid of a challenge or the unknown.
    3. They are people who are not afraid of the difficult.
    4. Consider what Oswald Chambers has to say on this subject:

      “Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.”[7]

IV. Ch 3

  1. v. 1 Unity in the work

    Ezra 3:1 And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.
    1. It is April or May 536 BC when the work gets started on the temple.
    2. The outstanding comment we read is that there was unity.
      1. No significant work will ever be accomplished in the Kingdom of God without unity.
    3. We must stand guard against the work of the enemy to divide us.
  2. vv. 2-6 Obedience in sacrifices and feasts reinstituted
    1. Prescribed sacrifices and freewill offerings are made on the newly established altar according to the Law of Moses.
    2. The Feast of Tabernacles is kept.
    3. We can’t expect the work of God to progress without obedience to Him.
    4. Do the first works of your faith.
      1. For Israel, they went back to the basics of sacrifice and feasts.
  3. vv. 7-9 Resources for the work
    1. v. 7 Money to pay the laborers.
    2. vv. 8-9 People to oversee the work.
    3. It is not enough to be excited and interested; at some point, if the work is going to get done, we must make ourselves available for the work.
      1. Both time and money.
  4. vv. 10-11 Worship in the work

    10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel.  11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

  5. Worship and thanksgiving were part of the restoration of the nation.
    1. Some may say what a bad use of limited manpower.
      1. Get the work done and then worry about that singing.

        Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
  6. vv. 12-13 Detractors of the work

    12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy,  13 so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.
    1. Some were in tears at the laying of the foundation, probably much for the same reason we read 16 years later at the completion of the temple.

      Zechariah 4:9-10 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.  10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

    2. It did not impress man, but God, who sees everything, rebukes those who would despise the work.
      1. This temple, in its remodeled form under Herod, had the presence of Christ while He walked on earth.

III. Ch 4

  1. vv. 1-3 The enemy seeks to enter the building project

    1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel, 2  they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” 3  But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”
    1. These people are not sincere, as will be evidenced by their actions.
    2. We must be careful not to compromise the work for the sake of numbers and resources.
    3. The enemy is forever seeking to make his way into the church and our homes. We must be vigilant.
      1. We will see that this does become an issue in their marriages later in the book.
  2. vv. 4-5 Discouragement in the work

    4 Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
    1. Discouragement is one of the great tools of the enemy against the servant of the Lord. The term for discourage is a Hebrew idiom meaning “to weaken the hands.”
    2. For nearly fifteen years (534-520), the work ceased on the temple under the reign of Cyrus.
    3. I am not aware of any decree that forbids them, but only that the work was frustrated (v. 5).
    4. The antagonism was not a one-off attack, but it was consistent throughout the reign of all the kings of Persia.
    5. Haggai informs us that selfishness was at the root of why the work stopped (Hag 1:2-11).
  3. 4:6-23 Setbacks  
    1. These verses represent a historical parenthesis.
    2. They do not fit chronologically, but they do fit thematically.
    3. v. 6 Accusations during Ahasuerus.

      6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

    4. Ahasuerus/Xerxes 485-465 BC.
      1. This was Queen Esther’s husband.
      2. There is no mention of him heeding these accusations.
    5. vv. 7-16 Accusations during Artaxerxes.
    6. Artaxerxes 464-458 BC.
      1. He stopped the rebuilding of Jerusalem in 464-458 BC.
      2. Note that it is not the temple construction that is stopped because it was already done.
      3. But this does demonstrate a theme of harassment that the early Jews experienced as they sought to establish themselves back into their homeland.
    7. vv. 17-23 A letter is written to Artaxerxes seeking to create fear over the work taking place in Jerusalem.
      1. Artaxerxes decrees that the work should stop until further notice.

IV. Ch 4:24-5 (Story Resumes)

  1. vv. 1-2 Exhortation in the work

    Ezra 4:24 Thus the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem ceased, and it was discontinued until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia. 5:1 Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.  2 So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.
    1. Historical chronology resumes in verse 24.
    2. For nearly fifteen years (534-520), the work ceased on the temple under the reign of Cyrus.
    3. v. 1 God raised up Haggai to exhort them to work, and they responded.
    4. They resumed working from 520-515 under the preaching of Haggai.
    5. Read Haggai chapter 1.
  2. vv. 3-17 Continued antagonism against the work.

V. Ch 6

  1. vv. 1-12 God’s favor in the work
    1. Not only did Darius permit them, but he also provided resources for the work to be done.

      “The work resumes a couple of decades later, during the reign of King Darius. That’s after the Jews convince him to search the royal records and find Cyrus’s original decree urging the Jews to rebuild their temple.”[8]
  2. vv. 13-18 Completion of the work
    1. v. 14 The work is completed 70 years after destruction.

      “The temple was completed in Adar (February-March) of 515—21 years after the work started in 536, and 4 years after Haggai began his prophesying. This was 70 years after the temple had been destroyed on August 12, 586.”[9]
    2. “This temple does not have the splendor of Solomon’s. Though this temple is just a shadow of Solomon’s elegant worship center—and the humblest of the three temples that the Jews built during their history—it lasted longer than any other: 500 years. That compares to about 400 years for Solomon’s temple and less than 100 years for Herod’s temple in New Testament times.”[10]
  3. vv. 19-22 Feasts are kept

IV. Ch 7

  1. 7:1-10 Preparation made for Ezra to lead another group of Israelites back to Jerusalem.
    1. v. 1a Timing of the reign of Artaxerxes.
      1. “Artaxerxes Longimanus,” who ruled Persia from 465 to 425.
      2. His father was the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther.
    2. Artaxerxes was the Persian king who granted both Ezra and Nehemiah (approx. 15 years later) permission to aid Israel in their rebuilding process.
    3. vv. 1b-6 Scribe
      1. They had the duty of multiplying copies of the law and of teaching it to others.
    4. vv. 7-9 Timing of the trip
      1. Ezra left in March/April of 457/458 BC with approximately 5,000 people.
      2. They arrive in August of that year, carrying over $20 million (in modern terms) with them.
      3. The group traveled an average of seven miles a day.
    5. v. 10 He had prepared his heart

      10 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.
      1. To seek
        1. Whenever we seek the Lord, it is because we have determined and set a course to meet with the Lord.
        2. We don’t accidentally fall into spiritual devotion.
        3. It is something that is a result of choices.
      2. Disciple
        1. The next job for Ezra was to pass on what he discovered from seeking and doing.
        2. The most effective discipleship happens when the person teaching is living out what he/she is teaching.
  2. vv. 11-26 The decree from Artaxerxes
    1. v. 13 Volunteers are free to go.
    2. v. 14 To check on Israel’s obedience to the law.
    3. vv. 15-19 Money is given for the work.
    4. vv. 20-24 Support from taxes, as well as ministers’ relief from paying taxes.
    5. v. 25 Ezra is given the charge to place leaders in positions who are trained in the laws of God.
    6. v. 26 Authority granted to deal with those who do not obey the law of God.
  3. 7:27-28 Ezra’s response to the decree

    27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, 28  and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.

V. Ch 8

  1. 8:1-14 Another list of heroes who were willing to step into a difficult task.

    Ezra 8:1 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of King Artaxerxes.
    1. They were the ones willing to venture out.
    2. The thrill of being the first was gone, and the awareness of how difficult the task was was fully realized.
  2. 8:15-20 The need for Levitical volunteers.

    15 Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And I looked among the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.
    1. 8:15-17 No Levites
      1. Those who were appointed for the task of the ministry of the temple were not on the list of volunteers.
      2. We are that priesthood today under the New Covenant.

        1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

      3. For Ezra, as a scribe, he needed those who could be raised up as fellow teachers of the law.

        Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
    2. 8:18-20 Response
  3. 8:21- 23 A fast is proclaimed

    21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.  22 For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.”  23 So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
    1. v. 21 A fast is a set time where you forgo food to seek the Lord.
      1. v. 21 To humble
      2. vv. 21, 23 To seek favor
      3. v. 22 Ashamed to ask for help from the king
        1. Nehemiah will come with escorts.
        2. We need to be led by the Spirit.
  4. 8:31-36 Journey and arrival in Jerusalem

VI. Ch 9

  1. 9:1-2 Sin reported to Ezra

    Ezra 9:1 When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.  2 “For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.”
    1. Ezra has been in the land for less than 6 months, and the problems have come to the surface in the nation and leadership.
      1. The leaders were intermarrying with the surrounding nations against the Word of God.
      2. And not separating themselves with respect to the abominations.

        Deuteronomy 7:3-4 3 “Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.  4 “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

      3. Intermarriage certainly had this effect upon the wisest man to ever live.

        1 Kings 11:4-6 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.  5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David.

      4. As a matter of fact, Malachi records that men were actually divorcing their wives in order to marry these Canaanite women.

        Malachi 2:11-16 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The LORD’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.  12 May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts!  13 And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.  14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.  15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.  16 “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”
    2. These are very clear instructions to the nation of Israel, but what does the Lord have to say to the church?

      1 Corinthians 7:39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

      2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

    3. We must call people to obedience if we are going to be Christ-honoring and to impact our generation.
      1. Paul exhorted us to restore those who are in sin. (Gal 6:1)
        1. Earlier in this letter, he mentioned how he had to call Peter on his hypocrisy. (Gal 2:11-13)
  2. 9:3-5 Ezra is deeply troubled by the sin

    3 So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished.  4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice.  5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.
    1. Holiness is important to God, and it is no small matter when disobedience is discovered by a truly godly person.

      “The inability to blush because of sin is a mark of hypocrisy and superficial spiritual experience (Jer. 6:13-15). ‘Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush’ (Jer. 8:12, niv). Words and actions that would have made earlier generations blush in shame are today part of the normal ‘entertainment’ diet of the average TV viewer. When a nation turns sin into entertainment and laughs at what ought to make us weep, we are in desperate need of revival.”[11]
  3. 9:6-15 Ezra prays to the Lord
    1. Ezra’s prayer is much like Nehemiah’s and Daniel’s, who interceded for the nation.

VII. Ch 10

  1. 10:1-4 Shechaniah proposes a covenant that would end these mixed marriages.
    1. Shechaniah agreed with Ezra and called for repentance, even though it was going to affect his family.
  2. 10:5-17 Israel gathers at Jerusalem to deal with the problem of sin in the nation.

    Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

  3. 10:18-44 List of the priests who had taken pagan wives
    1. The mixed marriages did not represent a large portion of the population.
    2. However, the spiritual reality that a little leaven leavens the whole lump was a familiar one.

VIII. Conclusion

  1. Work to be done
  2. Beware of compromises
  3. Discouragement
  4. Attacks

[1] David Dockery, Holman Bible Handbook, (Nashville: Broadman Holman, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 286.

[2] This information is adapted from Faithlife Study Bible infographics using Logos Bible Software.

[3] This material is adapted from Eugene Merrill, Mark Rooker, and Michael Grisanti, The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament, (Brentwood: B&H Academic, 2011).

[4]  All Scripture quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

[5] David Dockery, Holman Bible Handbook, (Nashville: Broadman Holman, 1992), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 288.

[6] John Martin, “Ezra,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, eds. John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983), 2:64-67.

[7] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for his Highest, (Grand Rapids: Oswald Chambers Publication Association, 2023), July 7.

[8] Stephen Miller, The Complete Guide to the Bible, (Uhrichsville: Barbour Books, 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 133.

[9] John Martin, “Ezra,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, eds. John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983), 6:14.

[10] Stephen Miller, The Complete Guide to the Bible, (Uhrichsville: Barbour Books, 2007), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 133.

[11] Warren Wiersbe, Be Heroic, (Colorado Springs: Victor, 2002), Ezra 1-3.

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