After seventy years of exile in Babylonia, some of God's people began to return to their land and resettle it. The book of Ezra tells about this return. It happened in two phases, separated by about 60 years.
The first group of nearly 50,000 Israelites traveled back to Israel under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Chapters 1-6 describe these people and their work to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem.
In chapters 7-10, Ezra, a priest and a direct descendant of Aaron, led more people out of exile and back to Israel. While Zerubbabel's primary task was to rebuild the Temple, Ezra's primary task was to rebuild the people, preparing them to worship and to obey the God to whom they belonged.
What does it say?
Ezra is a fascinating book about the remnant of Israel that returned from the Babylonian captivity. The book begins with the edict from Cyrus king of Persia which made it possible to return to the land and rebuild the temple. This edict is one of seven official documents or letters included in Ezra, all written in Aramaic except this first edict from Cyrus.
After the edict, the author (probably Ezra) gives a remarkably detailed record of all those who returned, including totals! The book tells the story of the work of two special men: Zerubbabel and Ezra. Zerubbabel returns first to the land and leads the rebuilding of the temple. Ezra returns next and works to reform the people. The book is divided into two halves around these two men: (1) Zerubbabel and the temple and (2) Ezra and the people.
Faces & Places
Cyrus king of Persia is mentioned in verse one and a number of other times throughout the book. Cyrus defeated the Babylonian empire in 539 and established the Persian empire in its place. His new policies called for the release of Israel back to its land. Other later Persian kings mentioned in the book are Darius, Xerxes (son of Darius), and Artaxerxes.
Zerubbabel, who led the first group of people back to the land, was the grandson of king Jehoiachin of Judah before the fall of Jerusalem. Zerubbabel became governor of Judah and led the people in rebuilding the temple.
Ezra was a teacher and priest among the exiled Jews in Babylon. He returned to the land to carry out the task of returning the people to an obedience to the law of God. He taught the people God's laws and they turned to God again with new joy.
Although the story line takes place in Jerusalem, the kings of Persia play a significant role. The Persian empire covered a great territory ranging from Greece to India and from Egypt to the Black Sea.
Key Verses & Themes
The Temple:
Ezra 1:3 "Anyone of his people among you - may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem."
The Reformation of the People:
Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."
Ezra 10:1 "While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites - men, women and children - gathered around him. They too wept bitterly."
So what?
The "so what?" of Ezra (as with any book of the Bible) is helped by placing yourself into the life situation of the book. The original readers of Ezra were exiles who had returned under Zerubbabel and Ezra, but who were struggling in their relationship to God. Ezra encouraged these people to be involved in genuine worship and to remind them to fulfill their covenant obligations because of God's mercy to them. In chapters 9-10 we see the proper response of the people to their sin. Ezra wanted his original readers to have the same attitude of humble repentance and intentional obedience which believers of all times should have.
