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.
