Text “For
we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended
lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving
to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in
Judah and Jerusalem.” (Ezr 9:9)
After 70 years in exile, the people of Israel
were coming back home. The new Persian emperor Cyrus had decreed that they
return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of their God—which had lain in ruins
the whole time (Ezr 1:1–4).
Zerubbabel and Jeshua, descendants of King
David and Aaron the priest, answer the call to rebuild the house of God.
But the temple wasn’t the only thing in need, the
Hebrews had forgotten God’s laws—and were disregarding them. Many of the
returning people needed to remember the
covenant they’d made with God. They needed to remember why they were in their
situation: why they had to go to Babylon
(which you can read about in Kings and Chronicles), and why they’d been allowed to come
back. The temple needed a new foundation, but the people needed to return to the foundations of their faith, too.
Ezra is also traditionally credited with
writing the books of First and Second Chronicles. If this is true, then Ezra is the
second most prolific author of the Bible (after Moses).
Ezra was a man of the Word and prayer. He was
passionate for the purity of God’s people, seeking to praise God’s name, to bring in God’s Kingdom and to do God’s will
on earth as in heaven.
The book of Ezra chronicles both stories:
rebuilding the temple and remembering the law. This account weaves together
several categories of written works.
- Historical narrative—events surrounding Israel’s return, temple reconstruction, and revival
- Official documents—letters and decrees sent to and from the Persian emperors during this time period
- Jewish records—names of individuals and families who returned to Israel
- Ezra’s autobiographical texts—prayers, reflections, and actions from Ezra’s point of view
These pieces come together to tell us how God
began restoring Israel.
Ezra’s
role in the Bible
Ezra begins a new beginning in Israel’s
history:
- From Genesis to Deuteronomy, God calls out Israel as a particular nation and teaches them His laws.
- From Joshua to 2 Chronicles, God gives Israel a land and a king, but Israel loses both when they consistently disobey God.
- From Ezra to Esther, God restores Israel from exile in their own land again.
Ezra and Nehemiah (the next book of the Bible) were initially considered two parts of one book.
Ezra focuses on rebuilding the temple; Nehemiah focuses on rebuilding the city
of Jerusalem. Both form the story of how God reestablishes Israel in the land
He promised to her. The book of Ezra also references other biblical prophets,
namely Haggai and Zechariah, whose messages stirred up the people to finish
building the temple (Ezr 5:1).
When God needed a man of pure character and firm conviction, He chose Ezra. Ezra means
“help,” as in helping to restore and reform Judah. His example can be encouraging
to any who desire to be faithful to God.
Ezra was a direct descendant of the priestly
family of Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5). He was “a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses”
(Ezra 7:6) and an “expert in the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of
His statutes to Israel” (Ezra 7:11). In a testimony to his convictions, we read
that “Ezra had prepared his heart to seek
the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in
Israel” (Ezra 7:10).
While in Babylon, Ezra gained the favor of
King Artaxerxes, who granted him a commission to return to Jerusalem (this was
the second return). The king invited all who wanted to go—Jews, Israelites,
priests, and Levites—to accompany Ezra to
Jerusalem. However, only 1,754 chose to make the journey, compared with 49,897
who had returned with Zerubbabel 79 years earlier.
The purpose of Ezra’s teaching, however, was
not merely to reestablish the theocracy in Judah after returning from Babylon
as some historians argue. The book’s emphasis is not on suppressing the
previously mentioned prophetic hopes. In fact, a close reading of the text
demonstrates that Ezra does not merely
look back to the glory of Solomon’s kingdom but also points forward.
For example, observe the edict in Ezra 7:12
ff. as a starting point. The language concerns the house or dwelling of God
which is in Jerusalem. Here is the desire for pure and effective worship among
the Jewish people over and against the worship of foreign gods. There is a
return to the religion of old, but there
is something more. For example, holiness is no longer merely restricted to some
particular place such as the temple; instead, holiness is expanded and extends
beyond the temple itself. (2) This anticipates something more significant to come (e.g., Jn 4:21; Eph 2:19-22).
Ezra was a man of prayer. In his prayers,
there is a reflection on the past but also a looking forward to what God has
promised. He acknowledged the relief
from bondage from Babylon and a secure
place to dwell. The reference to a “a
secure place,” (literally “a tent peg”) is meant to imply a firm anchor of
stability for the community; however, the notion also alludes to something that
is transient since it probably refers to the nomadic practice of staking a
tent. There is no final satisfaction here that these Israelite travelers have
indeed arrived at their final destination, for this rebuilt temple is not the
final temple. Rather, there is in the book of Ezra the recognition that
believers are aliens and strangers here on earth: pilgrims pressing towards a
heavenly city “whose architect and builder is God” (Heb 11:10).
Ezra has set forth some excellent points for ministers and teachers in
the days to come.
Ezra has set the right priorities of duties:
1.
first
study,
2.
then
practice, and then—and only then—
3.
teaching
it to others.
The book of Ezra also reminds us that he
respected the forward-looking nature of God’s plan. In other words, the
Scriptures look forward to another place, another time, and especially another
man.
You know that Ezra was only a man. Yet, there
was another man, not a mere man, that Ezra’s life and theology ultimately
points forward to. He is Christ. This Christ is a man, unlike the Pharisees. This is one, who when he taught, caused the
people to marvel at his teaching and say, “Here is one who teaches with
authority, not like the other Scribes and Pharisees.”
Look at the life of Christ.”
1.
He
practiced what he preached.
2.
He
spoke only truth
3.
He
not only knew the Scripture He was the WORD.
As the Apostle says, “Who is sufficient for
these things?”. Not us. Only Christ. However, may God grant as ministers of the
Gospel, the ability to trust in and depend upon this Divine-human teacher, in
whom all of our shortcomings in our own study, practice, and teaching are
washed away. Christ is our penalty payer and our probation keeper. May God
grant to us the grace to continually lay
hold of that alien righteousness, which Ezra merely shadows and points forward
to, which alone can cover all of their deficits and demerits.
May God grant us this grace so that they may
proclaim with the apostle Paul, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching
everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To
this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in
me” (Col 1:28, NIV).
Do
you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If
anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy
him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” – 1
Corinthians 3:10-17
Restoration of
the people
Although the second return numbered fewer than
2,000 people, we must consider that five decades had passed since the
completion of the temple in Jerusalem.
Much can happen in two generations. The temple was complete and in use,
but something was missing: a right attitude toward Almighty God. The people
still lacked understanding. They were not obedient to God.
God works in a systematic and orderly way.
Through the Persian king, Cyrus, He fulfilled His promise that the Jews could
return to their homeland after 70 years in captivity. Next God provided
Zerubbabel to rebuild the literal temple. Finally, God set His hand to begin to
restore the spiritual temple, a remnant of Judah. He used Ezra to accomplish this.
Jesus told the woman at the well that the spiritual
temple was more important that the physical temple. The worship of God would be in spirit and
truth.
Ezra took a census of those who volunteered to
return to Judah and Jerusalem with him. An important and practical reason for
the census was to determine the needs for
the temple services.
Ezra was surprised—as he considered who could
serve in what capacity—that no Levites were present. “And I looked among the people and the priests
and found none of the sons of Levi there” (Ezra 8:15). So, he directed
leaders of his countrymen to “bring us
servants for the house of our God” (Ezra 8:17). The leaders then made sure
some Levites would return with Ezra for the service of the temple. Jesus said to go into the highways and hedges
and compel them to come in.
Next Ezra needed protection for “us and our
little ones and all our possessions” on the long journey back to Jerusalem
(Ezra 8:21). He was ashamed to ask the king to supply an escort of soldiers for
defense against any enemies they might encounter. So, he proclaimed a fast, and he and the people humbled themselves
before God, asking Him to safeguard them on this dangerous trek. “So, we fasted
and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer” (Ezra 8:23).
The journey was safe and uneventful. “So, we
came to Jerusalem and stayed there three
days” (Ezra 8:32). Then they gave offerings to God. In the High Priestly prayer of Jesus in the
17th chapter of John Jesus prays for our safety.
And now come I to thee; and these things I
speak in the world, that they might have
my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have
given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world.
I pray not
that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep
them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world. Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so, have I
also sent them into the world. And
for their sakes, I sanctify myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for
them also which shall believe on me
through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I
in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me.
Removing sin
After their offerings, the leaders came to
Ezra worried about a significant problem: Men of the remnant of Judah and a few
from Israel had taken wives from neighboring gentile nations. This God had
expressly forbidden them to do since such
marriages would weaken their resolve to honor God, who had explicitly chosen and selected Judah and Israel
to represent Him.
Note Ezra’s words in this regard: “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”
(Ezra 9:1).
These heathen nations worshiped false gods.
Were the Israelite men to remain married to their foreign wives, the prospect
of false religion again enticing and seducing God’s people was a real and
dangerous problem. This, God had earlier warned, was precisely one of the
reasons His people would be taken into national captivity unless
they repented.
God had sent Ezra to teach His people His way
of life, to reveal to them their sins and exhort them to heartfelt repentance. “Now while Ezra was praying, and while he
was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and
children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. And
Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to
Ezra, ‘We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the
peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this’ ”
(Ezra 10:1-2).
Shechaniah encouraged Ezra to take the
responsibility and make a decree that Jewish men separate themselves from their
gentile wives. “Then Ezra arose and made
the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath that they
would do according to this word. So, they swore an oath” (Ezra 10:5).
Ezra issued a proclamation throughout Judah
and Jerusalem to the descendants of the captivity, directing them to gather in
Jerusalem (Ezra 10:7). The men of Judah and Benjamin came as directed and sat in the open square of the
house of God, trembling because of importance of the business at hand and
because of heavy rain. (This took place in the time of year we would
call December.)
Ezra led a confession to God, admonishing the
gathered Benjaminites and Judahites and some Israelites to put away their pagan
wives. Most of them agreed to do so and obeyed God’s command through Ezra.
After several months “they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan
wives” (Ezra 10:17). God, through His faithful priest Ezra, had removed a significant source of sin from the people. God
recognized that His people need to be united spiritually in their worship of
Him (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and
free us from the bondage of sin.
Although faithful Ezra had helped the remnant
of Judah to return to God, they did not remain faithful.
Neither had Israel repented and turned to God after Assyria removed its people
from their northern kingdom almost three centuries earlier (721-718).
In chapter 9, Ezra responded to the
disobedience and rebellion of God’s people by weeping over Jerusalem, just
as Jesus would weep over Jerusalem’s refusal
to receive and welcome Him.
Just as in the life of Ezra, Christ loves His
people, He wants to bless them but is
saddened by rebellion and disobedience.
Ezra was also a priest and a scribe devoted to
the law of Moses. Jesus came as the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek,
and he countered temptation and those who challenges him in debate with
appeals to Scripture.
Paul like Ezra knew the importance of laying
the foundation in Jesus Christ.
“According to the grace of God given me,
like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building
on it. Let each one take care how he builds
upon it. For no one can lay a foundation
other than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the
Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done.
If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a
reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself
will be saved, but only as through fire.
Another priest to
gather Israel
God promised the people of Judah He would
return them to Jerusalem, after their 70-year Babylonian captivity, to rebuild
the temple and restore proper worship. God similarly pledges to return Judah and Israel to their ancestral homeland.
Many prophecies show that at Jesus Christ’s second coming He will gather the
descendants of Israel and Judah from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 11:10-12;
Jeremiah 23:3-8; Ezekiel 36:1-38; Ezekiel 39:25-29).
“ ‘Then they shall know that I am the LORD
their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought
them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will
not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on
the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 39:28-29).
God promised:
He would gather Israel back to her land after He had punished her (Dt 30:3). The book of Ezra shows us how God
kept that promise.
The LORD is coming back. Just as He kept His promise to Israel to
bring Judah out of Babylonian captivity.
He has kept His promise to free us
from the bondage and captivity of sin.
He offers to you today that freedom.
If you have not accepted Him don’t wait until it is to late, time is
running out, and you do not want to miss
the opportunity to receive the gift of salvation. Don’t be like those who stayed in Babylon and
missed out on the freedom of that the LORD gives to those who follow Him. Jesus is ready to forgive your sins and free
you from the bondage of sin.
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