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The Book of Ezra

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Overview

Most likely written by Ezra
Events take place roughly between 530 and 430 bc
Ezra and Nehemiah are both concerned with the reestablishment of Israel after a long captivity, and with how God always maintains a remnant of people who are faithful.

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Ezra 1:1-11

“The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” - Proverbs 21:1

How does Ezra 1 illustrate this principle?
How does this principle apply to our modern daily life?

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Ezra 3 - 6

The work begins and the people begin to keep the feasts, to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed.

Adversaries crop up to oppose the rebuilding, first trying to ingratiate themselves to hinder from within, later by outright opposition both physical and political that eventually succeeds.

How does this story illustrate God’s mercy?
Who ultimately wins in this story?
Are there parallels in our own life to how efforts to restore the broken places in our life are hindered? - Rom 7

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Ezra 4: 1-3

The adversaries here were deceptive. They claimed to be on the same side, but had ulterior motives.

How does the enemy try to deceive us when dealing with sin in our own lives?
What lies does he tell?
How did Jesus respond when Satan tried to deceive him in the desert? - Mt 4

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Ezra 7-8

Ezra, a scribe, is sent by the king to carry an offering to Jerusalem.

I’m still struck by how amazing God’s influence is, that in the midst of a foreign nation, He would move the heart of the king to restore Israel, a foreign power, and a potential threat, to its rightful place.

Ezra faithfully delivers the offerings collected by the people.

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Ezra 9:1-5

Ezra’s prayer of repentance over the sins of the people.

vs 4-5 Ezra’s acts of contrition are significant. The length of time spent, the sacrifice he makes in response to the sin is significant.

Ps 51:17
What happens when you don’t feel contrition?

I’m not talking about beating yourself up unnecessarily. This isnt about ignoring the truth that God has not only forgiven you but restored you to holiness. I’m talking about your willingness to make the changes in your life that God has asked of you. Sometime that will require sacrificing good things in our life that stand in the way of better things.

I know from personal experience that sins can become so comfortable that my words of repentance become essentially meaningless to me. The tearing of clothes, the sacrifice of time made by Ezra are a way of expressing the importance, the depth, the gravity of the sin being addressed. Its a way of making the sin real.

Ultimately, God is seeking a broken spirit, a contrite heart. What is required to get you there? Cry out to God, allow the Holy Spirit to restore your soul, restore your heart and mind. Confess your lack of contrition, allow Him to restore to you, to order your heart to love that which is good, to hate that which is evil.

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Ezra 9:6-15

Ezra honestly and openly acknowledges the sin of Israel

he does not seek to justify the sin vs 6-7
he acknowledges God’s mercy and grace in giving Israel another chance, and how their current actions are an affront to that grace. vs 8-10, 14
he refers back to the source that establishes the truth of the matter. vs 11-12
he acknowledges God’s righteousness, and thus God’s right to judge them