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Walking Thru The Bible
EZRA
INTRODUCTION
The book of Ezra belongs to the period of Jewish history
following the Babylonian Captivity. As there were three stages to the
deportation of Judah into captivity so also there were three stages to
their "return" from Babylon. Ezra records two of the "returns" from
Babylon and Nehemiah records the third "return."
Return #1 led by Zerubbabel Ezra 1:1- 6:22
Return #2 led by Ezra Ezra 7:1- 10:44
Return #3 led by Nehemiah Nehemiah 1-13
An easy way to remember their tasks is to remember that all three
were rebuilders following the time of captivity. Zerubbabel rebuilt
the temple; Ezra was a priest who rebuilt the people; and Nehemiah
rebuilt Jerusalem's walls.
THE FIRST RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL Ch 1-6
1. RETURN (Ch. 1-3)
Chapter 1. The policy of the Babylonian kings had been to
destroy the national spirit of the people they conquered by deporting
them to different. But the Medo-Persians under Cyrus repatriate the
exiled people to their homelands.
1:5-11 records the preparations of a group of Jews to return.
Those returning received enthusiastic support from the rest of the
Jewish community. They were given gold, silver, and beasts of
burden for the journey.
Chapter 2 registers that some 42,360 Israelites, plus their 7,337
servants, returned to rebuild the temple well supplied. The leader of
the first group was Zerubbabel (or Sheshbazzar 5:16).
Chapter 3. First, they erected an altar and reinstated the
sacrifices that God had prescribed and began to lay the foundation of
the new temple.
As soon as the foundation was finished they called the people
together to celebrate. The Bible says that "with praise and
thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: 'He is good: His love to Israel
endures forever'" (3:11).
These shouts of joy were mingled with tears, as the older men
remembered the glory of Solomon's temple. But the shouts of joy and
tears could not really be distinguished; the celebration was so great
that only triumph rang through.
2. REQUEST (4:1-2)
With only the foundation laid, almost immediately opposition
arose. The people then living in the land made request that they be
allowed to have a part in the rebuilding of the temple. "Let us help
you build," they said, "because, like you, we seek your God and have
been sacrificing to Him since the time of Esarhaddon king of
Assyria, who brought us here" (v.2).
3. REJECTION (4:2)
The request by the "people of the land" was flatly refused. "You
have no part with us," Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the other leaders
replied. These were not people of Abraham's line and were not
children of the covenant.
4. RESISTANCE (4:4-5)
The reply angered these Samaritans (a name that these
"strangers" carried on into the New Testament period). Their
opposition was so successful that for 16 years the temple remained no
more than a foundation!
5. RETREAT (4:24)
During the years of opposition the Jews built homes for
themselves and planted fields and laid out vineyards. But they didn't
prosper despite all their hard work. They had permitted opposition to
divert them from their commitment to God and their initial
enthusiasm for the Lord had drained from their hearts.
6. RESTART (5:1-2)
On September 1, 20 BC, the prophet Haggai recalled Judah to the
task of building the temple. In their efforts to meet material needs the
people had forgotten their spiritual values.
New opposition to the rebuilding is detailed in 6:3-12. But King
Darius' search revealed the authorization of Cyrus for the project and
he ordered the Samaritans to let the work alone (6:7) and for the
project to be paid for out of state taxes (6:8).
7. REBUILT (6:14-16)
In a series of jolting exhortations, Haggai, joined by the prophet
Zechariah, stirred the people of Israel to action. Once again
Zerubbabel and Jeshua led the people to build. Within four years the
restored temple stood on the site of the temple which had been
destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. It was now 516 BC, or
twenty years after their first return from Babylonian exile.
The seventy years desolation of Solomon's temple foretold by
Jeremiah had passed. With the temple rebuilt, Israel was once again
officially be worshipping in the Promised Land.
Interval Activities The events of the book of Esther occur between
the 6th and 7th chapters of Ezra.
THE SECOND RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY -- Ch. 7-8
1. Ezra And the Second Return to Jerusalem - 7:1-10
Ezra plans his return and establishes his authority as a priest and
teacher by tracing his lineage back to Aaron (7:10). He was a "skilled
scribe" of the Law, a trained teacher who had "set his heart to seek
the law of God and to do it, and to teach in Israel" the statues and
ordinances of the Law (v.10). A fresh start for God's people could be
found only in a return to God's Word.
2. The Circumstances Prompting the Return - 7:11-28
Ezra and the people praised God "who put such a thing as this
in the king's heart" and gathered at the departure point on the river
(or canal) of Ahava.
3. The List of Those Returning - 8:1-14
4. The Details of the Journey and Arrival - 8:15-36
REBUILDING THE PEOPLE - Ezra 9-10
The people returned so they would be able to worship God
according the Law. However, many still had the tendency to wander
away from the words of God written by Moses.
1. Sins of Intermarriage Reported 9:1-4
Within five months of Ezra's return a major problem is uncovered
regarding the spiritual life of many Jews. The Jewish leaders report
that some Israelites had been involved with their pagan neighbors'
detestable practices brought on by marrying Gentiles wives. One of
God's major prohibitions was that His people were not to marry
outsiders (Ex.34:11-16; Deut.7:1-4).
9:3-4 Ezra was appalled because of the people's sin. He knew
that it was for such sins that Israel had gone into captivity (v.7).
2. Ezra's Prayer to God 9:5-15
Deeply shaken, Ezra tore his clothing and hair-- went to the
temple-- fell on his knees to the Lord in prayer.
3. The People's Confession of Sin - 10:1-44
Some felt there was still hope for Israel and called for the people
to make a covenant before God to divorce the foreign women and
send them away with their children. This was to be done "according
to the Law." It took three months for all the marriages to be
examined. Each case was judged individually so that justice would be
done. By this action the community was not saying that divorce was
good, it was a matter of following God's Law about the need for
religious purity among God's people.
The message of the book of Ezra is clear. In order for the people
to be in right fellowship with God, it was absolutely necessary for
them to have proper temple worship (Ezra 1-6) and to live according
to God's Word (Ezra 7-10).
- - - SERMON - - -
What To Do With Your Religion
Ezra 7:10
Introduction
1. One summer a young teenager in Cincinnati was invited to Fort Hill
Christian Youth Camp and there he became a Christian. When he
returned he came to see me and said, "I've become a Christian, Now
what do I do?"
2. That's the same question many people are asking? When you 'get'
religion, What do you do with it? Some helpful suggestions can be
found in Ezra.
3. Note Ezra's background. A descent of Aaron; expert instructor in the
Scriptures, a godly man. He enjoyed many blessing, some which went
all the back to a godly grandfather!
4. Our text reveals three things Ezra did with his Religion:
I. HE STUDIED IT
1. Ezra 7:10a. Note the New American Standard Version; "Set his heart
to study the Law of the Lord"
2. Doctors report how crucial a balanced diet is to good health. That is
true spiritually. It is important to have some "method" of study and
reading.
a. One can't learn about God in one day! One doesn't acquire spiritual
maturity in one day!
b. The key is to spend time with God's Word.
3. Three reasons why new Christian fail in their new life.
II. HE SHOWED IT
1. Knowledge is never an end in itself, but must always find practical
expression in our lives.
2. Ezra "practiced it." 7:10
3. Albert Schweitzer explained why he chose to buried his life in Africa,
"because I wanted mylife to be an argument for whay I believed in."
4. The expression, :If you went on trial for being a Christian, would there
be enough evidence to convict you?"
III. HE SHARED IT
1. "Ezra set his heart...to teach His statues and ordinacnes in Israel"
(7:10). Matthew 28:19
2. June, 1981 Frascati Italy; & Texas
"Mamma, Mamma, when are you coming?"
3. The cry of a dying lost world!
4. The Gospel is the "Good News!" Acts 5:42
a. Good news of Truth and forgiveness!
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