Teaching Notes

TH1069: EZRA

The books of I and II Chronicles took us through the period of kings, focusing on the Southern Kingdom of Judah, to their Babylonian captivity. And II Chronicles ended with God's promise of restoration for Israel coming to pass after 70 years of captivity. Now as we move into the book of Ezra, we are picking up right where II Chronicles ended. The Jews are going to return home, and the restoration of the temple will begin.

The book of Ezra can be divided into two sections. Chapters 1-6 deal with the first return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel. In this first return only 49,897 people came with Zerubbabel in 538 BC, mostly because they became comfortable in Babylon. Prior to their deportation to Babylon, they were mostly shepherds, farmers, they lived in a agrarian society. But now in Babylon, the commercial center of the world, they prospered. The Babylonians looked down upon anyone who dealt in money, we would call them bankers today. So the Jews were given that responsibility, and they were very good at it, and became very comfortable, not wanting to make that 900 mile journey back to Jerusalem. That is why out of some 2 to 3 million Jews, less than 50,000 returned with Zerubbabel.

Then chapters 7-10 we see the second return from Babylon under the leadership of Ezra in 457 BC and this time only 1,745 returned. Ezra's primary focus was to restore the spiritual condition of the people, a call for them to get right with God.

Between the first and second return to Jerusalem there is a time span of some 80 years and within that gap we see the events of the book Esther come to pass, taking place between chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Ezra.

There was also a third return to Jerusalem, this time under the leadership of Nehemiah in 445 BC. And Nehemiah's primary focus is to rebuild the walls, the gates, and the city of Jerusalem. We will look at Nehemiah a little closer in a few weeks when we study the book of Nehemiah, but keep in mind that during the time of Nehemiah, Malachi is prophesying.

Ezra, the writer of this book, will be introduced to us in chapter 7, but now it is Zerubbabel who will come on the scene. So lets look at what this man of God encountered and who he was before we get into the book of Ezra.

Zerubbabel came from the tribe of Judah, a descendant of king David, grandson of Jehoiachin (I Chronicles 3:17-19), and he is called a prince. Zerubbabel was a political leader who will work closely with Joshua, the High Priest or spiritual leader of the people.

What Zerubbabel and those who journeyed with him encountered when they arrived in Jerusalem was not a pretty picture. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had destroyed the city, the temple back in 586 BC, leaving the place in ruins. As they arrive the first thing they do is rebuild the altar of sacrifice so they could atone for their sins. Then, in 536 BC they began to lay the foundation for the temple but because of opposition that rose up against them, the work was put on hold for some 15 years. It is during this time that the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began to minister.

Instead of putting God first, they were rebuilding their own homes while the temple of God, the place of worship, was in ruins. And Haggai warns them to get their priorities right, put God first, or you will never be satisfied, you will always be in need, you will never have enough. Then, after 15 years of doing nothing on the temple, they begin to work again, completing the temple in 515 BC, 21 years after the work started in 536 BC.

Ezra was a priest and a scribe, a descendant of Hilkiah the High Priest, who found the book of the Law of the Lord during the reign of Josiah. And Ezra comes on the scene some 80 years after the first return. And his call was to put away the foreign wives and get right with God. And that is how the book of Ezra closes, as the people separate themselves unto the Lord.

The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther are called the post-exilic books, events that occurred after their captivity. And these books close out the period of the Old Testament history. Remember, for a little over 400 years God is silent. From 432 BC to 28 AD there is no prophet speaking for God, there is no "Thus says the Lord!" There is only silence. But then John the baptist comes bursting on the scene, calling for the people to get right with God, cleanse themselves before God, to prepare themselves for the coming of the Messiah.

Now, besides the many prophets that were speaking during this post-exilic period of time, there were many false prophets also speaking. And to give you some perspective on what was happening elsewhere in the world, Buddha was in India (563-483 BC), Confucius was in China (551-479 BC), and Socrates was in Greece (470-399 BC).

EZRA 1

VERSE 1

1. In 539 BC Cyrus overthrew the Babylonians, and then in 538 BC he made this decree or proclamation. Now this was not the first year that Cyrus was king, but the first year he had defeated the Babylonians, making his kingdom a world power.

2. Now it says that God stirred the heart of Cyrus so that he would make this decree. How did God stir the heart of this pagan king? Turn to Isaiah chapter 44, starting in verse 28, and lets begin reading. "Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, 'You shall be built,' And to the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.' Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held; To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: 'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.'" Isaiah 44:28, 45:1-7.

Some 200 years before Cyrus was even born, God called him by name and said that he would defeat the Babylonians going through the gates that were left unlocked, the gates that allowed the water from the Euphrates River to flow through the city, but prevented anyone else from entering through them. He would not only defeat the Babylonians but he would also allow the Jews to return home. Josephus tells us (Antiquities of the Jews 11. 1. 1.) that when Cyrus read this, some say Daniel gave him these words from Isaiah, that he sought to fulfill what was spoken and allow the Jews to return home.

3. In Jeremiah 25:11-13, and 29:10-14 God said that the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be in captivity for 70 years and then they would be released. Daniel, taken prisoner to Babylon, understood the captivity was to last only 70 years and that is what lead him to the prayer in Daniel chapter 9, as he is praying for the people and the city of Jerusalem. But how did Daniel know the captivity was to be only 70 years? In Daniel 9:2 we read "In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Daniel read the Word of God!

VERSES 2-3

1. When you read this it sounds like Cyrus became a believer in Jehovah God, but he didn't. He said the right words, but the reality of the situation is that Cyrus was a polytheist, he believed in many gods. The famous Cyrus cylinder that recorded the story of his capture of Babylon and his returning the people back to their homeland said "May all the gods whom I have resettled in their sacred cities daily ask Bel and Nebo for a long life for me." Cyrus did not want to step on anyone's toes, especially the gods, so he sought favor from them all, although he saw what the true and living God could do, calling him by name and laying out his mission some 200 years before he was born, and yet he put the true and living God in the same deck with all these other gods.

VERSE 4

1. I like the principle that he lays out here. All can return home if they want, but if you remain in the land, you still have to assist with the work that is taking place back in Jerusalem, you have to support them.

2. David put into practice this idea when he fought against the Amalekites. In his pursuit of them, some 200 of his 600 men stayed back, they were to tired to go on. Besides that, many more stayed at home to care for the women and children. And after they were victorious in battle, some of his men did not want to share the spoil with those that did not fight. We read of Davids actions in I Samuel 30:23-24. It says "But David said, 'My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us. For who will heed you in this matter? But as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike." The King James puts it this way "Then said David...'But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.'" We are all in the battle, we are all in the fight. Some are on the front lines, and some are at home guarding the STUFF! We all contribute to the battle and because of that, we all will be rewarded.

VERSES 5-6

1. Notice that this move is not manufactured by man, but is orchestrated by God as He stirs the hearts of the people not only to go to Jerusalem, but also for those to give. Even those that did not return, assisted in the work by giving gifts.

VERSES 7-11

1. If you remember when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon invaded Jerusalem, he took back with him many of the treasures from the temple. And the night that Babylon fell to the Medo Persian empire, Belshazzar held a great party and brought out those vessels from the temple and began to drink from them, honoring the gods of mans hands. It was then that God wrote on the wall for Belshazzar to see "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN" which Daniel interpreted for him. It basically says that Belshazzar, you and your kingdom have been weighed in the balances of God and you have come up short. You and your kingdom will come to an end. And that very night Babylon fell to the Medo Persian empire. Now those articles are on their way back to Jerusalem, where they belonged.

2. Many feel that Sheshbazzar is another name from Zerubbabel, who will become governor of the land.

EZRA 2

VERSES 1-2

1. Here are some of the leaders that came back to Jerusalem. Leading the way is Zerubbabel, whose name means "stranger in Babel." It speaks of not being comfortable in Babylon, being a stranger there, for it was not his home. We too should not get comfortable there, for it is not our home, we are just passing through. Many dig their heels in, thinking they will not be removed. But the reality is none will remain. Either we will die and go to be with the Lord, or we will die and be eternally separated from Him. But death is an equal opportunity employer - it takes all! Jeshua or Joshua was the high priest, and his name means "Jehovah is salvation." In these two men, we see politically and spiritually, the needs of the people will be met.

VERSES 3-20

1. Here is listed the heads of the various families and the number of people they brought back with them.

VERSES 21-35

1. Here is a list of the various cities that the people in each family returned to.

VERSES 36-39

1. Here is the list of the priest that returned from Babylon.

VERSES 40-54

1. Here we see listed the Levites, the worship people, the gate keepers that returned from Babylon. In verse 43 it speaks of the Nethinim, who were those that were set apart to do the menial work of the sanctuary like cutting wood for the burnt offerings and getting water for the lavers for washing. These Nethinim could very well be the descendants of the Gibeonites. Remember from Joshua chapter 9, Joshua and the children of Israel were wiping out the enemy in the land of Canaan, no one could stop them, no one could stand in their way. And the Gibeonites recognized that fact, and knew that resistance would be futile! You know the thought, "Better red, than dead" mentality. So they disguised their representatives, making it look like they came from a far country, traveling over a long period of time, and tricked Joshua into making a covenant with them. And shortly after that Joshua saw what happened, but because of the covenant that he made, he could not destroy them. So they put these Gibeonites into service doing menial work in the tabernacle. Now they returned to Jerusalem, but they did not have to. They were no longer slaves, they could have gone their own way. But instead they were loyal to God. Isn't it amazing how God can take a deceiver, a Gebeonite, and transform him into a new creation!

VERSES 55-58

1. Here is a list of some of the descendants of Solomon's servants that returned.

VERSES 59-60

1. It was important to know your lineage for that was how the land was portioned out. But some had lost their records and I guess for most it was not a total loss, but as we are going to see, the priests could not serve without that information.

VERSES 61-62

1. Back then, if you could not prove your genealogy, as a priest, you could not serve. Today, we allow any Tom, Dick or Harriet to be a pastor, saved and unsaved. Listen to this ad in the classified section in the Christian Century. (Nov. 6, 1996, page 1094). It reads, "Berkeley church seeks minister for local non-denominational congregation. Position open to Christians and non-Christians."

VERSE 63

1. The Urim and Thummim, literally "lights and perfection's" were placed in the breastplate of the High Priest. Now we are not exactly sure what these things were, but whatever they were, they were used to discern the will of God in various situations. Here it is used to see what God would say in regards to those priests that could not identify their lineage, if they could practice still as priests.

2. One thing for sure, the Urim and Thummim were not the magic glasses that the angel Moroni gave to Joseph Smith to wear so that he could translate the hieroglyphics off the golden plates, which then became the book of Mormon. Paul warned of those that would turn from the truth in Galatians 1:8-9. He said "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed."

VERSES 64-65

1. Making this 900 mile journey with Zerubbabel were 49,897 people, and their travel time was at least 4 months. Not an easy trip, and only those whose heart was touched by God made this dangerous journey.

VERSES 66-67

1. Ezra even lists for us the animals that returned.

VERSES 68-70

1. When we started out in chapter 1 of Ezra, it was the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi that God had touched to return. But now ALL ISRAEL was returning with them. The 10 Northern tribes were not lost as some would have you believe. When the Assyrians fell captive to the Babylonians, those that were in captivity from the Northern Kingdom were taken to Babylon. And now that Cyrus and the Medo Persian empire is in control, they are being released. Also, not all were taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and during the Passover feast under Hezekiah's reign, many from the Northern Kingdom joined them. And thus, when the Babylonians took the Southern Kingdom into captivity, many of the other tribes, besides Judah and Benjamin, were taken captive also.

2. Again we see the people give willingly, the only way God accepts it.

EZRA 3

VERSES 1-2

1. The people returned under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the political leader. Now under the leadership of Joshua, the spiritual leader, they are going to rebuild the altar of sacrifice so that they can atone for their sins. And all those that had returned were in unity, working together for a common cause, to get right with God.

VERSE 3

1. Now they were not alone in the land, it seems that during those 70 years in captivity, other people had settled in the land, and now they were causing those Jews who had returned some fear to build up in their hearts. But they put their trust in the Lord, knowing that He brought them back into the land and He would protect them from the enemy. Thus, they continued to do those things that God required of them.

VERSES 4-6

1. They first built the altar of sacrifice, and then in the following year, 536 BC, the foundation for the temple was laid.

VERSE 7

1. The area north, Sidon and Tyre, was very rocky and to mountainous for farming, but they had much timber. And they used this wood to buy food from the farmers. The way these huge logs were transported was by the way of the Mediterranean Sea, floated down to the only sea port, Joppa, and then carried another 35 to 40 miles to Jerusalem.

VERSE 8

1. If you remember from I Chronicles chapter 23, David lowered the age of ministry for the Levites from 30 years old to 20 years old. The reason was that there was much work to be done and he wanted to give everyone an opportunity to serve the Lord to the fullest. Today God is doing the same thing, putting all kinds of people into service, for the work is great and the laborers are few.

VERSES 9-13

1. As the foundation was laid, the young men who never saw the glory of Solomon's temple were pumped up. They were excited to see the work of God being started. To see the temple re-built was such a joy to them, even though it was a low budget project. But the older men, those who had seen Solomon's temple, with all its splendor and beauty, and now look at this heap of ruins that was left, lamented over this low budget project. It broke their heart to see what was happening. It could never compare to Solomon's temple.

2. The problem with living in the past is that you tend to glorify it more than it truly deserves. In Ezekiel chapters 10 and 11 we read of the glory of the Lord departing from the temple, from Israel. Ichabod, you might say, was written across its doors because of their idolatry. And as beautiful as the temple was, it was only an empty shell, there was no true life within its walls for the glory of the Lord had departed from it. To many times we long for the past and we miss what God is doing in the present. Yes you can learn from the past, but don't live in it!

3. Now with the new temple that was being built, listen to the encouraging words from the prophet Haggai. In Haggai 2:1-9 we read "In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying: 'Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 'Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 'Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,' says the LORD; 'and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,' says the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' says the LORD of hosts. 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the LORD of hosts. 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts."

God is saying that through the eyes of men, this temple is nothing compared to Solomon's. But don't lose hope, for the glory of God will fill this place and make this temple greater than the former temple, for which the glory of God had departed from. Don't look at the beauty of a building but the presence of God within those walls of worship! There are many old and beautiful church buildings in Europe and even in the United States, that are empty on Sunday's but during the week they are filled with sight seers and not worshipers of God. Across the doors of those buildings that have removed God by turning from Him, are the words Ichabod, the glory of God has departed.