The Book of Ezra

The first half of the book of Ezra was written about the historical events that led up to Ezra’s personal experiences dealing with the restoration of the Judeans who returned from Babylonian capture. God is faithful....even when we are not! All believers should be about the work of the Holy Spirit by supporting efforts to restore the lost and broken of God's children.

The Book of Ezra is a remarkable witness to God’s faithfulness to His people. Together with Nehemiah, Ezra describes the events leading to the return of the Judeans from captivity in Babylon and the discouraging experiences of that small community in the harsh world of the Promised Land. But through every experience God proved Himself faithful. Through the leadership of Ezra and Zerubbabel, God fulfilled His promises announced by His prophets to restore His people from Babylon, to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, and to renew their hope that the Davidic kingdom would be restored.

The Jewish people had been exiled to Babylon in three stages, and they returned with the permission of the Persians in three stages. Zerubbabel led the first group of returning Israelites (538 b.c.) and started to rebuild the temple. The priest Ezra led the second group (458 b.c.) and instituted a number of reforms. Finally, Nehemiah led the third group (444 b.c.) and rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem.

While the people were rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, God was rebuilding their hearts so that they would truly obey and worship Him. The restoration of the remnant was a complete restoration. The message for Ezra’s day—as well as for our own—is that the God of Israel is faithful to His promises. He will completely restore His people when they come back to Him.

As Ezra documents the return from Babylon, the soundtrack of forgiveness and restoration plays in the background. It is a melody line that will accompany the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is music to God’s ears to hear His people confess and repent.