Sibu

The book of Ezra

Bible study

The book of Ezra is one of those books I have been studying since my teenage years. However, this time, God has finally spoken, and I am excited to share all that I have learned from it.

The prophecy in Jeremiah 25 explains how the kingdom of Judah ended up being exiled to Babylon.

The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and captured some Israelites as captives. Originally, Ezra and Nehemiah were one book, but this time, it is devoted to some of the Israelites’ return to Jerusalem. According to Ezra chapter 1, Cyrus, king of Persia, authorised this return. Despite Cyrus’s order to rebuild the temple of the Most High God, not all Israelites returned to Jerusalem.

“Not everyone wants to be saved; some choose to live in the land of captivity:”

Diverse waves of return took place under different leaders. Judah was led out of Babylon by Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:7–11; Ezra 5:14–16). King Cyrus returned everything the former king, Nebuchadnezzar, had stolen from the temple when he destroyed Jerusalem. Ezra 5:16 says he handed everything over to Sheshbazzar, who laid the foundation of the temple. King Cyrus instructed the Babylonian government to cover all expenses.

Then we see Zerubbabel, whose name means “planted in Babylon”. He led the generation that was born in Babylon. Throughout the book of Haggai, we learn more about Zerubbabel and his role in the return of the Israelites to Jerusalem. In Ezra chapter 3, as soon as they settled in Jerusalem, they rebuilt the altar exactly where it had once been. After offering sacrifices according to the instructions in the book of Moses, the temple was finally rebuilt.

Celebrations and praises began as soon as the foundations were laid. Whenever we begin a project, many of us are filled with doubt and fear. We worry that the project may fail. We sometimes end up self-sabotaging the very same project we started, even though God had reassured us so many times that He would provide the resources to make it a success.

The Israelites celebrated while the building was still in the foundation phase. This is because they had already experienced the supernatural in the way God returned them to Jerusalem. They had seen God’s handiwork in their lives so many times. Why do we then doubt, even though we have experienced God’s work in our lives before?

The elderly who had seen the first temple wept. I think they were triggered; they remembered the traumatic experience of being dragged away from their homes into a foreign land, Babylon, because of their sinful ways. Some scholars believe they wept because the temple did not look like the previous one. I wonder how the young ones who were born in Babylon felt about this experience.

The enemies of the Israelites heard about the rebuilding of the temple, and they hated it. They tried to sabotage the project by lying to Zerubbabel, but Zerubbabel stood his ground and refused any help from the counterfeits.

I am very impressed by the level of Zerubbabel’s discernment. This is something most of us lack, as we are unable to say no to something that is disguised as “help”. Humans are deceitful, and Satan, the father of lies, will send people into your life who are disguised as “help”. Prayer and constant vigilance are essential.

“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”

2 Corinthians 11:14

Think about how much you have achieved, or not achieved, since you have allowed certain people into your life, including some family members. Some people are simply there to delay you, discourage you, or even convince you that whatever you are trying to achieve is impossible.

The Israelites’ opposition went as far as bribing the government officials to work against the rebuilding of the temple. This mission continued for many years. The enemies of Judah succeeded in having the rebuilding of the temple suspended.

Darius became king of Persia, and at that time, the two prophets of God had started speaking over the kingdom of Judah. Zerubbabel, who was the leader at that time, heard the message, gathered everyone, and continued with rebuilding the temple.

Do you think the enemies of Judah just stood by and watched? Naturally, word spreads fast. As soon as they heard that the Israelites were rebuilding the kingdom, they decided to interrogate them. They wanted to know who had given them authority to rebuild this temple.

The Israelites did not panic, nor were they intimidated. They stood up for themselves because they knew they had God on their side. The Persian officials decided to write a letter to King Darius to report this matter. The letter was carefully worded, and they quoted everything the Israelites had told them. The letter intended to have the construction of the temple suspended again.

King Darius ordered that the royal records be searched for the decree made by King Cyrus. The decree was found, and King Darius replied to the letter sent by the officials.

In the letter, Darius ordered the Persian officials to stay away from the temple and let the kingdom of Judah complete the rebuilding of the temple. To make matters more difficult, he instructed these officials to provide the Kingdom of Judah with whatever resources they needed to complete the building project.

King Darius also issued a decree that whoever interfered with the rebuilding of the temple would be killed.

This is what happens when you have God on your side. He will bring people into your life who will provide the resources you need to achieve your goals. All I am saying is that God will always make a way in a situation that seems impossible. He will make a way in situations where you are opposed by people who are greater than you.

What matters more is that you stand your ground and refuse to be shaken because you are confident in your God.

The Persian officials obeyed King Darius, and the rebuilding of the temple was finally completed and dedicated. Worship and celebrations of the God of Israel resumed, and those who had given up their pagan religions joined in worship.

In chapter 7, Ezra is finally introduced. This was years after the return from exile. Ezra had traced his ancestry to Moses, who was from the tribe of Levi. The Bible describes Ezra as someone who had dedicated his entire life to studying the law of God that was given to Moses.

Verse 10 tells us that Ezra did not only study the law, but he also practised it, lived it, and taught it to God’s people. Artaxerxes was the emperor of Persia at that time, and we are told that he gave Ezra everything he asked for because the hand of God was upon him.

Isn’t that just amazing?

“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

Now here we see a man named Ezra who did just as Scripture says. This is something that many of us struggle with. We are only devoted to the Word of God for a short while because we want something in return at that moment.

How many of us have fasted because we want nothing in return, but just to be closer to God? Very few of us.

The world we live in promotes a toxic culture that does not allow us to do anything unless it serves us or benefits us in some way. We are oppressed by the extreme self-love movement, where one is only devoted to themselves and their needs. This needs to be corrected.

In verse 27, Ezra gives thanks to God for allowing the emperor to show so much favour towards him. He gives all the credit to God.

It is God Almighty who deserves all the credit for your success, your achievements, your health, and your beautiful family. God will work on people’s hearts to favour you while others continue to update their résumés with qualifications that yours do not even match.

Chapter 8 gives us a list of all the people who travelled back to Jerusalem with Ezra. However, along the way, in verse 15, Ezra realised that he had no sons of the Levites on his team, so he sent for them. Numbers 18 explains clearly what the functions of the Levites were.

In verse 21, Ezra leads the people in fasting and prayer, asking God to lead and protect them as they embark on this journey. Ezra was not naïve enough to believe that they would not encounter any attacks or challenges on this journey.

Yes, God may have authorised this journey, but that does not mean the enemy was just willing to sit back and watch. This journey out of exile was like that of the Israelites leaving Egypt. Ezra was very aware of what the Israelites suffered through and how it caused unnecessary delays and unwanted issues.

He also did not want to ask the king of Persia to send military troops for protection because he had proclaimed that the God of the Israelites blesses everyone who puts their trust in Him. It was time for them to demonstrate their faith in God to lead them safely to Jerusalem.

Saying you trust God means nothing if you cannot demonstrate that faith in your way of life.

“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

James 2:17 

Ezra got a report that the people of Israel, including the Levites, the priests, and the chiefs, had married the daughters of the land who worshipped foreign gods. The Israelites, being the holy seed, were commanded not to make a covenant through marriage with foreigners because they might lead them astray and contaminate the holy seed.

Ezra was appalled by this discovery. Some people joined him as he knelt and offered a prayer of confession. Those who were present were touched and convicted by this prayer because they returned to Ezra with a proposal.

Some teachings accuse Ezra of getting to Jerusalem and forcing the Israelites to divorce their foreign wives and children, but this is not the case. The people proposed this once they realised they had sinned and broken the law that was given to Moses by God.

“When Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.”

Ezra 10:1 

Verse 2: and Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.”

Verse 3: ” Now, therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”

A committee was formed, and a list of all the offenders was issued. The Israelites made a covenant and agreed to divorce their foreign wives. This was their way of repenting and making things right with God.

This Scripture has caused some confusion among believers who read Malachi 2:16 and 1 Corinthians 7. As such, I believe it is extremely imperative to divide the Word of God correctly and to understand its context.

The Israelites were given a law that they needed to live by to ensure that the bloodline that was going to bring forth the Messiah was not contaminated. They broke that law, and had they continued with the marriages, they might have ended up like King Solomon.

I liken their marriage to homosexual marriage, and we all know homosexuality is an abomination before the eyes of God. It is not a God-ordained marriage, and if one gets convicted by the Holy Spirit to repent of such, then divorce is the only way to proceed.

In Malachi 2:16, God says He hates divorce. In my understanding, it is divorce between legitimate marriages that are according to God’s design.

1 Corinthians 7 says they should not divorce their spouse who is an unbeliever. One may be in a situation where both were unbelievers when they got married, but as time progresses, one of them gets to know God. You do not divorce your spouse because they are not saved.

But knowingly choosing to marry an unbeliever when you are saved is where the problem is. This is because the Bible tells us that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

2 Corinthians 6:14 

This is a very valuable lesson for us when it comes to the type of company we keep. The person you choose to marry can be your greatest downfall. The friends you still insist on keeping after you get saved because you believe you can change their hearts can also be your greatest downfall.

This assumption that Jesus hung out with sinners needs to be re-evaluated. Jesus was not friends with them, He was a Saviour. You are not a Saviour.

The book of Ezra has taught me that no matter how destroyed and ruined my life is, God remains faithful to restoring and giving me the courage, strength, and favour to rebuild again.

Stay blessed!