In Today's Email:
Welcome to the Book of Ezra!
The Book of Ezra is the story of how the Jews returned from their 70-year captivity to rebuild the Temple and reestablish themselves in the Promised Land. Assyria had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Assyria was in turn conquered by Babylon, Babylon conquered the Southern Kingdom of Judah, then the Medo-Persians conquered Babylon. The Persians treated the Jews much more favorably, and under Cyrus the Great the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland in 538 B.C. Ezra focuses not only on the rebuilding of the Temple, but also the reestablishment of the Jewish religion.
A few quick facts about Ezra:
Ezra is the traditional author.
This book covers events from 55Cyrus’s proclamation in 538 B.C. to religious reforms in around 457 B.C.
The key verse is 7:10: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”
A brief outline:
The Return of the Exiles – Chapters 1-2
The Rebuilding of the Temple – Chapters 3-6
The Return of Ezra – Chapters 7-8
The Return of the People – Chapters 9-10
Key events:
The Dedication of the Second Temple – Chapter 6
The Arrival of Ezra – Chapter 7
Ezra 1 Notes
In this chapter we see the permission and preparation for the Jews to return to their homeland.
vs. 1-4 – The first year of Cyrus the Great is not reckoned as the first overall year of his overall reign, but rather his first year as ruler of Babylon, which is 538 B.C. History tells us that as he conquered Babylon, he allowed many displaced peoples to return to their native lands. The prophecies of Jeremiah that are referred to are Jeremiah 25:12-14, 29:10, and 33:7-13.
vs. 5-6 – The Jews very slowly began to return to the Promised Land. Here the earliest are said to be from the Kingdom of Judah and that they were stirred by God to rebuild the Temple. These were shown by support by the people, probably Gentile and Jew alike, in valuable offerings to help finance the project.
vs. 7-11 – The Persians were some of the most thorough bureaucrats the world has ever seen. Everything was documented and meticulous records kept. Cyrus instructs the treasurer to restore vessels from the Temple to the Jews. These had been kept and catalogued by the Babylonians and now are released to the Jews. We meet here Sheshbazzar (Babylonian name meaning “worshipper of fire”), who is better known by his Jewish name Zerubbabel (“born at Babylon”).
Ezra 2 Notes
In this chapter is a record of the Jews that returned to Jerusalem.
vs. 1-2 – Eleven leaders are named in vs. 2 that led the people back to the Promised Land. This passage parallels Nehemiah 7, where a twelfth leader and additional information about the building of the wall is added. Zerubbabel, who was of the royal Davidic line as a descendant of King Jeconiah, is the overall leader of the movement. He is not counted as a king, but rather as prince. There will not be another Jew that claims the title of king until the Hasmonean dynasty rose out of the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century B.C.
vs. 3-35 – 24,144 total people are numbered here. There are a few differences between the numbers here and in Nehimiah 7, likely because not all who enlisted in the journey followed through with it.
vs. 36-39 – 4,289 priests are numbered. They are given under four family heads. Jeshua, Immer, and Harim are heads of three of the 24 courses that David established in the priesthood. Pashur is not of those courses. These could be descendants of the Pashur who is noted for his hostility against Jeremiah in see Jeremiah 20, 21, and 38.
vs. 40-42 – 74 Levites,128 Levite singers, and 139 porters are numbered. There had been 38,000 of these in David’s day in I Chronicles 23:3. Psalms were still being composed during and after the Captivity, the most famous is probably Psalm 137.
vs. 43-54 – Nethanim means “given/devoted to God”. These were Temple servants who perform the most menial of tasks. Jewish tradition identifies them as the Gibeonites from Joshua 9.
vs. 55-58 – These “Solomon’s servants” are believed to be descendants of the Canaanite peoples forced to work on the Temple construction in I King 5:13.
vs. 59-63 – These families could not prove their lineage and were restricted from Temple service. This was a major problem with the returning Jews. So much of their identity rested on their ancestry, and because of destroyed records and the upheaval of captivity they did not know their lineage. In vs. 63 the title Tishatha is used, which is the Persian word for governor.
vs. 64-67 – The numbers comprising the great caravan of settlers is given. 42,360 settlers, 7,337 servants (including 200 singers), 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.
vs. 68-70 – The settlers gather first at the Temple site and make an offering for its construction. 1,000 drams of gold ($730,000), 5,000 minas of silver ($60,000), and 100 priestly garments are given out of a free will from the people.
Closing Thoughts
One of the greatest themes when we talk about the return from the Babylonian Captivity is God’s faithfulness. He did not cast away or destroy His chosen people. He did purge them of their idolatry through this judgment. He promised that He would bring them back and He did. That same faithfulness is our hope, for our present trials and our future reward.
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Thomas Chisolm, echoes the example of God’s faithfulness seen in His returning the Israelites to the Promised Land after the Captivity.
1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.
2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]