Introduction

LESSONS FROM EZRA

A MAN OF "THE BOOK"

Thoughts come from a wide variety of sources. Some from messages I have heard from individuals, some from assemblies' Bible studies, some from home life, and some from books I have read. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher who makes them real to me.

EZRA: Restoration of God’s people The theme of the book of Ezra is “The Word of the Lord.’ Ezra gives a powerful message on the importance of the word of God in the religious, social, and civil life of God’s people. God is faithful to His people and keeps His promises. The return of the 50,000 exiles to the land of Israel fulfilled the word of the Lord. Rebuilding the altar and the temple was an act of obedience to the word of the Lord. The restoration of temple worship was in accordance with the word of the Lord. Ezra was a student of the word of God who was present when there was great trembling as the word of the Lord was read, and reform came to the nation through the word of the Lord.

Ezra was a “Man of the Book.” He was a scribe, a priest, and a leader. His name means “Help,” and his life was dedicated to helping the Lord’s people in exile and to the return of some exiles to Jerusalem. He knew the scriptures and obeyed them. He identified with the people of God when they did what was right and served as their intercessor when they failed. This humble, obedient, scholarly man was committed to serving the Lord by serving His people.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are the final books of the Old Testament's historical account of Israel. 1st and 2nd Chronicles are likely written by Ezra, "the scribe," for the benefit, instruction, and motivation of those who returned to the land of Israel from their captivity in Babylon. The lessons from their national history are hoped to be learned and practiced by the returnees. Ezra writes about the religious aspect of the return, and Nehemiah's message addresses the civil part of that return. Ezra was a priest by birthright, but as a captive in Babylon, he would not have functioned as a priest there. What he did was "Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." This man became an exponent of the word of God, and through his ministry, the word of God was taught, promoted, and practiced for the first time as it should have been. It came across to the people as a new revelation, and it changed the nation's life. He was the first real student of the scriptures and of how they should be taught and applied, as we read in the two books of Chronicles and Psalm 119, which he likely wrote.

We know he was a student of the word of God, devoted to studying the will of God in the scriptures so that he would keep it in his own heart [7:10]. He also interpreted what he learned for others who joined him on the journey from Babylon to Israel. He knew he had a duty to his people, the Jews, to preserve the words of the Lord that had been given. Bible study was revived, and the commitment to obey the word of the Lord revealed in the scriptures continues today.

Originally, Ezra and Nehemiah were considered one book until several hundred years after Christ's time. Ezra refers to the scriptures as the word of the Lord, the law, the commandments of the God of Israel, the book of Moses, the law of Moses, the law of God, the words of the God of Israel, and the commandments of our God. Given these descriptions, there is no question that the word of God is expected to hold a preeminent place in the religious, social, and civic life of God's people. There will be the power to practice the word of God and apply its principles if we know it.

The authority of the scripture has not diminished in any way, even though very few people today read it personally. People avoid the truth because, if they believe and practice it, they will live, work, and act differently from the majority of the population around them. The truth of the Bible is not merely a source of information but is, as Ezra wrote in Psalm 119:24, "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors (the men of my counsel)." Those who read and apply the truth of the scriptures will find a treasure of information, instruction, delight, and comfort as it becomes the core guide of our lives. God-given wisdom becomes evident to others through its stabilizing effects on a person's life. With such a storehouse of unchanging truth, we have much to offer those around us who have no unchanging standard of truth. Consequently, they live in uncertainty and confusion. In his character, Ezra was a man of humility, self-denial, learning, zeal for God’s honor, trustworthiness, and prayer. He could empathize with the grief of the people who sinned. He did not hesitate to seek genuine repentance among the people who sinned. He wanted to know the law of God and to do what it taught. Ezra knew, believed, and practiced God's word. To do this, he sought to restore purity in worship, the sanctity of the Sabbath Day, and to promote prayer and trust in the faithfulness of God. He set about reorganizing order, practice, worship, praise, and the delight of fellowship with God that comes to those who seek to please God. There had to be reformation in the service of the Lord and purity in the lives of God’s people. He wrote the Chronicles, well aware of the historical account of the nation of Israel in the books of the Kings. His purpose was to instruct and motivate the new generation of returned exiles to seek the God of their fathers and to obey Him. Daniel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah all knew of Cyrus, king of Persia, and either prophesied about him and what he would do for Israel, as Isaiah did, or had personal contact with him, as Daniel did, and likely Jeremiah, who prophesied concerning the return to Judah. "The times of the Gentiles" began when Judah, the last of the children of Israel, was carried away captive to Babylon and will continue until they "are fulfilled" at the return of "The Son of Man in a cloud with power and great glory." The Jews taken captive by the Assyrians, most of the northern tribes, were so dispersed among the nations that they could not be identified. Those taken captive from Judah to Babylon retained their identity, and those who returned to Jerusalem were identifiable as Jews even after seventy years away. However, many of the Jews in Babylon became wealthy, stayed there, and were assimilated into that society. It is possible for the people of God to become successful and satisfied with simply being saved, wanting to go no further in their spiritual life. They remain spiritually immature, mainly wanting to enjoy life, not bother anyone else, and have no one bother them. They are likely Christians but lack the motivation to "live godly in Christ Jesus" or to seek out lost souls and share the Gospel. They want the results of salvation but not the costs of sharing in "the sufferings of Christ." The truth of the poem... "Only one life "twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last." does not resonate with them, and so they remain blended with the world. Approximately 50,000 people followed Zerubbabel on the first return to Jerusalem to begin the rebuilding program. They wisely rebuilt the altar first so they could offer sacrifices to the Lord.

Then they began rebuilding the temple. Around fifty years later, a second group of about 2,000 returned with Ezra to Judah. At that time, they found that some of the people of God had already begun adapting to the surrounding society through intermarriage.

The book of Ezra is an account written by a humble, godly, obedient "man of the book" who committed himself to the service of God with his whole heart throughout his life. He didn't give God only the last years of his life on his own terms, but demonstrated God's faithfulness and promises to His people by being faithful and consistent himself. This book challenges us to remember who we are and why we are here. Even though this is a spiritually dark time and the nation's moral and spiritual life is declining, it is in times like these that the light of truth is more easily seen as the background grows darker. We have an opportunity now to stand firm in the faith, even though it may become much more costly socially, economically, religiously, and personally.