Old Testament Survey: The Book of Ezra

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Old Testament SurveyThe Book of Ezra
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Keys to the Book

• Key words/phrasesRestoration and house of the
  Lord. (temple)
• Gods people in Babylonian captivity for 70 years
• Cyrus, King of Persia, defeated Babylon in 539
  B.C.
• Issued a decree sending the Jews back to
  Jerusalem.
• Could rebuild the temple,

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First Group Returns

• Zerubbabel and Jeshua led the first group42,360
  Jews.
• Returned home with the temple vessels taken by
  Nebuchadnezzar.
• First built an altar to worship God.
• Observed the Feast of Tabernacles.
• Began the task of rebuilding the temple.

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The Temple Foundation

• Some shouted praises the older ones wept.
• Samaritans offered to help with the rebuilding
  the offer was refused.
• Samaritans worked to stop the rebuilding project.
• Counselors were sent to the Persian courts to
  halt the work.
• Work stopped under reign of King Ahasuerus
  (Xerxes).

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Work Halted Then Continued

• The temple work was halted for ten years.
• Prophets Haggai and Zechariah urged the people to
  continue.
• Persian governor Tattenai ordered a check of
  whether the work was authorized.
• Rebuilt with part of the Persian royal treasury.
• Temple rebuiltPassover kept for the first time
  since captivity.

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The Second Group Arrives

• 60 years later Ezra led the second group back.
• Ezra is priest and scribe. Has risen to a high
  position under King Artaxerxes.
• King sent money to be used in offering
  sacrifices, or for other things.
• 1500 returned, including 240 Levites for the
  temple service.
• They delivered money to the temple officials.

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Sin in the Camp!

• Ezra was informed that the people had
  intermarried.
• Even temple ministers had violated Gods law!
• Ezra was appalled. He went into deep mourning.
• At evening, he stood up and prayed before the
  people.
• Confessed Israels sins that had led to the
  captivity.

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Repentance Demanded

• People were moved to tears by their conduct.
• Decided to put away their foreign wives and
  children.
• Ezra publicly charged them with this sin
• Appointed officers to make sure the foreign wives
  were put away.
• Within ten days, all the women had been put away,
  including the ones who had borne children.

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Key Verses

• Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia,
  that the word of the LORD by the mouth of
  Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up
  the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he
  made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom,
  and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says
  Cyrus king of Persia All the kingdoms of the
  earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He
  has commanded me to build Him a house at
  Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of
  all His people? May his God be with him, and let
  him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and
  build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is
  God), which is in Jerusalem. Ezra 11-3

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Key Verses

• On the first day of the first month he began his
  journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the
  fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to
  the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had
  prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD,
  and to do it, and to teach statutes and
  ordinances in Israel. Ezra 79,10

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Captivity and Restoration

• Retribution
• Remembrance
• Repentance
• Return
• Resettlement
• Rebuilding
• Regression
• Revival
• Reformation
• Relief

The Ten Rs
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Lessons From Ezra

1. Results of neglecting to study and obey Gods
   word.

• Failure to heed led to captivity.
• Lack of knowledge led to destruction.
• Drifted into apostasy.
• Spiritual growth requires study.

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Lessons From Ezra

1. Marrying outside of Gods family.

• Led to much grief and heartache
• The same problem caused Solomon to fall.
• Two people going in two different directions.
• Additional hardships.

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Lessons From Ezra

1. The power of preaching and true repentance.

• Three preachers helped to preserve the faithful
  remnant.
• Getting the law back into their hearts.
• Must preach the truth, and only true repentance
  can bring peace and security.

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Lessons From Ezra

1. The sorrow that sin always brings.

• Ezra confessed their sins.
• Ashamed of their conductno excuses!
• Their only hope was in returning to Gods ways.

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Lessons From Ezra

1. Divine providence in the book of Ezra.

• Jeremiah foretold the 70-year captivity.
  Jere.2512
• Isaiah had named Cyrus Isa.4428
• Persian rulers were more humane.
• Loyal work of people such as Daniel, Esther, and
  Nehemiah.