Ezra

Background
The While Ezra and Nehemiah were originally separate books, they were joined together in the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. Josephus (c. A.D. 37-100) only mentions the book of Ezra assuming that Nehemiah was joined with it at the time of his writing. The books were first separated in around 200 A.D. by the Church father Origin.

The language of the book is late Hebrew with a section in Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-6, 18; 7:12-26), the international language of the day. Aramaic was introduced by King Darius I as the diplomatic language throughout the empire. These portions are texts written between Syrian kings and the Samaritans, which necessitated the international language for diplomacy.

The purpose of the book is to give the account of Israel's returning to the land of promise and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the temple. It is written from a religious rather than historical perspective. It places the emphasis upon a holy nation and a kingdom of priests under God's holy law.

King Cyrus of Persia captured Nineveah, the Babylonian capital, in 539 B.C. bringing to an end the Babylonian Exile. Many of the prophets like Isaiah, Micah and Jeremiah all prophesied the Babylonian captivity, the fall of Babylon and their restoration. Jeremiah states that it would last for seventy years. Jeremiah 25:11,12; 29:10. Isaiah mentions by name that Cyrus would be the King who would allow God's people to return. Isaiah 44:28

A clay cylinder has been discovered with Cyrus's decree permitting the Jews to return to their land.

Under a decree from Cyrus, King of Persia, the Jews were permitted to return to their own land. He even encouraged them in their religion, provided that he be considered the supreme ruler. Under God's hand then Israel was allowed to return to their land and rebuild the temple and reinstate the sacrifices.

The first group of exiles who returned numbered about 50,000 in 538 B.C. They took with them many of the furnishings for the temple. Zerubbabel a relative in David's royal line and Joshua who served as high priest both returned with this group.

The altar is re-established in chapters 3 and 4. Money is collected to purchase materials from the Phoenicians to build the temple. Construction began in the second year and the foundation of the temple was laid. The older people who remembered the glory and beauty of Solomon's temple wept, ashamed of the work. When the Samaritans wanted to help build the temple they were refused, and so interrupted the building of the temple with violence until 520 B.C.

In the second year of Darius the Jews were instructed to resume building. Haggai and Zechariah both encouraged the people in their efforts. Money was taken from the royal treasury to support the project. It took five years to complete the temple.

Ezra himself returned to Jerusalem in 457 B.C. with the second group of exiles. He had asked Artaxerxes for permission to return in order to help bring stability to the project. However many stayed behind in Babylon, choosing to support the work with gifts and money.

During this time 10,000 people travelled 1000 miles in four months under the guiding hand of God. Upon Ezra's arrival he had learned that many of the people of Israel had intermarried with the people of Palestine. They had broken the covenant God had made with His people. Ezra 9:10-11 As a result the remnant were in danger of God's judgment.

Following Ezra's prayer of intercession on behalf of the people, Israel expressed the desire to enter into a covenant with God in which one of the conditions would be that foreign wives as well as children born of mixed marriages would be sent away. They came on their own and annulled their marriages.

This has been criticised by some who charge Ezra of strict legalism and overzealous racial purity. But this was not his motive. The people of God had married those who refused to abandon their idolatry and it was the purity of Israel's religion that was at stake. God's plan for his people was in jeopardy. How could Israel be used of God if they entered into marriage covenants with subjects of strange gods? Ezra was zealous for God's name and purity.

The book of Ezra displays the sovereignty of God in the human hearts of rulers and people alike to move them to accomplish His redemptive purposes. The Lord moved their spirits to carry out his purposes. (1:1; 1:5; 7:9; 7:27)