Ezra

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 4:19

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God controlled the actions of the greatest nations of the time - Babylon and Persia - to punish His people with exile, ad then to bring them back again as recorded in Ezra. The Jews had returned with the specific commission to build a house of God in Jerusalem (Ezra. 1:2-5) precisely 70 years after their servitude to Babylon first began (606 B.C., 536 B.C.). They returned with the financial backing of the non-Jewish Persian empire (Ezra. 6:4). But when opposition arose, they quit and didn't resume work until many years later not completing the work until 70 years after the last Babylonian victory over Jerusalem (586 B.C., 516 B.C.). [These 70 year periods correspond with the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10.]

In addition to the historical lessons it provides, the book of Ezra shows that we should be zealous for God's work even if we face difficulties and opposition. There's also the powerful example of the havoc which occurred when Israel brought idolaters into their midst. Because idolatry endorsed perversity, drunkenness and drug use, it led Israel to sin which aroused the disappoingment and anger of God. If we want to truly please Him, then we have to try to make the right practical and moral choices in our lives, and must have the courage and resolve to change when we do wrong.

The book of Ezra deals with a period when tens of thousands of Jews returned from exile to restore worship of God in Jerusalem and to rebuild the city. Jerusalem remained the center of Jewish worship until 70 A.D. when it was devastated by the Romans. Two distinct periods are covered in the book of Ezra: the return and events under Zerubbabel in 536 to 516 B.C. (chapters 1 - 6); the return and events under Ezra in 457 B.C. (chapters 7 - 10).

Ezra is one of six Bible books dealing with the Jewish people during the period 536 B.C. to 400 B.C. The others are Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. This history recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah is vital for understanding the great exhortations contained in the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah.

Ezra 1 The proclamation of Cyrus for the Jews to return to Jerusalem.
Ezra 2 The families who returned.
Ezra 3-4 The first two years when work started then stopped.
Ezra 5-6 Years later, Haggai and Zechariah spur the completion of the work.
Ezra 7-8 Ezra's journey to Jerusalem.
Ezra 9-10 The problem of idolatry and mixed marriages.

The Assyrian and Babylonian empires followed the practice of exiling conquered populations to foreign lands. This strategy was designed to keep people from organizing rebellions as they were in strange territory. Of course that angered the conquered peoples and made them more likely to rebel in support of an invading foe. The Persians followed the humane practice of permitting people to voluntarily return to their original lands. This resulted in a less restive population and the Persian empire lasted over 200 years.

There are several instructive spiritual lessons in Ezra. Ezra's character is a fine example of dedication to God. He was an avid Bible reader and student, and during the course of the book he takes every available opportunity to share his enthusiasm and his findings with others.