A. Overview. In our modern bibles, these two books are separate. But originally, they were one book entitled Ezra in the Hebrew bible written by one author. For this reason, we will summarize the two books together here. The books cover the history of God’s people from the fall of Babylon in 586 BC to the Persians under Cyrus II “The Great” in 539 BC to the second half of the fifth century BC. They tell of successive missions from Babylon to Jerusalem by three key leaders: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah and their efforts to rebuild the altar the temple, and the walls of Jerusalem.
B. Ezra Chapter One. The first three verses of Ezra chapter one are amazing, showing how God used a pagan ruler for His purposes. “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: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever 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 rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem” (Vs. 1:1-3). Cyrus also has the temple vessels brought out that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, had taken when he conquered Jerusalem. They are counted out to Sheshbazzar, the Persian name for Zerubbabel described as “the Prince of Judah”. Zerubbabel is a direct descendant of King David and is in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one.
C. Ezra Chapters Two and Three. Zerubbabel leads over 40,000 men plus servants and livestock back to Jerusalem, where they rebuild the altar, begin burnt offerings upon it, keep the Feast of Booths, and lay the foundation of the temple. There was much rejoicing. But the older ones among them who had seen the previous temple in all its glory, wept at remembrance of it.
D. Ezra Chapter Four. The people of the land, who had been resettled there by the king of the Assyrians, come to Zerubbabel and other leaders and offer to help. But their offer is rejected by Zerubbabel who says: “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us” (vs. 4:3b). The people of the land make the Jews afraid and frustrate the building work all the days of Cyrus. At the beginning of the reign of Artaxerxes (Xerxes I) (c. 486 BC), they write a letter to him telling of Jerusalem’s rebellious past. Xerxes puts an end to the building project until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia (c. 420 BC) (Vs. 4:24). As a side note, Xerxes I is believed to be Ahasuerus of the book of Esther.
E. Ezra Chapters Five and Six. A letter was written from Tattenai, the governor of the province to Darius regarding the renewed efforts of Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple. Darius ordered a search of the records and the scroll of Cyrus was discovered authorizing the building work. Darius decrees that the work continue and the cost be paid from revenues collected from the province “that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons” (Vs. 6:10). The temple was completed within 3-1/2 years in 516 BC and the Passover was celebrated (Vs. 6:19).
F. Ezra Chapters Seven through Ten. God uses another Persian King, Artaxerxes I Longimanus (c. 465-425 BC) to finance and send Ezra and other Jews to Jerusalem. Ezra was a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses. He goes with a mission to teach the Law to God’s people, initiate spiritual reforms, and lead spiritual revival in Jerusalem. He finds that the people were not serving the Lord with gladness, but had intermarried with the people of the land in violation of Mosaic Law. He tears his garments and his hair in despair and initiates divorce among those who had done so. Many of those who had taken foreign wives confessed their sin and put their foreign wives away.
G. Nehemiah Chapter One. Nehemiah hears of the desolation of the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem. The walls are broken down and the gates are destroyed by fire. He fasted and prayed a passionate outpouring, confessing the sins of the people and of his own house. He is cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I Longimanus. As a side note, this sending of Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem is what most scholars believe starts the 69 week of years time frame in the prophecy of Daniel 9:25. We will cover the prophecy of 70 weeks in the Book of Daniel.
H. Chapter Two. Nehemiah is serving wine to the King and he notices that Nehemiah’s countenance is sad. The King asks and Nehemiah tells him that it is the sadness of his heart over the condition of the city of Jerusalem, of his father’s graves and of the gates of the city. The King asks what he is requesting. Nehemiah makes a silent prayer to God and asks the King for permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it. The King grants him to go, along with letters to the governors to provide building materials. When Nehemiah arrives, he makes a secret inspection of the walls and the gates and finds them in a state of high disrepair. He tells the ones who are to do the work, of his plan and they cry out “let us rise up and build”, and they strengthen their hands for the work (Vs. 2:18b). But the inhabitants of the land jeer and despise them.
I. Chapter Three describes the assignment of work on the wall by families and clans.
J. Chapter Four. Opposition to the work by the inhabitants requires the Jews to work fully armed and ready to defend Jerusalem. They work from dawn until the stars come out and sleep in their clothes.
K. Chapter Five. Nehemiah corrects a pitiful situation where the nobles extracted harsh tax from the people which had created famine. He requires they return lands back to the people. He personally supports 150 men at his own table at his expense.
L. Chapter Six. The Jew’s enemies attempt to do harm to Nehemiah, but he sees through their plot. The wall is finished in 52 days.
M. Chapter Seven. The gates are finished but the people within the city were few and no houses had been rebuilt.
N. Chapter Eight. Ezra reads from the Law, and the Feast of Booths is initiated.
O. Chapter Nine. The people confess their sins and recount their history. The chapter ends with the people making a covenant to obey God.
P. Chapter Ten begins with a list of people who signed the covenant. Details of the covenant are given including separation of intermarriage with the people of the land, the sacrifices, and keeping the Sabbath.
Q. Chapter Eleven notes that the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, and the others cast lots for the one in ten who would also live there. The rest of the people lived on their land in the various surrounding villages.
R. Chapter Twelve lists the priests and Levites. The wall is dedicated.
S. Chapter Thirteen gives Nehemiah’s final reforms. He had gone back to Babylon to serve the King. When he returns, he finds that many of the practices of the Law that had been put in place were neglected. Also, a relative of the priest was given a chamber in the temple and was storing up riches for himself. Nehemiah cleanses the temple and restores what had been neglected. The chapter and the book close with a plea from Nehemiah to the Lord to remember him for good.
T. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it On.
- Some Bible teachers have wondered if the returning Jews had accepted the initial offer of the inhabitants of the land to assist in the rebuilding of the temple, if this would have created a better relationship with them and avoided the continuous conflict that plagued the work from then on. The people of the land were the Samaritans, and were the result of the intermarriage of people brought in by the Assyrians after the conquest of Israel with the remnant of the Jews left behind. They were considered an impure people down into New Testament times, and the Jews had nothing to do with them. However, Jesus had compassion upon the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar as recorded in John 4:4-42. Due to her testimony and the fact that Jesus stayed two days there, a number of Samaritans became believers. Since Jesus accepted the Samaritans, it is possible that conflict could have been avoided. Consider your own prejudices, are there any things that you hold that could be frustrating the Lord’s work though you?
- Ezra enacted a decree of divorce between those who had intermarried with the Samaritans. Ezra was passionate for adherence to the Mosaic Law which prohibited intermarriage with the people of Canaan, as they would turn the Jews hearts away from God to their gods (Deut. 7:3-4). This indeed happened and resulted in idolatry and the eventual destruction of Israel and the captivity of Judah in Babylon. However, in the offer of the people of the land to help in the building of the temple they say: “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here” (Ezra 4:2b). They worshipped the same God. Consider that God never told Ezra to enact a decree of divorce. In Malachi 2:16 God says that He “hates divorce”. Have you ever made a “law” of your own based upon what you believe is God’s Word which could be in error?
- The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record how God brought the exiles back to the land, how the altar, temple and walls were restored, but that the people’s hearts had not changed. Ezekiel 36:26 says: “ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” How has this promise been fulfilled in your life? Or has it? Share your experience with someone soon.