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Where is Ezra in the Bible?
The Old Testament has five divisions. The first division is called the Pentateuch or Books of the Law, and it contains the first five books of the Bible. The second division is the History Books, and with Ezra 1 we start the 10th of 12 books in this division. Here’s a great visual: Books of the Old Testament.
The Bible is a collection of small stories that together tell a much larger story of the entire history of our redemption with Jesus as the ultimate hero. In this redemption story, we’ve already journeyed together through all five Books of the Law and nine of the History Books. Next, we’ll cover the final three History Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
All three of these books take place during the same time period at the height of the Persian Empire. In these stories, Babylon is no more, and the Israelites are living under a new type of rule. They are no longer slaves, but they’re not quite free either.
These books tell the story of kings, prophets, priests, politics, a queen, and the God who rules over all of it. A God who, in the beginning, created us and a plan for us to glorify Him and be with Him forever. Welcome to the next chapter in God’s redemptive plan!
What was the Persian Empire? And Why It Matters
The Persian Empire was the most diverse empire in the world, unifying different nations, tribes, languages, cultures, and religions. Unlike other nations, King Cyrus adopted a policy of tolerance, allowing conquered people to retain their customs and religions. This tolerance wasn’t just idealistic. It was strategic and contributed to the stability and cohesion of the Persian Empire.
From 550 BC to 330 BC, the Persian Empire was the largest in history by percentage of the world population. At the time of their dominance, approximately 44% of the world’s population lived under Persian rule. It ranks in the top five of the greatest empires of all time.
And the Persian Empire left some important historical documentation that supports the Biblical timeline and context regarding the people’s return to Jerusalem. Four of the Persian Kings are mentioned in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
- Cyrus II, the Great, who conquered the Media, Lydia, and Babylonia.
- Darius I, who is known as the most capable administrator
- Xerxes I, the king known for his marriage to Esther.
- Artaxerxes I, who commissioned Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.
Who was Ezra in the Bible?
Ezra is a priest and scribe in the Bible who descended from Aaron. He is believed to be the author of the book of Ezra. His name means help, and it’s his goal to help the Israelites learn and obey God’s law and rebuild worship in God’s Temple.
There are no overt miracles in the book of Ezra. The whole chain of events in the next three books are quietly initiated by the Lord.
- Ezra 1:1 the Lord moves the heart of Cyrus
- Ezra 7:7 Artaxerxes grants Ezra everything he asks, because the hand of the Lord is on him.
- Nehemiah 2:6 ensures it pleases the king to send Nehemiah
- And basically all of Esther is one great movement of the Lord behind the scenes without a single mention of His name in the whole book.
What is the book of Ezra about in the Bible?
The book of Ezra is the story of how God stirred the hearts of His people and foreign kings to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, even in the face of fierce opposition. As the key verse Ezra 7:10 says, Ezra devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Scholars believe Ezra was also the author of the books of Chronicles, because 2 Chronicles ends with almost the exact same words the Book of Ezra begins with. Chronicles is the story of Israel’s history written to remind the returned exiles of their past relationship with God.
The book of Ezra is the story of what happens when the exiles return. This time period begins before Ezra is on the scene, so he documents that history for us as well, starting with Cyrus’s decree in 539 up until the time Ezra arrives in Jerusalem 80 years later. Here’s the timeline.
- 539 BC Cyrus conquers Babylon where most of the exiles live.
- 538 BC, he makes a decree allowing the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.
- 458 BC, the reign of Artaxerxes when Ezra arrives on the scene.
What is the main message in the book of Ezra?
The theme of the book of Ezra is restoration and renewal, both physically and spiritually. The people need to return to God spiritually, and that means returning to Jerusalem physically. It will be a return to worship, a Temple rebuild, and a return to the promises of God.
The promises they’re returning to include both the Mosaic Covenant, a promise related to the land, and the Davidic Covenant, the promise of a Messiah. As they journey back, little do they know they carry the seed of God’s promised Savior for all nations. Like Nehemiah and Esther, Ezra is called for a purpose and for such a time as this. The people need a spiritual leader and Ezra has studied up. He is ready to teach the people.
Sometimes Good Leadership Isn’t Enough
Both the books of Ezra and Nehemiah share the reality of imperfect leadership. Over and over, the stories are about good leaders who give everything they have, work hard, and pray earnestly. Still, they can’t fully achieve what they set out to do. It’s a bit upsetting, but this “incomplete success” theme is important to the bigger Biblical story.
The pattern of hope and disappointment repeats three times throughout the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Each cycle starts the same way. A Persian king decides to help, sponsors an Israelite leader, and sends a group of exiles back to rebuild Jerusalem.
The first return of exiles is led by Zerubbabel in Ezra 1-6 starting in the year 538 BC. Their goal is to rebuild the Temple. Then Ezra leads the second return to restore commitment to God’s law in Ezra 7-10 during the year 458 BC. The third return is led by Nehemiah to rebuild the city walls in Nehemiah 1-7 during the year 444 BC.
The Missing Key to Success
There is so much hope and possibility at the beginning of each wave of leadership. Yet every single time they start strong, make real progress, and hit the same two problems. Enemies attacking from the outside and people failing on the inside.
Even though the Israelites have returned, they still can’t win, nor will they ever win without the One Messiah King. Only Jesus has the power to be that One sacrifice to end all others. He is the only One who can provide the way for our redemption.
In the Old Testament, the Temple is the meeting point for God and man. Only Jesus has the power to replace the Temple. As Hebrews 9:15 says, Jesus is the meeting point or mediator between God and man.
Why did God choose Cyrus in Ezra 1?
In verse 1 of Ezra chapter 1, Cyrus acts to fulfill the Word of the Lord spoken through the prophet Jeremiah who lived from 650 BC to 570 BC, well over 100 years before Cyrus. See our Old Testament Prophets Timeline show note for a great visual of the timeline.
Jeremiah prophesied about Israel’s exile in Jeremiah 25:7-11, and their return in Jeremiah 29:10-14. Ezra wants to make sure no one forgets God keeps His promises.
Jeremiah has his own book in the Bible, but we won’t get to him for eight more books. So Ezra opens with a verse referring to Jeremiah, but we haven’t read about that yet. We are clearly marching through a Bible that is chronologically out of order.
This is because we are in the History section of the books of the Bible. The Books of the Prophets, like Jeremiah, do not show up until the end of the Old Testament. It can be a little confusing!
Another interesting prophecy Ezra does not mention here is from the prophet Isaiah. Not only did he prophecy that the people would be taken captive, but he also gave the name of the king that God would use to free the exiles over 150 years before King Cyrus was born! In fact, Isaiah mentions Cyrus several times in these verses.
Before Israel’s exile or a great Persian king were even on the radar, God gave the great prophet Isaiah a vision of how the Lord would save the Israelites. God raised up Cyrus and summoned him by name. He bestowed on him honor and power, even though Cyrus did not acknowledge the Lord as his God. His power was no accident. It was all God.
Reflection Point
God ordains kings, presidents, and prime ministers. God knows the beginning, middle, and end of the story before it even starts. Our only job is to insert ourselves on the page in any way God has equipped us for.
Ezra, Isaiah, and Jeremiah wanted the Israelites to see the hand of God in their past, present, and future. And God wants you to see His hand in your past, present, and future because, if you do, it will build your faith. And the more faith you have, the more impact you will have on the pages of God’s plan for the redemption of man.
How does that make you feel? Does that challenge you that perhaps you are being called to play a part in God’s story? Does it make you feel hopeful that maybe this proves God is leading and you don’t have to? Whether here in Ezra or down the road in Malachi, pay attention to what God is showing you. Because he wants you to learn and then respond to what you have learned.
Through Cyrus, God Inspires the Exodus in Ezra Chapter 1
In Ezra 1:2-4, Cyrus refers to Israel’s God, but most commentaries agree his words do not mean he believes. Cyrus is supportive of many religions, but he is not necessarily a devoted follower of the One true God. In this case, God influences Cyrus toward the exiles that they should go and build God a Temple, and Cyrus goes with it. He sets the captives free and anyone who wants to take part can.
God moves Cyrus to allow the return, and now in Ezra 1:5-6 He moves some of the people’s hearts with a desire to return in yet another exodus. This is no easy journey. It is about 900 miles on foot at about ten miles a day. They have kids and animals with them and must look for food along the way. The trip will take months of grueling travel.
Just as God moved the Egyptians to give to the Israelites for their journey in the first Exodus, He moves the Persians and any fellow Israelites who don’t go with them to give in this exodus. Then Cyrus returns all the items the Babylonians stole from the Temple, which by some miracle have been preserved.
In Ezra chapter 1, verses 7-11, the identity of Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah, is debatable. Some believe it is a Babylonian name for Zerubbabel while others think there are two different leaders and both have royal lineage.
When God Moves, the People Move
Seventy years have passed, and most of the people on the list in Ezra 2:1-67 were born in captivity. They have never seen the Promised Land. All they know of the land is what their parents and grandparents told them and taught them of God’s Word. But God moves the heart and God provides in Ezra 2:68-70. When God moves, the people move.
Ezra recorded every name, but long before his ink hit paper God had chosen. This is not just any list. It is a chosen list of people called to do difficult work. God chose the people and God chose their leaders.
Zerubbabel was a descendent of King David through King Jehoiachin. He carried the seed of the Messiah and is listed in the lineage of Christ in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Jerusalem is back in business. It will not be an easy startup, but it will be one filled with lessons for us in the chapters ahead.
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