Transcript After The Fall Ezra and Nehemiah

After The Fall
Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
Ezra Chapters 7-8
Announcements
Nehemiah
Week
Date
Topic
1
04 Sep 13 Rebuilding the Temple: Ezra 1-3
2
11 Sep 13 Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple: Ezra 4-6
3
18 Sep 13 Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem: Ezra 7-8
4
25 Sep 13 Ezra’s Prayer: Ezra 9-10
5
02 Oct 13 Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem: Nehemiah 1-2
6
09 Oct 13 Rebuilding the Walls: Nehemiah 3-4
7
16 Oct 13 Nehemiah Helps the Poor: Nehemiah 5-6
8
23 Oct 13 Nehemiah Reads the Law: Nehemiah 7-8
9
30 Oct 13 Israelites Confess Their Sins: Nehemiah 9-10
10
06 Nov 13 New Residents of Jerusalem: Nehemiah 11-12
11
13 Nov 13 Nehemiah's Final Reforms: Nehemiah 13
12
20 Nov 13 Summary of Ezra and Nehemiah
13
27 Nov 13 Malachi 1-4
Today’s Objectives
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Review last weeks lesson on Nehemiah 5-6
Provide an overview of Ezra’s return
Learn what the king of Persia’s letter said about
Ezra’s return
Learn about those that came with Ezra
Learn about the Ezra’s journey from Babylon to
Jerusalem
Learn about Ezra’s arrival in Babylon and what
happens during the first several days
Overview of Ezra
• Two distinct parts:
– Part 1 – From 538-515 BC, return, rebuilding the temple
– Part 2 – Around 459 BC, Ezra’s arrival and teaching,
first and third person writing style
• Ezra was a priest and scribe, son of Seraiah and a
lineal descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron
• Ezra is sent by the Persian king to Jerusalem to
enforce religious laws
• Ezra leads the second body of exiles that returned
from Babylon to Jerusalem in 459 BC
• Book of Ezra is a work of religious history
• Describes his religious reforms, including
introduction of the law and divorce of foreign wives
Babylonian Empire
Under Nebuchadnezzar (600 BC)
Turkey
Iran
Iraq
Saudi Arabia
Achaemenid Persian Empire
Under Cyrus (530 BC)
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Azerbaijan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Syria
Iran
Tajikistan
China
Afghanistan
Iraq
Pakistan
India
Saudi Arabia
Main Characters of Chapter 7-8
• Sheshbazzar (Persian name)/Zerubbabel - Prince of
Judah, at the head of the first Jews that returned to
Jerusalem after the Exile
• Ahasuerus – some call Xerxes, ruled around 485465 BC, tried to prevent rebuilding of the city
• Artaxerxes - reigned between 464 and 424 BC
• Sons of Levi – descendents of the priestly line of
Levi
Places of Chapter 7-8
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Judah – region of southern Israel, strategically
located on the mountains overlooking the Jordan
river
Jerusalem – capital of Judah, or the southern
kingdom, “city of David”, location of the temple
Babylon – South of modern day Baghdad, Iraq;
place where Ezra left to journey to Jerusalem
Persia – part of modern day Iran
Geopolitical Situation
• 612 BC — Fall of the Assyrian Empire
• 587 BC – Nebuchadnezzar’s third attack on Jerusalem,
remaining people carried away
• 546 BC – Cyrus becomes king of Persia
• 539 BC – Cyrus conquers Babylon
• 535 BC – Second temple reconstruction begins (approx)
• 515 BC – Second temple reconstruction completes
• 480 BC – The Battle of Thermopylae (Persians against Greeks)
• 458 BC – Ezra returns to Jerusalem
• 458 BC – Cincinnatus is named dictator of the Roman Republic
• 454 BC – Athens loses a fleet and possibly as many as 50,000
men in a failed attempt to aid an Egyptian revolt against Persia
• 445 BC – Artaxerxes I gives Nehemiah permission to rebuild
Jerusalem
Overview of Ezra’s Return
(Ezra 7:1-10)
• Genealogy of Ezra (7:1-5)
– 60 years pass between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7 or 458 BC
– Artaxerxes ruled Persia 465-424 BC, successor to
Xerxes, the king who married Esther
– Events of Esther took place between Ezra 6 and 7
– Ezra was a descendent of both Aaron, Zadok, and
Seraiah
• Ezra, a skilled scribe (7:6)
– Came up from Babylon
– An expert in the law of Moses
– Artaxerxes granted him all of his requests
Overview of Ezra’s Return
(Ezra 7:1-10)
• Ezra’s arrival to Jerusalem (7:7-10)
– Traveled for four months to reach Jerusalem
– Came to teach the Law of the Lord to Israel
– Seek, do, and teach God’s word (Guzik)
Letter of Artaxerxes
(Ezra 7:11-28)
• Xerxes directs resources to the temple (7:11-16)
– All the people of Israel that volunteer to go back, may go
back
– Sending Ezra to inquire of Judah and Jerusalem with
regard to the Law of God
– Travel with gold and silver from the kingdom for the
house of God in Jerusalem
• Providing for the temple expenses (7:17-22)
– For grain and drink offerings
– King’s treasurer will provide for the temple
– Whatever Ezra wants, he is to be given
Letter of Artaxerxes
(Ezra 7:11-28)
• Motives of Artaxerxes (7:23)
– Wanted to avoid the wrath against his kingdom
– Shows his belief in God’s power, but exposes his desire
to protect his kingdom from many enemies
• Ezra’s legal power to enforce God’s laws (7:24-26)
– No taxes on priests, Levites, etc.
– Ezra establishes magistrates and judges to judge all in
the region beyond the Euphrates
– Establishes punishment for failure to abide by the law
• Ezra gives thanks (7:27-28)
– Credits God with his blessings, leaves encouraged
Those who came with Ezra
(Ezra 8:1-20)
• List of families (8:1-14)
– Similar to 7:1-10
– Prominent family names, counting only men
– 1496 men in the group, around 7,000 total
• Lack of Levites in the group (8:15)
– None of the sons of Levi were at the initial camp
• Ezra addresses the lack of Levites (8:16-20)
– Ezra sends an appeal, who will serve the temple?
– Iddo’s influence brought many servants, 38 Levites, and
220 Nethinims, the descendants of the Gibeonites, who
performed the servile duties of the temple
On the Journey
(Ezra 8:21-32)
• Prayer of protection (8:21-23)
– River Ahava, Ezra proclaims a fast, prayer
– Refused a king’s escort, to show the hand of God
• Distribution of treasures (8:24-30)
– Divided the silver, gold, and articles
– Among 12 leaders of the priests
– As the priests are holy, so are the treasures
• Departure and arrival in Jerusalem (8:31-32)
– Departed the Ahava on 12th day of the first month
– Came to Jerusalem and stayed three days
– Hand of God was upon them (protect, guide, and bless)
Arrival in Jerusalem
(Ezra 8:33-36)
• Precious articles offered to the Lord (8:33-34)
– On the fourth day, silver and gold is weighed, recorded
– Possibly to prove the integrity of the men with Ezra
• Sacrificial offerings made to the Lord (8:35)
– Children of those carried away
– Offer burnt offerings
• Artaxerxes orders are presented (8:36)
– Delivered to the king’s representatives
– They give support to the people and to the temple
Review
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Reviewed last weeks lesson
Provided an overview of Ezra’s return
Learned that King Artaxerxes of Persia directed
complete support for Ezra’s return to Jerusalem
Learned about those that came with Ezra
Learned about the Ezra’s journey of faith from
Babylon to Jerusalem
Learned about Ezra’s arrival in Babylon and what
happens during the first several days
Next week – Ezra 9-10, Ezra’s message in
Jerusalem, the people’s confession and repentance