Transcript Ezra

Christ Baptist Church
Spring 2015
The Book of Ezra
• 13 Week Study
• Primary Commentary - Ezra & Haggai by Robert Fyall
• Part of the J.A. Motyer John Stott series
• Secondary Commentaries
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J Vernon McGee
Dave Pratte
Warren Wiersbe
Robert Bryce
Charles Swindoll
• Online Material will be posted on the website
Ezra – Introduction / Overview
• Author: Ezra
• Parts of the book are written in first person, other parts are written in third person
• It is believed he also wrote Nehemiah and 1 & 2 Chronicles
• His name translates from the Hebrew as “treasure” or “helper”
• Descendent of Aaron the chief priest and scribe
• Access to official Persian / Babylonian documents & papers
• Ezra 1–6 covers the first return of Jews from captivity, led by Zerubbabel
• a period of twenty-three years beginning with the edict of Cyrus of Persia and ending
at the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (538–515 BC).
• Ezra 7–10 picks up the story more than sixty years later, when Ezra led the
second group of exiles to Israel (458 BC)
Ezra – Introduction / Overview
• Judah has ceased as an independent nation
• We see:
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the rebuilding of the new temple
the unification of the returning tribes
shared common struggles and challenges to work together
Spiritual revival and living in obedience to God
One of the great Old Testament Intercessory Prayer
• Ezra 9:5-15, Daniel 9, Nehemiah 9
• Two main issues:
• Struggle to restore the temple
• Need for spiritual reform
CYRUS
539-530
605 Nebuchadnezzar
Ransacks
Jeruselum
ARTAXERXES
464-424
433
Prophecy
of Malachi
520 Work on Temple resumed by
Zerubbabel & Joshua, encouraged by
Haggai & Zechariah; Haggai & Zechariah
Prophesy
538
Temple
project
begun
500
582
3rd
Deportation
530-522
XERXES
486-464
539
Return of
Zerubbabel
& Jeshua
586 2nd
Deportation,
Nebuchadnezzarr
burns Temple
to ground
600
DARIUS
522-486
CAMBYSES
530
536 Work
on
Temple
stopped
520
510
500
486-464
Story of
Esther
490
480
458
Return
of Ezra
470
516
Temple
Completed
460
445
Return of
Nehemiah
597 Nebuchad.
attacks Jeruselum;
clears Temple,
takes everything;
1st Deportation
Ezra
1-4:5,24
Ezra 5-6
Ezra 4:6
False accusations files
Ezra 4:7-23
Ezra 7-10
Chronology of the Persian Period
PERSIAN KING
CYRUS
DATES
539-530
CAMBYSES
530-522
DARIUS I
522-486
XERXES
ARTAXERXES I
486-464
464-423
BIBLICAL CORRELATION
Return of Zerubbabel and
Jeshua (Ezra 1-3)
Rebuilding at Jerusalem
stopped (Ezra 4)
Haggai and Zechariah
prophesy (520)
Temple Completed (516)
(Ezra 5-6)
Story of Esther (Esther 1-9)
Return of Ezra (458)
(Ezra 7-10)
Return of Nehemiah (445)
(Nehemiah (1-2)
Prophecy of Malachi (433)
Chronology of the Prophets
ASSYRIAN AGE
BABYLONIAN AGE
PERSIAN AGE
TO ISRAEL
TO JUDAH
TO FOREIGN NATION
Amos ca. 760
Hosea ca. 760-730
Isaiah ca. 740-700
Micah ca. 737-690
Jonah ca. 770
Habakkuk ca. 630
Zephaniah ca. 627
Jeremiah ca. 627-580
Daniel ca. 605-530
Ezekiel ca. 593-570
Nahum ca. 650
Haggai ca. 520
Zechariah ca. 520518
Joel ca. 500
Malachi ca. 433
Obadiah ca. 500
Ezra – Setting the stage
• If you were returning home after your town had been
devastated, what would you rebuild first? Why?
• Why do you think it was important for the Israelites to
re-establish their base of worship right away?
Ezra – Setting the stage
Before him there
Read 2 Chronicles 36 (optional reading: 2King 23:31-25:30) was no king like
him, who turned to
• How many years have elapsed between the
the LORD with all
deportation of Judah to Babylon and Ezra 1:1?
his heart and with
all his soul and
• Why did the three last kings of Judah fail?
with all his might,
according to all
the Law of
• Why did God allow the destruction of
Moses, nor did
Jerusalem and the nation of Judah?
any like him arise
after him.
2 Kings 23:25
Ezra – Setting the stage
• Our God is a God of second chances.
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•
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Were the Israelites warned about their behavior? By whom?
What was their reaction?
What are some of the ways God tried to reach His People?
Personal Question: What are some of the ways God has reached out to you?
• Who was the statesman that may have set the stage for the return of
the Israelites? (Daniel 10:1)
• Read Daniel 6:25-28
• Who moved the heart of Cyrus? Think about how God uses historical
events for His end. How do you think it applies today?
Timeline
http://www.blueletterbible.org/images/rosepub/imageDisplay/#s=OT_timeline2_b
Challenges
• How important is Jesus Christ to you?
Would you rebuild the temple first?
What do you put ahead of worship?
• Your body is the temple of the Lord.
Maybe you need to rebuild your spiritual
life, or you need to accelerate your
growth. Put a plan in place to move
your walk with God up your priority list.
Christ Baptist Church
Spring 2015