Ezra

The hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” has been acclaimed as one of the finest songs ever written on the theme of God’s providence. This label is made all the more amazing by the fact that the hymn text was written by an English poet who lived a lifetime of mental distress. William Cowper’s emotional upsets included an 18-month stay in an insane asylum and later several attempted suicides. During his time in the asylum, Cowper began reading the Bible. At the age of 33 he had a genuine conversion experience. Yet he was periodically haunted by deep depressions, voices, and visions, and the overwhelming thought that God had forsaken him and would doom him to hell.

But between these times of mental melancholia, William Cowper was a gifted writer. Several of his secular works achieved great literary fame. For nearly two decades he worked closely with John Newton in Olney, England, and eventually their combined talents produced the famous Olney Hymns hymnal. In this ambitious collection of 349 hymns, 67 were written by Cowper, including such favorites as “O For a Closer Walk With God” and “There Is a Fountain.”

“God Moves in a Mysterious Way” was originally titled “Conflict: Light Shining Out Of Darkness.” It is thought to be Cowper’s final hymn text and a reflection of God’s leading throughout his own lifetime. There is even speculation that it was written following a failed attempt at suicidal drowning. Regardless of the original motivation for their writing, these words have since been used to bring much comfort to God’s people for nearly two centuries:

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His foot-steps in the sea and rides upon the storm.

You fearful saints, fresh courage take: The clouds you so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace; behind a frowning providence faith sees a smiling face.

Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.

Songs like this remind us that God’s providence is profound and His ways are unfathomable. In many ways, this is apparent in the events behind the book that we’ll be considering today - The book of Ezra.

Background

Last week, we considered the books of Chronicles which seem to retell the history of Judah for the people who had returned from Exile in Babylon. Written sometime after the Jews returned to Judah and Jerusalem, Chronicles gave some indication that the exile wasn’t the end for the Jewish people.

In many ways, the book of Ezra picks up where Chronicles left off. In fact, some thought at one point in time that Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book.

Let’s consider the timeline.

605 BC - Nebuchadnezzar initially attacks Jerusalem and takes several Israelites to Jerusalem (including Daniel and his friends)

586 BC - Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed, thousands of people of Judah are taken to Babylon

539 BC - Persia defeats the Babylonian empire

538 BC - Persian King Cyrus decrees that the exiles may return to Jerusalem and that the temple

This is where Ezra begins as he looks at the return of the exiles - which took place over nearly a century (when you include the events of Nehemiah), the rebuilding of the altar in Jerusalem, and the reconstruction of the temple.

There are several ways to divide the material found in Ezra. As we consider the content an application of the book, we’re going to be adapting from Mark Dever’s outline on the book.

Right from the beginning of the book, one of the first things that we get to see is the way that...

God’s Hand Restores (ch. 1-3, 5-6)

In both 2 Chronicles and here in the first chapter of Ezra, we get to see the decree that Cyrus made, allowing the people of Judah to return.

Ezra 1:1 ESV

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:

What a mysterious way that God is moving!

Ezra tells us that this is a fulfillment of something that Jeremiah prophesied.

Jeremiah 25:12 ESV

Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the Lord, making the land an everlasting waste.

Jeremiah’s ministry started around 627BC during the reign of King Josiah - Judah’s last good king. It seems that he prophesied from then until after the destruction of the temple in 586. It is during this time that he gave this 70 year prophecy.

Ezra acknowledges Jeremiah’s words as being fulfilled in what King Cyrus was declaring.

Ezra 1:2–4 ESV

“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. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

And so, nearly 70 years after the initial exiles were take out, and approximately 50 years since the temple was destroyed, Cyrus decrees that the exiles be able to return - and so many do (but not all of them).

Not only does he send people back but he sends them with things that the would need to worship God.

It appears that the Persian empire had a rather open-minded view of the lands over which they ruled. They allowed people to worship their own gods.

Yet, it is interesting that Cyrus acknowledges that it is the God of Heaven, the God of Israel that has placed him in this position of power. God’s mysterious hand was behind all of this.

Not only do the people get to return, but they resume sacrificial offerings.

Ezra 3:1–3 ESV

When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.

There was no temple yet - but there was worship at the newly reconstructed altar.

A few months later, in the second year after the return, the people begin to rebuild the temple.

Ezra 3:10–11 ESV

And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the directions of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

It was a joyous occasion - at least for most. You see, some of the older members remembered the days before the destruction of the temple. Now likely well over 50 years old, these leaders have a different response:

Ezra 3:12–13 ESV

But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.

While there is great joy, there is also some opposition - which causes the temple construction to cease for several years - but we’ll come back to that.

In Chapters 5 and 6 of Ezra, we get some insight into the ministry of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah as they urged the people to return to building the temple.

Eventually, the temple is completed around 516BC - roughly 20 years after the initial return of the exiles and 70 years after it’s destruction.

Ezra 6:14–22 ESV

And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

What a joyous celebration!

Making it personal

As we consider the events of the book of Ezra - and really all of Scripture, I think it’s important for us to see the consistency of how God works.

It was God who...

Called Abraham and entered into a covenant with him

commissioned Moses at the burning bush

moved to get the Israelites out of Egypt

established the ceremonial and moral laws in order to consecrate the people

led Samuel to anoint David as King

led the prophets to preach His Word to the people

incited the enemies of Israel to lead them into exile as a means of discipline

directed Cyrus to let the people return.

It all starts with God.

God is the One who initiates a relationship with us. God is the One who draws us into a relationship with Him by His Spirit. It is His Spirit who ultimately convicts us of our sin. It is God who sent His Son to be a sacrifice on our behalf so that we could be in a relationship with him.

I believe that we can and do respond - but it starts with God. In His sovereignty, God is acting, directing, working.

He did it in Judah. He continues to do it today.

Have you responded to the way that God is working in you?

So, as God led the people back to Judah and inspired them to reinstate worship, but as I mentioned before - it was not an easy process. The people of Judah could see that God’s hand was in the process of their restoration, but they also experienced the challenges that ensued as...

God’s Enemies Oppose (ch. 4)

Isn’t it amazing how opposition seems to come at the most in-opportune times? Just when it seems like everything is going well - obstacles show up in our path.

For the people of Judah, this didn’t just happen once, but happened several times, over many years. Ezra lumps the majority of the opposition into chapter 4 so that we can see it summarized.

Now, it’s difficult to read and assess what is happening and when it is happening - but if as you’re reading you pay attention to the references to the Kings, you’ll get the feel that this was a long period of opposition.

Remember, the people returned to the land around 538 and begin rebuilding the temple in 537BC. These happened during the reign of Cyrus.

Ezra 4:1–5 ESV

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, “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.” But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them, “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.” Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

It seems that Zerubbabel and his fellow leaders knew that these people did not really want to help. They could see through the lie in their words.

But let’s zoom out and consider the timeline:

Cyrus reigned in Persian from 539-530BC (remember - before Christ all of the years are declining)

Darius reigned in Persia from 521-486BC

Ezra states that this opposition lasted into the reign of Darius.

So this opposition lasted a roughly 15 years, but probably well into Darius’ reign. Now, they were able to get some things done and bring some semblance of normalcy back to Jerusalem, even completing the Temple around 516 - but this opposition lasted.

As if that wasn’t enough, Ezra includes a little word that might get past us - “and”

Ezra 4:6 ESV

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

So Ezra introduces yet another King - Ahasuerus. If his name is familiar - that’s because he is the King in the book of Esther. He is also known as Xerxes. He reigned from 486-464BC.

Finally, Ezra introduces another King - Artaxerxes who reigned in Persia from 464-423. In verses 7-23 - Ezra notes some correspondence between the people of the land and Artaxerxes in order to get the work to cease.

It seems like what Ezra is trying to get across is that the opposition to the Work of the Lord lasted a long time. It spanned the reign of 4 kings.

Being a Jew in Jerusalem was not popular at that time. Rebuilding the temple and the city was a threat to the people of the land.

Being a Christian in America - or really anywhere in the world - is not popular now. The Good News that we proclaim is Bad News to so many around us.

Mark Dever has said:

“We understand that the natural disposition of all people - including you and me - is to oppose God and perversely assume that our best interests are at odds with God’s commitment to himself.” (Dever, 393).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, when we face opposition from popular culture or society at large, we have to recognize that we were once in that same boat. We were enemies of God.

Friend, if you’re not yet a follower of Christ or are really just checking all of this out, let me encourage you to evaluate the truth of the Word of God and how God is working on the merits and not on popular opinion. In our sound-bite culture, investigating the truth will be way more beneficial than jumping on the bandwagon of the latest trends.

So, we’ve seen how God’s Hand Restores and considered the facts that God’s enemies oppose His work, let’s look at the next couple of chapters as we begin to understand how...

God’s Word Reveals (ch. 7-9)

As you read through the book of Ezra, it may be easy to overlook the fact that nearly 60 years has passed from the dedication of the temple. It’s in the opening verses of chapter 7 that we finally get to meet the books namesake - Ezra.

Ezra 7:1–7 ESV

Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest— this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants.

Remember, Artaxerxes reigned from 464-423BC. We learn in that it was the 7th year of Artaxerxes reign that Ezra and several others get to return to Jerusalem with the Kings blessing and great provision.

Ezra, as a priest and scribe, was someone who knew the Word of God quite well. He had dedicated himself to study it. Even though he grew up in a time and locale in which there was no temple for worship, Ezra pursued the calling that God had place on the people of his tribe, the Levites.

It seems that Ezra was sent back to Jerusalem in order to teach the Word of the Lord.

Ezra 7:10 ESV

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

As a result of the king’s permission to go to Jerusalem, Ezra joyfully acknowledges that it’s the hand of God the is allowing this to happen.

Ezra 7:27–28 ESV

Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

In Chapter 8, Ezra records the names and genealogies of those who go with him and then also calls for a fast (Ezra 8:21-23) - seeking the Lord’s protection on this 4-month journey (Ezra 7:8-9).

And the Lord seems to bless their journey - protecting them from bandits along the way.

Personal admission: I must admit that I’m a bit convicted by this. While I have not necessarily done so verbally or visually, I’ve often discounted prayers for travelling mercies. I suppose that I take for granted the conveniences and the theory of safety that we encounter. I have failed to acknowledge the Lord’s hand in our travels - especially short ones.

Back to Ezra - This four-month journey was quite an undertaking - and God showed himself faithful.

Now, keep in mind that Ezra is being sent to read, study, and teach the law of God. When he gets to Jerusalem, he is confronted with a grievous sin.

Ezra 9:1–2 ESV

After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.”

It seems as though the leaders knew there was a problem, but they didn’t know the seriousness of it.

Look at what it is revealed in the covenant that God made with the Israelites that Moses reiterates in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 7:3–4 ESV

You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.

So these people - especially those who were supposed to be leading the nation in proper worship of God - the Levites, had forsaken the covenant of God and inter-married with people who did not worship the one true God.

When we look throughout scripture, at face value, it seems like there are contradictions. In the Torah or the Pentateuch - there seems to be a blatant command not to intermarry. Is it that God wants a pure race?

I don’t think it’s a racial thing. After all - the lineage of Jesus includes people like Ruth - a Moabite and Rahab a prostitute from the land of Canaan. Even our Saviours lineage is not pure. So what is the big deal?

It’s about worship.

One commentator writes:

“His [Ezra’s] comments were not xenophobic or racist. Instead, their intent actually takes us to the theological heart of the Old Testament: God has always wanted His people-including his post-exile people- to be preserved from idolatry, from spiritual adultery, from cheating on God, so that they will preserve in faithfulness to God. So He says to the, “Don’t marry people who don’t worship me!”

(Dever, 404)

The big sin was not so much the intermarriage of races, but the intermarriage of religions.

We actually see this concept carried through into the New Testament -

2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

The idea is that when two people are yoked together - as in marriage - where one goes, the other will go.

So in response to the seriousness of their sin, Ezra responds physically to this sin

Ezra 9:3–5 ESV

As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,

He was grieved over this sin.

You see the Word of the Lord had revealed the sin of the people. The light of the Word of God pointed out places where the people were in blatant rebellion.

And so Ezra makes a corporate confession. Look at the nature of his prayer.

Ezra 9:6–15 ESV

saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem. “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

Oh that I would view my sin this way!

The power of the Word of God is part of why we keep the Word so central to our gatherings.

As you have times of personal Bible study and reading, take time to allow the Word of God to sink in; take time to evaluate your life in light of God’s Word.

I believe that we are the ones who need to adjust to the Bible and not the other way around.

So the Word of the Lord revealed the sin of the people. In response to that convicting word, we finally get to see that...

God’s People Repent (ch. 10)

Ezra 10:1–4 ESV

While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.”

It’s one thing to be confronted with sin and to say “I’m sorry.” It’s another to fully repent and make a change. The people of Judah take their confession to the next step - they take action - drastic action.

In their case, they took several days to work out a solution. It seems that the foreign wives were sent back to their families. It’s unclear what kind of provision was made for them or how tearing apart families would have been part of God’s plan. I wish I had answers for that.

On this issue, the New Testament tells us that when one spouse is a believer and the other is not, that the believing spouse is encouraged to remain - in hopes of leading the non-believing spouse to faith (1 Cor. 7:12-16).

What it seems like we need to get to though is not so much the specific sin of intermarriage - but sin in general.

How do you and I respond when we are confronted with our sin in scripture? Do we look at it as the Bible being old fashioned and out of date or do we see our sin as an affront to God?

It seems like in recent years, there has been a trend to rely very heavily on the grace of God and His forgiving heart, rather than striving to allow the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to lead us toward holiness. “O God will forgive me.” “God doesn’t mind if I do this because I’ll repent of my sin and it will be okay.”

Romans helps us to understand a different perspective.

Romans 5:20–6:4 ESV

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Several years ago, a friend of mine, Robert, was sharing about a friend of his - we’ll call him Chris. Chris was an unbeliever and was gay. Over the course of their friendship, Robert witnessed to Chris, sharing the gospel with him, discussing sin - without discussing the sin of homosexuality. Eventually, Chris came to faith. He confessed his sin to God and received the forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ. As he continued to grow, Chris came across passaged in scripture that talked about the sin of homosexual acts. He asked Robert why he didn’t confront him about that. Robert responded by saying he felt like it was the word of the God that would need to reveal that to him.

Conviction must come from the Word of God and the Spirit of God - not necessarily condemnation by others. I do think it’s important for us to continue to study the Word together and be instructed in the Word - in order that we might be moved toward greater righteousness. I do think we can have a powerful role in each other’s lives - helping us move toward holiness.

In many ways, I think this is the beauty of the small group environment. In a small group of trusted individuals, we can learn the Word of God, we can examine our lives in light of the word of God and have people walking with us - not condemning, but caring.

Conclusion

The book of Ezra helps us see the mysterious ways that God moves.

We get to see how God’s had works at restoring his people after correction.

We can see the reality of opposition and the value of persevering through it.

We also get to learn about the role that the Bible plays in helping us understand our lives and God’s role.

Finally, we get to see a beautiful example of God’s people responding - not just with Words but with actions.

Discussion Questions

With your family or friends or small group, take a few minutes to discuss these questions and some ways to be praying for each other.

How was God’s hand working in the lives of the exiles? What mysterious means did He use? Looking back on your life, what mysterious ways have you seen God working?

When you encounter opposition, how do you normally respond? Do you give up or press through? Why do you think God allows opposition in our lives when we may be doing His will?

What are your daily Bible reading habits like? What has God revealed about himself? What has His Word revealed about you? How have you responded?

When confronted about sin in your life, how do you respond? What does it mean to confess? What does it mean to repent? Are there certain struggles with sin that you’d like prayer for?

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