1717 BIBLE STUDIES
Ezra Study
Ezra
“Your Word Is Truth” (John 17:17)
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Overview
Study: Ezra
Theme: It’s a New Start
The calendar frustrates us but also guides us. God carved time from out of eternity; he made days, weeks, months, seasons, and years. Surely one reason for such creativity was to give us fresh starts and new beginnings. When Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah helped bring back the exiles from Babylon, they also helped provide to them a fresh start with God. Ezra the Bible teacher led the way in reconstituting the nation of exiles. In this study, students will learn of God’s exciting plans for fresh starts, that fresh starts require prayer and fasting, and that they are not always easy. Students also will learn more about the distinctive lives God calls his people to live while in this world.
How To Use
- Each week has a lesson aim, lesson text, and supplemental text.
- Tabs indicate the week of each lesson.
- Each week features three sections: Study, Application, and Discovery.
- Use the Discovery questions to study, discuss, and apply the Scripture passages in a group or class.
Introduction
Author
Ezra the priest is traditionally viewed as the author of the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The use of first-person references in Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 1:1), however, suggest that Nehemiah authored the book that bears his name (though perhaps Ezra added editorial notes). Similar use of first-person references to Ezra in chapters 7-9 in the book of Ezra support his authorship of this book.
Audience
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were written to the Jews to tell the story of Jeremiah’s fulfilled prophecy about God rescuing them from their Babylonian Captivity (See Ezra 1:1). Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews out of captivity and back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-6). About 60 years afterward, Ezra led a group of exiles back to reinstate Jewish worship (Ezra 7-10). Then Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem around 13 years after Ezra to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.
Date
While it’s difficult to provide an exact date for Ezra, it was unquestionably written in the middle of the 5th century BC, likely between 460-440 BC.
Setting
The book of Ezra picks up where 2 Chronicles ends (See 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4), as Cyrus, king of Persia, permits the Jews of the captivity to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and restore temple worship. Ezra recounts the history of the first two of three groups that returned to Jerusalem from exile. The first group, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-6). The second group, under Ezra’s leadership, returned to reinstitute the proper temple worship (Ezra 7-10). The third group’s return is recorded in the book of Nehemiah.
Theme
The book of Ezra demonstrates God’s faithfulness in restoring his people to Jerusalem and giving them a new beginning for Jewish worship. Ezra stressed the need for genuine commitment to the Lord, repentance of sins, and a true devotion to proper worship.
Why Study Ezra?
A study of the book of Ezra reminds readers that God is faithful to his promises. It also shows how Ezra revived temple worship and called upon the Jews to repent of their sins. Ezra’s insistence upon proper worship and genuine commitment to God should inspire Christians today to pursue proper biblical worship and a sincere dedication to the Lord.
Week One
LESSON AIM: Respond to the Lord’s direction as Cyrus did.
STUDY: Ezra
THEME: It’s a New Start
LESSON TEXT: Ezra 1:1-11
SUPPLEMENTAL: Ezra 5:11-17; Ephesians 1:8-12; Matthew 17:5; John 6:28-29; 14:1
STUDY
WEEK 1
it’s god’s plan
by Mark Scott
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God had planned from eternity past to get his people back home and give them a fresh start. After all, the Messiah and the good news of the gospel would come out of Zion. The people had been exiled in Babylon due to their idolatry (2 Chronicles 36:17-21). While in Babylon, they had lost all of their song (Psalm 137). But the time had come for them to go home and dream again of being God’s special possession (Psalm 126).
Ezra and Nehemiah tell of this new start (these books were once combined as one). The minor prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi assisted this great Bible teacher (Ezra) and the former cupbearer turned governor (Nehemiah). God’s people would come home in three waves. The first and largest wave would come with Zerubbabel, followed by a much smaller wave with Ezra (he does not even arrive in Jerusalem until chapter 7 of his book), and finally a medium-size wave under Nehemiah.
God Moved Cyrus
Ezra 1:1-4
The sovereign God was not against moving people’s hearts to accomplish what he wanted done. So, after the Babylonians fell to the Persians, God moved Cyrus, who was the king of Persia, to allow his people to go home. This happened during the first year of his reign.
Cyrus was a nontypical potentate. He was not your average slash-and-burn leader in the ancient Near East. Instead, he was rather open to allowing conquered peoples to go back to their homelands. A great artifact is the Cyrus Cylinder. While Israel was unnamed on the cylinder, the artifact gave evidence that Cyrus was in the habit of releasing captured people groups, allowing them to return to their homelands, and sometimes even paying to rebuild their cities and temples. God was behind the scenes working in Cyrus’s heart. This also fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:12; Daniel 9:2). Cyrus was even referred to as the Lord’s anointed to bring this new start to God’s people (Isaiah 45:1).
Cyrus’s proclamation for the Jews indicated he was under orders from God to release the Jews. He acknowledged that God had exalted him (given him all the kingdoms of the earth) for the purpose of building the Jewish temple back to its former glory. This proclamation included releasing the Jews from any locality to go home and take part in this grand project. In addition, funds were provided, such as silver and gold as well as goods and livestock along with a freewill offering. Cyrus even gave them a blessing; May their God be with them. Amazing!
God Moved His People
Ezra 1:5-6
Potentates can make all the decrees they want. But nothing will happen unless the people follow up in like-mindedness. God’s people got on board when God moved their hearts. This involved several groups of people. Ezra mentioned the family heads of Judah and Benjamin. Why were they singled out? Very simply, they represented the Messianic line. God must get the proper remnant back into the land of Israel for the prophecies to be fulfilled. The priests and Levites also were singled out. These two groups would play a crucial role in teaching the people (Nehemiah 8:1-10) and getting everything in place for the sacrificial system to be restored (Nehemiah 10:28-39; 12:1-26).
These groups would also be instrumental in rebuilding the walls of the city (Nehemiah 3:1-32) and reconstructing the altar and the house of the Lord proper (Ezra 3:1-13). This project was not funded entirely by the government. God moved the peoples’ hearts toward generosity. Like Cyrus, they gave articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, valuable gifts, and freewill offerings. They were all in.
God Moved the Treasurer
Ezra 1:7-11
Once in a great while, church treasurers come to believe the church’s money belongs to them, so a generous church treasurer is a treasure. This treasurer, named Mithredath, worked for Cyrus. To fund this great project, Cyrus brought out the articles that Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from the temple in 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar mocked the God of Israel by stashing them in the temple of his god.
Mithredath counted out the valuables to Sheshbazzar, which was another name for Zerubbabel (2 Chronicles 36:7; Daniel 1:2), who functions almost as a Christ-figure in the book. The gold and silver dishes, pans, and bowls were counted and totaled 5,400 articles. These would not only finance the trip back home but also make a start on the rebuilding efforts. God’s plan would not be thwarted.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 1
trusting god in a new start
by David Faust
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My wedding ring fit perfectly when Candy and I got married in 1975, but in recent years my finger swelled a bit and the ring became too tight. I went to a jeweler and asked him to resize my ring. A week later I picked it up and paid a modest fee. I asked the jeweler, “Do you mind telling me how you did this?”
He answered with a question: “Do you really want to know?”
I nodded, and he explained the process. “First,” the jeweler explained, “I cut your ring in half.”
I gulped. That wedding ring is one of my most valuable earthly possessions!
The jeweler continued, “Then I added some gold, soldered the whole thing back together, and polished it.”
I said, “But when I look at the finished product, I can’t see that you did anything at all.”
The jeweler shrugged and said, “If you could tell what I did by looking at the ring, that would mean I didn’t do a very good job.”
NEW THINGS
As we consider God bringing newness into our lives, it’s good to remember that the Lord is the Master Craftsman. He’s an expert at making things new. He knows how to take our lives apart and put them back together again.
In biblical times there were different Greek words for new. Neos meant new in terms of time—recent or young. A different word, kainos, meant new in quality or form—fresh or different. For example, the old way of communicating was to place a letter in an envelope and drop it into a mailbox. When we started using email, it was kainos—a whole new kind of mail—a new way to communicate.
Kainos (new in quality, not just in time) is the word used in 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says God makes us new creations in Christ. Kainos is the word used for new in the new covenant Jesus died to establish (Hebrews 8:13), the new song that surrounds the throne of God (Revelation 5:9), and the new heaven and new earth awaiting God’s people (Revelation 21:1).
After Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took his body down from the cross and placed it in “a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid” (John 19:41). The word for Jesus’ “new” tomb was kainos (new in quality or form). Jesus’ empty tomb introduced a new quality of hope to the world. His resurrection changes everything.
MOVED HEARTS
In Ezra 1, it twice says God moved someone’s heart to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. First, “The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm” (Ezra 1:1). Later, it was the Jewish leaders—“everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem” (v. 5). To get something new done, the Master Craftsman stirred ideas not only in the minds of his covenant people, but even in the mind of a pagan ruler.
Sometimes the process looks mysterious to us, but the Lord is in the transformation business. Like a master jeweler, he can take the gold rings of our lives, cut them apart, and make them more beautiful, fitting, and useful than ever before. What is he stirring in your heart as an area where he needs to bring newness?
Personal Challenge:
Write a prayer expressing your commitment to the Lord and your trust in him to bring about a fresh new start in your faith journey.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 1
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Where is “back home” (either physically or metaphysically) for you?
2. As you look at your life, what new starts are you hoping for?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezra 1:1-11 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to paraphrase the passage in as much detail as possible.
3. What were God’s roles and what were the people’s roles in the Jewish exiles’ return to Jerusalem?
4. Whose hearts did God move to action in this passage?
- What is similar between these people and their responses to God, and what is different?
5. God used a secular king to accomplish his will. Does this surprise you or do you find this to be normal in the way God works?
6. What do you learn about God from this passage?
7. What do you learn about yourself?
8. What do you learn about obeying God, especially when he moves your heart to do something that’s part of his plan or mission?
9. In the New Testament church, we, the body of Christ, are now “the house of the Lord”—God’s temple—where God’s Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21-22; Hebrews 3:5-6; etc.). How will that affect how you live in 2023?
10. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezra 6:13-22. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study
Week Two
LESSON AIM: Like Israel, make your worship fresh with new offerings and excitement.
STUDY: Ezra
THEME: It’s a New Start
LESSON TEXT: Ezra 6:13-22
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Ezra 3:1-13; Psalm 66:13-20; Hebrews 12:18-29; Revelation 15:1-4
STUDY
WEEK 2
It’s exciting
by Mark Scott
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“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). By this point in the book of Ezra, God’s people had their hope deferred. They came back from captivity with such high hopes. Pagan governments had befriended them (chapter 1). Priests, Levites, gatekeepers, and temple servants were all in place (chapter 2). Reconstruction of the temple altar and the temple itself had begun (chapter 3). But then the wheels fell off. Adversaries rose up against the rebuilding efforts, letters of accusation were written against the leaders, and work on the temple ceased (chapter 4). Hope was deferred.
But the providential hand of God and the providential eye of God were on his people (Ezra 5:5; 7:6). God worked through government leaders, archivists, prophets, and even enemies to get the rebuilding project back on track. Israel was allowed to start over. Once Cyrus’s decree was found in the archives, the new world leader, Darius, ensured that the temple restoration could be completed. In fact, he provided government funds, told adversaries not to bother the builders, and promised punishment for anyone who interrupted the project (Ezra 6:2, 4, 6, 11-12). At this juncture of the book, “happy days are here again.”
The Completed Temple
Ezra 6:13-18
The adversaries, Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai, had to eat crow. They had opposed the temple’s rebuilding from the beginning. Now Darius made them see to it that the temple was completed. It must have been like Haman leading Mordecai through the streets yelling, “This is the man the king desires to honor” (Esther 6:9, author’s paraphrase). That had to hurt even though they carried it out with diligence.
The post-exilic prophets Haggai and Zechariah assisted in this effort through their preaching. They delivered God’s will to the people and no doubt also cheered them on. The temple was “mostly” completed by God’s command and the decrees from the three top government leaders (Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes). It was “mostly” completed because there would remain work for Nehemiah to do later when he arrived. But it was far enough along for the people to rejoice and use. The date of completion was the third day of Adar during Darius’s sixth year.
Upon its completion, the temple was celebrated and dedicated. Leadership and laity participated in the celebration. The dedication, of course, involved animal sacrifices—100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and 12 special goats—one for each of the tribes of Israel. While this was impressive, it fell way short of the temple’s original dedication (1 Kings 8:5). Priests were installed according to the divisions King David had originally set up, and the Levites took their places of service just as it was commanded in the Book of Moses.
The Celebrated Passover
Ezra 6:19-22
An interesting linguistic phenomenon takes place at this point in the book. The language switches back to the Hebrew script. The language from Ezra 4:8–6:18 was written in Aramaic. The change probably had to do with the letter that was originally written (Ezra 4:7). But since they were about to celebrate the Passover in this text, they returned to “the ancient order of things.”
It was the fourteenth day of the first month that the exiles celebrated [kept] the Passover. All the proper protocols were followed. The priests and Levites had purified (purged or cleansed) themselves and therefore could function as mediators of sorts. The Passover lamb was slaughtered for the leadership and the laity. The exiles ate it along with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors. This fits with what happened in the original exodus. In this we see the wide embrace of God. Others can participate in such things provided they do not try to come in on their own terms.
The celebration lasted seven days and coincided with the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which would be observed even up to the time of Jesus. Joy was the dominant note among the exiles. It was not just humanly contrived joy. God gave them this joy by changing the attitude of the King of Assyria. In the end, God directs the affairs of humans. But he does so for the glory of his own name. It was his house, and he wanted it dedicated and celebrated. This excitement would be challenged, but in this moment it was pure joy.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 2
celebrate the wins
by David Faust
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As a lifelong baseball fan, I enjoyed meeting Carl Erskine, the great pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. At the time in his mid-90s, Erskine lived in his hometown of Anderson, Indiana. During his 11-year career in Major League Baseball, he threw two no-hitters and pitched in 11 World Series games, all against the New York Yankees.
When I asked, “What memory stands out most?” he replied, “I struck out Mickey Mantle four times in one game.”
It’s true. In Game 3 of the 1953 World Series, he set a new Series record by fanning 14 batters, including Mantle’s four strikeouts.
He tore a muscle in his shoulder during his first start on a cold day in Chicago in 1948, and as a result, he pitched his entire career with a sore arm. He retired from baseball in 1959 at age 32. A year later, his son Jimmy was born— with Down syndrome. Carl and his wife, Betty, quietly raised Jimmy along with their other three children, and they became champions of human rights, fighting to make life better for people with disabilities and their families. In 2022 a film documentary was released called The Carl Erskine Story. It tells how Carl broke down barriers as a friend and teammate of Jackie Robinson and was a vigorous supporter of the Special Olympics. His off-field accomplishments eclipse his 122 victories as a pitcher.
In life, as in sports, it’s important to stop and give thanks when things go well. Before we rush ahead and move on to the next event or activity, we should pause and celebrate the wins. After the Jews rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem, they “celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy” (Ezra 6:16). Later, they spent an entire week celebrating the Passover. “For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy” (v. 22).
Here are four reasons it’s important to celebrate the wins.
It Glorifies God
Did your church conclude a successful program? Pause and praise God. Did your presentation go well at school or work? Say a prayer of thanksgiving before moving on to the next project. Slow down and say, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
It Encourages Your Teammates
Morale improves when people feel appreciated. Take time to thank volunteers, friends, and coworkers for their efforts. Joy multiplies—and additional workers are easier to recruit—when we celebrate God’s blessings together.
It Clarifies the Big Picture
The Jews recognized God had been at work—even “changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God” (Ezra 6:22). When we are harried and hurried, rushing from one activity to the next, we are less likely to see the Lord’s hand in our lives.
It Points Toward Our Ultimate Victory
Small wins remind us of the biggest win of all: Christ’s triumph over sin and death. It’s great to win baseball games and it’s noble to stand up for justice; but even the greatest human achievements pale in comparison to what the Lord has accomplished through the death and resurrection of his Son. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Personal Challenge:
What recent “wins” can you celebrate with your family and/or your church? Thank the Lord for them right now.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 2
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. What project did you complete last year that you were especially excited about?
2. What area in your life are you hoping to build on with God’s help this year?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezra 6:13-22, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
3. How would you describe the teamwork of the different people and groups involved in the temple-rebuilding project?
4. How would you characterize the mood of the dedication?
5. The word joy is used three times in this passage. Look at all three instances and describe the kind of joy the Israelites had and their reason for it.
- What’s the difference between the joy the Israelites were experiencing (a joy that came from the Lord, v. 22) and the “happiness” people often seek in this world?
6. What do you learn about God from this passage?
7. What do you learn about yourself?
8. The Israelites obediently “finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel” and later they “celebrated with joy . . . because the Lord had filled them with joy.” How have you seen this connection between obedience and the joy of the Lord in your own life?
9. How can we, like the Israelites did (v. 21), separate ourselves from the ungodly practices of our non-Christian neighbors but still be a witness and ambassador for Christ?
10. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezra 4:12-5:2. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Three
LESSON AIM: Though the enemies of God press in around us, see the hand of God at work.
STUDY: Ezra
THEME: It’s a New Start
LESSON TEXT: Ezra 4:12-5:2
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Ezra 7:6-10, 27-28; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 2 Corinthians 4:7- 9, 16-18; 2 Kings 6:15-17
STUDY
WEEK 3
it’s not easy
by Mark Scott
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Paul told the churches on his first missionary journey, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, English Standard Version). Being a Christ follower has never been without its challenges. Jesus taught us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), but that does not mean we will not have some. Face it— some people do not like believers.
Ezra’s world was no different. God’s people had returned from their exile in Babylon, had rebuilt the altar in the temple, and were laying the foundation of the temple when they ran into a buzz saw. “Enemies” reared their ugly heads (Ezra 4:1). They feigned their loyalty at first, as if they would help the Jews rebuild the temple (Ezra 4:1-3), then these enemies verbally discouraged the Jews and even tried to bribe them (Ezra 4:4-5). Then they wrote a letter to the king back east with the goal of stopping the rebuilding project. Essentially, they became tattletales. While some content of the letter (written in Aramaic, as is the whole section of Ezra 4:8–6:18) was true in terms of the rebellious nature of the Jews, the letter was written with impure motives.
The Accusation
Ezra 4:12-16
Sometimes there is truth even in unjustified criticism. Had Jerusalem been rebellious in its past? Yes! Were the exiles who had come home under Zerubbabel’s leadership restoring the walls and repairing the foundations? Yes. Did the people who had been sent into exile 70 years previously have a long history of sedition? Yes.
Still, the accusation was unjustified. The letter to the king was clearly a smear campaign against the Jews. In fact, the accusers were committing a logical fallacy called “hypothesis contrary to fact.” The accusers said the people would not pay taxes, which would cause the royal revenues back east to suffer. The accusers kissed up to the king by feigning loyalty when, in reality, all they wanted was to kill the temple project. They were most pessimistic, seen in the phrase, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.
The Interruption
Ezra 4:17-24
The accusation got the king’s attention. Through his officials (Rehum, Shimshai, and others), the king sent a reply that started in typical ancient Near Eastern fashion: “Greetings.”
The king acknowledged receiving the letter. In response, he issued an order and a search was made to determine Jerusalem’s track record with regard to rebellion. That history was not difficult to secure. Rebellion and sedition were parts of Jerusalem’s history. The king also admitted that government money had been used to help the Jews. Evidently that was as far as the king read. He immediately ordered a stop to the rebuilding project in Jerusalem. So, the work on the city was halted until the king inquired more or until he said it could go forward.
The king had listened to the accusers and felt the Jerusalem project could become a detriment of the royal interest. Of course, Regum and Shimshai could hardly wait to tell the Jews in Jerusalem to stop. They probably were overjoyed. They compelled them by force to stop.
The Vindication
Ezra 5:1-2
Amid the enemies’ accusation and the work interruption because of the king’s edict, God was at work to vindicate his people. Two post-exilic prophets were named leaders who would help God’s people to be vindicated and win the victory. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets of the Lord helping Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah to rebuild the nation of Israel. Later, they would be assisted by another post-exilic prophet, Malachi.
These two prophets spoke God’s word to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. But God himself was over them. God would be their vindication at the end of the day. The prophets functioned as inspired spokesmen as well as cheerleaders encouraging the people. This emboldened Zerubbabel and Joshua (son of Jozadak—not the son of Nun as in the book of Joshua) to restart the building project.
Jesus promised his followers they would be hated by the world because the world hated him. Believers should not expect an easy go of it. The accuser would like nothing more than to stop the work of Jesus in the church. But the accuser ultimately will be destroyed, and Truth—Jesus—will prevail in the end.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 3
traveling on a rough road
by David Faust
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Do the streets in your neighborhood have potholes? Freezing and thawing, excessive heat, heavy traffic, and poor maintenance create those irritating craters. But beyond the annoyance factor, potholes also are hazardous and expensive, causing accidents and damaging cars. According to a study by AAA, over a five-year period, 15 percent of American drivers sustained vehicle damage from potholes. Altogether, potholes cause an estimated $3 billion per year in vehicle damage—not including the cost of patching the holes.
If you drive, you will travel some rough roads. And this is true in other areas of life as well. A starry-eyed bride and groom may not realize their marriage faces potholes ahead. College graduates starting new jobs will navigate bumpy roads over the course of their careers. Churches go through rough patches. So do families and friendships.
The book of Ezra tells how a group of exiled Jews traveled back to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple, but it wasn’t a smooth and easy journey. Their story reveals some principles that can help us travel rough roads of our own.
Human Opposition Doesn’t Override God’s Position
When the Jews arrived in Jerusalem and started building, hostile tribes nearby didn’t want them to reestablish a foothold in the Holy City. “Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building” (Ezra 4:4). These rival groups used bribery, political pressure, and threats of violence to intimidate the Jews, but God’s will prevailed.
Delay Doesn’t Have to Mean Defeat
Under pressure from the Jews’ enemies, King Artaxerxes halted the construction project and for a while “the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill” (Ezra 4:24). But as someone has said, “Waiting time isn’t wasting time.” The work was delayed, but ultimately it was completed according to God’s timetable.
Fear Doesn’t Have to Eliminate Faith
Ezra 3:3 says, “Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.” It doesn’t say they had no fear, denied their fear, or even overcame their fear. “Despite their fear” they obeyed the Lord.
If you wait until you feel no fear at all, you will never drive a car or fly in an airplane. If you wait till all your anxious feelings go away, you may never change and grow. If you say, “I’m too frightened to share my faith with a friend,” you will never do it. If you don’t trust God’s ability to provide, you will never know the joy of generous giving. If you wait till every member is carefree, your church will never pursue faith-stretching goals. If missionaries wait until every question is answered and every difficulty has been smoothed out, few will ever leave home for a foreign field.
Mountain climbers press on “despite their fear.” Cancer patients undergo chemotherapy or surgery “despite their fear.” Preachers proclaim difficult truths “despite their fear.” Faith doesn’t mean you never feel afraid. It means refusing to let fear dominate your decisions and actions. It means journeying forward despite the potholes. It means having enough confidence in God to say, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).
Personal Challenge:
What rough spots are making your journey difficult right now? What opposition, delays, or fears do you need to overcome? Read Psalm 27 and watch for ways to keep going when the going gets tough.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 3
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. In what ways have you experienced the joy of the Lord over the past week?
2. What setbacks or delays have you been dealing with lately?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezra 4:12-5:2, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. In Ezra 4:1-11, the enemies of God’s people “set out to discourage” them and “make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans” (vv. 4-5). Finally, they wrote a letter (vv. 12-16 of our Scripture text) of accusation full of half-truths and lies against the Jews to the king in an attempt to stop the rebuilding of the temple. How does this background help you to understand what’s happening in our passage?
4. How would you describe the opposition and smear campaign these enemies of God’s people used against them?
5. What do you learn about human beings from our study text (Ezra 4:12–5:2)?
6. What do you learn about God?
7. Like the Israelites of Ezra’s time, we will face setbacks and delays in our lives and in the work we do for and with God. What can you learn from them about God’s timing, waiting on him, and trusting him in the process?
8. As Christ followers, we, like the Israelites, will meet with opposition from the world. Jesus told his disciples he was sending them out “like sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16; cf. vv. 17-42). Another time, he warned, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). In what ways do people struggle to follow and obey Jesus because of this?
9. While we will have trouble in this world as Jesus followers, Jesus encourages us to “take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). How can Jesus’ promises and encouragement (e.g., Matthew 10:26-32) help you to serve him boldly even when you face opposition?
10. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezra 7:6; 8:21-32; 10:1-6. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Four
LESSON AIM: Experience the protective hand of God through humility, prayer, and fasting.
STUDY: Ezra
THEME: It’s a New Start
LESSON TEXT: Ezra 7:6; 8:21-32; 10:1-6
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Ezra 7:27-28; Nehemiah 1:3-6; Isaiah 58; Matthew 6:16-18
STUDY
WEEK 4
it requires prayer and fasting
by Mark Scott
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New starts require sacrifice. This is true for diets, training for a marathon, or preparing for a concert. Anything of significance requires effort. Rebuilding walls requires brick and mortar. But rebuilding lives requires humility, commitment, and earnestness. Once work on the temple altar and temple itself were completed, it was time to get the exiles’ lives in order. Ezra the great Bible teacher led the way in this through prayer and fasting.
Divine anthropomorphism is attributing human qualities to God. Since God is Spirit (John 4:24) he would not technically have hands, feet, back, fingers, etc. But we can still speak of such things through the quality of anthropomorphism. In the printed lesson text, God’s hand is mentioned three times. His hand is one of provision (taking care of the exiles’ needs) and protection (ensuring that they arrive safely back in the land of Canaan).
Humility
Ezra 7:6; 8:21-23
We do not naturally drift toward humility in this age of “selfies.” Humility comes only through self-denial—and it must start at the top. After finally arriving in Jerusalem, Ezra led the way in humbling himself before God. Ezra led the second wave of people returning from Babylon. The text noted that Ezra was a teacher well versed (ready, prompt, skilled) in the Law of Moses. The prophet, in fact, “had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord” (Ezra 7:10). He no doubt worked at it because he realized the Law was given to the people by God. What a gift!
The king granted his favor to Ezra on this journey, but this was due to the providential hand of God being upon him more than just the king acting independently from God. In fact, the king gave Ezra everything the scribe requested.
To spiritually prepare the people for the journey, Ezra proclaimed a fast by the Ahava Canal. This canal was evidently a tributary to the Euphrates River. The purpose of the fast (i.e., abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose or discernment) was to request safe passage to Canaan. Fasting created the context for humility (to look down or browbeat). Ezra was so humble he did not want to ask the king for special provisions against potential enemy attacks. He wanted to depend totally on God and lean into his provisions. The Lord answered his prayer.
Commitment
Ezra 8:24-32
The phrase, “Put your money where your mouth is,” applies to this section of text. Ezra set apart (divided or separated) twelve of the leading priests (two are named, Sherebiah and Hashabiah) from each of the tribes of Israel to receive articles (vessels or equipment) of silver and gold from the king and his helpers to go with the exiles back home. They were not to squander or be careless with these articles. They made a commitment to deliver the goods. And these articles were not small—650 talents of silver, 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold, and two articles of polished bronze. The exiles had to prove themselves worthy of transporting such things.
This may be why Ezra consecrated (to make holy) the articles as well as the people. The silver and gold came from their Jewish ancestors before Nebuchadnezzar stole them. The people were to guard them carefully until they arrived in Jerusalem and the items were laid out before the people and priests already there.
This commitment carried them from the Ahava Canal to Jerusalem. God’s hand protected them from enemies and bandits (those who would ambush) in their journey. Once they arrived in Jerusalem, they rested three days (one of many three-day references in the Bible).
Earnestness
Ezra 10:1-6
Humility and commitment cannot be embraced with a cold heart; rather, they require earnestness. For Ezra, it was not a mere intellectual exercise. Ezra was all-in. The prayer in Ezra 9 proved that. Now, a chapter later, Ezra prayed, confessed, wept, and threw himself down before the temple in front of the Israelites. This was emotional and public. When the people saw Ezra’s contrition, they followed his example by weeping bitterly.
One of the leaders (Shekaniah) stepped forward and acknowledged that Israel had sinned by marrying foreign women. He believed God might forgive his people provided they put away these foreign women and their children. This certainly took some earnestness on his part. He requested a covenant be made. He promised his support to Ezra, so the Bible teacher secluded himself to fast (without even water) and pray about what to do. He would later perform a mass divorce. A good thing? At least he prayed and fasted about it.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 4
give it up
by David Faust
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Why isn’t fasting more common in the American church? The Bible mentions it at least 60 times. Moses and Jesus both fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Exodus 34:28; Matthew 4:2). Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther fasted. So did David, John the Baptist, and Paul. Biblical believers fasted when they repented of sin, grieved significant losses, faced national or personal emergencies, and wrestled with major decisions. They prayed and fasted before sending out missionaries or appointing elders (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23).
Done with wrong motives, fasting leads to self-righteousness (Matthew 6:16-18; Luke 18:12), and some people misuse it as a legalistic requirement or a measure of spiritual superiority (Colossians 2:20-23). But when it’s done in a healthy way and for the right reasons, fasting encourages simplicity and contentment, increases our compassion for the needy, and brings our priorities into focus by reminding us we don’t live by bread alone.
To be honest, I struggle with fasting mainly because it makes me uncomfortable! Giving up food makes my stomach growl, my head hurt, and my attitude cranky. The truth is, though, there are things more difficult to give up than food. It’s harder to give up our pride than it is to skip lunch. Why do we resist fasting? Because for the Lord’s sake, fasting requires us to alter our schedules, shift our habits, give up control, and change our attitudes. In other words . . .
It’s Not About Food . . . It’s About Surrender!
What does surrender look like? It’s Joshua recognizing the Israelites’ fickleness and their propensity to drift from God, yet having the courage to declare, “No matter what anyone else does, my family and I will serve the Lord.” It’s David confronting his own sin head-on and begging God, “Create in me a pure heart and restore the joy of my salvation so I can teach others about you.” It’s Isaiah, humbled and awestruck in God’s presence, crying out, “Here am I, send me!” It’s Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing the fiery furnace while insisting, “God is able to save us, but whether he does so or not, our faith will not waver.” It’s Esther summoning the courage to confront the king, believing she had been given a noble position “for such a time as this.” It’s Habakkuk declaring, “Even if the crops fail and nothing else goes right, I will rejoice in the Lord.”
What does surrender look like? It’s Peter watching with dismay as would-be disciples drift away, turning to Jesus and saying, “Where else can we go, Lord? You alone have the words of life.” It’s Martha grieving her brother’s death but confessing her faith that Jesus is the Messiah. Surrender looks like Jesus himself experiencing the agony of Gethsemane and facing the misery of Golgotha, kneeling before the Father and praying, “Not my will, but yours be done.” It’s the businesswoman Lydia having an open heart to receive the gospel and be baptized, then graciously welcoming the apostles into her home. It’s Paul saying, “I have been crucified with Christ, so my life is all about him—not me.”
Saying no to ourselves creates more space for us to say yes to the Lord. The purpose of fasting isn’t mainly to give up food or some other pleasure. It’s to give ourselves up as living sacrifices, “holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1).
Personal Challenge:
This week, spend all or part of a day in fasting. If this practice is new to you, start small by forgoing one or two meals and drinking liquids only. Take the time you normally would spend preparing and eating food and instead, use it for prayer.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 4
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. What spiritual practices (Bible reading, prayer, personal worship, fasting, etc.) have been a part of your relationship with God and growing in your faith, and which have helped you the most?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezra 7:6; 8:21-32; 10:1-6, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
2. How is the “hand of the Lord” (mentioned three times in these passages) involved in the people’s journey and other developments in these passages?
3. What leadership traits do you see in Ezra?
4. What do you learn about God from these passages?
5. What do you learn about yourself?
6. Throughout these passages there are at least 12 virtues and practices, both of Ezra and the people: (a) devotion to God’s Word, (b) humility, (c) fasting, (d) prayer, (e) dependence on God, (f) confession, (g) mourning over unfaithfulness, (h) repentance, (i) hope, (j) surrender, (k) submission to God, (l) and commitment to God. Discuss these and how Ezra and the people lived them out (You may want to write these on a board or large piece of paper.)
7. How do these all work together to help form a person spiritually? (How are they dependent on one another?)
- Note two other practices mentioned: community (see 10:1, for instance) and solitude, 10:6). How can a balance of both help a person grow spiritually?
8. Which of these virtues and practices will you start or recommit to?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. In what area of your life or ministry are you seeking for the hand of the Lord to be upon you?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezra 9:1-15; 10:10-12. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Five
LESSON AIM: Be distinct, and separate yourself from worldly habits.
STUDY: Ezra
THEME: It’s a New Start
LESSON TEXT: Ezra 9:1-15; 10:10-12
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Exodus 34:15-16; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Peter 1:14-15; 4:1-11
STUDY
WEEK 5
it’s about distinction
by Mark Scott
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The Old and New Testaments refer to God’s family as his “treasured possession” and his “special possession” (Exodus 19:5; 1 Peter 2:9; cf. Titus 2:14). The point is, God’s people are distinct from all other people groups. God evidently wanted it that way. Separation sometimes is the best method of inclusion. God said more than once to “come out from among them” (see Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17). The proverb of being “in the world but not of the world” still holds true.
Two of the most gut-wrenching prayers in the Old Testament are in Ezra 9 and Daniel 9. In both cases the scribe and prophet pour out their souls to God. They emotionally own their nation’s sins and include themselves as leaders in need of forgiveness. Upon his arrival in Jerusalem in chapter 7, Ezra sized things up rather quickly. The exiles were in danger of turning back to the sinful ways that had caused them to go into captivity in the first place. Ezra was committed to nip that mindset in the bud.
Separation
Ezra 9:1-2
Ezra’s sorrow came after meeting the leaders of the people. These leaders came to Ezra and told him that the priests and the Levites had not kept their distinction from the “ites” of the land (Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, etc.). Intermarriage had given rise to detestable practices (abominations) of the pagan peoples. It was one thing for the people to have intermarried with idol worshipers, but the leaders and officials had led the way in this unfaithfulness (trespass or falsehood).
This might not seem so bad at first pass. After all, the Bible gives examples of intermarriages working out; some even are part of the messianic genealogy (Ruth 4; Matthew 1). But those are the exceptions. The purity of the messianic line was at stake, to say nothing of the priests and Levites who were to serve in the temple.
Contrition
Ezra 9:3-7
This situation caused Ezra great pain. It caused him to go through several spiritual gymnastics—such as tearing his clothing, pulling out his hair and beard, and sitting down appalled (desolate or destroyed). He kept that posture until the evening sacrifice (which was again taking place, as before the exile). At that time, he assumed his prayer posture and poured out his heart to God.
He admitted to God his shame and disgrace at the deplorable condition of his people. He was so moved he would not even lift up his face to the heavens as he prayed (a rather typical Jewish posture for prayer). He admitted his guilt and the guilt of his people. He acknowledged that the recent captivity was due to such unfaithfulness.
Protection
Ezra 9:8-9
After confessing his sins, Ezra leaned into the grace of God and pleaded for his protection. Ezra was thankful for many things: the remnant (those who had escaped death) to keep the messianic line alive, a firm place in his sanctuary (a return to offering sacrifices in the temple), enlightenment for their eyes, and relief from their bondage (servitude or slavery).
Ezra knew that God had not forsaken them (cf. Hebrews 13:5) and had shown them kindness (steadfast love) from the kings of Persia. In allowing the people to rebuild Jerusalem, God had put a hedge of protection (the word for protection means hedge or wall) around them.
Pollution
Ezra 9:10-15
But even with God’s protection, there was still a need for Ezra to confess that the people had forsaken the commands of God. The peoples who had lived previously in the land had polluted it (made it filthy as in unclean) by their idolatry. By intermarrying with those people, Israel had ended up polluting themselves. It was a clear case of guilt by association. Any friendship with the people would compromise faith. God wanted his people to be strong and eat the fruit of the land and keep it as an inheritance forever.
Even so, God had not punished them as their sins deserved. Ezra pleaded for God to have additional mercy as he acknowledged God’s righteousness
Dedication
Ezra 10:10-12
After his prayer, Ezra challenged the people to separate themselves from worldly and unholy habits. The dedication came in these words: “You are right! We must do as you say.” Scholars debate whether the action Ezra took was totally necessary. But it was necessary for God’s people to separate themselves from sinful behavior.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 5
what makes you different?
by David Faust
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If you live in a northern climate as I do, winter means shoveling snow and navigating icy roads, so it’s easy to forget that snowflakes are a marvel of creation. Those billions of individual snowflakes piling up on your sidewalk all have unique starlike patterns, which under a microscope look like Christmas decorations.
People are unique, too. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”—“woven together” by the fingers of God (Psalm 139:13-15); and that’s a fitting way to describe it because DNA is woven together in a spiral shape like a twisted ladder. Our genes vary by only about 0.025 percent across all humans, but those tiny differences shape who we are.
Sin has distorted God’s image in us, but when our covenant relationship with the Creator is restored through Christ, he calls us to be different—“to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
Spiritual Differences
The Israelites were supposed to be a holy people, distinct from others who lived around them. No work on the Sabbath day. No graven images. No ham sandwiches, clam bakes, or oyster dinners. God wanted more than surface obedience, though. He said, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” (Deuteronomy 6:6). Sadly, the Israelites often disobeyed God’s rules—or they obeyed, but their hearts weren’t in it.
A messy situation arose in Ezra 9 and 10 because some leaders of the Israelites had disobeyed God’s rule against intermarriage with pagan tribes. To deal with the problem, Ezra gathered a group of faithful leaders “who trembled at the words of the God of Israel” (Ezra 9:4). If Ezra and his friends were shocked by Israel’s unfaithfulness, imagine how astonished they would be in our day. How many people today tremble at the words of God? Do we who wear the name Christian demonstrate a distinctive love for God and others? Do our lifestyles reflect God’s holiness?
What Makes You Distinct?
According to Jesus, genuine holiness can’t be measured by outward appearances. It’s a matter of the heart.
When we follow Christ, our identity changes. The world no longer squeezes us into its mold. We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Political affiliations and social categories don’t define us. We belong to God’s family where “there is no Gentile or Jew . . . slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all” (Colossians 3:11).
When we follow Christ, our priorities change. His will becomes our guide—not the shifting sands of what we feel or prefer. We no longer cling to money, power, position, and status. We are free to hold our possessions loosely and serve others freely.
When we follow Christ, our destiny changes. Resurrection hope allows us to relax about the future, believing that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
In many ways, Christians are just like everyone else. But when we follow Jesus, we embrace a unique challenge: “Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness” (1 Peter 1:14-15, The Message).
Personal Challenge:
How does following Jesus impact your daily life? This week, how will God’s kingdom priorities shape your attitude, decisions, spending, and interactions with others?
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 5
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Did you begin any new spiritual practices or start developing any Christian virtues over the last week? If so, what did you start (or restart)?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezra 9:1-15; 10:10-12, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions (one of which could be a paraphrase such as The Message). Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
2. What was the fundamental issue with which some of the leaders (in 9:1) and Ezra were dealing?
3. How would you characterize Ezra’s response to this? (Look at both his actions and the adjectives used in 9:3-6.)
4. Some of the people joined him in his lament. How does the way they are described—as “everyone who trembled at the words of God”—say about them?
5. Where do you see mercy and grace in these passages?
- Where do you see ownership and responsibility for the sinfulness of the people?
6. What do you learn about God from these passages?
- What do you learn about people?
7. The New Testament calls the follower of Jesus to be distinct as a “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are not to live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4-12; Galatians 5:13-17), and we are not to conform to the pattern of the world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). What values and priorities should be different between us and the non-Christians around us?
8. What are some specific things we can do to be distinct in our practices and priorities and yet answer God’s call to be light, witnesses for Christ, and ambassadors of Christ to the non-Christians in our spheres of influence?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. In what ways do you need God’s help as you seek to honor him and do his will this week?
For Next Week: This week’s lesson bring this unit of study to a conclusion. Look for additional “1717: Your Word Is Truth” studies, for use with your Sunday School classes, small groups, or personal studies, at ChristianStandard.com.
