This is quite an incredible passage. The people of God have just returned from exile. But we see how quickly they have fallen back into the same old sins, of marrying foreign women- directly against God’s command, and the reason they were exiled!

Ezra’s response is quite incredible to read; his great mourning of and for his people’s grief. You almost feel the gravity of sin and unfaithfulness. Do we grieve for our sin? Or have such concern and grieve when other brothers and sisters sin?

Knowing that it is often so hard to confront sin in our own lives, and those we love, it is lovely to see people encouraging Ezra in his role as priest. Then to see Ezra’s bold command (after much prayer and mourning), “Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honour the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives” (vv.10-11). It is also a great witness of how the people respond to these rebuke, “You are right!” (v.12). How do we respond to rebuke?

The people of God are aware of their need to be holy and pure like God, as they are his representation on earth, and actually the witness of people living for God means the nations will hear about God too!

“See, I [Moses] have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees” (Deut 4:5-6)

- Hayley

When Ezra returns to Jerusalem, he finds out that the people of Israel have been mixing and intermarrying with the people of the surrounding nations. This chapter is about Ezra’s reaction to that news. He tears his clothes and starts pulling his hair out!… (kinda like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8SyqH3fjfA but with less green)… It seems pretty extreme, but from God’s point of view (and Ezra’s), the people were compromising their relationship with Him by going after relationships with the people around them. These surrounding natoins worshipped false gods which lead them into “detestable practices” (including child sacrifice), and when the Israelites first entered the promised land, God commanded them to destroy them completely (see Deuteronomy chapter 7). Ezra knows that it was intermarriage with these wicked people that got them into trouble in the first place! So he prays for mercy, confessing their sins to God. Even though the people deserve punishment once again, God is merciful in allowing them to return to Jerusalem…

“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this.” (v13)

I like the last verse (v15)…

“Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

… because it reminds us that we can’t stand before God, in His presence, because of our guilt. Thanks be to God, who allows us to come before Him by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ!

In Ezra 8 we find Ezra listing all the people that are making the trip with him out of Babylon.

In Ezra 7 we meet the priest and scribe, Ezra. The genealogy in vs 1-6 is important because it shows us that Ezra’s ancestors were all part of the priestly family going back to before the exile. He is someone who was responsible for writing down scripture and teaching it to the people.

He moves to Jerusalem vs6-9 and is commissioned by the King of Persia at the time, King Artaxerxes to perform four tasks;

(1) He was to lead the people to return to Judah from Babylon.

(2) He was to transport the gifts from the king to the temple which is being rebuilt.

(3) He was to ensure that all the money used from the king was used in accordance with the Law of God (Jewish Law).

(4) He was to teach the Law to all the Jews who lived outside of Judah. This would have been difficult as often the Jewish laws conflicted with the laws of the king.

This passage is an amazing insight into the sovereignty of God. Ezra concludes with praise to God for this. He praises God because God put it on the king’s heart to bring honour to the House of the Lord in Jerusalem. He praises God because the king responded to him pleading to re-start work on the temple and he praises God for giving him the courage to fulfil God’s plan.

I love the recognition of the power of God. This is our God too. He extends His good favour to us when we are fulfilling His plan to bring Him glory. It is so exciting to know He is on our side, How are you fulfilling His plan in your life?

-Sophie

Just a reminder about Basement’s Pancake and Waffle night this Friday. All are welcome so make sure you let your friends know about it. See you on Friday.

I hope that you have been enjoying reading through Ezra. If you haven’t started it is not too late, it will be easy to catch up to where we are up.

Simon in the last post on Ezra 5 noted that in subsequent chapters the Temple is rebuilt and we see that happen in chapter 6 as the Israelites receive a decree from the King of Persia to allow the building of the temple go ahead.

Simon also posed the questions ‘why did God delay its building?  why did he answer ‘not yet’ to those prayers?’  and said we may find out as we read on and in chapter 6 we do see hints of how God has used the opposition to the building of the temple to his advantage.

Because building the temple was opposed by government officials the Israelites had to go to the King of Persia about it which resulted in the King declaring that building the temple would go ahead, but not only that it would be paid for (vs 8), the things needed for offerings would be provided (vs 9), all the original furnishings in the temple that were carried off to Babylon 70 years ago were now in the King of Persia’s possession and he states they are to be returned (vs 5) and no one else is to hinder the building of the temple (vs 11).

What initially looked bad, God used for good. Which reminds me of Joseph’s words to his brothers in Genesis “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” This reminds me that God is working for our good, however, we don’t always see how it in the short term (Joseph was in prison for years and the building of the temple opposed for years before either saw a hint of how God was working in the situation). In fact we may never completely understand how God is working for our good. But accounts like this remind me that we can trust that God is at work for good and for the glory of his name.

-Kez

‘Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill’ – so ends Ezra 4. How do you think you would have been thinking if you were one of the Jews who had travelled all that way from Babylon and Persia to rebuild the temple?  I think that I’d be wondering what was going on?  ’Why had God led us back here?’  ’Why hadn’t God answered our prayers?!?’ (Ezra 3:2-6)

At Basement on Friday, and at church on Sunday, Kez, and then Michael, spoke about the difficulty of seemingly unanswered prayer: How can it be that a God who says ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you’ (Luke 11:9), would let relationships breakdown, family member’s die of cancer or friends remain as non-Christians, even after fervent prayer?  How could a God who had brought us back from exile, let fear, corruption and politics bring a halt to the construction work.?

The bible does give us a number of possible reasons for this but the unfortunate truth is that sometimes we may never know the reason when God’s answer to our prayers is a ‘no’ when we wanted to hear a ‘yes’.  Of course, we must also remember that sometimes God’s answer may also be a ‘not yet’.  And this is the case in Ezra 4 & 5.  You see Ezra 4 actually ends with the words ‘Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.’ (Ezra 4:24)  Apparently, a number of years later, the word of God through the prophets Heggai and Zechariah encourage the people to begin work again.  Unsurprisingly, this activity attracts the attention of a new official, called Tattenai.  Fortunately, in God’s sovereignty, this official is somewhat more balanced in his report to the new king, and gives the Jews themselves a chance to state their case.  Taking a leaf from their enemies book they too suggest the King looks in the nation’s records to see the approval they have from King Cyrus.

As you will see in subsequent chapters the Temple is rebuilt – but why did God delay its building?  why did he answer ‘not yet’ to those prayers?  Well, perhaps as you read on you may see what plans God has for the rebuilding of his temple and perhaps why it was delayed…

- Simon

In this chapter, we see people rising up against God’s people, to protest against the building of the temple (4:4).

They tried three different attempts:

1) Being willing to ask to join them in building the temple (4:2)

2) To discourage the people themselves, and make them afraid to keep building (4:4), they even hired people to help them do it (4:5)

3) Tried a political approach via a carefully crafted letter full of ‘half-truths’

In the end, they succeed to ban further temple building for decades. I like this passage for many reasons. It highlights the potential challenges that God’s people face- can you think of when you have experienced any of the about three attempts? Or know when the Church has faced discouragement in these areas?

Secondly, although sometimes the plans of God’s people are frustrated. I can’t help be reminded of God’s truth and the reality that God reigns supreme, and no human attempt stand against his plans.

Job 42:2, “I know that you can do all things;no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

And Psalm 138:8, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

- Hayley

Hope this gives you deep and profound theological insights into Ezra…