After The FallEzra and Nehemiah

Ezra Arrives in JerusalemEzra Chapters 7-8

Announcements

Week Date Topic

1 04 Sep 13 Rebuilding the Temple: Ezra 1-3

2 11 Sep 13 Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple: Ezra 4-6

3 18 Sep 13 Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem: Ezra 7-8

4 25 Sep 13 Ezra’s Prayer: Ezra 9-10

5 02 Oct 13 Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem: Nehemiah 1-2

6 09 Oct 13 Rebuilding the Walls: Nehemiah 3-4

7 16 Oct 13 Nehemiah Helps the Poor: Nehemiah 5-6

8 23 Oct 13 Nehemiah Reads the Law: Nehemiah 7-8

9 30 Oct 13 Israelites Confess Their Sins: Nehemiah 9-10

10 06 Nov 13 New Residents of Jerusalem: Nehemiah 11-12

11 13 Nov 13 Nehemiah's Final Reforms: Nehemiah 13

12 20 Nov 13 Summary of Ezra and Nehemiah

13 27 Nov 13 Malachi 1-4

Nehemiah

Today’s Objectives• Review last weeks lesson on Nehemiah 5-6• Provide an overview of Ezra’s return• Learn what the king of Persia’s letter said about

Ezra’s return• Learn about those that came with Ezra• Learn about the Ezra’s journey from Babylon to

Jerusalem• Learn about Ezra’s arrival in Babylon and what

happens during the first several days

Overview of Ezra• Two distinct parts:

– Part 1 – From 538-515 BC, return, rebuilding the temple– Part 2 – Around 459 BC, Ezra’s arrival and teaching,

first and third person writing style• Ezra was a priest and scribe, son of Seraiah and a

lineal descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron• Ezra is sent by the Persian king to Jerusalem to

enforce religious laws• Ezra leads the second body of exiles that returned

from Babylon to Jerusalem in 459 BC• Book of Ezra is a work of religious history• Describes his religious reforms, including

introduction of the law and divorce of foreign wives

Babylonian EmpireUnder Nebuchadnezzar (600 BC)

Turkey

IranIraq

Saudi Arabia

Achaemenid Persian Empire Under Cyrus (530 BC)

Iran AfghanistanSyria

Iraq

Turkmenistan

Pakistan

UzbekistanKyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

India

Saudi Arabia

Turkey

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Armenia

Kazakhstan

China

Main Characters of Chapter 7-8• Sheshbazzar (Persian name)/Zerubbabel - Prince of

Judah, at the head of the first Jews that returned to Jerusalem after the Exile

• Ahasuerus – some call Xerxes, ruled around 485-465 BC, tried to prevent rebuilding of the city

• Artaxerxes - reigned between 464 and 424 BC• Sons of Levi – descendents of the priestly line of

Levi

Places of Chapter 7-8• Judah – region of southern Israel, strategically

located on the mountains overlooking the Jordan river

• Jerusalem – capital of Judah, or the southern kingdom, “city of David”, location of the temple

• Babylon – South of modern day Baghdad, Iraq; place where Ezra left to journey to Jerusalem

• Persia – part of modern day Iran

• 612 BC — Fall of the Assyrian Empire• 587 BC – Nebuchadnezzar’s third attack on Jerusalem,

remaining people carried away• 546 BC – Cyrus becomes king of Persia• 539 BC – Cyrus conquers Babylon• 535 BC – Second temple reconstruction begins (approx)• 515 BC – Second temple reconstruction completes• 480 BC – The Battle of Thermopylae (Persians against Greeks)• 458 BC – Ezra returns to Jerusalem• 458 BC – Cincinnatus is named dictator of the Roman Republic• 454 BC – Athens loses a fleet and possibly as many as 50,000

men in a failed attempt to aid an Egyptian revolt against Persia • 445 BC – Artaxerxes I gives Nehemiah permission to rebuild

Jerusalem

Geopolitical Situation

Overview of Ezra’s Return(Ezra 7:1-10)

• Genealogy of Ezra (7:1-5)– 60 years pass between Ezra 6 and Ezra 7 or 458 BC– Artaxerxes ruled Persia 465-424 BC, successor to

Xerxes, the king who married Esther– Events of Esther took place between Ezra 6 and 7– Ezra was a descendent of both Aaron, Zadok, and

Seraiah

• Ezra, a skilled scribe (7:6)– Came up from Babylon– An expert in the law of Moses– Artaxerxes granted him all of his requests

• Ezra’s arrival to Jerusalem (7:7-10)– Traveled for four months to reach Jerusalem– Came to teach the Law of the Lord to Israel– Seek, do, and teach God’s word (Guzik)

Overview of Ezra’s Return(Ezra 7:1-10)

Letter of Artaxerxes(Ezra 7:11-28)

• Xerxes directs resources to the temple (7:11-16)– All the people of Israel that volunteer to go back, may go

back– Sending Ezra to inquire of Judah and Jerusalem with

regard to the Law of God– Travel with gold and silver from the kingdom for the

house of God in Jerusalem

• Providing for the temple expenses (7:17-22)– For grain and drink offerings– King’s treasurer will provide for the temple– Whatever Ezra wants, he is to be given

• Motives of Artaxerxes (7:23)– Wanted to avoid the wrath against his kingdom– Shows his belief in God’s power, but exposes his desire

to protect his kingdom from many enemies

• Ezra’s legal power to enforce God’s laws (7:24-26)– No taxes on priests, Levites, etc.– Ezra establishes magistrates and judges to judge all in

the region beyond the Euphrates– Establishes punishment for failure to abide by the law

• Ezra gives thanks (7:27-28)– Credits God with his blessings, leaves encouraged

Letter of Artaxerxes(Ezra 7:11-28)

Those who came with Ezra(Ezra 8:1-20)

• List of families (8:1-14)– Similar to 7:1-10– Prominent family names, counting only men– 1496 men in the group, around 7,000 total

• Lack of Levites in the group (8:15)– None of the sons of Levi were at the initial camp

• Ezra addresses the lack of Levites (8:16-20)– Ezra sends an appeal, who will serve the temple?– Iddo’s influence brought many servants, 38 Levites, and

220 Nethinims, the descendants of the Gibeonites, who performed the servile duties of the temple

On the Journey(Ezra 8:21-32)

• Prayer of protection (8:21-23)– River Ahava, Ezra proclaims a fast, prayer– Refused a king’s escort, to show the hand of God

• Distribution of treasures (8:24-30)– Divided the silver, gold, and articles– Among 12 leaders of the priests– As the priests are holy, so are the treasures

• Departure and arrival in Jerusalem (8:31-32)– Departed the Ahava on 12th day of the first month– Came to Jerusalem and stayed three days– Hand of God was upon them (protect, guide, and bless)

Arrival in Jerusalem(Ezra 8:33-36)

• Precious articles offered to the Lord (8:33-34)– On the fourth day, silver and gold is weighed, recorded– Possibly to prove the integrity of the men with Ezra

• Sacrificial offerings made to the Lord (8:35)– Children of those carried away– Offer burnt offerings

• Artaxerxes orders are presented (8:36)– Delivered to the king’s representatives– They give support to the people and to the temple

Review• Reviewed last weeks lesson• Provided an overview of Ezra’s return• Learned that King Artaxerxes of Persia directed

complete support for Ezra’s return to Jerusalem• Learned about those that came with Ezra• Learned about the Ezra’s journey of faith from

Babylon to Jerusalem• Learned about Ezra’s arrival in Babylon and what

happens during the first several days• Next week – Ezra 9-10, Ezra’s message in

Jerusalem, the people’s confession and repentance