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Ezra
Read Ezra 1:1-4.
Why did King Cyrus, a heathen king, allow the Israelites to go back to Jerusalem? Even though King Cyrus did not follow the God of Israel, God was still able to stir the king up to accomplish His plans for Israel.
What does this show us about God?
• God was in control of this whole situation and is in control of every situation in your life.
• God works through us, but he can also work through unbelievers.
• God’s plans are always accomplished.
After this decree, “everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord” returned to Jerusalem. Chapter 2 gives a record of all those that returned. Read Ezra 2: 64-67 to find out how many people returned and what they took with them.
Once the people were in Jerusalem, before beginning the rebuilding of the temple, the people build an altar.
Read Ezra 3:1-3.
Why did the people build the altar?
• It was written in the Law of Moses to offer the burnt offerings on the altar
• They were afraid of the non-Israelite people around them. They wanted to reestablish their relationship with God and receive God’s protection.
In the second year after the captive Israelites returned to Jerusalem, they began to build the foundations of the temple. The people sang and gave praise and thanks to God. Some Israelites, however showed a different kind of emotion when they saw the foundations of the temple laid.
Read Ezra 3:12-13.
Why do you think these men were crying? Remember Israel was in captivity for 70 years before returning home. The old men who are crying would have seen King Solomon’s beautiful temple that was destroyed. Based on the size of the foundation being built, these men could tell that the new temple would not measure up to the original temple.
Read Ezra 4: 1-3.
Why do you think that the Israelites would not allow these men to help build the temple?
• God commanded the Israelites, and no one else, to rebuild the temple through King Cyrus’ proclamation
• Even though these people said that they followed the God of Israel there are clues that they were not really worshiping the God Israel. First, they said they had been offering sacrifices to God, however, the only altar that God allowed sacrifices to be made on was in Jerusalem. This altar had been destroyed and only been rebuilt when the Israelites returned, so these people had been offering their sacrifices on other altars not approved of by God. Second, these people are called the adversaries of God’s people (Ezra 4:1). While they may have thought they were worshiping the God of Israel, they were also worshiping pagan Gods, which meant they were not offering true worship to God.
Read Ezra 4: 4-6 to see yet another clue why these people were not true followers of the God of Israel.
So, after being told they could not help in the rebuilding, they try to stop the rebuilding of the temple. Does this sound like something a true follower of God would do? No. A true follower would want the temple to be rebuilt.
These adversaries end up delaying the rebuilding of the temple for a number of years but by order of the new king of Persia, King Darius, the temple rebuilding is completed, and the people begin to celebrate Passover again.
In Chapter 7 we are introduced to Ezra. Ezra finds favor with the king of Persia and is allowed to return to Jerusalem with another group of Israelites. The king gives him supplies so that Ezra can make offerings on the altar in Jerusalem.
Why do you think this pagan king did this for Ezra? He wanted to find favor with the God of Israel, but he also wanted to have favor with the gods of other nations as well, so again he was not a true follower of the God of Israel (Exodus 20:3-5).
Read Ezra 7:27-28 to find out why Ezra believed the king let him return. Ezra knows that God was behind this miraculous event. He used even the misguided desires of a pagan king to accomplish his purpose for Israel.
In chapter 9 we see the people of Israel have committed a sin by intermarrying with the pagan peoples around them. When learning of this Ezra prays to God in repentance for Israel’s sin. He then leads the people to confess their sin and to put away their foreign wives and children.
Why do you think the Israelites needed to do this? God had commanded the Israelites not to marry foreigners because these people would cause Israel to follow their pagan gods. In seeking to follow the God of Israel alone, the Israelites had to remove this influence from their lives.
Nehemiah
After the temple was built it was left defenseless from its enemies because the wall around Jerusalem had also been destroyed. When Nehemiah, an Israelite and cup-bearer to the king of Persia, learns about the wall, he prays to God that he would be allowed to something about it.
Read Nehemiah 2: 1-8.
Again, we see God at work. He allowed the king to notice Nehemiah’s sadness and then He moved the king to grant Nehemiah’s request to rebuild the wall.
Once, Nehemiah and the Israelites begin to rebuild the wall, they get the attention of their enemies who do not want Israel to succeed. Led by Tobiah and Sanballat, the enemies of Israel try to sneak up on the Israelites and kill them, but God stops them (Nehemiah 4:15). As the Israelites built the rest of the wall, they were armed with weapons to protect themselves from further attacks. Despite this the Israelites were able to build the wall in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15)!
After the wall is finished, Ezra stands before the people and reads the Law of Moses to all the people and the people worshiped the Lord. In chapter 9 we see the people confess their sins and remember the blessings that God had given Israel. Then at the dedication of the wall the people of Israel give thanks to God with singing and instruments.
Esther
Esther tells the story of what happened to the Jews who did not return to Judah. If you read through Esther, you will not see the name of God mentioned anywhere but it is clear throughout the story that God is at work. He uses Esther, to save his people from destruction. At the end of the story we see the creation of the festival of Purim to celebrate Israel’s salvation.
In the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther we see how God physically restores the people of Israel by granting them success in rebuilding the wall and temple in Jerusalem. He also brings spiritual revival to the people as they confess their sins and commit to obeying God. In response the people give praise and thanksgiving to God.
As Christians, we have also been revived spiritually. Colossians 2:13-14 says “When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses, having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!”
The Israelites praised God for their restoration and salvation, as we should having received this gift from God. We just celebrated Thanksgiving which is time to give thanks to God, but our thanksgiving should never cease. Psalm 30: 11-12 Says “you have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”
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Going Deeper:
Take some time to read
through psalms of thanksgiving like these here: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/10-encouraging-psalms-for-thanksgiving.html.
Then write your own psalm of thanksgiving.
Praise God in Song:
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