Ezra - Coptic MediaCoptic Media

“THE HAND OF GOD IS UPON ME” If the two books of Ezra and Nehemiah that were originally one book, fiting all eras, they are rather more fitting for the believers at the beginning of the twenty-first century AD; It is the book of the contemporary believer. HE WHO SITS ON THE THRONE MOVES ALL THRONES: The contemporary man stands confused; cannot predict what is going to happen neither in the near nor in the far future. Even men of politics in the world are in fear of the future; as though the world came to be a kind of toy in the hands of some unknown people. The book of Ezra presents peace of mind to the believer; that, above all thrones, kings, leaders, and evil-planners, whether hidden or manifest, there is the Almighty God of the universe, in whose hand is the whole history. According to the human mind, it was not possible for the people in captivity to believe that an idol-worshipper king would believe that the Lord God of heaven has given him all the kingdoms of the earth, and has commanded him to build for Him a house in Jerusalem. … In this book we stand in awe before the amazing and good hand of God that worked in all directions to achieve what no one could ever imagine and expect. “THE HAND OF GOD IS UPON HIM” The secret of Ezra’s strength and success in his tough mission, was expressed in this phrase often repeated in his book: “The hand of God was upon me” .Ezra trusted that the Lord his God, the Almighty and Good; is faithful in His promises, merciful toward His believers, would turn the bitter events into sweetness for His people and believers, protect them under His divine hand; that no one can come near them without His divine permission. It is the book of opening the eyes of the believer, to perceive that he is not alone, but the hand of God is upon him, supports him, works by, and in him; and realizes His goals for which He created him to do. Ezra, the great scribe, the man of the Holy Book, lived, as though in the bosom of the Holy God; believed in the collective work through a pure people, Never enduring sin, he was serious in confronting it, to experience truly the deposit of heaven, by the holy life exultant in the Lord. He was the brave man who worked with the spirit of humility, flatters nobody, even the high priest and all the leaders; at the expense of the holy life. A SUCCESSFUL LEADER The most prominent feature of that brave and holy leader, was that he counted his life an integral part of the plan of God working along the history. Not separating his work from the work of God, with his predecessors, nor despising those who came after him; he strongly cherished the work of God with the two leaders before him: Zerubbabel the leader, and Jeshua the High priest; and stood by the new leader, Nehemiah, and strongly supported him. By such an attitude, Ezra truly presented himself a practical role-model to the leaders and the people as well. THE TWO BOOKS OF THE RETURN TO JERUSALEM IN THE LAND OF CAPTIVITY Because of sins, the Jewish people fell under the Babylonian captivity; lived in colonies in the kingdom of Babylon, like Tel Abib (Ezekiel 3: 15) – not the one nowadays -- Tel Melah ,Tel Harsh ( Ezra 2: 59); and Casiphia (Ezra 8: 17).. Although the great majority of the captives suffered from the labor and humiliation of bondage, yet some of them managed to establish prosperous business projects, earned great fortunes (2; 65, 69; Zechariah 6: 10-11), built houses, and planted gardens (Jeremiah 29: 5); and acquired slaves and maidservants. THE WORSHIP DURING CAPTIVITY Solomon’s temple was destroyed, and the city of God Jerusalem was devastated and turned into ruins. As it was not possible, according to the law to build a temple in the land of captivity, because it was considered unclean (Amos 7” 17); there were no other important rites before the Jews to practice except observing the Sabbath and the circumcision. A NEW EXODUS The episode of the exodus of the people of God from the bondage of Pharaoh, and of setting forth to the promised land is engraved in the heart of every believer, which he celebrates annually together with the whole people in the feast of the Passover; and even in his daily worship. It is the episode of the liberation of the people and of every one of its members from bondage. The episode of the return from the land of captivity back to Jerusalem, is a new exodus; the leader of which is the Lord Himself. It may seem that the Lord was late to liberate His people, leaving them seventy years in captivity. Yet, He Himself has already promised through His prophets that the duration of this captivity is fixed by seventy years (Jeremiah 29: 10-13); And He even proclaimed the name of king Cyrus whom He anointed – although an idol-worshipper – to fulfill that goal, two centuries before its actual realization (Isaiah 45: 1, 13). Both the first and the second exodus are symbols of the exodus we enjoy through the new covenant. The Word of God came incarnate, He who proclaimed “I came forth from the Father” (John 16: 30). He came forth to us to carry us in Him, to bring us out from the sonhood to the fallen Adam to that of God the Heavenly Father through the grace of adoption. The real Leader of the two exodus is the Lord Himself, who confirmed to the prophet Moses: “I shall be with you”; and to those returning from captivity, that His good hand is upon king Cyrus, He stirred up his spirit, and that of the leaders and the people around him. He is the One working in all. While the first exodus was done all at once under the leadership of the prophet Moses; the second exodus was done in three batches under the leadership of many. The Lord works in every way according to His exalted divine plan. Although the liberation from the cruel-hearted Pharaoh, was extremely more difficult than that according to the decree of the more tolerant Persian Cyrus , yet the first exodus was done as one batch, to confirm that God is Almighty; Whereas the return from captivity, while relatively easier, was done according to a well-controlled divine plan for the sake of the people. God works through the individual leader, as well as through the collective ones. The first exodus symbolizes our exodus from the bondage of the devil, to the wilderness, to set forth to the heavenly Canaan, on the hand of our Christ by His cross. Whereas the second exodus symbolizes our renewal and recreation by the same Lord, the true Reformer of man, who renews him by His Holy Spirit. SEVENTY YEARS TO SABBATHESIZE THE LAND 490 years before captivity, presenting a whole year every seven years, as a Sabbath to the Lord, for the sake of giving rest to the land to resume its fertility, was, according to the Jews, a waste of energies and possibilities within their hands. And it was necessary to realize it against their will, when they were carried into captivity, and their land was forsaken devastate, inhabited by the enemy, and roamed by the wild beasts. It is as though the land cried out to God seeking rest from the lack of wisdom among the people at that time, and the Lord heard her hidden cries. It is said: “Those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to the king and his sons, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years” (2 Chronicles 36: 20-21). … When man thinks that he is wiser than the law of God, he brings forth upon himself desolation and bitterness. SAINTS IN THE LAND OF CAPTIVITY The book did not narrate the history of the people in the land of captivity in detail, nor spoke of their religious, mental, economic, and educational circumstances; but, while concentrating upon the events of the return from captivity; It presented as well a shining portrait of leaderships, and of regular people who lived faithful to God in the land of captivity, and even presented exalted portraits of magnificent and rare acts of heroism;.The author intended to confirm to us two facts: 1- What preoccupies the mind of God, even during the moments of chastisement, is the return from captivity; namely, the return of the soul from the captivity of the devil back to the divine bosoms in the High Jerusalem. + You will go into captivity, O people of Zion, You will be taken to Babylon. But within a number of years you will come back from there, not in the company of a soldier who pushes you ahead, but in that of the divine Leader who, by His ascension to heaven, made captivity captive. You will follow Him together with Paul and his companions, and the leaders of our army, those who captivate our minds to the account of Christ. (St. (Mar) Ephraim the Syrian) 2- The appearance of heroes in the time of affliction: The captivity, no doubt, carried much bitterness: On the psychological aspect in particular; the zealous suffered from being denied of the presence in the temple of the Lord, worshipping the living God; And on the political aspect, being denied of the sovereignty of their state, and of many social aspects of life; clearly expressed in the book of the prophet Ezekiel . Yet in the midst of that bitterness, certain mighty men of faith appeared, who would be difficult to encounter in the normal times. Both Israel and Judah fell under captivity for their chastisement; and, in the land of captivity, there were saints on all levels, although of diverse features and personalities, but integral to, and supporting one another: a- Daniel: He was taken among the captives from Judah. He was the one, being “greatly beloved by God”, as testified by the archangel Gabriel (Daniel !0: 11, 19), has shaken the hearts of emperors, and turned the dungeon of hungry lions into heaven, where he saw the angel of the Lord close their mouths shut; talks to him; and opens his inner eyes wide to see the future; in particular the coming of the Messiah to save mankind; and His second coming at the end of time. … Commenting on the expression “greatly beloved by God”, St. Jerome says: [It is a fitting expression, as every saint who carries such beauty in himself, will certainly be greatly beloved by God].. b- The three saintly young men: Being faithful to God, He turned for them the fiery furnace into dew; Being in the company of the Word of God; they sang a praise while in the furnace, saying: {Bless the Lord, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High; Praise Him, and raise His name high forever; For He rescued us from Hades, and saved us from death; Saved us from the flames of the fiery furnace; From the fire He saved us (Daniel 3) + Hananiah and his companions came forth into a spiritual blessing, granted to all saints; as uttered by Isaac when he said to his son Jacob: “May God give you of the dew of heaven” (Genesis 27: 28); which is even greater than the material dew that quenched the flames kindled by Nebuchadnezzar. + Now, we, the true Hebrews of the life to come (Hebrew 11: 13) experience the heavenly dew that quenches all fires from us; and by the same exalted aspect of our souls, we follow the lead of those saintly young men. (The scholar Origen) + The three saintly young men, the blessed heroes, who were tempted in Babylon” Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; once they became safe, and the fire for them became like dew, they glorified, praised God and gave Him thanks, And I, as well, writing to you brethren, have that in my mind; for God in our days, still performs things that seem impossible in the eyes of men; For what men cannot do, God can; namely, to bring us forth to you, and not to deliver us as a prey in the mouths of those who intend to swallow us. (St. Athanasius the apostolic) c-- Ezekiel: A priest who never had the chance to practice the priestly work in captivity; was shown in a vision the exalted temple of the Lord; the gates of heaven were opened before him to see the divine throne; to become the only one who could see the heavenly holy city; and could proclaim his amazing prophecy concerning the temple of the new covenant. d- Zerubbabel: led the first batch of captives back to Israel (Ezra 2: 2); And together with Jeshua the high priest and his brethren the priests, they rebuilt the old altar to offer burnt offerings, and organized the worship (Ezra 3: 1-9). He was appointed ‘a governor over Judah’ (Ezra 1: 8) laid the foundation of the temple (Zechariah 4: 6-10); rebuilt the temple, which was called by his name ‘The temple of Zerubbabel’, that remained until the year 20 B.C., to be rebuilt anew by Herod. He was called ‘Sheshbazzar’ (Ezra 1: 8), meaning (rejoice amid afflictions); on account of that the king, the statesmen, the leaders, and even the Persian people, saw in him an amazing portrait of an exultant man, even while in captivity and in the midst of afflictions. e-- Mordecai: An unknown captive who worked in the royal palace, saved the king from a plot against him (Esther 2: 21-23), and saved his whole people by his amazing faith in God, by his contrite heart, courage, and support of queen Esther…… In his prayer it came: [You, O Lord, knows everything; You know that what I did today, by refraining to bow nor pay homage to the arrogant Haman, was not out of pride or haughtiness ; As a matter of fact, I would readily bow down and kiss the sole of his feet to save Israel; but I so refrained, so as not to put the glory of man above the glory of God. I shall never bow before anyone but You, O Lord]. f- Esther: an orphan Jewish captive girl who became queen; yet never coveted to sit at the royal banquet.. In the book of Esther it came that she prayed to the living God, not only with a contrite heart, but proclaimed that she abhorred luxury; and enjoyed nothing but the Lord alone. Obeying her uncle Mordecai, she put herself at risk to redeem her people, with humility, together with fasting and praying. ….. In her prayer she said: [ You, O Lord,, knows everything. You know how I hate the glory of those uncircumcised foreigners. You know how I despise the crown I put on my head when I appear before the king; which I never use in my secret place. You know how Your maidservant never ate at Haman’s banquet; did not even look forward to that of the king; nor drank his wine]. g- Ezra: He was beloved and trusted by the Persian Emperor who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, to set a selfgovernorate, yet remain submitted to Persia. A zealous priest, he returned together with other priests to practice worship in the temple, which he cared to establish. He returned to Babylon, then came back again to Israel when Nehemiah became governor on it. Loving the Word of God, he collected the divine Holy Scripture. He cared as well to purify the Jewish blood through sending the foreign wives together with their children away, for which he found support from the people. He represented the priest who cares for the spirit of worship, together with the enjoyment of the Word of God, and the holy life, without disregarding the other aspects of life. h- Nehemiah: He was not preoccupied with his exalted position as the cupbearer of the king, to care for his own people and land. Although, while in captivity he was neither a religious, civil, or military leader of his people, yet he took over himself all these tasks of leadership through his love of God, his practice of repentance, and his unique spiritual personality; together with his living faith in the divine promises; saying to God: “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses” (Nehemiah 1: 8) CAPTIVITY AND VISIONS Once the true believer is expelled out of his native land, he will find the gates of heaven open before him; through which he will recognize the secrets of God, and will find a place for comfort for himself. In the Old Testament, we find no prophets who enjoyed the heavenly visions, like Daniel and Ezekiel in the land of captivity. And in the New Testament we find no one who did like John the beloved in his exile. THE RETURN TO JERUSALEM The same way Judah was led to captivity in three batches (605, 597, 589 B.C.); the Jews returned from captivity back to Jerusalem in three batches: The batch The leader The number of men The events The first batch 538 B.C. Zerubbabel (Sheshbazzar) and Jeshua the priest 49897 men The building of the temple started, then stopped until 520 B.C.. The building was completed 516 B.C.. As the people were preoccupied with building their own houses, and not with building the Lord’s house, they were rebuked and encouraged by the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 6: 1) The second batch 548 B.C. Ezra the scribe 1754 men Problems concerning the mixed marriages to pagan wives (Ezra 7-10) The third batch 444 B.C. Nehemiah the governor Number unknown Allowed to build a wall around the city, he built it in 52 days, despite the objection of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. Dedication of the walls; and reading the law It is as though God pushes his people to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple, even through pagan kings. Many of those who settled down in Babylon and established prosperous commercial businesses were reluctant to return; And those of them who did return got preoccupied with building their own houses; and presented excuses that it was not the right time to build the temple because of the fierce opposition by the Samaritans and other peoples. During that era, Buddha, by his mere behavioral views, managed to draw many in India (560 - 480 B.C.); So did Confucius in China (551 - 479B.C.); both of whom were worshipped as gods. And Socrates, by his philosophical views (470 – 399 B.C) drew Greeks to adore him; While the people of God were hesitant to attach themselves to the true God, and to enjoy His dwelling in their midst. THE POLITICAL SITUATION AFTER THE RETURN The Jews returned from captivity, yet without a king; They were relieved from the yoke of captivity, with better conditions; were allowed to build the temple; yet they were citizens under the king of Persia, who appointed for them a governor to rule over Jerusalem. The peoples all around, bearing animosity against them, used every chance to accuse them of treason and rebellion against the king of Persia. The Jews, most of whom were poor, were committed to pay taxes, tributes, and customs for the king, for the governor, and for the local administration (Ezra 7: 24; Nehemiah 5: 4), which they could not afford. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EZRA THE MAN OF THE LAW Ezra, a priest by birth, of the seed of Hilkiah the priest who, in the days of Josiah, found the book of the law of God given by Moses (2 Chronicles 34: 14); did not practice his priestly task, on account of that he was raised in captivity. Yet he so loved the Word of God, that he cared to study the law (7: 10) with zeal and godliness. God set him to teach the law, and to gather together and to put in order the Holy Books. According to the tradition, he formed, and became the head of an assembly of the Senhedrim of 120 members, which established the law of the books of the Old Testament. He cared for the worship of God under his guidance in the land of captivity. And as the temple in Jerusalem was a ruin, and the people were scattered all over the land, synagogues were set for worship, that remained even after the return to Jerusalem, beside those in the promised land. He was called ‘a scribe’, being an employee in the Persian court, and a counselor to the Persian Emperor ‘Artaxerxes’ for the Jewish affairs of the people in Mesopotamia. Yet the king was so impressed by him, having seen in his life that he was not like the other scribes in his royal court, but carried a unique heavenly feature, to call him “A scribe of the God of heaven” (Ezra 7: 12, 21); And in his writings, he called the God of Israel, “the God of heaven” (7; 23). Ezra was so zealous, that he was counted by the Jews a leader of the same caliber of the prophet Moses; and a founder of the later Jewish systems (the fifth century B.C.). THE BOOK OF EZRA It covered the history of about 80 years, starting by the Persian king Cyrus issuing a decree, allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel (Sheshbazzar), of David’s seed, to build the temple. But in the days of ‘Cambyses’, the son of Cyrus, the work was stopped through the provocation of the Samaritans and other peoples west of the River Jordan. But in the days of king Darius Hestasis, the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah appeared, and encouraged the leaders and the people to resume work, with the help of the king himself. Ultimately, Ezra, through his good and strong relationships, could return to Jerusalem as a leader of the second batch of the Jews, carrying money and jewels; But with more concentration on “law of God”, as the secret of worship to God, and of building the inner temple in the souls of men.. CYRUS, KING OF PERSIA A pagan king who reigned on Persia for 20 years, then occupied Babylon in the year 539 / 538 B.C. In the book of Daniel it came that, when king ‘Belshazzar’ the son of Nebuchadezar started using the vessels of the house of the Lord to drink wine; While drunk together with his elites, Cyrus, the king of Persia came and took Babylon over (Daniel 5). By that time, Daniel has grown old; and he probably together with other godly Jews, provided king Cyrus with the prophesies by the prophet Isaiah, two centuries before (Isaiah 44: 28; 45: 1 – 4); beside the prophesies by Daniel himself; of which: 1- Isaiah, mentioning Cyrus by name; confirmed that he was set a king by a divine allowance; and that his conquest over the great Babylon has been from God. In those prophesies God calls Cyrus “His anointed” (Isaiah 45: 1); opens before him the closed doors, destroys strongholds, and gives him the hidden treasures of Babylon. Commenting God’s promise to Cyrus; saying: “I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places” (Isaiah 45: 3), St. Basil the Great says, that God revealed to him the depths of His storehouses, and the secrets and interpretations of the prophesies; through which our knowledge is renewed day by day; like taking new wine from a new vineyard, and put it in new vessels; as said in the gospel. + Although Cyrus himself has been a slave of the vanity of idol-worship; he got his royal status from the God of the universe; and enjoyed great help from Him. Although he could not perceive the secret of that grace; yet God counted him worthy of the mission as a tool to chastise the Babylonians, and to liberate Israel. + God granted Cyrus the title “His anointed”; to proclaim that He is the One who chose him to defeat the Babylonians, to put an end to the captivation of the Jews, and to rebuild the temple of God. + By all that, it is as though God says that He chose Cyrus a king, gave him the necessary authority to guide his empire by a good will; and to appease the difficult issues and make them easier. That is the meaning of the verse, saying: “I will go before you; and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron” (Isaiah 45: 2) (Father Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus) 2- Daniel prophesied the union of the two kingdoms of Persia and Media in a very direct and obvious way. All that motivated Cyrus to issue his decree concerning the return of the Jews to build the temple in Jerusalem; to which less than 50,000 Jews responded, set forth to Jerusalem as the first batch under the leadership of Zerubbabel; walked on foot along more than 700 miles, to reach the devastated city at the time. We don not know what went on in Cyrus’ mind, but his amazing decree did not stop at allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem; but went further to exhort the Jews to do that; to give orders to the one responsible for the treasuries of the palace to deliver to them the vessels of the Lord’s house, that were taken by Nebuchadnezzar, to bring them back to Jerusalem; as though they were kept there for that very day; In addition, Cyrus called the people to donate to rebuild the house of God, he, himself adopted that task, saying: “The Lord God of heaven has commanded me to build a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah” (Ezra 1: 2). That episode of Cyrus shows indeed that God is the Almighty Controller of history, God of the impossible, the Performer of wonders. Jeremiah saw all that before it happened, and talked about it (Jeremiah 29: 10 – 14) BETWEEN CYRUS AND THE LORD CHRIST Although Cyrus was pagan, yet he was a symbol of the Lord Christ on certain aspects, like: 1- The word ‘Cyrus’ means (sun); he considered himself the sun that shines over the land. In this he is a symbol of the Lord Christ “The Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4: 2). 2- Cyrus said that “All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given him” (1: 2). And the Lord Christ is the King of the church that extends all over the world, from the time of Adam to the end of time. 3- Cyrus counted that his task is to build the Lord’s house and temple (1: 3). And the Lord Christ came to set His church , the spiritual house of the Lord; and to build His temple in every heart, 4- Cyrus liberated the people, and allowed them to leave the land if they wish. The Lord Christ as well, is the Liberator: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8: 36). 5- Cyrus did not commit the people to leave, but exhorted them to do. And the Lord Christ, as well, does not commit people to be saved against their will. 6- Cyrus exhorted them to use the gold, silver, etc. to the account of the house of the Lord (2: 69). And the Lord Christ exhorts us to use our talents, abilities, and possibilities, to the account of the kingdom of Christ. 7- Isaiah prophesied about Cyrus. And the prophets, including Isaiah, prophesied about the Lord Christ. 8- Cyrus came in the time designated to the return from captivity. And the Lord Christ came in the fullness of time. DID CYRUS ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF ISRAEL? In documents belonging to Cyrus, in which he refers his conquests to Merdoch, the Babylonian god. Which means that he has not forsaken idol-worship. But there are several possibilities: 1- When Cyrus came to Babylon, and Daniel and others presented to him the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah; from which he perceived that his conquest is from the living God; he, counting himself indebted to that God for his conquest, intended to consummate the prophecy. 2- Beside believing in the Babylonian god, yet he honored all gods, and allowed all the diverse peoples living in his country to return to their native lands, if they choose to do, and to take their gods with them. And as the Jews had no gods nor idols to take, he gave them the articles of the house of the Lord to take with them. 3- Intending to win the love of the different peoples, instead of forcing them to stay in Babylon against their will, he allowed them to return to their native lands, to live there and to pay taxes; not to be denied their culture, and their homes, as long as they submit to his military authority; a policy that was adopted by several great kings, those of the Roman empire in particular. THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF EZRA The author is most probably Ezra, who started writing it while in Babylon, and consummated it in Jerusalem. The name ‘Ezra’, close to the name ‘Lazarus’. Both mean (my God is my Helper), or (God is my comfort). Ezra was of the tribe of Aaron, of a priestly origin; born in captivity; and although he never practiced the priestly task, yet he had in his blood a strong longing to restore the glory of Israel, to rebuild the temple, and to practice all the rites of priesthood, the sacrifices in particular. It is difficult for us now to imagine the inner feelings of Ezra as a priest denied of practicing his priestly work; on account of that, to the Jews, the priest was the “presbyter”; the one chosen by God to represent the whole people; who has the possibility to enter into the sanctuary in certain times; and from whose mouth the law is sought (Malachi 2: 7).. As a representative of God, he collects the tithes from the people. Representing the firstborn, the portion of the Lord, he had the right to take certain parts of the sacrifice.. Born in captivity, and denied of all those blessings, he preoccupied himself with studying the Holy Book; and theWord of God touched his depths. It is claimed that he was the author of psalm 119, that deals with the Holy Book; in which every one of its sections is formed of eight verses, arranged according to the Hebrew alphabet. He is also claimed to be the author of the first and the second books of the chronicles; the book of Ezra, and the book of Nehemiah, (as its continuity). The following are certain features common between the two books of the chronicles and the book of Ezra: 1- Caring for the religious rites, like observing the feasts (Ezra 3: 4, 6, 19, 22); the ministry of the Levites (Ezra 2: 40; 8: 15-19; (: 1; 10: 5); the vessels of the Lord (Ezra 1: 7-11); and the divisions of the priests (Ezra 6: 18). 2- Caring for man (Ezra 8: 1-20; 10: 18-44). 3- The hand of God, the Controller of history (Ezra 8: 22) Ezra could become a leader; and the secret of the strength of his leadership was the flame kindling in his heart; the longing to build the house of God; the strong belief in the prophesies, and in the promises of God to bring His people back from captivity, and to rebuild the temple. He was keen on consecrating all his time; he always had the Holy Book before him, to satisfy his soul with the Word of God. … It is claimed that while in captivity, he gathered together and organized all the books of the Holy Scripture (the Old Testament); He was the priest, the scribe, and the leader of the people. THE TWO BOOKS OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH Originally, they were one book, that narrates the episode or the return of the Jewish people from captivity; being the most important episode in the history of the Jews after their first exodus from the land of Egypt, or at the same level of importance; hence called “the second exodus”. In the Latin translation of the Volgata by St. Jerome in the year 400 B.C. he divided the book of Ezra into two books: Ezra and Nehemiah. And in the Arabic translations, they were called: the first and the second books of Ezra. The two books have many features in common, of which are the following: 1- The center of both books is the Almighty and the loving Lord, who works in the man of God, to let him believe that, by God, salvation will be realized; according to what came in the book of Zechariah: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel; ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit’, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4: 6). 2- Each of the two books starts by a decree by the pagan king of Persia, allowing the return of the Jews from captivity; For God, being the Controller of history, works with all, even the pagans for the edification of His church. 3- Each of the two books ends with Jerusalem, the higher Jerusalem. Our life is a joyful working journey; … Nehemiah talked only about the final batch of those returning from captivity, while Ezra talked about the second and the third ones. 4- The topic of both is the building of the temple; resuming the worship in it; building the wall of the city; and building the congregation on all aspects. The main topics of both books are building and work. The Lord Jesus says: “My Father has been working up till now; and I have been working” (John 5: 17. We as the Lord’s children, work by Him to the account of His kingdom. …While Nehemiah cared to build the outer walls of the city, Ezra, on the other hand, cared to talk about the building of the temple, and the resumption of worshipping in it. Yet the Holy Book started by Ezra, then followed up by Nehemiah. We expected that the work would start by the wall, to be followed by the temple; But it is amazing that Ezra talked about the temple, to be followed by Nehemiah who talked about the wall. Namely, started by the inside and not by the outside. … Unfortunately we care more about the outer appearances, and forget about the inside; forget to enter into the depths, where the glory of the king’s daughter is. . 5- In the ninth chapter of both books, we find a collective prayer and a collective confession. Together with showing the role of certain persons like Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and others; but the divine work is realized through the congregation, particularly through prayer and repentance. 6- Each of the two books ended by the purification and sanctification of the people; namely, by the inner spiritual reform; As the goal of our journey on earth is the enjoyment of the purity of heart, to be worthy to see God forever (Matthew 5: 8). 7- While the first book cares for the clerical aspect and the building of the temple; the second book cares for the civil aspect and the building of the wall. 8- Both of them tell us about reminding God of His divine promises; Although He may delay a little, yet He would definitely fulfill what he promised at His own proper time; As according to the prophet Jeremiah: “For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place; … I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you” (Jeremiah 29: 10, 14). In the days of Ezra, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah appeared; and in the days of Nehemiah, the prophet Malachi appeared. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BOOK OF EZRA The goal of this book is to show how God reforms the conditions of His people in captivity; How His divine promises would definitely be fulfilled regardless of the persons; How He sets leaderships in the darkest and most difficult moments. It also tells about the movements of reform, and portrays the Lord of glory Jesus as a Reformer. THE PERSONALITY OF EZRA 1- A worshipping man: He loved the altar, although he was denied of it in the land of captivity; and loved both the individual and collective prayers (Ezra 8: 35; 9: 6 etc.). 2- He trusted in the promises of God: Holding fast to his faith that God is capable to fulfill His promises, and believing that God will protect His people in their journey from Babylon to Jerusalem,, he did not request from the Persian king to provide them with military escort; but, by prayers and fasting, he sought the divine protection, saying:: “I proclaimed a fast there at the River of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying: ‘The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him’. So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer” (8: 21-22). 3- A self-denier: He gives the glory to God, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered chief men of Israel to go up with me” (7: 27-28). 4- A man of fast, prayer, weeping, and humiliation (8: 21); which he sought sharing it with others: “I proclaimed a fast there at the River Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions” (8: 21).. 5- A man of faith; Not trusting in the arm of men, but in that of God. “Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God; … set forth, ate no bread and drank no water (10: 6); he humiliated himself before God, and denied himself. He did not say: I am a man of authority, and a leader, entered into his secret place wept and prayed (10: 6). 6- A gentle reformer: Believing in the work of God, he was a man of humiliation, and of tears. Although he trusted in the arm of God and not in that of men; yet he was firm: “And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem; and whoever would not come within three days according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the congregation of those from the captivity” (10: 7, 8). 7- He delivers himself to the Holy Spirit, to engrave the Word inside his heart. 8- A man of the Holy Book: He did not preoccupy himself with the knowledge of the Chaldeans, who cared for literature, arts, and astrology; but was preoccupied with the true knowledge, with the divine Scripture, which he loved, being the treasure of the divine promises; and believed in the power of theWord in his life. To him, the law is a promise; God may be longsuffering, but He will definitely fulfill His promise. The book of Ezra is a study of the Word of God on the practical aspect. Ezra set his heart on the divine Word; namely on seeking the law of God; searches for it, learns it, works according to it, and teaches it (7: 10). BETWEEN EZRA AND THE LORD CHRIST 1- Ezra was a priest of the tribe of Levi; And the Lord Christ is our greater High Priest (Hebrew 4: 14) 2- He was called “a shepherd” (Isaiah 44: 28); And the Lord Christ is the Good Shepherd. 3- Ezra prayed and wept for the sake of the sins of his people; And the Lord Christ wept on Jerusalem, and carried the sins of the world. 4- Ezra returned to Jerusalem together with the captives; And the Lord Christ got those captivated by the devil, and brought them back into the heavenly Jerusalem. 5- The Lord called Ezra “His anointed” (Isaiah 45: 1); “The man who executes My counsel” (Isaiah 46: 11); “The Lord loved him” (Isaiah 48: 14); and said: “He shall perform all My pleasure” (Isaiah 44: 28). BETWEEN MOSES THE PROPHET AND EZRA THE SCRIBE 1- The prophet Moses led the first exodus from Egypt; And Ezra led the second batch in the second exodus from Babylon to Jerusalem. 2- Each of them was a spiritual leader and an overseer of the affairs of the people. 3- Moses received the law, and cared for the divine commandment; And Ezra gathered together the Holy Scripture, and cared for the law. 4- Each of them cared for teaching the law of God. 5- Each of them fulfilled the plan of God for the enjoyment of freedom 6- Each of them was characterized by firmness together with love. THE KINGS OF PERSIA 1- Cyrus (538 – 529 B.C.) The founder of the state of Media and Persia. He allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem (the events mentioned in the first chapter of the book of Ezra happened in the year 538 BC). 2- Cambyses (Artaxerxes) (529 – 522 B.C.). The son of Cyrus, whom the false accusers in Jerusalem managed to convince him to issue a decree to stop the building the city and the temple (4: 17-25). He was killed in war against Egypt. 3- Smerdis (522 – 521 B.C.), took over the responsibilities during his brother Cambyses’ absence in war; But a scoundrel who looked like him reigned for a period of seven months. 4- Darius Hestasis the first (521 – 486 B.C.); A sun-in-law of Cyrus killed the scoundrel and reigned in his place. In his days the kingdom of Persia extended from India to the River Danube. And in his days the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah appeared and provoked the people to resume building the temple (4: 24). He reigned for 36 years, and died in the year 486 B.C. 5- Ahasuerus the first (Xerexes the first or Axerexes) (486 – 465 B.C.) husband of queen Esther. He deployed a huge army of 5, 200, 000 men. But this great number was the reason of his defeat at Salamis in the year 480 BC, when he attempted to invade Greece. Was assassinated in the year 465 B.C. 6- Artaxerxes the first (Longimanus, meaning long-handed) (465 – 424 B. C.). He showed kindness to the Jews; allowed Ezra to go to Jerusalem together with a number of Jews; and allowed Nehemiah to build the walls of Jerusalem (7: 11-13; Nehemiah 2: 1-10). 7- Ahasuerus the second (Xerexes or Axerexes the second) (424 – 423 B.C.) 8- Darius the second (Notus) (423 – 404 B.C.). 9- Artaxerxes the second (Pinomen) (404 – 359 B.C.) 10- Artaxerxes the third (Adchus) (359 – 338 B.C.) 11- Darius the third (Kadmanus or Codomanus) (388 – 331 B.C.); was defeated by Alexander the Great in the year 331 B.C, when the Greek empire started. GOD IN THE BOOK OF EZRA This book presents God to us being: 1- God of heaven and earth (1: 2; 5: 11): Whom His people recognize, and in whom they trust 2- Keeps His promise (1:1) 3- Fulfills His goals at the designated time (1: 5) 4- The Holy One; who seeks to sanctify His believers (4: 3; 9: 15) 5- Good and merciful (3: 11); turns the bitter events into the benefit of His believers; Namely, by His goodness, He makes everything good for them *5: 3- 6: 12) 6- This book confirms the fact that God does not leave the rulers, even the emperors, free to do according to their own whims without control; but He moves the thrones and the hearts, or allows them to move; and turns their actions to the edification of His people (7: 27-28). 7- keeps and guards His people (8: 22-23); and never forsakes them. He chastises them on their sins, yet He sends to them great leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and prophets; even while under chastisement in captivity, to provoke them to repentance. 8- Listens to the prayers of the humble (8: 23, 31) 9- What God seeks from man as an individual, or from humanity as a congregation, is to return to Him with repentance THE FEATURES OF THE CHURCH OF GOD 1- God cherishes the collective church work, without disregarding the role of every individual member in it (3: 1) 2- The church is a congregation exultant with the spirit (3: 11-13; 6: 16) 3- It is befitting of the church not to be satisfied with half solutions (4: 1-3; 6: 21) 4- The church is a repentant congregation, returning to God (6: 17) 5- The true church is characterized by the spirit of obedience to God and His commandments (3: 2; 6: 18) 6- Not everyone whose name is written as a member of the church, is counted as a true member. When the Lord opened the doors before the Jewish church to return to Jerusalem, to build His altar, His temple, His city, and its walls, Not all, despite cherishing being the people of God, the children of the promise, and of Abraham used that exalted chance, but many of them preferred to stay in Babylon to benefit of their prosperous business there.. OUR POSITION CONCERNING SIN 1- We should be serious in resisting it (9: 3-4; 10: 6) 2- There should be no truce with the sin. 3- We are in need of true confession without self-justification (9: 5-15) 4- There is no way to deal with the sin except by resorting to the mercies of God (9: 13) 5- We should take practical steps to get rid of sin (10: 7-17) THE BROAD LINES OF THE BOOK OF EZRA THE FIRST DIVISION: THE FIRST BATCH (1 - 2) SETTING THE TEMPLE (3 – 6) (22 years 538 to 516 B.C.) THE RETURN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ZERUBBABEL AND BUILDIN THE TEMPLE (Chapter 1 – 6) According to Ezra the scribe, the return to Jerusalem, building the temple, and practicing worship, are the fulfillment of the Word of God; and a bond of the people with the Word of God and His commandment. Hence he frequently mentions the expression of “the Word of God”, proclaiming its role in the religious, social, and civil life of the people of God.. EZRA 1: HE WHO SITS ON THE HEAVENLY THRONE MOVES THE EARTHLY THRONES: Fulfillment of the Word of God of the return from captivity: A proclamation allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem. After telling Cyrus king of Persia about his interpretation of what was written on the wall concerning the fall of Babylon into the hand of Persia, and its realization in the same evening (Daniel 5: 25-31); Daniel probably told Cyrus about the prophesies that were realized (Jeremiah 25: 11-12; 29: 10; Isaiah 44: 26- 28;; 45: 1, 13), in which his name was specifically mentioned before he came by about a century and a half (Isaiah 44: 26-28), and that in his days the Jews will return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. EZRA 2: THE PROCESSION OF THE EXULTANTS: The names of those who returned to lay the foundations of the temple were recorded in the Holy Book; for those who care for the dwelling of God in their midst, God will care for them and their names. “All Israel” (2: 70; 6:17; 8: 35). After the captivity, there was no more mention of two kingdoms nor two peoples, but one people of twelve tribes (Luke 22: 30; Acts 26: 7; James 1: 1). EZRA 3: A SACRIFICE, A TEMPLE, AND FEASTS: The Word of God was fulfilled by the building of the altar and the temple. The people gathered together as one man (3: 1), and before even caring for building their own houses; they cared for building the altar being the heart of the temple; the same way the cross is the heart of the church. … They put their hearts in their work. In the seventh month of the first year of their return, the altar was built; and the feast of the tabernacles was exultantly kept with thanksgiving to God, despite the tough atmosphere of opposition against them.. In the second month of the second year, when the foundations of the temple were laid, there was a mixture of the sadness of the elders who saw the first temple, with the joy of the youth for the assignment of Zerubbabel as a governor on Judea. Whoever concentrates his eyes only upon the past, will never enjoy the glories of the future (Philippians 3: 12-14). The past can either be a rudder to direct the ship of your life to go ahead with your work; or an anchor to keep it from moving forward. EZRA 4: A FIERCE OPPOSITION BY THE ENEMY: Once the Lord starts to bless the work, the enemy will jump to oppose it. The devil used the following serious ways: a- Deception: pretending to help. b- Terror and fear: (Whenever you feel fear, refer to Isaiah 12: 2). c- Provocation to despair d- Resorting to political ways: through claiming that the building was a rebellion and treason against the Persian authorities and the state. The main opposition actually came from the neighbors who have previously confiscated the possessions of the Jews who were carried into captivity. That opposition caused the work to stop for 15 years until the days of king Darius.. e- Encouraging men to marry pagan wives to corrupt their holiness (Exodus 12: 38; Numbers 11: 4) EZRA 5 – 6: RESUMPTION OF BUILDING THE TEMPLE IN THE DAYS OF DARIUS: THE APPEARANCE OF THE TWO PROPHETS: HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH: in the second year after 16 years from the return of the Jews (between 4: 25 and 5: 1), God sent the two prophets to renew and encourage the will of the people to work, through the Word of God and reminding them of the divine promises. When we hold fast to the Word of God, His eyes will be upon us (5: 5); the work would succeed and prosper (6: 14; Joshua 1: 8; Psalm 1: 1-3). As the devil stir the wicked up against the divine work; God will send His godly men to support. Darius was so impressed by their courage that he asked them to pray for him and his children. It took 4 years to complete the building (520-516 B.C.); and was dedicated with great rejoicing. The work began with a mixture of bitter shouts and screams (3: 8-13), and ended by gladness (6: 16-22). For some reason r other, after the building of the temple, it took 70 years to renew the city. The temple of Zerubbabel was simple, not as great as that of Solomon; for which the elders who were contemporaries the old temple were sad and cried aloud. But the rest of the people thanked God for His work with them. THE SECOND DIVISION: THE SECOND BATCH (7 – 8): THE SPIRITUAL REFORM (9 – 10) (One year 458 / 457 B. C.) THE RETURN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EZRA AND THE REFORM OF THE PEOPLE (Chapters 7 – 10) There is an interval of about 60 years between the events of the end the sixth chapter, and those of the beginning of the seventh; Namely between the appearance of the two prophets and the return from captivity under the leadership of Ezra; During that interval the events mentioned in the book of Esther took place. EZRA 7: THE MESSAGE OF THE KING TO EZRA: The king sent to Ezra a magnificent message that reveals the extent of his love for Ezra; his impression by his person; his encouragement to the Jewish people to return; his call to donate for the cause of building the house of the Lord; and his care for pleasing the Lord with love, and for his submission to His law. After 13 years, the same king gave Nehemiah the right to build the walls of Jerusalem. The Persian kings who showed love to the Jews were Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes. The journey was realized in the year 457 B.C. in the days of Artaxerxes the first, the son of the husband of queen Esther; about 60 years after the completion of the temple, and 80 years from the return of the first batch to Jerusalem. Ezra arrived to Jerusalem, to find out that the people have fallen down into sin; and his role was to restore them to the Lord. Although Ezra was a gifted man, yet he was unable to work without the hand of the Lord upon him (7: 6; 8: 18); the compassionate hand (8: 22, 31); the encouraging hand (7: 28); the leading hand (7: 9). The Word of God has been in the heart of Ezra, as well as upon his hand (7: 10); he studied it, obeyed it, and taught it. EZRA 7 – 8: EZRA’S JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM The Jews carried treasures to Jerusalem. The preparation for the journey was by: a- The gathering together of the elders by the River (the baptism) b- Praying c- Fasting and offering sacrifices Being a priest, Ezra came to teach Judah the law of God; to beautify the temple; and to restore worship in it. He established the assembly of the Senhedrim, and was its first head. EZRA 8: CONFRONTING THE SITUATION OF MARRYING PAGAN WIVES: Returning to Jerusalem, Ezra found out the situation to be worst than his expectations, whether on the people’s level or on that of the civil leaders. In bitterness he tore off his garments, plucked the hair of his beard, and humiliated himself before God, confessing the sins of the people, counting himself as a sinner together with them. He fell down in confusion (9: 1-4); For it was befitting of the remnants to obey the Word of God concerning the marriage, and to learn from the lesson of their chastisement by captivation, and from the events of the past. He fell into shame (9: 5-9), seeing how the people were drunk because of their sin (9: 8) He gave a warning (9: 10-15); proclaimed to them theWord of God, which they disobeyed; they did not benefit from the chastisement; and here was no other way except the more bitter punishment. Praying to God, Ezra was terrified (9: 4); he got down on his knees (9: 5); he bowed down (9: 6); as one can stand before the Lord (9: 15; Psalm 130: 3). EZRA 9: A RAY OF HOPE AMID THE DARKNESS: Shechaniah the son of Jehiel ,who was one of those who married a pagan wife, encouraged the people to confess their trespasses, and to completely obey the Word of God. He probably thought of the promises of God in Exodus 34: 6, 7; Isaiah 55: 6-7; Jeremiah 3: 11-13……….. Believers nowadays refer to John 1: 9. Confession should not be done only in a deadly literal way, but with the perception of the awe of the Word of the Lord (Ezra 9: 14; 10: 3; Isaiah 66: 2); so that the believer would enjoy the contrite heart (Psalm 51: 16-17). Not all the people obeyed (10: 15); but those who did, publicly confessed their sins; offered sacrifices, and forsook their pagan wives. Though it was very painful to do, yet there was no other way to enjoy purity; there is no easy way to deal with sin. Ezra’s contrition led to a likewise contrition among the people who confessed their sins; bitterly wept, proclaimed their readiness to obey anything uttered by Ezra; and forsook their pagan wives (10). By that the book of Ezra ended by building the house of the Lord in the people’s hearts through confession, and practical true repentance. DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK OF EZRA: The year The king The events 539 The victory of Cyrus The end of the Babylonian kingdom and the beginning of the kingdom of Media and Persia 538 Cyrus’ proclamation and decree A proclamation allowing the return of the Jewish people under the leadership of Ezra and Jeshua; Beginning the building of the temple; and the beginning of the oppression by the enemies (Ezra 1: 2; 4: 5) 529 Cambyses A decree to stop the building 522 The scoundrel king 521 Darius Hestasis 520 The appearance of the two prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The resumption of the building 516 (520 – 516) The completion of the temple and its dedication within four years. The completion of 70 years of captivity (586 B.C.) 486 Xerexes the first Ahasuerus the husband of queen Esther 480 His defeat in the battle of Salamis 464 Artaxerxes (Longimanus) Commiseration with the Jews 458 The return of the second batch under the leadership of Ezra 457 A decree to resume building the walls (Daniel 9: 25) 445 (Nehemiah 2: 1-9) The return of the third batch under Nehemiah as the governor, with the decree to resume building the wall 433 (Nehemiah 5: 14) The second return by Nehemiah to Jerusalem and his reforms 424 The death of Artaxerxes Longimanus 331 The end of the kingdom of Media and Persia; and the beginning of the Greek empire