Before we dive into the book of Ezra, we need to make a few comments about the timeline of the book. In our English Bibles, it’s found right after Chronicles, in the historical or “writings” section and well before Psalms and the prophets. In fact, if you read the last few verses of 2 Chronicles and the first few verses of Ezra, much of it is identical! But chronologically, while it falls after the Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah was originally one book and falls at the end of the Old Testament. (Ezra may have actually been the author of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.) Prophets that correspond with Ezra-Nehemiah are Haggai and Zechariah, as mentioned in Ezra 5. Esther and Daniel also fall in this time period, as the kings mentioned overlap, so you may want to skim those books to refresh your memory of the time period.

As for context, remember that Israel had disobeyed God and had been warned by God (repeatedly) that the punishment would be 70 years of exile if they didn’t repent (see Daniel 9:1-2; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). As prophesied, Israel was taken into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylonian empire), then Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians. In Isaiah 44:28-45:3, years before the exile, God prophesied through Isaiah that He would go before His people, providing and preparing their path, and calling them by name to return; and He specifically names King Cyrus as the “anointed” one He would use to “shepherd” His people back to Jerusalem! (Cyrus probably wasn’t even born when Isaiah wrote that, and he definitely wasn’t king yet!) Ezra 1 opens with the first year of King Cyrus’ reign in Persia (ca. 538-539 BC) and Nehemiah closes around 433 BC (just before the 400 years of silence between the Old and New Testaments).

Some key themes in these first two chapters are as follows:

• God’s Word (God always keeps His Word! Even the king’s proclamation that was proclaimed and written down in official records became part of God’s Word… and the fact that God moved in Cyrus to record his proclamation will be significant later on in the story when a future king looks it up and helps God’s people finish their work!)
• God’s House (God’s desire has and always will be to dwell with His people! Even the temple articles that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar were returned, which would be used to restore God’s Place of Worship.)
• God’s Spirit stirring hearts of men (believing Jews as well as a pagan king) to accomplish His plan of Redemption, Return, and Restoration! (The King of Heaven’s Plans, Power, Presence and Provision are all very evident in these first two chapters!)
• Two more themes we’ll see later in the book are Repentance and Rebuilding.

A few more questions to ask as you study:

• What other themes of repeated words do you see in these first two chapters?
• What attributes of God do you see in these chapters?
• How does the list of returnees in chapter 2 fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 45:3?
• What parallels can you think of between the Remnant’s return from exile and the exodus out of Egypt? (Note: You may want to compare and contrast details about the tabernacle and temple; feasts and other celebrations; the Law given to Moses and taught by Ezra; etc. throughout the study as time allows.)
• How do some of the returnees point us to Christ’s work as Prophet, Priest, and King?
• How is the Spirit stirring in your heart today?
  • Is there anything you need to repent of and return to the Lord?
  • What “freewill offerings” are you able to give to His Kingdom purposes?
• Do you believe God’s Word is true and God always keeps His promises?
  • How can you grow in confidence of God and His Word this week?
  • How can you grow in adoration of God and His Word this week?

Conclusion: God was so incredibly gracious to work in individual hearts through the stirring of the Spirit to return to the promised land, contribute to His Kingdom plans, and help rebuild His temple so His people can dwell with Him. And this same God is so incredibly gracious to send us His Spirit to work in our hearts to redeem us through His Son’s work on the cross and to restore us to Himself so we can dwell with Him together forever!

Next up: Ezra 3-4. If you’re studying along with these posts, take time to pray and ask God for wisdom, understanding, and insight; reread all of Ezra; then read the specific chapters a few times, looking for key words, ideas, connections to Jesus; write down any questions you have & see how God will use His Spirit to help you understand His Word and apply it to your life today. There’s no timeline to this, so take it a step at a time; slow down and soak in the Word.