| EZRA |
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| new start with him. The Problems of Beginning Again God had opened the way, but the exiles needed determination to follow it. The book of Ezra divides into three parts, each one dealing with an obstacle that arose. The first part tells how, immediately after the return of the exiles, their neighbors in the surrounding countryside became hostile. After their bogus offer of "help" was turned down, these neighbors began a campaign of opposition. The managed to stop further progress on the temple. It lay in ruins for nearly 20 more years, until the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (whose messages are recorded in the books named after them) again stirred up interest in building. This "second push" is described in chapters 5 and 6. When opposition arose this time, the Israelites managed to push through - again with the assistance of a Persian king. Another problem preoccupies the final four chapters. Ezra, the man after whom this book is named, actually arrived in Jerusalem during this period, 80 years after the first party. The temple had by then been up for half a century. But the "new beginning" stood in severe jeopardy again. The Israelites had begin to mingle (and compromise their faith) with the hostile people around them. Ezra's leadership, which came from deep biblical faith and genuine sorrow over sin, forced a radical, painful solution. Ezra Leads Up to Jesus The book of Ezra introduces an entirely new period in Israel's history - a period in which they became more like a church than a nation. Israelites before the exile had given much of their energy to fighting enemy armies. Now they focused on fighting sin and spiritual compromise. The minority who returned could build a temple only with |
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