As It Was

Welcome back from Exile, and to the book of Ezra (and Nehemiah, but focussing on Zerubbabel).  

Last Time on Tales of Faith

It is a time of Return! CYRUS GREAT of PERSIA has ended the Babylonian Exile. He has allowed the former inhabitants of Judah and Israel to return to Jerusalem. ZERUBBABEL, a child of the Exile, has been empowered to restore the Temple and worship of YHWH in Jerusalem. 

Not all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were exiled, however. What will the returning exiles think of those they are returning to, and what of those who remember the days of national sovereignty?... 

The Text

Ezra 1:1-4; 3:1-4, 10-13

Overview of Ezra/Nehemiah 

Bible Project- Ezra-Nehemiah (Read the Bible Series)

Bible Project- Ezra/Nehemiah (Tim Mackie Lecture)

Torah order

* Zerubbabel and Jerusalem Worship (Ezra Ch 1-6)

* Cyrus Moved by YHWH to send Zerrubbabel to Jerusalem (Ch 1-2)

* 1:1 Historical preface 

* 1:2-4 Cyrus’ decree

* 1:5-11 Narrative telling of return

* 2:1-70 Details of return 

* Zerubbabel does what he was sent to do (Ch 3)

* 3:1-5 Zerubbabel (and co.) rebuild the altar (in dread of neighboring people) and reinstitute daily sacrifices, and Festival of Booths.

* 3:6-9 Jeshua (Jesus) rebuild the Temple foundation

* 3:10-11 The Foundation of the Temple is consecrated

* Weirdness /Zerrubbabel faces opposition (Ch 3-4)

* 3:12-13 The (young) people celebrate while the older people weep 

* 4:1-5 The locals try to help with the rebuilding of the Temple, but are not allowed.

* 4:6-24 The locals get Artaxerxes to stop on the Temple.

* 5:1-6:12 The Prophet Haggai makes a counter-suit and King Darius allows work on the temple to resume. 

* 6:13-18 The Temple 1s completed and consecrated

* 6:19-22 Passover Celebrated

* Ezra and Torah Faithfulness (arguably)- Ezra Ch 7-10

* Artaxerxes Moved by YHWH to send Ezra to Jerusalem (Ch 7-8)

* 7:1-10 Historical Preface

* 7:11-28 Letter from Artaxerxes to Ezra

* 8:1-14 Details or return

* Ezra does what he is sent to do (Ch 7-8)

* 8:15-20 Separating out the Levites

* 8:21-23 Fasting and praying

* 8:24-30 Details on gifts for the Temple

* 8:31-36 Return to Jerusalem

* Weirdness (Ch 9-10)

* 9:1-4 Ezra reacts (strongly) to intermarriages

* 9:5-15 Ezra’s (intense) prayer

* 10:1-5 Covenant to divorce foreign wives

* 10:6-17 Foreign wives and children rejected

* 10:18-44 A (surprisingly small) list of those who divorced their wives

* Nehemiah and the Wall- Nehemiah Ch 1-7

* Artaxerxes Moved by YHWH to send Nehemiah to Jerusalem (Ch 1-2)

* 1:1-11 Nehemiah, cupbearer to Artaxerxes, hears about the bad state of Jerusalem

* 2:1-10 Artexerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

* 2:11-16 Inspection of the wall

* 2:17-20 Decision to fix the Wall

* Nehemiah does what he was sent to do (Ch 3)

* 3:1-32 Work is Organized

* Opposition (Ch 4-7)

* 4:1-23 The locals oppose the rebuilding of the wall

* 5:1-13 Worries about food

* 5:14-19 Nehemiah’s generosity

* 6:1-14 Continued opposition

* 6:15-7:4 Walls completed

* 7:5-60 Details of returned exiles

* Weirdness

* 7:61-65 The people who don’t belong

* 7:66-73 Totals

* Spiritual Renewal- Nehemiah 8-12

* 8:1-18 Ezra and Nehemiah have the law proclaimed and taught to people 

* 9:1-37 National Confession

* 9:38-10:39 Details on who signed the covenant

* 11:1-35 Population of Jerusalem and daughter cities increased

* 12:1-26 Details of priests and Levites

* 12:27-43 Dedication of the Wall

* 12:44-47 Temple responsibilities

* Spiritual Failure/Weirdness- Nehemiah Ch 13

* 13:1-3 Foreigners separated

* 13:4-31 Nehemiah’s Reforms: 

* 13:4-9 Kicks Tobiah out of one of the rooms in the temple (where he has been squatting)

* 13:10-14 The correct portions had not been distributed, so levites were working in the field, N sends them back. 

* 13:15-22 Sabbath laws reinstated

* 13:23-31 N finds Levites who were still married to foreigners, so he beats them (in the name of the Lord, of course)

Notes:

* Zerubbabel means “the one sown in Babylon”

* Ezra means “helper” (same root as Ezer) 

* Nehemiah means “God comforts”

Links:

Bible Project- Ezra-Nehemiah (Read the Bible Series)

Bible Project- Ezra/Nehemiah (Tim Mackie Lecture)

Bible Worm Podcast Episode 514- (2023), Episode 115: (2019)

Data over Dogma Podcast: “The Why Question” with David Wright

Pop Culture Connections:

As mentioned last week, there is a pretty big recent Pop-culture reference to another Ezra (Big Spoiler Warning for those who have not watched Ahsoka) 

Boring Stuff:

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org

Music: “Flying” by Track Tribe, edited by Revochart, YouTube Audio Library License

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