For perhaps the first four months of his return to Jerusalem, rather than hang in the city, Ezra visits all of the neighbouring towns, issuing the king's decree. So it's not until he returns to Jerusalem that he discovers that there are some serious problems that are compromising … [Read more...] about Ezra #9 – Trouble in Covenant City
Ezra
Ezra #7-8 – The Hand of God
The time is about 60 years after the first return from Babylon, and in this chapter, we finally meet Ezra. There is a pattern of thought repeated throughout these chapters. In Ezra 4:4, the opposition toward God's people causes their “hands to drop”. In Ezra 6:22, God, through … [Read more...] about Ezra #7-8 – The Hand of God
Ezra #4 – Opposition
William Carey, the great Baptist missionary and linguist, arrived in India in 1793. The first convert came after seven and a half years. Then the work seemed to accelerate, and Carey began translating the scriptures into the native language. But in 1812, after almost 20 years of … [Read more...] about Ezra #4 – Opposition
Ezra #2 – Roll Call
The Jews spent 70 years in Babylon and were told to make a life for themselves while in exile for their sins. At the end of that time, God faithfully stirred up both the king of Persia and many Jews to return under the leadership of a guy named Zerubabbel (who in Persia was named … [Read more...] about Ezra #2 – Roll Call
Ezra #1 – Pots and Pans
God's people have always been keen observers of history. They are interested in history first, because it teaches them who God is, who the church is, and why she exists. Second, history reveals the acts of a promise-keeping God and stirs the believers' faith in the present, and … [Read more...] about Ezra #1 – Pots and Pans