"In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah these specialists in the law constituted a titled class, to whom deference and honor were paid. there had come to be recognized, as men having authority, certain scholars afterward known as scribes, and honored as rabbis or teachers. As early as four score years after the return from the Babylonian exile. "Long before the birth of Christ, the Jews had ceased to be a united people even in matters of the law, though the law was their chief reliance as a means of maintaining national solidarity. 14, for an article about the reading of the law.) Until then, only priests had access to what the law stated. A general congregation of the community authorized the establishment of a divorce court to "put away all the foreign or non-Jewishwives." (Ezra 10:3.)Įzra and the prophet Nehemiah instructed the people by instituting an open reading of the law. The "holy seed" had "mingled themselves with the people of those lands," and "the hand of the princes and rulers" had "been chief in this trespass." (Ezra 9:2.) Ezra's consequent prayer and confession, in the presence of a large assembly, led to drastic reform measures. (Ezra 8:1-14 Ezra 10:9.) In Jerusalem, Ezra learned of the lax state of affairs in the city, and the villages of Judah. (Ezra 7:12-26.)In the seventh year of Artaxerxes' reign, Ezra and a band of Jews returned to Jerusalem. Ezra secured from Artaxerxes an edict allowing all Jews who so wished to depart from Babylon. He aimed to transform their lives by turning their attention to God’s Word. Some Jews had been allowed to depart Babylon earlier, during the reign of Cyrus. When an expedition of 50,000 Jews returned to their land for a fresh start at nationhood, Ezra was the leader who called the people to hit Refresh on their relationship with God. (There were two Perisan kings by that name.)Įzra is described as "the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel." (Ezra 7:11.) During the Babylonian captivity, some of Judah's exiles formed a priestly code, which was "the law of God" that Ezra took to Jerusalem. Ezra, deeply burdened about the intermingling with the ungodly, stood up to unfold God’s principles of separation. It’s interesting to note that the author switches from writing in the third person to the first person once Ezra. Ezra is the presumed author of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Psalm 119. His name means help, since he dedicated his whole life to serving God and serving God’s people. (Ezra 7:1-5.) He was an exile in Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes. Ezra was a scribe, priest, and great leader. The Bible is powerful, and if we let it do its work, it will transform people throughout the world! No matter where your skill level stands, you can deepen your understanding of the Bible by beginning to learn Greek in just a few days.According to the Old Testament, Ezra was of priestly descent. The 21st century needs a fresh generation of men and women like Ezra, people who will adopt the same purpose: 1. The man riveted himself to a single purpose: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Today we might call him the “Father of Bible Scholars.” He was so successful that many have seen him as the first of the scribes, those lovers of the Law who gave themselves to teaching it. The Persian king appointed Ezra as a high-ranking officer in the Land of Israel, with powers to appoint judges and officers of the law, and to levy monetary. When an expedition of 50,000 Jews returned to their land for a fresh start at nationhood, Ezra was the leader who called the people to hit “Refresh” on their relationship with God. But the man who stands behind the book holds a pivotal place in God’s plan for His people. To most Christians, Ezra is simply the name of an Old Testament book. The Ezra Project exists to help people study the New Testament for themselves in the original Greek - not merely to accumulate knowledge, but to experience its power to shape their minds and change their behavior. John Bechtle, an experienced professor and writer who has spent several decades helping people understand the Scriptures. It is a ministry project developed by Dr. Ezra Project is dedicated to helping people explore the Bible for themselves, through a developing knowledge of the New Testament in its original Greek.
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