Ezra - Scribe

scribe: a public writer. In Ezra's day: (8.1) A writer and a doctor of the law; a man of learning; one skilled in the law; one who read and explained the law to the people.

Ezra's job was to unify the people with the Word of God

The Book of Ezra describes how he led a group of Judean exiles living in Babylon to their home city of Jerusalem (Ezra 2.1, 8.2-14) where he preached observance of the God's law, exhorting the Israelite people to be sure to follow the Law and not to intermarry with people of other lands and religions that did not know God.

Decree to rebuild the temple and the people's reaction:

Ezra 1.3 – Cyrus, King of Persia to build a house to the Lord

• 3.4 offerings to the Lord
• 3.10-11 worshiped in song with the foundation was laid
• 3.13 they shouted and wept for happiness

What is your reaction to the Word of the Lord?

Satan's interference:

• Artaxerxes, King of Persia sent a letter from Zerubbabel, an elder of Jerusalem, saying the people had sinned and didn't deserve a place to worship and most certainly would not pay taxes! (4.1-13)
• Then a letter was sent to the next King, King Darius, explaining how the first temple was destroyed and they were unable to rebuild at that time. (5.1-17)
• But this King had a heart for the subjects of his kingdom and King Darius decreed by for the temple to be rebuilt. (6.1-13)

What do you do when Satan interfere's with your desire to do a thing for God?

But somebody was praying:

• “And the elders of the Jews builded, … (6.14) God always used the elders to direct the younger folks in His work. In building the temple, listen to the Word of the Lord about how it is to be financed:
• let the expenses be given out of the king's house.” (6.4) Where else but the “king's storehouse” do we find our every need met?

Are you always mindful of listening to your “elders?” Do you agree they usually know more than you do about life?

The work was completed during the reign of

• 3 Persian Kings: Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes,
• two prophets; Haggai, Zechariah and
• one scribe, EZRA (6.14)

Ezra described (7.6, 10, 12)

• ...a ready scribe in the law of Moses,
• Ezra had prepared his heart

Is your heart “ready to receive God's Word in faith and obedience?

God answered their heart's desire: (7.13)

King Artaxerses gave leave to “All that were minded, of their own free will to go to Jerusalem (to worship)”

Ezra's response to answered prayer: (7.27, 28)

• Ezra's prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord working out all the details to rebuild the temple and restore the captives back to their home.
• “Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem:
• And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and ...might princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me...

How do you respond to answered prayer? Have you ever had a prayer answered?

After all the effort and answered prayer made

on their behalf for a place to worship...

The people's response after answered prayer: (9.1-3)

After all this, the people sinned in that the men began to take wives of the people of other lands, in direct disobedience to the law, thus Ezra set down and tore his cloths and plucked off the hair in his head and his beard

Ezra's petition for the sins of the people (9.5-15, 10.1-19)

He begins to beg God for the sins of the people. In anguish he tears his clothes, tears out his hair and his beard. The people seeing the results of their sins against God by way of the prophet's actions and prayers, repented.

So, the people were ready, to begin the building of the Temple.

Would you agree, God is One of mercy?

Why?

What was His response even though the people sinned?

Who prayed for them?

Who petitioned the Lord to forgive them?

Who interceded for them?

Who intercedes for us for mercy from heaven? The Lord Jesus