10 Minutes with Ezra and Nehemiah

I have a confession.

It was hard work the first time I read the Bible from cover to cover. Finishing the Old Testament was particularly difficult, and I questioned its relevance.

Later, when I better understood the history and the people, it made a lot more sense. It also became clear how relevant it was to my life. It’s now a delight to read.

I hope that is your experience as well.

Let’s see what we can learn from Ezra-Nehemiah.

Lights in dark places

In dark places, lights shine all the brighter. Many notables lived brightly during the dark time leading up to and then during the  Exile. 

The teenager, Daniel, is taken hostage in the first stage of the Exile (ca. 603 BC). Trained in the courts of Babylon, he became an influential advisor to the king.

The prophet Ezekiel is exiled with the mass of people in the final destruction of Jerusalem (587/6 BC).

Jeremiah stays with the people left behind in the territory of Judah. These people were poor, unskilled, uneducated, and weak. The Babylonians deemed them unimportant or useless.

Esther becomes the queen of a foreign king. From that position, she saves her people from annihilation.

Haggai and Zechariah were two prophets who returned to Judah as God’s spokesmen. They were instrumental in encouraging the people to reconstruct a temple in Jerusalem (516 BC).

Each of these individuals lived in a dark and dangerous time. Their lives were at risk, their futures uncertain, and their people defeated and discouraged. Yet each of these individuals lived a life of faithfulness to the LORD their God. They lived as lights in dark places.

When the Persian empire replaced the Babylonian empire (ca. 539 BC), two men led some Jewish people back to the land of Judah. Their projects were different, but their purpose was the same. These two were Ezra and Nehemiah.

It is best to read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one. Traditionally, they were one book until the 1400s AD, when they were separated in the Hebrew Bible.

Ezra

The book of Ezra begins with the decree of the Persian king Cyrus, which fulfills “the word of “the LORD spoken by Jeremiah” (1:1).

This statement is significant. It is an example of God’s direct influence in world affairs to advance his purposes and benefit his people.

Under the leadership of Zerubbabel (a descendant of David), a few thousand Jewish people returned to Judah. Their project was to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Because of local opposition and discouragement, the construction stalled.

Finally, in 516 BC, the second temple is completed (6:13-15).

In Ezra 7-10, we read of Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem (ca. 458 BC) and his actions to renew the community.

Nehemiah

There used to be a little joke. I warn you, it is a bit lame. 

Who was the shortest man in the Bible?

I don’t know.

It was Nehemiah.

Really?

Well, his name is Knee-high-my-ah.

‘Knee-high’— is that it?

I did warn you it was lame.

Contrary to the joke, Nehemiah was a giant in character. In Nehemiah 1-2, we read that he left an important position in the palace to travel to Jerusalem (445 BC), followed by his leadership in rebuilding the city’s walls (Nehemiah 3-7).

Like Ezra, Nehemiah’s leadership benefits the community and leads to renewal.

Relevance

We are gaining a better understanding of the history and people near the end of the Exile. This gives us some reference points so we can better understand other parts of the Bible—especially the New Testament.

But what else do we learn from reading Ezra-Nehemiah?

Here are a few suggestions:

• Do you discern God at work? As mentioned, one example is Cyrus’s decision in the opening verses of Ezra. Where else do you see God working?

• Do you perceive how the returning Jewish community begins to cooperate with what God is doing? Some examples of this cooperation include their sacrificial journey to Jerusalem, their contributions of personal wealth, materials, and labor, as well as other tangible responses to Scripture.

• Can you see through the strategies of those who oppose the work projects in Jerusalem? These include an attempt to “partner” in the construction, and when that doesn’t work, they resort to threats and delaying tactics.

• Consider how Ezra and Nehemiah lead. These men employ leadership qualities (often at significant personal cost) that confront opposition, give heart to the people, complete the construction, and renew the community.

How do these matters speak to the condition and life of the community you are part of? You can reach me using this link.

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