Ezra-Nehemiah

Ezra 9:13-14

"What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor?"

What is the threat to Israel's survival?

*Intermarriage* It is not a racial issue but a matter of faithfulness. What the nations have not accomplished by overt tactics they have succeeded at in marrying their daughters to Israelite men.

The book's conclusion emphasizes the ________________________________ for the nation and its need to be faithful to the covenant.

*challenges that yet remain*

What are the two significant differences between the first and second Exodus?

1. *No Moses*: this time a national leader is not prominent; Sheshbazzar is mentioned twice here, but his identity is not clearly stated, his role is never clarified, and he is only mentioned briefly again in regard to the laying of the temple's foundation. 2. *No Miracles*: God brings his people out of Babylon without ten plagues or the crossing of the Red Sea.

What specific commitments were outlined in Nehemiah 9/10?

1. No intermarriage 2. Keep the Sabbath 3. Provide for the temple

The remnant returns to Israel and rebuilds the temple

1. The remnant returns to Israel 2. They lay the temple foundation 3. Opposition halts the work for fifteen years 4. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah motivate the people to finish the work they had begun 5. Opposition again arises, but this time the Lord brings favor from the Persian ruler 6. The temple construction is completed

Fall of Babylon (Isa 13)

Babylon continues under another name (Zech 5:11)

As predicted by Isaiah, King ________ allowed the Israelites to return home.

Cyrus

Glorious temple (Ezek 40-43)

Disappointing temple without divine presence (Hag 2-3)

Peace (Micah 4:3-4)

Enemies all around (Ezra 4; Neh 4)

474 BC -- Haman plots to kill the Jews

Esther

458 BC (purify remnant)

Ezra

536 BC -- First Return, temple foundation laid

Ezra 1-4

516 BC -- Temple finally completed

Ezra 5-6; Haggai; Zechariah

458 BC -- Ezra leads return and discovers intermarriage

Ezra 7-10

MESSAGE

God's providential care restores the remnant to the land and protects the people in the midst of opposition, but failure to maintain purity by adherence to the Mosaic Law is a threat to covenantal blessing.

Effort #3 -- Letter to Darius

Government officials questioned the Jews right to rebuild the temple Darius permitted rebuilding on the basis of Cyrus's decree

Outline of Ezra-Nehemiah

I. The remnant returns to Israel and rebuilds the temple II. The remnant returns to Israel and rebuilds the community III. The remnant returns to Jerusalem and rebuilds its defense IV. The remnant celebrates the success of the restoration V. The remnant is rebuked for failing to keep the Torah in Nehemiah's absence

When is the third return?

Israel returns in 444 BC, which is lead by Nehemiah

Nations will submit to Jerusalem (Isa 60)

Jerusalem submits to nations (Neh 1-2)

How are Isaiah and Ezra/Nehemiah similar?

Just as Isaiah had predicted the return from Babylon in language of a "second exodus," the writer of Ezra-Nehemiah consciously notes particular ways in which this departure mirrored the previous one.

Full restoration from exile (Isa 11:11-16)

Majority still scattered abroad (Neh 11:1)

480 BC -- Israelites guilty of many sins

Malachi

445 BC (rebuild city walls)

Nehemiah

445 BC -- Nehemiah returns to rebuild Jerusalem and lead people in repentance

Nehemiah

Prosperity (Amos 9:13)

Poverty (Nehemiah 5:1-5)

Extensive territory (Ezek 47-48)

Small province

Following the rebuilding of the temple, purification of the remnant, and rebuilding of the walls, how did the people respond?

The author records the great celebration after all these three events have transpired. They celebrated through the reading of the Torah, communal prayer of confession, and national procession atop the walls of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 8

The community celebrates by reading the Torah and observing Tabernacles

Nehemiah 9:38-10:39

The community commits to keeping the Torah. Israel needs to maintain covenant faithfulness.

Nehemiah 9:1-37

The community confesses its sin to the Lord in prayer. The teaching of the Torah naturally leads to confession.

Effort #2 -- Propaganda campaign

The enemies work to discourage the people. This succeeds for about 15 years.

Nehemiah 8-12

The remnant celebrates the success of the restoration.

Nehemiah 13

The remnant is rebuked for failing to keep the Torah in Nehemiah's absence. Nehemiah casts Tobiah out of a room in the temple courts. Nehemiah rebukes the community for not providing for the temple servants. Nehemiah rebukes the community for not observing the Sabbath. Nehemiah rebukes the community for intermarrying with the nations.

Ezra 7-10

The remnant returns to Israel and rebuilds the community.

Effort #1 -- Enemies offer to help rebuild

These people lived in the land of Samaria and were idolaters and syncretists. Including them in the rebuilding effort would have destroyed the purity of the temple worship and began the way back into exile. The Lord protected his people by maintaining the exclusivity of the construction of the temple.

Effort #4 -- Letter to Xerxes

This is several decades later, showing how determined the enemies were Nehemiah works to reverse this decree

Sovereign Ruler (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Under foreign domination (Neh 9:37)

Faithful people (Jer 31:33-34)

Unfaithful people (Ezra 9; Neh 13)

Destruction of the wicked (Nah 1:15)

Wicked inside and out (Neh 6, 13)

The final chapter reveals that the restored remnant is in danger of __________________________________________ without careful diligence and faithful leadership.

failing to keep the covenant

Each of the rebuilding movements is led by a significant ___________ and each not only restores some of the exiles to Jerusalem but each also accomplishes a significant _____________ in rebuilding the nation.

leader; objective

Ezra-Nehemiah is a ________ ___________.

single book