This Bible 911 is from a man I would add to the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews, Ezra’s 911 is in a prayer that is coming from a distressed heart. The personal story of Ezra, son of Seraiah, (the High Priest family) starts in Ezra 7 with his family tree and a letter from Artaxerxes. His return to Jerusalem (8:15) is the story of faith that earns him a place in the Hall of Faith.

He bragged (spoke out in faith) to the king that the Lord would look with favor towards them and protect the people on the journey. The king was ready to send soldiers to guard them and the fortune they were carrying, but Ezra did not take them. Instead, he called for a fast and sought God (8:21). The magnitude of this must be viewed in light of 8:31 and remembering Haman, from Esther, the Samaritans, and the opposition to the builds in Ezra and Nehemiah. Satan did not want Israel worshipping or walking with the Lord again.

Bible Map: Ahava (bibleatlas.org)      

A little history –

• Ezra is in two parts. Chapters 1-6 are about rebuilding the Temple. 7-10 focuses on Ezra and the mixed marriage problem.
• Haggai and Zechariah are associated with Chapters 1-6.
• Esther’s story is mixed in the time period from Ezra to Nehemiah.
• There are about 100 years from Ezra 1 to the end of Nehemiah. That really depends on which expert you look at.
• There are about thirty-four years between Ezra and Nehemiah. (Expert dependent)
• There were three groups that returned, two in Ezra and one in Nehemiah.
• Many of the Persian officials have non-Biblical confirmation that they existed. (BAR)
• Malachi may have been written by Ezra. 1:8 talks about animal sacrifice and a “Persian” word for governor. Malachi at that time may have been a title and not a name (it means messenger).
• The prophet Zechariah was killed after the altar and temple were finished – Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51. These are the only mention of that event.  

Ezra 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. (KJV)

Ezra and the returning exiles had barely unpacked when he was told that the priest, Levities, Jewish officials, and other men were repeating the sin that led to the fall of Jerusalem and Judah. They are intermarrying with the people around them and bringing in the abominations of their enemies, not walking righteously with God. Ezra is gut-punched and mourning for several hours before he starts praying in verses 6 to 15. He thanks the Lord for His mercy and kindness towards them and builds his case as to why it must stop. The prayer was to the Father, but the people were instructed as well.

A little leaven – The issue is not how many men and families are involved; it is the fact that it has happened. The second chance that Ezra was thankful for had already been ignored. Yes, I counted. A total of 111 men were at fault, which is a small percent of the population that was the first wave of returnees. The Enemy started small but it included eighteen priests and nine Levities, the spiritual examples of the community. The Father wanted and still loves righteousness. He wants a people who will choose Him and willingly walk with Him. Ezra was there to raise that standard again.

Ruth – Ruth is a granddaughter of Lot; she is a Moabite. They did not do right by Israel in the years of the Exodus. Her marriage to Boaz should have been a mixed marriage and forbidden under the Law (Deuteronomy 23). With questions about the Law, I will offer IDK. How is this marriage different from most of the ones Solomon had? There is one thing that Ruth did that Solomon’s wives did not do, she chose Jehovah and left the gods of Moab on the east side of the Dead Sea. That walk to Bethlehem was literally a righteous faith walk into a new life. Solomon made temples so his wives could continue worshipping their demons (1 Kings 11:2, 7-8).  

A Nehemiah Note – Just because the Temple was in service again and the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt, the attacks on righteousness did not stop. The meeting in Ezra is not the meeting in Nehemiah. Ezra did read at Nehemiah’s meeting. Nehemiah had priests who had intermarried and provided space in the Temple complex for a local heathen official. He ended that problem and drove them away from Jerusalem. His problem was the attack on the Sabbath, with the buying and selling of goods. Resting with God and staying pure extend from the commandments of “Love God and your neighbor”.

These attacks on the Family of God have not stopped. The enemy still wants to pollute the Family and pull us away from walking and resting with Jesus and the Father. Righteousness and godly offspring are the desire of the Father for His Children. Remember Ruth before you judge a new Family member.