Ezra Lesson 1
OUTLINE FOR EZRA
RETURNING TO JERUSALEM TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE
KEY VERSE: Ezra 7:6 “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Lord his God upon him.”
THEME: The release from captivity to return to their homeland to rebuild the center of worship and restore the worship of God.
DATE: 444 B.C.
WRITER: The book was named for its author, Ezra, the priest, teacher and reformer. He could trace his lineage back to Aaron. Some believe that he wrote I and II Chronicles, Psalm 119, and compiled the Psalms.
WRITTEN: Just after the captivity. Along with Nehemiah, Ezra is the earliest record after the release. Others written were Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Ezra and Nehemiah were regarded as one book in the Hebrew Canon. Much of Ezra’s history is recorded in Nehemiah.
THE BOOK: Number in Bible: 15th of 66 books. Number of chapters: 10. Number of verses: 280. Number in order of writing: 9th book of history.
PURPOSE: To give record of one of the most important events in Jewish history. The return of the southern kingdom from Babylon and the reestablishment of the Jews in their land. The northern kingdom never returned but was absorbed and dispersed. Speculation still is projected as to what happened to the ten lost tribes of Israel.
DIVISIONS: I. REBUILDING THE TEMPLE WALLS. (Twenty years under Zerubbabel’s leadership.) (Chapters 1-6). 1. Restoration chapter 1. 2. Regeneration chapter 2. 3. Reconstruction chapter 3. 4. Resistance chapter 4. 5. Revival. II. RESTORING THE TEMPLE WORSHIP. (Chapters 7-10). 1. His Exercise – Teaching the Mosaic Law (chapter 7). 2. His Experience – Safety during the four months travel (Chapter 8). 3. His Example – He assumed burden of all their sin. (Chapter 9) 4. His Exhortation- He spoke on Mixed marriages. And they were carefully dealt with (chapter 10)
FACTS: Ezra is ecclesiastical (of the church or clergy) history – temple. Nehemiah is civil history – Walls and gates rebuilt. Ezra was a revivalist and reformer. Ezra covers a period of eighty years. Fifty thousand people went back with Zerubbabel. Six thousand people went back with Ezra. Captivity was prophesied to last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:11- 12). In 536 B.C. King Cyrus of Babylon made the decree, “Any Jew desiring to go back to Palestine to build again the temple can do so.” Zerubbabel acted as governor of Judah. Joshua acted as high priest.
OUTLINE: I. RETURN TO THE LORD. (Chapter 1-2). 1. The decree of Cyrus 2. The dedicated vessels returned 3. The delegation of Jews return (50,000).
MISCELLANEOUS: THE CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH CAME IN THREE STAGES. 1. 605 B.C. – Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion. Captives included Daniel. 2. 597 B.C. – Nebuchadnezzar’s second invasion. Captives included Ezekiel. 3. 586 B.C. – Final destruction of the temple. Sacked and burned. There were 5,400 vessels of gold and silver returned to the
temple. Babylon was seven hundred miles from Jerusalem. The seventy years of captivity, was God collecting His Sabbaths.
Simply click the “Take the Quiz” Button to the right. Have your KJV Bible with you, and look up the answers to the questions on the quiz. You can then answer the questions from the Bible, (Open Book Test)
