Ezra is one of those books that you don’t hear much about from the Old Testament. It’s not as well known as some of the other books, like Jonah or Daniel. But Ezra has a lot of great information in it, and we can benefit from it when we study it.

The book of Ezra is closely tied in with Nehemiah. These two books are tucked away, almost hidden in the historical books of the Old Testament. What we can gain from reading this book, though, is critical historical information. These books, along with portions of Chronicles and Esther, give us some insight into the life of the nation of Israel after the exile to Babylon.

Ezra is considered to be written by Ezra himself, although whether he actually wrote it, or simply compiled it from various other sources is not clearly known. The events described in Ezra and Nehemiah are written of after the fact, indicating that these events were complete, and finished. That gives us a possible date of between 400 and 300 BC, depending on which commentaries you read.

With the historical focus of Ezra and Nehemiah being on the life of Israel after the exile, the specific focus of Ezra is the rebuilding of Jerusalem and especially the temple. As Israel struggled to develop their identity again, after being gone for so long, they needed Ezra’s, and God’s, help to do so.

Here are a few of my favorite passages from the book of Ezra:

The Temple Is Rebuilt – Ezra 3:8-13

One of the primary tasks for the nation of Israel once they returned home was the re-institution of their worship in Jerusalem. But the temple had been destroyed during the conquest and the intervening years. The first order of priority was to begin to worship. The first part of chapter three deals with the renewal of sacrificial worship.

In verses 8-13, though, the temple is rebuilt. They worked together as a nation to rebuild the temple, giving each and every able individual a responsibility. Their hearts were broken because the temple was destroyed. But their hearts were joyful that it could be rebuilt.

Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. – Ezra 3:12-13, NASB

A Pagan King Helped Rebuild The Temple – Ezra 6

This is perhaps the most surprising part of the entire book of Ezra. Though the work on the temple had started, and many adversaries had tried to thwart Israel, King Darius, following King Cyrus’ decree, ordered and financed the work to be done. God restored his people to Jerusalem, and rebuilt the temple using a couple of pagan kings to accomplish the task, and even pay for it!

And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God. – Ezra 6:4b-5, NASB

Ezra’s Heart – Ezra 7:10

Throughout the history of the Bible, and since then as well, God continually draws people to himself. In each and every era, there are those who are completely devoted to him. Israel had turned away from God, and as a result, had been exiled from their homeland, the Promised Land. Now they were back, but their faith had been so diluted from lack of use that they hardly knew where to begin as they turned back to God.

God used Ezra to teach the people his ways. Ezra’s heart was completely devoted to God. He is an example to each of us, and we should take his example to heart.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. – Ezra 7:10, NASB

Ezra’s Faith Is Contagious – Ezra 8:23

Ezra’s leadership and commitment begin to spread among the rest of the people. As he prepares the people to return to their homeland, coordinating the logistics of getting the people back to Jerusalem, the leaders back in place, and the priests and Levites into their roles, he seeks God. And he is joined by others. Again, Ezra is our example.

So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty. – Ezra 8:23, NASB

Though short, and covering a time which most of know little about, the book of Ezra is a very encouraging and insightful book. If you haven’t read it recently, go grab your Bible and take the time to do so. Don’t worry about understanding all the technical details, or how to pronounce all the names. Just watch and see how God provides, and how Ezra responds in faith. And allow his example to encourage you to do the same.

Question: What are your favorite stories from the book of Ezra? You can leave a comment by clicking here.