In most modern Bibles these two books are separate, but that division happened long after it was written. It was originally a unified work written by a single author who lived long after the Babylonians invasion of Jerusalem and the exile (2 Kings 24-25). Ezra-Nehemiah picks up some fifty years later and tells of the return of some Israelites to Jerusalem, as well as what happened when they rebuilt their lives and the city.
More specifically. the book focuses in on three key leaders who led the rebuilding efforts: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Zerubbabel, first led a large group back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-6). About sixty years later. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem to teach the Torah and to rebuild the community (Ezra 7-10). He was soon followed by Nehemiah, who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (Nehemiah 1-7).
All three stories are designed to be parallel to each other. Each begins with a king of Persia being prompted by God to send a leader to Jerusalem while offering resources and support. Then, each leader encounters opposition in their efforts, which they overcome. but in a way that leads to a strange, anti-climax.
EZRA 1-6
The story begins with a decree from Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4). the king of Persia, who's moved by God to allow the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The author says that this fulfills a promise made by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25) that the exiles would one day return. Now, this fulfillment should trigger our hopes in many other prophetic promises that Israel's exile was not the end of their story. The reader should recall the prophetic hopes for a Messianic King from the line of David (Isaiah 11 and Hosea 3), for a rebuilt temple where God's holy presence will dwell (Ezekiel 40-48 and Zechariah 2), and for God's Kingdom to come over all the nations and bring his blessing upon everyone (Isaiah 2 and Zechariah 8), just as he promised Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3).
It's with all these hopes in mind that we read the story of Zerubbabel. His name means 'planted in Babylon: He represents the generation born in Babylonian captivity, and he leads a wave of people back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1-2).
After they settle in Jerusalem. they rebuild the altar for offering sacrifices and later the temple itself. The foundation laying ceremony (Ezra 3) and the temple's final dedication (Ezra 6) are key moments. The past stories of the tabernacle and temple's dedication when the fiery cloud of God's presence descends should come to mind (Leviticus 9 and 1 Kings 8). That's not what happens in this case. and while some people were happy about the new temple, the elders who had seen the previous temple of Solomon cry out in grief. This building is nothing like their glorious past or the hopes they had for the future.
It's here that we get the first story of opposition. and it's an odd one. The descendants of the Israelites who were not taken into exile and had been living around Jerusalem for some time come and offer help with the temple rebuilding (Ezra 4). Zerubbabel refuses and says. "You have no part in our temple!" This understandably generates conflict, which Zerubbabel eventually overcomes, but we should feel disappointed. The prophets had envisioned the tribes of Israel coming together with all nations to participate in the worship of the God of Israel when his Kingdom finally comes (Isaiah 2 and Zechariah 8). This turn of events is an anti-climactic opening to say the least.
EZRA 7-10
In the next section (Ezra 7-10), we move decades into the future and are introduced to Ezra, a leader among the exiled Israelites in Babylon. He's a Torah scholar and teacher and is appointed by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, to lead another wave of people back to Jerusalem. He wants to bring about social and spiritual renewal among the people.
Our hopes are set high, but once again we come to another strange, anti-climactic moment in the story with chapters 9-10. Ezra learns that many of the exiled Israelites had returned and married non-exiles who had been living around Jerusalem. some of them being non-Israelites. but some who probably were. Ezra then appeals to the commands of the Torah that Israel should be holy and separate from the ancient Canaanites (Deuteronomy 23:1-4). and continues by saying that the people living around Jerusalem are like the Canaanites and will corrupt the exiles. He offers a prayer of repentance, which is very heartfelt, but then he rallies all the leaders during a rain-storm. He enacts a divorce decree that will annul these marriages and send all these women and their children away. This decree is only partially carried out, but were given a list of some of the men who went through with it.
This story is strange for a number of reasons. God never commanded Ezra to do any of this. It was the leaders of Jerusalem who compelled Ezra to make the decree. While the contemporary prophet Malachi did say that the exiles should care about purity, he went on to say that God was opposed to divorce (Malachi 2:13-16). The mixed results of the decree fit well into this pattern of strange. disappointing endings.
More specifically. the book focuses in on three key leaders who led the rebuilding efforts: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Zerubbabel, first led a large group back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-6). About sixty years later. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem to teach the Torah and to rebuild the community (Ezra 7-10). He was soon followed by Nehemiah, who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (Nehemiah 1-7).
All three stories are designed to be parallel to each other. Each begins with a king of Persia being prompted by God to send a leader to Jerusalem while offering resources and support. Then, each leader encounters opposition in their efforts, which they overcome. but in a way that leads to a strange, anti-climax.
EZRA 1-6
The story begins with a decree from Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4). the king of Persia, who's moved by God to allow the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. The author says that this fulfills a promise made by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25) that the exiles would one day return. Now, this fulfillment should trigger our hopes in many other prophetic promises that Israel's exile was not the end of their story. The reader should recall the prophetic hopes for a Messianic King from the line of David (Isaiah 11 and Hosea 3), for a rebuilt temple where God's holy presence will dwell (Ezekiel 40-48 and Zechariah 2), and for God's Kingdom to come over all the nations and bring his blessing upon everyone (Isaiah 2 and Zechariah 8), just as he promised Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3).
It's with all these hopes in mind that we read the story of Zerubbabel. His name means 'planted in Babylon: He represents the generation born in Babylonian captivity, and he leads a wave of people back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1-2).
After they settle in Jerusalem. they rebuild the altar for offering sacrifices and later the temple itself. The foundation laying ceremony (Ezra 3) and the temple's final dedication (Ezra 6) are key moments. The past stories of the tabernacle and temple's dedication when the fiery cloud of God's presence descends should come to mind (Leviticus 9 and 1 Kings 8). That's not what happens in this case. and while some people were happy about the new temple, the elders who had seen the previous temple of Solomon cry out in grief. This building is nothing like their glorious past or the hopes they had for the future.
It's here that we get the first story of opposition. and it's an odd one. The descendants of the Israelites who were not taken into exile and had been living around Jerusalem for some time come and offer help with the temple rebuilding (Ezra 4). Zerubbabel refuses and says. "You have no part in our temple!" This understandably generates conflict, which Zerubbabel eventually overcomes, but we should feel disappointed. The prophets had envisioned the tribes of Israel coming together with all nations to participate in the worship of the God of Israel when his Kingdom finally comes (Isaiah 2 and Zechariah 8). This turn of events is an anti-climactic opening to say the least.
EZRA 7-10
In the next section (Ezra 7-10), we move decades into the future and are introduced to Ezra, a leader among the exiled Israelites in Babylon. He's a Torah scholar and teacher and is appointed by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, to lead another wave of people back to Jerusalem. He wants to bring about social and spiritual renewal among the people.
Our hopes are set high, but once again we come to another strange, anti-climactic moment in the story with chapters 9-10. Ezra learns that many of the exiled Israelites had returned and married non-exiles who had been living around Jerusalem. some of them being non-Israelites. but some who probably were. Ezra then appeals to the commands of the Torah that Israel should be holy and separate from the ancient Canaanites (Deuteronomy 23:1-4). and continues by saying that the people living around Jerusalem are like the Canaanites and will corrupt the exiles. He offers a prayer of repentance, which is very heartfelt, but then he rallies all the leaders during a rain-storm. He enacts a divorce decree that will annul these marriages and send all these women and their children away. This decree is only partially carried out, but were given a list of some of the men who went through with it.
This story is strange for a number of reasons. God never commanded Ezra to do any of this. It was the leaders of Jerusalem who compelled Ezra to make the decree. While the contemporary prophet Malachi did say that the exiles should care about purity, he went on to say that God was opposed to divorce (Malachi 2:13-16). The mixed results of the decree fit well into this pattern of strange. disappointing endings.