Ezra - Introduction

Ezra - Introduction

2 Chronicles ends with Cyrus conquering Babylon, Ezra and Nehemiah deal with the return.The two books, Ezra and Nehemiah, were combined into one at an early stage. Indeed the Septuagint treats them as a single book.Origen (AD 185-253) is the first writer to consider them as separate books.. Many consider that the author of Ezra and Nehemiah was also the author of 1 & 2 Chronicles. Indeed the end of 2 Chronicles and the start of Ezra are very similar. Nehemiah is focused on the rebuilding work, while Ezra is more concerned with the religious rebuilding.

The TNIV study Bible lists the major  themes as:

• The restoration of Israel from exile. Sending  them into exile was a sovereign act of God, Babylon could not have defeated Judah unless God was against them. The restoration was also a sovereign act of God.

• The restoration was complete, although there was much work to be done in terms of rebuilding and restoring proper covenant worship.

• The restoration evoked opposition.

• The people needed to be taught, rebuked and corrected.

We can see parallels with Christian salvation. The work of Christ is complete (justification, sending of the Spirit) but there is much corrective work to be done (sanctification). There will be opposition, we need to be  taught rebuked and corrected.