Ezra - Introduction
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However, a few of them realized that God’s COVENANT promises had not been canceled. So they set about to reestablish their nation. And at its center they reestablished the worship of their God. Thus their first order of business was to rebuild the temple.
The focus of the book of Ezra, therefore, is on the reestablishment of God’s covenant people in Judah, and on their need to maintain their FAITH and purity. It was their faith and purity that would demonstrate to the world God’s love and HOLINESS. It was to bless the world that God had raised up the nation of ISRAEL in the first place (Genesis 12:3). These returned exiles were to be God’s “salt” and “light” on earth (Matthew 5:13–16); they were to be God’s holy nation (Exodus 19:6). They were to keep the lamp of David burning (1 Kings 11:36) until his throne would again be occupied by the Son of David who was yet to come (Luke 1:30–33).
Overlying the labors and trials of the exiles was God’s great plan for the REDEMPTION of mankind. He was the One who had sent the Israelites into exile because of their idolatry; through those years of exile God had purged the idolatry from them. Now they were ready to return, and Ezra’s purpose in writing his book was to help the returning exiles remain faithful to their God.