Lesson 3: Living By the Word (Ezra 7 & 8 Lesson)

by | Feb 11, 2022 | Old Testament Studies

INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT EZRA 6 AND 7. LETS REVIEW JUST A MINUTE. THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN REBUILT UNDER THE BLESSING OF THE LORD AND THE LEADERSHIP OF ZERUBBABEL AND JOSHUA AND NOW WE FIND OURSELVES WITH THE TIME CLOCK HAVING BEEN MOVED FORWARD 60 YEARS LATER.

  1. FURTHER RETURN.


    1. ASSUME THAT YOU WERE A JEW IN BABYLON OR ONE OF THE OTHER LEADING CITIES OF PERSIA. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM? WHY NOT? WOULD IT BE A MATTER OF MORAL PRINCIPLE WHETHER YOU SHOULD RETURN?


    2. LETS READ ABOUT EZRA. READ 7: 1-5 (AND SKIP 2-4, BECAUSE THEY JUST TELL HOW YOU GET TO v.5)



      1. WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS LIST?


      2. WHO IS EZRA’S IMPORTANT RELATIVE?


      3. AND WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT HIM? (HE IS A DESCENDANT OF AARON THE CHIEF PRIEST. AND THEREFORE HE IS ENTITLED TO BE A PRIEST.)


    3. READ v.6 & 10. WHAT KIND OF A MAN WAS EZRA?



      1. WAS EZRA SATISFIED WITH HIS PRIESTLY BACKGROUND?


      2. DID HE JUST SIT ON HIS LAURELS (OR HIS HEREDITY?) (NO. HE LEARNED ABOUT THE LAW OF MOSES. HE SEEMS TO HAVE A DESIRE TO KNOW ABOUT GOD.)


      3. NOTICE THE THREE THINGS IT SAYS ABOUT EZRA IN v. 10: a. HE STUDIED THE LAW; b. HE OBSERVED THE LAW; AND, c. HE TAUGHT THE LAW.


      4. IS IT CHANCE THAT THESE THREE ARE MENTIONED IN THIS ORDER? OR IS THIS THE PROPER ORDER OF THINGS?


      5. BEFORE SOMEONE IS ALLOWED TO TEACH THE WORD, SHOULD WE REQUIRE THAT THEY STUDY AND PRACTICE IT?



        1. HOW DO WE DO THAT? REQUIRE THAT AS A PRACTICAL MATTER?


        2. SHOULD WE DISREGARD THE COUNSEL OF THOSE WHO HAVE NOT FIRST STUDIED THE LAW AND OBSERVED IT?




    4. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FROM MAN’S POINT OF VIEW — WHO SHOULD WE LISTEN TO. LETS LOOK AT IT FROM GOD’S POINT OF VIEW. IT SAYS IN v. 6 THAT THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS ON HIM.



      1. LETS PUT ASIDE THE ISSUE OF SALVATION FOR A MOMENT: IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN BIBLE STUDY, OBEDIENCE AND BIBLE TEACHING AND GOD “PUTTING HIS HAND ON YOU?” BEFORE YOU CAN DO GREAT THINGS FOR THE LORD DO YOU HAVE TO ENGAGE IN THESE THINGS? (I THINK THAT WHEN WE DISCUSS R BY FAITH, THAT WE OFTEN GET WRAPPED UP IN A DISCUSSION OF THE MINIMUM. IF YOU HAVE DREAMS OF DOING GREAT THINGS FOR GOD, WHY NOT FOCUS ON THE MAXIMUM THAT WE CAN DO: STUDY, OBEY, TEACH OTHERS.)


    5. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A PICTURE OF A MAN WHO IS STUDYING, OBEYING, TEACHING, BLESSED BY GOD AND DOING GREAT THINGS: DID YOU NOTICE IN v. 6 IT SAYS THAT “THE KING HAD GRANTED HIM EVERYTHING HE ASKED ….”



      1. DO YOU SEE ANY SIGNIFICANCE IN THE STATEMENT THAT HE “ASKED” THE KING?


      2. WAS THIS A CRITICAL PART THAT EZRA HAD TO PLAY?


      3. WAS THIS DANGEROUS? (DO YOU REMEMBER THAT THE FIRST WEEK OF THIS LESSON WE LOOKED AT NEHEMIAH? HE WAS THE CUP BEARER FOR ARTAXERXES AND ONE DAY ART NOTICED THAT HE LOOKED SAD AND ASKED HIM ABOUT IT. THE BIBLE REPORTS IN NEHEMIAH 2:2 THAT WHEN THE KING ASKED THIS QUESTION NEH “WAS VERY MUCH AFRAID.”


      4. THE STORY OF QUEEN ESTHER FITS BETWEEN CHPTS 6 AND 7 OF EZRA: TWENTY OR THIRTY YEARS BEFORE NEH ESTHER WAS THE QUEEN. ESTHER 4: 11-16 CLEARLY REVEALS THAT ESTHER’S LIFE WAS IN DANGER WHEN SHE APPROACHED THE KING.


      5. OUR LESSON INDICATES THAT EZRA HAD ACCESS TO THE KING BECAUSE HIS TITLE (7:12) “TEACHER OF THE LAW OF THE GOD OF HEAVEN” MEANT THAT HE WAS A COMMISSIONER IN CHARGE OF JEWISH AFFAIRS.


    6. APPARENTLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EZRA ASKED WAS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO JERUSALEM. LETS READ ON STARTING AT 7:11-16.


    7. THE KING LET EZRA LEAD A GROUP BACK TO THEIR HOMELAND.



      1. WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BIBLE STUDY AND DOING GREAT THINGS FOR THE LORD. IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN LOYALTY TO GOD AND BLESSINGS?


      2. AND DISLOYALTY TO GOD AND TROUBLE? (EZRA CLEARLY TEACHES THIS. 5:12 SAYS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ANGERED GOD HE HANDED THEM OVER TO CAPTIVITY AND THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED. NOW WE HAVE A MAN WHO WANTS TO KNOW AND PLEASE GOD AND HE GETS SENT OUT OF CAPTIVITY, BACK TO HIS HOMELAND.)


      3. IS THIS ALWAYS THE CASE? (NO. JOB. AND THE ARGUMENT OF HIS FOUR FRIENDS.)


    8. LETS SKIP AHEAD. READ 7:27-28. OUR LESSON MAKES A BIG POINT ABOUT EZRA’S HUMILITY AND GRATITUDE. HE THANKED GOD FOR WHAT HE DID AND EZRA GAVE THE GLORY TO GOD. OUR LESSON SAYS, THE SPIRIT OF TAKING CREDIT OURSELVES, “TARNISHES THE LUSTER OF OUR BEST EFFORTS AND ROBS GOD OF THE GLORY RIGHTFULLY DUE TO HIM ALONE.” (p.61)



      1. WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND BLESSINGS, SOME OF YOU WERE GETTING JUMPY BECAUSE YOU WERE CONCERNED THAT THE SOMEBODY WHO WAS RICH OR HAD AN OBVIOUSLY GOOD LIFE WOULD HAVE A BASIS TO SAY, “WELL, I’M A BETTER PERSON THAN THE REST OF YOU.”


      2. IS IT A SIN TO SAY I’M BLESSED BECAUSE I’M A BETTER PERSON?


      3. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT BECAUSE WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT THAT SIN THAT WE GET CARRIED AWAY IN DENYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OBEDIENCE AND BLESSINGS?


      4. LETS TALK ABOUT THE PRACTICAL ASPECT OF GIVING GLORY TO GOD FOR A MOMENT. I LIKE TO WATCH PRO BOXING. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A BOXER WHO JUST GOT THROUGH KNOCKING THE LIGHTS OUT OF THE OTHER GUY KNEEL DOWN AND THANK GOD? OR WHEN HE IS TALKING TO A REPORTER LATER, START OUT BY GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS VICTORY? (I HAVE.)


      5. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION? (REALLY NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I DO IN SOME CASES.)


      6. SHOULD WE ALWAYS GIVE PRAISE TO GOD, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES?


      7. WHAT ABOUT BEING WITH UNBELIEVERS? SHOULD WE DO IT ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF UNBELIEVERS? (CONTRAST JER 9:23-24 WITH MATT. 7:6)




  2. THE LEVITES



    1. AS WE TURN TO CHPT 8. WE FIND THAT EZRA IS ROUNDING UP THE TROOPS TO LEAVE FOR JERUSALEM. WHEN THEY ARE ASSEMBLED HE FINDS HE HAS A PROBLEM. LETS READ 8:15.



      1. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? (NO LEVITES.)


      2. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE? (THEY WERE MISSING PEOPLE WHO WOULD HANDLE THE TEMPLE DUTIES.)


      3. PUT YOURSELF IN THE PLACE OF THE LEVITES. YOU HAVE A REGULAR JOB IN PERSIA. YOU PROBABLY HAVE LAND TOO. IF YOU MOVE YOU WILL BE WORKING IN THE TEMPLE AND YOU HAVE NO LAND — YOU LIVE OFF THE TITHE. (NUM 18:24) WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THIS? MAKE THIS MOVE? (EVEN IN THE FIRST GROUP THAT MOVED UNDER ZERUBBABEL AND JOSHUA THERE WAS A HUGH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PRIESTS WHO RETURNED AND THE NUMBER OF LEVITES. (SEE EZRA 2:36-42)


    2. BEFORE THEY LEFT THEY FASTED AND PRAYED FOR A SAFE JOURNEY.


    3. READ 8:22-29. THE TREASURE THEY HAD WAS ENORMOUS. DO YOU THINK EZRA MADE THE RIGHT JUDGMENT TO TURN DOWN THE PROTECTION OF THE KING?



      1. WHEN NEHEMIAH RETURNED HE TOOK A MILITARY ESCORT WITH HIM! (NEH 2:9)


      2. THIS GETS INTO THIS WHOLE AREA OF PRAISING GOD. THIS PAST WEEK I WAS DISCUSSING WITH MY FRIENDS WHAT A GOOD DEAL I COULD GET ON SOMETHING, AND I REALLY THOUGHT THAT GOD HAD BLESSED ME ON THIS. BUT I WAS HESITANT TO SAY IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE A VERY BAD DEAL AND I WOULD HAVE GIVEN GOD A BLACK EYE.


      3. YOU GET A GOOD JOB: AND YOU PRAISE GOD TO YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU GOT THIS GREAT JOB, AND THEN YOU GET FIRED A WEEK LATER. I’M WILLING TO BELIEVE THAT IF GOD GOT YOU THE JOB YOU DON’T GET FIRED. a. BUT I HAVE REAL DOUBTS ABOUT WHAT I SHOULD BE SAYING TO UNBELIEVERS.


      4. LETS GET BACK TO EZRA. HE TURNED DOWN THE KING’S ESCORT. WHAT PLAN DID HE USE INSTEAD? (HE DISTRIBUTED THE TREASURE TO THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES AND TOLD THEM THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THEM TO JERUSALEM.)


      5. DID IT WORK? (v. 31 — GOD PROTECTED THEM FROM ENEMIES AND BANDITS ALONG THE WAY.)




  3. NEXT WEEK: EZRA 9 & 10. MIXED MARRIAGES.