Ezra 9 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
Ezra 9 Short Summary:
In Ezra 9, Ezra is devastated to find out that many of the leading men of Judah are ignoring the instructions of God and repeating the sins that got their forefathers expelled from the Promised Land. One sin in particular is highlighted, the intermarriage of Jews with the idolatrous foreigners of the land. Ezra grieves for his people’s guilt and his emotional prayer is recorded in the second half of the chapter.
Ezra 9 Summary
WHEN:
538-537 BC - The people of Judah return to Judah.
536 BC - Rebuilding of the foundation of the Temple.
536-530 BC – The adversaries of the Jews oppose the Temple rebuilding.
530-520 BC – Work on the Temple stops by decree of King Artaxerxes.
520 BC – Work on the Temple resumes.
516 BC – Work on the Temple completed.
457 BC – Ezra arrives in Jerusalem.
KEY CHARACTERS:
Jews – The descendants of Israel who were repopulating the land of Judah after returning to it following 70 years of captivity in Babylonia.
Ezra – A priest and scribe who was skilled in the Law of God.
WHERE:
Jerusalem – The capital of the Kingdom of Judah and the location of God’s Temple.
OUTLINE:
FOREIGN WIVES AND THE SIN OF JUDAH (9:1-15):
After returning to Judah, some of the Jews approached Ezra and told him about a problem.
Many of the leading men amongst the Jews were ignoring God’s instructions and intermarrying with the idol worshipping women of the land.
This news was devastating to Ezra. No doubt he had hoped to find Judah in better spiritual health.
He wrote, “I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled” (9:3).
His fellow Jews, those who cared about the purity of the nation, sat with him until the evening sacrifice.
At the time of the sacrifice, Ezra prayed to God about the condition of his people.
He expressed his shame on behalf of the people’s sins.
He quoted the words of God that his countrymen were ignoring, saying, “The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever” (9:11-12).
He couldn’t believe the Jews had returned to the sins that had gotten their forefathers sent into captivity in Babylon. Especially after God had showed them such grace through the Persian kings who had supported the Temple reconstruction.
In chapter 10, we’ll see how the people of Judah respond to Ezra’s prayer, and we’ll see whether or not they are repentant now that their sin has been pointed out.
APPLICATION:
It had only been 2 generations since the people of Judah had been allowed to return to their homeland, and they were already committing the same sins that had gotten their forefathers expelled from it.
It’s so easy to repeat the mistakes of the past!
Human nature seems to work in a cycle, and repeating the sins of our ancestors seems to be part of that cycle (for proof, reference the Book of Judges).
It’s hard to predict the future, and to anticipate the problems we as individuals and collective Christians will face in years to come. But one of the best ways to guard ourselves against future temptations might be to look back in time, to the sins that plagued our grandparents, and to prepare for similar temptations to make a reappearance as the cycle of human nature resets and begins to repeat itself.
The Bible’s divine explanation of human behavior and a good history book are better than any crystal ball for forecasting what awaits us in the future.
