The BOOK – Never Abandoned

Ezra and Nehemiah, which were one book in Hebrew Bible, tells the return of God’s chosen people after the exile. They give the record of one of the most important events on Jewish history – the return from exile in Babylon.

·         Both books begin at Persia and end at Jerusalem

·         Both center around the man of God who wrote them

·         Both begin with a Persian Kings decree

·         Both tell of building as their chief theme.

·         Both books contain a long prayer of humiliation and confession

·         Both end with the purification of the people.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of how God remembered and how he brought back his people from exile. During the captivity, the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel told the Jews of their restoration and predicted that they would return to their own land and rebuild Jerusalem.

In accordance with time, 2 periods are important

·         23 years (537-517 BC) from the 1^st year of Cyrus to the 6^th year of Darius when the people under Zerubbabel, the governor and Joshua, the priest, rebuilt the temple.

·         25 years (458 – 433 BC) when Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra, the priest, rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem and restored the city. Malachi was the prophet of this day.

Ezra gives the record of both of these periods. Nehemiah tells of the second period, building the walls.

The 10 northern tribes (The Northern Kingdom) were taken captive first by Assyria (2Kings 17), then the two southern tribes (Benjamin ad Judah, the southern Kingdom) by Babylon (2Kings 25). They were restored to their own land under the Persian Empire. The Babylonians had been conquered by the Medes and Persians. The ten Northern tribes who were carried away to Assyria never returned.

·         In 537 BC, the first Jews returned to Jerusalem from Babylon

·         In 516 BC, the Temple was restored.

·         In 479 BC, Esther became queen of Persia (wife of Xerxes)

·         In 458 BC, Ezra led second expedition from Babylon

·         In 445 BC, Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem.

The purposes of God may sometimes seem delayed, but they are never abandoned. If God has promised you something, he will certainly fulfil it, even if it may delay because of you. May God bless you.