We will look at Ezra as an example of what “a prepared heart” looks like to carry a burden for revival by looking at the characteristics of Ezra's prepared heart. The verse of Scripture above tells us that Ezra had prepared his heart to do the work and will of God. The leadership for this reconstruction, this revival, fell upon a number of men, one of which was Ezra. It was at this time that the Jewish people were allowed to return to their homeland to rebuild the Temple, the wall, and the city. At the end of this time, the Persians and Medes conquered Babylonia. The Jewish people spent seventy years in Babylonian captivity. The Bible teaches us that Ezra, the scribe, prepared his heart to do the work of the Lord:įor Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments ( Ezra 7:10 ). Having "a prepared heart" to do the work of God is something we should all aspire to do. Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp Ezra - A Prepared Heart His Righteousness - Applied to Our Lives.Is Jesus the Second Person in the Trinity?.If this is true, then Ezra is the second most prolific author of the Bible (after Moses). The book of Ezra shows us how God kept that promise.Įzra is also traditionally credited with writing the books of First and Second Chronicles. However, God had made another promise: He would gather Israel back to her land after He had punished her (Dt 30:3). The people disobeyed, and God kept His promise (Ezr 9:7). If the people disobeyed Him, they would face punishment and exile.If the people obeyed Him, they would enjoy a good land and prosperity.God had made promises to Israel through Moses: The book of Ezra also references other biblical prophets, namely Haggai and Zechariah, whose messages stirred up the people to finish building the temple (Ezr 5:1).Įzra calls attention to Israel’s covenant history with the Lord. Both form the story of how God reestablishes Israel in the land He promised to her. Ezra focuses on rebuilding the temple Nehemiah focuses on rebuilding the city of Jerusalem.
“For we are slaves yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.” (Ezr 9:9)Įzra begins a new story arc in Israel’s history: These pieces come together to tell us how God began restoring Israel. Ezra’s autobiographical texts-prayers, reflections, and actions from Ezra’s point of view.Jewish records-names of individuals and families who returned to Israel.Official documents-letters and decrees sent to and from the Persian emperors during this time period.Historical narrative-events surrounding Israel’s return, temple reconstruction, and revival.This account weaves together several categories of written works. The book of Ezra chronicles both stories: rebuilding the temple and remembering the law. The temple needed a new foundation, but the people needed to return to the foundations of their faith, too.Įzra, the scribe, answers the call to teach Israel the ways of God again (Ezr 7:10). They needed to remember why they were in their situation: why they had to go to Babylon (which you can read about in Kings and Chronicles), and why they’d been allowed to come back. They needed to remember the covenant they’d made with God. Many of the returning Hebrews had forgotten God’s laws-and were disregarding them in front of the people. Zerubbabel and Jeshua, descendants of King David and Aaron the priest, answer the call to rebuild the house of God.īut the temple wasn’t the only thing that needed attention. The new Persian emperor Cyrus had decreed that they return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple of their God-which had lain in ruins the whole time (Ezr 1:1–4). After 70 years in exile, the people of Israel were coming back home.
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