If we were to remind ourselves of how Meriam and Aaron were punished because of objecting Moses’s marrying Kushite woman, we might understand which one of the two parties at this gathering were true believers: the offcials and the multitudes who demanded women and children to be sent back or the two who objected to this move and the other two supporting them. There were only two persons who objected to this kind of inhuman treatment of the wives and children: Jonathan son of Assahel and Jahzei’ah son of Tikvah, who opposed this, and Meshul’lam and Shab’be-that the Levites supported them. Eventually on the suggestion of Shecaniah bin Jeheil to separate themselves from the peoples of the lands (goim) and sent them away back to their lands(Ezra chapter 9-10). (2) That the people who had married non-Judaic (goim) women and had children from them, as they reached the borders, some people (the officials” among them “approached” Ezra raising the spectre of what can be considered, a ‘racist’ question of denouncing mixed marriages and refusing to allow the non-Jewish wives and their children to enter Judea, making Ezra rend his clothes and make a long prayer. Two points need to be remembered in the stories of Ezra: (1) that the knowledge of Torah had been lost during the exile, Ezra was the only one who had this knowledge and as he read the Torah to the Assembly before their entrance to Jerusalem, the people wept (and he is said to be responsible for rewriting the Torah later.
The story of Ezra's life is revealed in chapter seven of the same book. and he died in 440 B.C.īiblical References: The book of Ezra in the Bible tells about the Jewish peoples return back to Jerusalem after they were exiled. Both men went back to Jerusalem during the reign of Artaxerxes.Įzra was born in 480 B.C. Ezra probably knew Nehemiah though the Bible doesn't specifically state this as fact. Ezra made it a point to keep God's word relevant to the people and to make sure that they were careful to obey all that was written. God didn't send Ezra out with specific messages or revelations to give to the people he used him to remind the people about keeping God's word. Though Ezra was associated with prophets, he wasn't considered a prophet in the truest since of the word. He then organized leaders for the newly established community. He no longer permitted any people to marry foreign women and led them to repent of their sins. He influenced this council to oversee and enforce the Biblical laws that God had given to his people in the days of Moses. He formed a great assembly comprised of 120 prophets and sages. Ezra and the rest of the Jewish people finally made it back to Jerusalem and when he arrived he was shocked to discover that his people had intermingled with the pagan nations that surrounded Jerusalem.Įzra prayed for forgiveness for his people, and he then set out to make some reforms. The Jewish priests and temple servants did not have to pay taxes because the decree freed them from this responsibility. The king's decree also allowed the Jewish people to take back the treasures that were taken from the Lord's Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. King Artaxerxes told nearby countries to provide the Jewish people with supplies for the temple, and he also made the provinces give them food and water when they needed it as well.
He gave a decree that supported the Jewish people and their efforts in Jerusalem. Many years later when King Artaxerxes ruled Persia, he also decreed that more Jewish people should go back to their homeland. When the first wave of Jewish people went back to Jerusalem in Ezra 1, it happened during the reign of Cyrus the Great. Later in Ezra 8 a list of families that traveled back to Jerusalem was written down so that people could see who they were. The Jewish traveled back to Jerusalem at different times. Starting in Ezra 1 the Bible lists various different clans and Jewish tribal members that made the journey back to Jerusalem. They came from many different professions and backgrounds.
When Ezra traveled back to Jerusalem, he was accompanied by many Jewish people. Ezra was a devout servant of the Lord who made it a point to study and do all that the Lord has commanded him. God had blessed Ezra and was with him, so the king of Persia ( King Artaxerxes) gave Ezra whatever he needed to make the journey and to rebuild the temple. These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline with World HistoryĬlick to find out more about this comprehensive Bible study tool now! >Įzra was a knowledgeable leader of Jewish law, and he was also a descendant of the high priest Aaron, who was the brother of Moses.
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