Building Our Lives On The Bible - The Return From Exile 07/25/10 10:00
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The theme of this message in our Journey through the bible is "The Return from Exile". Two books in the bible cover this important part of God's Salvation history: Ezra and Nehemiah.
In the Hebrew Old Testament, Ezra and Nehemiah appeared as one unbroken book, closely connected in theme and style to the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles. The last two verses of 2 Chronicles are repeated in the first three verses of the Book of Ezra, probably indicating that they belonged together in the original version. For this reason, many scholars believe Ezra served as writer and editor/compiler of all four of these books: 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. He probably drew from official court documents to compile 1 and 2 Chronicles.
These were the years just after a remnant of the nation returned to Jerusalem following their exile of 70 years in Babylon. The return came about after the defeat of Babylon by the Persian Empire.
The theme of the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah is the restoration of the remnant of God's Covenant People in Jerusalem in obedience to his Law. The books show clearly that God had acted to preserve His people, even when they were being held captives in a pagan land. But in their absence, the people had not been able to carry on the true form of Temple worship. Only in their Temple in Jerusalem, they believed, could authentic worship and sacrifice to their redeemer God be offered. This is why the rebuilding of the Temple was so important. Here they could restore their worship of God and find their true identity as God's people of destiny in the worl
