Application Questions:

Was the letter and its requests legitimate? How accountable are God’s people to governing authorities? Is there a place for civil disobedience?

Were the Jewish leaders honest about their past? What can be learned from their self-evaluation? How has your past and your family history shaped who you are?

Did the Jews have a legal right to rebuild the Temple?

One commentator wrote about this letter, “History is a dialogue between God and humankind.” Do you agree? In what providential ways was God working behind the scenes?

Application Questions:

What exaggerations accompany false accusations? Find examples of these in Ezra 4 and your personal experience.

Should a Christian defend themselves when wrongly accused? How will you respond if there is no recourse to speak in your defense?

How did Jesus respond to false accusations, particularly before his crucifixion?

How much faith and effort should a Christian or a church place in political leaders like a king or a president?

Application Questions:

What spiritual realities about opposition in Ezra 4 apply to God’s work in the church today?

Have you quit a spiritual task because you were afraid or frustrated? List pros and cons of starting over and trying again.

What will keep you faithful under an onslaught of discouragement, fear, frustration, and opposition?

How long did the construction for the temple end? How will the whole story end?

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

What does it mean that “the people gathered as one man” (vs. 1)? How does gathering express agreement, strength, and community?

What caused fear for the returning exiles? What fears do you face as a disciple of Jesus in a culture that does not honor Jesus?

What was the Feast of Booths? What did it symbolize for Israel and for future generations?

What guided the exiles’ decisions? How do you hear from God when making choices?

Application Questions:

How are the 42,000 returning exiles in Ezra 2 grouped? What significance can be found in these categories?

What do Old Testament genealogies teach about God?

Why were 652 exiles excluded from service in the priesthood and eating the holy food? How would their exclusion be resolved?

Does worship of the Living God occupy the same interest in your life as it did for the returning exiles? How are you known for your involvement in a worshipping community?

Application Questions:

What in the book of Ezra reveals God’s sovereignty? Does that change the way you believe? Does influence the way you pray?

How does Scripture change the Jewish expatriates? Is God’s Word alone sufficient to revive a church today? Why and how?

What is repentance? Do Christians repent? What was the last sin you confessed?

Why are there no miracles in 100 years of history in Ezra? Why does God choose ordinary means to achieve his purposes?

Application Questions:

Scripture calls for self-examination “so see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). How do you test your faith?

How should you pray for someone you love who persists in sin while professing their salvation?

Of the final five commands given by Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:11, pick the most needed and most difficult for you now. What does your obedience to these reveal?

Why would anyone gladly become weak in order that others may grow strong?

Application Questions:

What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh? What applications can be made to your own weakness and troubles?

Considering your own limitations, how has God taught you to be content in weakness?

In what sense is God's grace sufficient for you? How does grace change the way you view your limitations?

What is God’s purpose when he answers “no” to your prayer?

Application Questions:

What does it mean to “put on airs”? How do Christians unwittingly do this before unbelievers?

After reading through the Apostle Paul’s list of troubles (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), list your own series of afflictions. What has God taught you that could only be learned through difficulty?

Do you suffer from insomnia or anxiety? What can be learned from Paul’s experience about how a Christian should deal with the mind and emotions?

Why does Paul refer to churches as a burden? Who is responsible to bear the burdens of the church today?