Jews in the Second Temple Period: Ezra I. Introduction A. The Second Temple Period (ca. 530 BCE – 70 CE) 1. Also known as the “post-exilic” period 2. Often subdivided by ruling empires a. Persian (ca. 538-334 BCE) b. Ptolemaic (334-200 BCE) c. Seleucid (200-167 BCE) d. Hasmonean (167-63 BCE) e. Roman (63 BCE – 70 CE) B. A challenging time in Jewish history 1. At the beginning the people were recovering from the fallout the political, social, economic, and religious apocalypse known as the Babylonian destruction in 586 2. A Davidic king was not on the throne; the land of Israel did not belong to Israelites 3. Some or all of the Jews lived in foreign lands; they all were subject to a foreign, pagan king or emperor 4. How was YHWH still Lord despite it all? How could Jews live faithfully in such conditions? C. Near the beginning of this period YHWH continued to inspire prophets and instructors to provide Israel with guidance about what would come to pass and how they could serve Him until Messiah came D. We can gain much from considering the character of the people through whom YHWH worked to deliver His people and to instruct them in His ways during the early Second Temple Period E. Let us consider Ezra, scribe and priest of God II. Ezra’s Life A. We learn about Ezra from the book bearing his name along with parts of Nehemiah (Ezra 7:1-10:44, Nehemiah 8:1-18, 12:1-36) 1. It is highly likely that Ezra is the Chronicler, thus responsible for 1 and 2 Chronicles in their present form 2. In the Apocrypha Ezra takes on greater prominence, seen in 1 Esdras similarly to what is seen in Ezra, and as receiving apocalyptic visions in 2 Esdras B. Ezra Returns From Exile (Ezra 7:1-8:36) 1. Ezra is the son of Seraiah, a descendant of Aaron through Zadok (Ezra 7:1-5) 2. In the days of Artaxerxes he goes up from Babylonia to Judah (ca. 458 BCE; Ezra 7:1, 6) 3. He is a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses, and given a commission by the king to return to Judah to teach the Law of Moses, establish appropriate magistrates and judges, enforce obedience to the Law of Moses, and to provide requisite sacrifices to God (Ezra 7:1-26) 4. He, some Levites, and other Jews return to Jerusalem from Babylon; they entrust themselves and their security to God, and God protects them; all they brought was fully accounted for (Ezra 7:27-8:36) C. Intermarriage (Ezra 9:1-10:44) 1. When Ezra arrives he discovers a major problem: the Israelites have not separated from pagan practices because they have taken wives from the pagans (Ezra 9:1-2) 2. Ezra mourns when he hears it and prays, fasting and with the signs of mourning in front of the Temple, expressing the guilt of the people, and laying quite the guilt trip on the people (Ezra 9:3-15) 3. The people gathered around him and wept bitterly, confessing their sin; they made a covenant to handle the situation according to the Law; Ezra has them swear an oath affirming they will do so (Ezra 10:1-5) 4. Ezra makes sure the follow-up is accomplished: all Israel gathers, Ezra declares their sin and demands their confession, and all separate from their foreign wives (Ezra 10:6-44) D. Reading the Law (Nehemiah 8:1-18) 1. At some point during Nehemiah’s governorship, all the people gather in the square before the Water Gate, and Ezra brought the book of the Law of Moses to read to the people (Nehemiah 8:1-4) 2. Ezra opened the scroll, blessed YHWH; the people responded with “Amen”; he and the Levites read the book and gave the understanding (Nehemiah 8:5-8) 3. Nehemiah and Ezra declare that the day is holy to YHWH and they should not mourn or weep; they went away rejoicing (Nehemiah 8:9-12) 4. The next day the heads of the fathers’ houses, priests, and Levites came to Ezra so as to study the Law; they see within it the Feast of Booths and immediately summon everyone to observe it; during it Ezra read from the book of the Law of God daily (Nehemiah 8:13-18) E. According to the Septuagint the prayer of confession in Nehemiah 9:6-37 is said by Ezra F. Nehemiah was governor while Ezra was priest and scribe (Nehemiah 12:26) G. Such is what we learn of Ezra from the Scriptures III. The Distinctive People of the Book A. Ezra comes to Judah at a very challenging and critical time 1. The prophetic word seemed scarce in the fifth century BCE; it would soon be gone until the days of the Christ 2. Through intermarriage the people were becoming less distinctive, assimilating into the pagan nations around them (Ezra 9:1-2) 3. Instruction and exhortation proved necessary to encourage the people unto faithfulness, otherwise there might not be much of an Israel left! B. Becoming Distinctive 1. Ezra’s actions in terms of the intermarriages in Ezra 9-10 seem difficult and harsh to many today 2. Ezra seeks to be faithful to Deuteronomy 7:1-3, etc., recognizing the danger of losing distinctiveness 3. It is not just that Israelite men are marrying foreign wives; their children are being raised in such a way as to minimize the distinctiveness of the people of God and the service rendered unto YHWH (Ezra 9:1) 4. And who is thus marrying Israelite women? What will be left of Israel if this keeps up? 5. Note the great emphasis in 1 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah about genealogies, maintaining the connections from of old, keeping the heritage of Israel 6. Israel risks losing it, and that risk is far too dangerous! C. A Scribe of the Law 1. Yet the greatest thing Ezra does is to come as a scribe, an Aaronite priest, to teach people the Law 2. The king has empowered him to teach and enforce the Law of Moses in Judah (Ezra 7:1-28); we are given the strong impression that this has not been done well at that time, and a Jew from Diaspora must come and set the “natives” straight! 3. Ezra’s method is primarily to read and give the sense of the reading, as seen in Nehemiah 8:1-8, applying what has already been authorized and written to his time period 4. This is quite a different approach than was used during the time of the monarchy and the exile, reliant primarily on contemporary prophets speaking wisdom for that moment D. Thus Ezra is an important transition figure: an inspired scribe and teacher of the Law 1. Especially if Ezra is the Chronicler, we see that God uses him to “refresh” the story of Israel, in a way starting from the beginning and reaching all the way to the middle of the 5th century, and to understand the story of God’s interaction with Israel in terms of the Second Temple Period 2. He does so not by a pronouncement of an “updated” thus saith YHWH, but through making sense of the Law as already codified 3. He is preparing Israel in terms of what they need throughout the Second Temple Period: the ability to read the Law or hear the Law read, and for its meaning to be made clear to all the people, and the Law enforced in Israel E. Thus Ezra foreshadows Jesus of Nazareth, the inspired Teacher (John 13:13) 1. Almost five hundred years after Ezra Jesus of Nazareth embodies the inspired Teacher 2. He taught with authority, not as the scribes did (Matthew 7:28-29) 3. And yet He explains the Scriptures, both in terms of their meaning and how He fulfills them (e.g. Matthew 19:1-9, Luke 24:45-47) 4. Jesus models the way forward for His Apostles and His disciples: we must come to an understanding of what has been revealed and act upon its authority (Acts 17:10-11, 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, Jude 1:3) F. As Daniel provides the way forward for Israel in the Second Temple Period in terms of prophetic understanding of the times and seasons, Ezra provides the way forward in terms of living without prophets, reliant on proper interpretation of the revelations already provided! G. Christians must also be concerned about distinctiveness 1. Romans 8:29, 12:1: we are to be conformed to the image of the Son, not of the world 2. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: we must be concerned about becoming unequally yoked with unbelievers 3. 1 John 2:15-17: we must not be of the world, the desire of the eyes and flesh and the pride of life 4. Therefore our lives must demonstrate distinctiveness, lest we become assimilated to the world and there is no faith for the Son of Man to find on His return (Luke 18:8)! H. Christians are to be People of the Book as well, learning from Scripture how to serve God in Christ 1. Romans 15:3, 2 Timothy 3:14-16 2. Jesus was given all authority by the Father (Matthew 28:18-20); He empowered His Apostles to establish the truths of His Kingdom (Matthew 18:18) 3. The Apostolic office could not remain in perpetuity since it demanded witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:21-22); and yet the Apostles remain part of the foundation of the church, equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 2:20, 4:11-12) 4. Even though they are dead, they still speak through their writings which have been preserved! 5. Thus Scripture is authoritative, the means by which we learn of the witness of the Apostles regarding Jesus the Christ, His life, death, resurrection, lordship, Kingdom, and ultimate return 6. We must then properly interpret and understand what the Scriptures would tell us and apply them to our lives 7. Jesus remains Lord (Hebrews 13:8); just as Ezra was to enforce the Law of Moses 1000 years after it had been decreed, so we today must proclaim and live by the Gospel 1950 years on (Romans 1:16)! I. May we, as Ezra, seek to properly understand God’s Word and apply it to our lives! IV. Conclusion A. We have seen the life of Ezra B. As Ezra sought to understand, interpret, and apply the revelation of God to his time and place, so Christians ought to do the same with the Gospel in their own lives C. May we serve the Lord Jesus, not conformed to this world, coming to an understanding of His purposes according to the Word, and be saved! D. Invitation Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: Ezra went up from Babylon: and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which YHWH, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of YHWH his God upon him (Ezra 7:6). Ezra is a priest who grew up in Babylon. He was commissioned to go and teach the Law of Moses in Judah. The king authorized him to enforce the Law. We do well to consider God’s Word and keep it! 2: Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water; for he mourned because of the trespass of them of the captivity (Ezra 10:6). Ezra found the people of Judah sinning by following foreign customs and taking foreign wives. The integrity and distinctiveness of Judaism was at stake! Christians also are to give consideration as to how to be distinct and not of this world (1 John 2:15-17)! 3: And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading (Nehemiah 8:8). Ezra and his associates read the book of the Law to Israel. They also gave the sense so the people could understand it. Thus Ezra demonstrates the importance of reading, interpretation, and application. We do well to study the Word in similar ways! 4: And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29). Ezra foreshadowed Jesus who would teach based on His own authority, but nevertheless as a Teacher. Jesus embodied the interpretation and application of God’s purposes as revealed in Scripture. May we seek to understand, interpret, and apply the Scriptures to our lives!