Introduction
• Ezra devoted his life to studying God’s Law and lived out his faith in everything he did. He looked forward to leaving his life as an exile in a foreign land to go back to Jerusalem to fulfill his calling as a priest in the Temple. What Ezra found when he got there was a beautiful building but no dedication to following God’s commandments. The grief and sorrow he expressed when he realized the extent of sin led the people of Israel to turn back to God.
• I’m Brent and this is episode 23 of The Bible Unplugged. We look at how God worked through the unique personality and leadership style of Ezra, the priest who revived the spiritual life of a nation by living his faith.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Podcast tab.
Background
• In the year 538 BC King Cyrus of Persia issued a proclamation that allowed the Jewish people to return home. In his proclamation, Cyrus said, “Yahweh, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”
• Cyrus’s motives are debatable. I don’t know that he was a true believer in God, but he did want to have good relations with the kingdoms under his rule. Showing tolerance for different religions and cultures accomplished that goal.
• The Book of Ezra has 10 chapters. Ezra the priest doesn’t show up until chapter 7. The first 6 chapters cover the return of the people and the slow, challenging process of rebuilding the Temple while surrounded by enemies.
• Political intrigue slowed the process of rebuilding the Temple. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the people and challenged them to resume the building process.
• Twenty-five years after Cyrus’ proclamation the Temple was complete
Who was Ezra
• Ezra came on the scene 58 years after the completion of the Temple. As a priest backed by royal decrees and wealth, Ezra went to Jerusalem expecting to find the people following the laws and ordinances of God. What he found disturbed him.
• In Ezra chapter 9, the leaders in Jerusalem told Ezra that the Jewish people had inter-married with the pagan people in the land. As we have seen in the example of Ahab and Jezebel, remaining dedicated to God is difficult when foreign influence overwhelms faith.
• How Ezra responded to the news shows us the kind of person he was as a leader. He demonstrated God’s law in the way he lived and the way he motivated the people of Israel to repent and turn back to God.
How did Ezra lead
• Ezra’s leadership style was deeply rooted in God’s Word. He knew he wouldn’t be able to convince others to live by God’s Law unless he lived it himself. The Book of Ezra chapter 7, verse 10 says, “… Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
• His study of God’s Law was a way of life for Ezra which shows his personal and intellectual commitment.
• He lived the Law as a lifestyle which shows his integrity.
• Ezra taught the Law which is the mark of a dedicated religious leader.
• We also see humility and courage in the way Ezra conducted himself. When he arrived in Jerusalem and found that the people had already turned their backs on God it would have been easy to condemn the people publicly, but he didn’t.
• Ezra grieved about the problem. In the Book of Ezra chapter 9 we find Ezra ripping his clothes, pulling his hair, and then sitting on the ground astonished. That word translated astonish means to be empty and desolate. Ezra didn’t know what to think he was so upset.
• He stayed on the ground until the time of the evening offering when the people gathered at the Temple. He fell to his knees, raised his hand to God and confessed his shame and humiliation at the sin he found in Israel.
• In chapter 10, a large group of people who witnessed Ezra’s confession began to weep bitterly as well.
• Ezra didn’t direct the people to change their behavior and turn to God until they confessed and turned back to God. What Ezra called on the people to do wouldn’t be easy. Many of them had to divorce their foreign wives and commit to following God’s commands.
• Evidence of the power of Ezra’s leadership by example compelled the people to follow what he asked of them. In the book of Ezra chapter 10 the people replied, “As you have said concerning us, so must we do.” As a nation, they worked out a plan to return to God’s laws and commandments
What we learn from this
• Even though Ezra had the backing of the king to accomplish his mission, he chose to lead with moral clarity and courage. The people recognized God’s power showing through in Ezra’s life as well as his words. We also need to be deeply rooted in God’s word and live by example as well
• Only after Ezra had the attention of the people did he demand real confession and repentance. As a leader, he did not shy away from hard decisions. He had the strength of character and commitment necessary to create spiritual change in the people. When we are faced with moral and spiritual challenges, the strength we find in God’s spirit in us gives us the ability to stay true to God’s word.
• I doubt the Jewish people decided as a group to violate God’s law, but in that absence of leadership it’s easy to lose commitment. Ezra provided the leadership they needed but he did so by inviting the people to live by the same standards he exhibited every day.
• The Jewish people finished building the Temple as the place where God dwelled, but they didn’t create a place for God to live within them. Many people think of the church as a location, but the church is the fellowship of believers who live their faith every day of the week. They just meet in a common location for worship.
What do we do with this
• Think about how you influence others. Ezra invited the people to follow his example. What kind of example do you show to the world? Whether we know it or not, whether or not we want the responsibility, other people watch how you live to see if God’s love is real.
• You have unique gifts and abilities. Be willing for God to work in and through you in your own way. Don’t try to be like someone else.
• Ask God to help you develop strong character and commitment. Make it a habit to study the Bible and learn from the examples of the great people of faith. They were all different, but God worked through them to show his power.
• Realize that God is always at work in you to strengthen your faith and develop a life of joy and purpose.
The conclusion
• Well, the music in the background means I have run out of time for this episode, but I have a lot more on the way,
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, give this podcast a high rating and share it with others.
• In the next episode we will look at the leadership style of Nehemiah to see how his leadership style is different than Ezra’s and Esther’s. God used his unique personality to inspire the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the walls that protected them.
• My prayer for you is that you will see that God has given you unique gifts and abilities to demonstrate God’s love and power to your world.
• Have a blessed week
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening, you may learn something
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production
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