a heavy burden to teach Israel the “statutes and judgments” of God (read 7:10, KJV) So his ministry was bound to touch not only the lives of those making the journey with him, but also the lives of those already in the land The story of the book of Esther ts chronologically between chapters and of Ezra The divine providence shown to the Jews during the reign of Xerxes, predecessor of Artaxerxes, may have in uenced Artaxerxes to show favor to the Jews during his reign, such as encouraging them to return to their homeland (7:11-26) The work (8:33—10:44) The building of the Temple had been completed during Zerubbabel’s governorship (6:14), so Ezra did not have this responsibility when he arrived in Jerusalem Yet his work centered about the Temple Read 7:18-20, 27 to recall what one of his tasks was, of a physical nature Also read 7:10 again and note the spiritual ministry which Ezra intended to engage in during his stay in Jerusalem Obviously, everything he accomplished is not recorded in the book of Ezra But that which is recorded shows how e ectively Ezra was used of God to minister to the Jews in Palestine Study these chapters with the following outline in view: I The Program (8:33-36) In these verses are recorded the two projects which were first given attention when Ezra’s group arrived in Jerusalem What were they? For the Temple beautification project, the Jews had the assistance of the king’s presidents and governors on the western side of the Euphrates River, who “supported the people and the house of God” (8:366) The program lasted for about four months (cf 9:1a and 10:9) II The Problem (9:1-4) Read Exodus 34:1516 and Deuteronomy 7:1-3 for the Law which God had given His people and which they were now violating The guilty ones were not only of Ezra’s group of returnees, but also of the Jews already settled in the land The problem did not originate overnight Why was Ezra’s grief so intense? III The Prayer (9:5-15) This is one of the Scripture’s prominent examples of a prayer of contrition and confession Study it carefully IV The Penitence (10:1-4) Ezra’s example of contrition was contagious, as these verses indicate Someone other than Ezra suggested a way of deliverance (vv 2-4) Could this have been Ezra’s strategy of silence concerning hope—to cause the people themselves to recognize that they ... the Jews had the assistance of the king’s presidents and governors on the western side of the Euphrates River, who “supported the people and the house of God” (8:366) The program lasted for about... also of the Jews already settled in the land The problem did not originate overnight Why was Ezra’s grief so intense? III The Prayer (9:5-15) This is one of the Scripture’s prominent examples of. .. recorded in the book of Ezra But that which is recorded shows how e ectively Ezra was used of God to minister to the Jews in Palestine Study these chapters with the following outline in view: I The Program