And now we finally meet Ezra who has descended from Aaron the Chief Priest...I know you remember him. King Artaxerxes allows him to lead a second group of exiles from Persia to Israel. We get a full list of descendents that return with Ezra and he noticed there were no Levites. Very few were willing to volunteer their services. Ezra proclaimed a fast and asked people to use the gifts that God gave them. We are not supposed to "hog" gifts that God gave us. They were given to us to help further God's kingdom. The exiles then traveled about 900 miles on foot!!!
Ezra got to Israel and was dismayed that the people had intermarried. This is not prejudice....the reasons were spiritual....those that married pagans had idolatry as a constant problem. Ezra prayed and confessed and wept and a group of Israelites did the same. Ezra made a covenant before God to send the pagan women and children away. My study Bible points out that this could be compared to a Christian today marrying a devil worshipper. Yes, it was a severe solution, but it only involved 113 of about 29,000 families. If these people didn't do what was asked, they would lose their legal right to own land, and this was to ensure that no pagan children would inherit Israel's land.
Now to give you some time frame, Ester was Queen between the first and second returns to Israel.
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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my bible say he is a great example of what commitment to applying god's word can do for both an individual and a nation. his life demonstrates the importance not of learning and knowing the word, but practicing it in daily life.
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