By Sam E. Stone Today’s lesson comes immediately after last week’s text (Nehemiah 8:2, 3, 13-18). Following the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people had a single day off. Then their feasting turned to fasting. James B. Coffman points out, “A very important revelation of this chapter is that it was the […]
By Sam E. Stone Nehemiah went to Jerusalem in 444 BC. Ezra had been there 13 years at the time of today’s text. Ezra served as a priest, however, while Nehemiah came as the civil governor to rebuild the wall and restore Jerusalem as a fortified city. The opening chapters of the book that […]
By Sam E. Stone Today’s lesson is the last of five studies in the life and ministry of the respected Old Testament leader Ezra. In the book that bears his name, he describes how the Jews came to return to Israel from their Babylonian captivity. Ezra includes seven official documents or letters, in addition […]
By Sam E. Stone The book of Ezra is composed of two sections: chapters 1–6 record how the Jews returned from captivity to rebuild the temple; chapters 7–10 describe how Ezra came back to Jerusalem and led reforms. A period of some 57 years passed between the end of Ezra 6 (515 BC) and […]
By Sam E. Stone Worship with both song and sacrifice was once again practiced by the people of Israel after their return to the promised land. Ezra, a famous priest and scribe, tells us of the event. In Ezra 4 he describes the opposition faced by the Jews as they worked to rebuild the […]
