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Summary of the Book of Ezra

Ezra is the first book in the post-exilic period of Israel. King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and carried the Jews away as captives in 606 BC. Israel was under Babylonian control until approximately 536 BC when the Medo-Persian Empire took control. The book of Ezra begins its history at the beginning of the Medo-Persian rule.

Author of Ezra

Ezra is the author of the book and is also the main character in the story starting in chapter 7 (Ezra 7:1, 11, 25, 28; 8:15-17, etc.). Though the book does not specifically claim Ezra as the author, the writing style changes from third person in chapters 1-6 to first person for the rest of the book. This coincides with when Ezra became the leader of the people out of Babylon headed to Jerusalem. He was a priest and the son of Saraiah (7:1-5). Ezra was a scribe which are sometimes called lawyers in the New Testament (7:6, 21). He was a godly man (7:10).

Date Written

The book was written shortly after Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in 458 BC. It covers the history of Israel for the years 536 to 456 BC. The book starts where the book of 2 Chronicles ends and is a continuation of that book which is apparently written by the same author.

Ezra, like the books of Chronicles, was written some time between 460 and 440 BC.

Purpose of Ezra

While there is no specified audience (like the other historical books), Ezra is clearly writing to outline the history of the re-establishment of Jerusalem. This book covers a period of about 80 years. The book opens with the first wave of Jews returning to Jerusalem. Then 78 years later there is a second group who came to the city to rebuild.

The first group was led by Zerubbabel and is covered in chapters 1-6. Ezra led the second group in chapters 7-10. Read the rest of this entry

Paul is talking to the church in Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. He asks for prayer in three areas for himself and his fellow missionary partners in verses 1 and 2.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

God’s Word Would Have Free Course

Paul asked the people to pray that the Bible would have “free course” as the missionaries go out to preach. This phrase carries with it the idea that God’s Word would run freely and swiftly in the places it is preached. That the Bible would not be hindered in its mission.

Pray for missionaries (and anyone preaching the Gospel) that the Bible will accomplish its task. Pray that as it is preached it will freely penetrate the hearts of men.

God’s Word can be hindered because of worldly influences over the lives of the hearers. Culture, superstitions and human nature are factors in keeping the Bible from being accepted. Religion can play a role in hindering God’s Word too. When people have been taught half-truths concerning the Bible, it can cause confusion in the mind of the listeners. They may be convinced that they are just fine before the Lord because of the good deeds they have accomplished. The truth is that we are wicked sinners who are in need of a Savior.

The Bible Would be Glorified

The people in Thessalonica should pray that God’s Word would be glorified—honored or lifted up. The idea is that the Bible should have value placed on it. The Bible is often de-valued, not by the hearers, but by those who are preaching it. When a missionary does not place proper value on the importance of the Bible, then those who are listening to God’s Word being preached won’t value it either.

It is important for missionaries to maintain a proper testimony. No one expects the missionary to be perfect. He is a redeemed sinner like anyone else in the church. However, people do look to pastors and missionaries as examples of how to live. When a leader does not value God’s Word enough to obey it and preach it with authority, then it is hard for the followers to do the same.

God Would Protect Them From Wicked Men

Finally Paul asked that the church pray that they would be protected from wicked and unreasonable men. Our warfare on this earth is not with flesh and blood; however, spiritual warfare is often manifested through people.

Pray that missionaries would be spared from people trying to hinder the work. Missionaries face daily trails just like anyone else in the churches back home. However, every struggle seems to be magnified when working in another country. Roadblocks in ministry can be seen as personal attacks on the missionary. Of course this is often a matter of perception. But it is easy for a missionary to get discouraged and the work of God to halt its forward progress.

As a missionary in Mexico I was involved in an accident which resulted in me spending several hours in jail. I had no opportunity to personally argue my side of the story. In Mexico the law is that you are guilty until proven innocent. I spent 7 hours waiting for my innocence to be proven by the testimony of others and by the evidence available. Fortunately I was released with no further problems. But that could have gone another way. I could have been wrongfully charged for something that was truly a freak accident. I believe God spared me from that because of the prayers of supporters. God saved me from the hand of people who had no interest in my success as a missionary.

Do you pray for missionaries? Paul asked that the church in Thessalonica pray for him and the other missionaries with him in these three specific areas. Will you pray for the missionaries you know that God’s Word would accomplish its task, that it would be glorified and that the missionaries would be spared from wicked and unreasonable men?

The story of the feeding of the 5000 in John 6 shows Jesus accomplishing His purpose even though the disciples had their doubts. Philip and Andrew were the spokesmen for the group in this story. One doubted that there was enough money to accomplish the task and the other doubted that there were enough laborers. However, there was one little boy who gave all he had and simply trusted the Lord.

Philip Doubted There Was Enough Money

In verse 5 Jesus asked Philip how they were going to buy enough bread for the crowd that had gathered. The question wasn’t because Jesus was worried about the outcome. We are told in verse 6 that Jesus asked because He wanted to test Philip to see how he would answer. Jesus already knew what He would do.

Philip said that there was not enough money to feed the crowd. I imagine there wasn’t even a corner bakery to buy bread. A few verses earlier the Bible says that Jesus and the disciples had gone up to a mountain. If they weren’t in a city then it was unlikely that there would have been a place where they could buy bread for 5000 people.

Andrew Doubted There Were Enough Workers

There was one little boy who had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. They needed more people with more resources to accomplish the task. Andrew asks the question in verse 9, “what are they [the loaves and fish] among so many?”

Can you imagine Andrew walking up to Jesus? He was probably embarrassed with what he had to say. “Um, Jesus. This probably sounds a little silly considering there are 5000 people here. But, this little boy says he has a couple of fish and some bread. He’s willing to give it to you if you think it will help.”

The Little Boy Offered His Resources to the Lord

The Lord had the disciples get the people seated. Then He took the loaves and fish and thanked God for them.

Everyone ate until they were full and the disciples gathered up the remains. While they started with just a few loaves, the Bible says that they gathered 12 baskets full of remains (verse 13). I can’t tell you if they were little bread baskets or big containers, but what I do know is that there were 12 of these baskets full of unused bread. The Lord took the few resources and multiplied them to be more than sufficient.

What Task Do You Doubt the Lord in Today?

God can work great miracles. In this story He chose to do it via a few loaves of bread and some fish. While Jesus did not need to depend on what the little boy could provide, He did in this case. Are you the one God could work a miracle through? Are you willing to give your lunch to the Lord and allow Him to accomplish His purposes in the world? Does the task seem too large for your small donation to make a difference? How about you just hand it over to God and let Him do with it what He pleases.

What resources do you have that you could surrender to the Lord’s control? It might be $5 or some skill that you possess. You may not consider it to be such a big thing compared to the task of sharing God’s Word with the world. Hand it over to God and let Him decide what value it might have.

Have you ever wondered what the Bible says about fasting? There is much confusion as to what fasting is about. In its essence, fasting is abstaining from food for a period of time. While the New Testament does not command that Christians fast, it is implied that Christians will fast. When they do, the fast should be accompanied by prayer. Beyond prayer, the Bible indicates that there is a purpose for the abstinence. Fasting is not simply a diet technique; at least not in the Biblical sense.

Jesus Taught that Fasting was Appropriate for a Christian

Matthew 6:16-18 “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.”

Luke 5:33-35 “And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”

Fasting at Times of Spiritual Importance

Luke 4:1, 2 “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.”

Exodus 34:28 “And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”

Acts 13:2, 3 “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

Biblical Precautions When Fasting

Just because you fast, does not mean you are right with God.

Luke 18:12-14 “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Fasting is not a substitute for true repentance.

Isaiah 58:3-5 “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?”

Why Christians May be Confused About Fasting

I think one of the reasons many Christians are confused about fasting is that it has become a tradition in some churches to abstain from certain foods on specific days or events. To require the church congregation to fast without teaching the people what fasting really means seems to cause people to rebel against the practice. It certainly isn’t in keeping with the spirit of fasting as taught in the Bible. When we fast—according to the passage in Matthew 18—it should be a private matter between the Christian and God. Not something that is demanded by a religion for the purpose of showing others how spiritual one is.

I hope these verses about fasting will be an encouragement to you to consider the practice of fasting. Using these verses and other fasting tips, I trust you will grow in your spiritual maturity and relationship with the Lord.

We come to the last of the six principles of social ethics for this series. If you have not read from the beginning, let me encourage you to go back to the first post in the series. It will help you understand when to apply these principles. The most important thing to note about these principles is that they are only applied after you have determined from studying the Bible that God has not put a prohibition on the activity.

Expediency Principle: Defined

Of the many good choices in life that we are given, God desires that we select the best of those choices. This has nothing to do with the unbiblical teaching that God wants you to be happy, healthy and wealthy. However, when you are given a choice between two options you need to decide which one is the best, or most appropriate one you should choose. This isn’t always the easiest decision. There are times that the best choice, based on the other principles, is the one that is going to cost you more money, or even cause you to lose friends in the process.

The Expediency Principle is based on the word used in the Bible which is translated expedient. The word is συμφέρω (sympherō or süm-fe’-rō). This comes from the two words σύν which means with and φέρω which means to carry, bear or endure (as if carrying a burden). The word translated expedient means to bear or bring together. The idea is that the burden is carried by more than one person. Another way to think about this is to be helpful or to be profitable. In other places in the Bible the word is translated as profit, to be profitable or to bring together.

This is important to discuss because the current definition of the word expedient is the idea of accomplishing a task in the easiest possible way without regard to ethics. It is to achieve ones goals in the end, not necessarily concerned about what is right. If you think of the phrase “the end justifies the means” you get an idea of what the modern definition of expediency is. This is certainly not what God is teaching in the verses which use the word expedient.

Expediency Principle: Clarifying Question

What is the best choice I can make in this situation?

When we have to make a decision it is because we have more than one option, even if options are are to do, or not to do the activity. Often there are multiple choices. Sometimes they are all good options. You are looking for which one is your best choice within all the options you have.

Jesus has an encounter with the two sisters Mary and Martha in Luke 10. At the end of the chapter (v. 38-42), Jesus visits Mary and Martha in their home. Martha is busy trying to serve the Lord by getting the house prepared and putting food on the table. She was full of busyness. In the activity she began to build an attitude of, “I’m the only one doing any work around here.” She even went as far as to ask Jesus to reprimand her sister Mary. Jesus’ response was that Mary had made the better choice. Both serving Jesus and worshiping Jesus are good activities, but Jesus encouraged the sisters to make the best of their many good choices.

Expediency Principle: Biblical Basis

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23 that there are many things that are permissible and good, but not all things are expedient. Not everything is the best choice we can make. In 1 Corinthians 12:31 the Bible says that we should covet the best gifts and choices of all the many good ones we have. Immediately following that verse Paul launches into chapter 13 where he says that it doesn’t matter what your abilities are—you must serve with love.

Expediency Principle: Application

As a teenager I knew that God wanted me to attend a Bible college to prepare for the ministry. Like most teens trying to make the choice of which school to attend, I struggled a little bit with the decision. I primarily had my eyes on one school, but wanted to stay open to the Lord’s leading. The college I was most interested in held my attention from the 10th grade until graduation from high school.

Intentionally I kept an open mind about where I should go to school, even though I had already announced to everyone I was going to Oklahoma. Then, with about four weeks before school began I started to feel the Lord leading me to a different school in Florida. Both were very good schools. At the time it would have been hard to say that one was a better choice than the other. However, I felt the Lord nudging me to the school in Florida. It was humbling to have to tell everyone that I was going to a different school than the one I had decided on two years previously. The easy route would have been to go to the school I originally intended to go to. But using this principle, I had to choose the better of the two choices. In this case the only thing that made one school better than the other is that I felt the Lord leading me down the path to the second school. I had two very good choices, but I had to choose the better one to stay in God’s will.

I pray that these posts have helped you think through different issues. If you have a question that you think the Bible doesn’t address directly, then use these six principles to help you decide what you should do. If you are still not able to decide, then leave a comment and we can apply the principles together.