Those following the two-year Bible reading plan with me will begin reading the book of Ezra tomorrow, January 1. (Link to the Two-Year Bible Reading Plan Bookmarks)

Ezra was a Jewish priest and scribe and is generally credited with writing the book of Ezra. The Jews had been exiled into Babylon for 70 years when God prompted Cyrus, king of Persia to allow them to return to Jerusalem under Ezra’s leadership to rebuild the temple. The book of Ezra picks up the narrative at this point and relates the process of building the temple and re-establishing the sacrifices and Jewish festivals. 

Ezra also relates the trouble caused by their enemies who tried to get the new King Artaxerxes to stop them. After searching the records, he stood by King Cyrus’s initial plan and helped the Jews again. But it wasn’t long before the Jews intermingled with the people who had been living in Jerusalem at the time, and they again fell into sin by marrying idol worshipers and then worshiping their false gods.

Image credit: https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/rebuilding-temple-1/