This Ezra 6 Bible study guide contains an outline, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, verse by verse commentary, and applications. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group.
Ezra 6 Bible Study Guide And Commentary
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Ezra 6 Bible Study Podcast
Outline
I. Darius reaffirms Cyrus’ decree (1-13)
II. The temple is finished (14-15)
III. The people dedicate the temple to the Lord (16-18)
IV. The Passover is celebrated, and the people rejoice (19-22)
I. Darius reaffirms Cyrus’ decree (1-13)
Discussion Questions
• What did Darius do when he received the report from Tattenai and his colleagues?
• What did he find out?
• Why do you think Ezra includes so many direct quotes from letters and decrees of non-believing officials? Is this unspiritual? Boring?
• What do these kinds of additions to the Bible show us about the Bible? Why is this important?
• What other instructions did Darius give to Tattenai? Why do you think he was so generous?
• What instructions does Darius give about how these commands are to be carried out (without delay v. 8, under threat of death if there is disobedience v. 11, and with all diligence v. 12)?
• If people are expected to obey an earthly king with speed and diligence, how do you think God expects us to obey Him?
• What was the penalty for disobeying the king? What will we happen if we disobey God? Can you give any examples of people in the Bible who were faithful to obey God diligently or who disobeyed God?
Cross-References
Psalms 119:60 – I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.
Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.
Exodus 23:22 – If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.
Joshua 22:5 – But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. In the book of Ezra, we see that large sections are composed of genealogies, royal edicts, decrees, and official letters to and from the king. Why? At first glance, these seem a little bit boring. It may be hard to find a lot of spiritual significance in the official correspondence of politicians. In like manner, it can be difficult to find a lot of applications from these sections, so we may be tempted to feel they are insignificant or even question why they were included.
However, sections just like these go a long way in helping us verify the history of the Bible. They remind us that the Bible was not written in a vacuum. Instead, it describes real history, people, places, and events.
These people faced everyday problems and everyday decisions just like we do. If the Bible is not based on real-life events, then it would be just a mythical book. As a mythical book, it would lose its power. But when you feel it is burdensome or difficult to read so many long names and wonder why God included them, remember this. Many of these kings, like Cyrus, Artaxerxes, etc., are verified in other historical sources, which is yet more evidence that the Bible, in its entirety, is true.
2. King Darius wisely decided to research this issue and get to the heart of the matter. While conducting his research, he found that Cyrus had issued a royal decree and given permission to rebuild the temple, in addition to providing financial aid and the spoils which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem when he conquered it. The Empire was organized, and these types of decrees and laws were evidently saved in an archive for future reference.
3. Darius then gave instructions to Tattenai. He honored Cyrus’ decree by upholding it. But Darius didn’t just uphold it, he went above and beyond its original scope.
What additions did he make?
He said the full cost should be paid without delay. But in addition to the total cost, he also commanded that all kinds of animals, as well as wheat, salt, wine, oil, and whatever was needed, be provided. Not only this, but those who didn’t obey this decree were to be violently killed. This strong support from the king enabled the people to finish building the temple without fear of what their enemies would do to them.
But remember that the people had already started rebuilding the temple in Chapter 5, willingly putting their own necks on the line (by giving their names to Tattenai, who sent them to Darius). God honored their obedience by giving them grace in the eyes of the leader, who made policies that were favorable to them.
4. Notice that Darius also asks them to pray for him and his family. This is a reminder for us to pray for governments and authorities. See 1 Timothy 2:2.
Do you think you complain more about your government or pray for its leaders?
5. Notice what kind of obedience Darius expected. He expected them to obey without delay (v8). He expected them to obey with all diligence (v12). And those who didn’t obey would be brutally killed. This is the kind of obedience that a king desired. We, however, have an even greater king. If an earthly king expects this kind of obedience, how much more does God? We must remember always to obey God willingly, joyfully, quickly, and diligently.
II. The temple is finished (14-15)
Discussion Questions
- What helped the people accomplish the work of building the temple?
- Who is first on the list of monarchs that issued commands for the temple to be rebuilt? (God)
- Is there any significance to this?
Cross-References
Proverbs 21:1- In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.
Proverbs 16:1 – To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.
Isaiah 10:5-7 Woe to, Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!
Against a godless nation I send him, and against the people of my wrath I command him, to take spoil and seize plunder, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. But he does not so intend, and his heart does not so think; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few;
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The people were successful in building the temple. When they were lazy and struggling, God sent the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage them. Through their encouragement, the people repented and finished the job. Finishing is a lot harder than starting. By perseverance and God’s blessing, they did it. Remember that when God gives you a mission, there will almost surely be obstacles and adversity, but God will also provide the resources and strength you need to do what He has asked. Only persevere and do not give up.
Can anyone share an example of facing obstacles to a task God wanted you to accomplish? Is anyone facing any obstacles now? Spend some time encouraging and praying for one another.
2. Notice that on the list of monarchs in verse 14, God comes first in front of these historic and great kings, reminding us that God’s command is the foundation and priority. His command is far more important than the commands of anyone else. Those kings gave their decrees because God first gave His.
Picture God sitting on His throne in heaven. He issues a command from His throne, which is passed through the prophets to His people. At the same time, He sends out angels to influence the kings to give favorable policies. These angels likely meet adversity in the form of demons, who are also trying to exert influence on the kings (see Daniel). Of course, God is victorious. His decree cannot be resisted. What He has said will come to pass.
III. The people dedicate the temple to the Lord (16-18)
Discussion Questions
- What was the people’s attitude when they finished building the temple?
- Why did they feel joyful?
- When would you feel joyful?
- When would you feel unhappy?
- Is celebration a biblical concept? What kinds of things should we celebrate?
Cross-References
Verses On Joy
Genesis 4:7 – If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
1 Chronicles 16:33 – Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
Psalm 81:1 – Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Psalm 95:1-2 – Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Psalm 96:12 – Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. When the people completed the work, they celebrated with joy! They did it! It wasn’t easy. There was adversity from without and within. With encouragement and strength from God, they were able to finally persevere and finish the task, and they were excited about it! And why not? Doing what is right makes us happy. Joy does not come from having a lot of things; it does not come from having a lot of power. It comes from having a right relationship with God.
We feel joyful when we love God and obey Him. When we sin, we feel guilty and regret. This is another incentive to serve God. The chief end of man is said to be to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” We do get joy from glorifying God. It is a win-win! A side point is that perhaps if you are depressed, it is because of some sin in your life which you have not repented of and dealt with.
2. The people were determined to serve God faithfully this time around. When they finished the temple, they dedicated it to God. The temple would be a place where God would be praised and worshiped, and the people could come together to confess their sin. They followed the law of Moses to the letter in appointing the divisions for the priestly labor.
3. We see in these verses that celebration is a biblical concept. There are many times to celebrate. Christians do not just go along living boring, dull lives. We have much more to commemorate than those who don’t know God. What kind of things should we, as Christians, celebrate? How should we celebrate?
IV. The Passover is celebrated, and the people rejoice (19-22)
Discussion Questions
• Did the Jews celebrate the Passover every year? When were they supposed to celebrate it? Why?
• Why is it significant that the priests and Levites purified themselves before preparing the Passover?
• When should we purify ourselves?
• What people were being referred to in verse 21? Jews or Gentiles? So then, was it possible for Gentiles to serve and follow God at that time?Where did the people’s joy come from? Were they rich? Powerful?In what ways was God blessing them? How is this different from the situation we see in Haggai 1-2 when the people were disobeying God by putting off the temple building until later?
Cross-References
Matthew 5:24 – Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. We see here that the people serve God faithfully as they did in Chapter 3. Festivals of remembrance for God’s providence in their history, which hadn’t been celebrated in centuries, are being celebrated. As the people unite to follow God, you can just feel the momentum this creates as a movement of revival sweeps through the land, changing the entire community. This is what can happen when sin is confessed, and people listen to the message they hear from God and OBEY IT! Obedience brings joy and success, changes lives, and changes communities.
2. Before the Passover, the Levites and priests purified themselves. Confessing sin was actually more important than the sacrifices they made. See Matthew 5:24. We should regularly evaluate our own lives and purify ourselves by confessing our sins to the Lord.
3. In verse 21, we can see that not only Jews joined this Passover, but also neighbors from the surrounding countries joined them in seeking the Lord. These were proselytes who recognized that YHWH was the only true God. They separated themselves from the idol worship and evil practices of their own people and joined the Jews in following after God. We learn two things from this. Firstly, we learn that Gentiles in the Old Testament could be saved.
When the Jews were serving God, this was a witness to the surrounding nations, and this testimony sometimes drew unbelievers from around them to turn to God. Here, we see that these people were committed to God. Instead of just adding God to their existing religions (like the Samaritans were doing), they rejected their idols and sought after the Lord. It doesn’t do any good to “win” someone to Christ if they do not reject the lie they have been following.
4. In verse 22, we learn more about joy; the source of it is God. The Lord caused them to rejoice. Joy doesn’t come by making up your mind to be happy. Many discouraged and depressed people smile while they are at work. Waiters smile at their customers. Customer service agents give pleasant greetings. Teachers temporarily set aside their difficulties to smile and laugh with their students. However, this is not joy. It is a cover, a mask. And we all wear this mask often. If you find that you are wearing this mask, come to the Lord and ask Him to fill you with true joy.
5. In verse 22, we also see that God was directing the heart of the king to give them favor in his eyes. The story of Israel’s return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple is primarily a story of God’s grace and sovereign power. He kept His promises to them and made it happen. When the temple was finished, you could truly say they didn’t build that. God did.
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