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Ezra
D U R I N G H I S I N A U G U R AT I O N S P E E C H , the president stops,
kneels on the floor, and begins to weep. “I am ashamed of our sins,”
he cries out. The crowd is hushed, electrified. But no one dares to move.
What will he do next? He continues to weep and then begins to pray,
confessing the sins of the nation and begging God for forgiveness. He
acknowledges God as the real leader of the nation. Everyone watching
knows that their country is about to experience dramatic change.
The message made clear in the book of Ezra is
What you will be
that one leader can make a difference. Ezra—
reading about
teacher, writer, priest—was filled with revival
1:1– 2:70
fire. His was the stuff from which true revival
The first exiles return
is made—weeping over and confessing sin,
3:1-13
begging God for forgiveness, and passionately
The Temple rebuilding begins
presenting the Word of God to the people. Ezra
4:1– 5:17
was a leader determined to turn his people back
Enemies oppose and stop
the Temple rebuilding
to God.
Ezra took leadership in spiritual matters, reviv6:1- 22
ing the people’s interest in the Word of God. Some
The Temple building resumes
and is completed
think he wrote Psalm 119, the wonderful poem
about the author’s love and passion for God’s
7:1– 8:36
Ezra arrives in Jerusalem
Word. All great spiritual movements or revivals
must be built on a love for God’s Word, the Bible,
9:1–10:44
Ezra urges the people to
and a passion to live it and talk about it.
confess their sin
The book of Ezra is far from a stuffy, old book
about an almost-forgotten people. It is alive with the sweet music of a love for
God’s Word, a passion for the Lord, a hunger for getting right with God. We
need Ezras in our pulpits, podiums, and marketplaces today—men and women
who truly demonstrate the characteristics of godliness.
As you read and study this book, let the fires of revival stir deep within you.
You and I can have our spiritual passions stirred in the book of Ezra. As Ezra
led a nation in response to his love for God’s Word, so also we can lead those
we influence.
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