From the Pulpit...

The book of Ezra records the initial return from exile of Zerubbabel and Ezra, the rebuilding of the temple, the opposition to the Jews and their work, and Ezra's moral reforms. It demonstrates God’s provision and protection and reiterates His call for holiness among His people that they should implement by following His word, something Ezra desired to do himself.

After long absence due to their disobedience, the Jewish people were back in their land. This history, along with Nehemiah with which it was originally paired, explains how God was still working in the nation for moral and religious reform, and He was also working outside of the nation with pagan kings, in order to preserve and restore His people. The temple that these people built was eventually expanded into a beautiful edifice in the first century A.D. when Jesus came to it.