The Book of Ezra - The Faithfulness of God

"But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage." – Ezra 9:8b

The beginning of the book of Ezra, is the announcement of God fulfilling God’s promises.  Ezra begins with Cyrus’s decree to release the exiles who where held captive in Babylon.  From here, the narrative continues with a focus on the rebuilding of Israel.  They not only must focus on the rebuilding of the temple and the physical walls that surround them, but rebuilding the community as well.
 
It’s a joyous return and it is a rebuilding that takes a lot of hard work.  There are continual obstacles that try to thwart the rebuilding efforts and yet the people persist, and God remains faithful.
 
The book of Ezra gives us a picture of the hard work and struggles that can often face a community of faith.  And at the same time, the book of Ezra provides us with inspiring stories about the ways that communities can persist in faith and be sustained with by a sense of gratitude for the ways that God is faithful.