Ezra: Introduction

Conservative Americans are in exile; We are living, today, in a country far different from the land in which we were raised. Up until the 1960, the prevailing ethos of America's culture was pretty traditional; Christianity permeated American society in the 1950s at unprecedented levels, shaping public life amid postwar prosperity and Cold War unity.

• Church attendance and affiliation hit historic peaks, reflecting a “religious boom.” Nearly half of Americans (45-49%) attended church weekly by 1955-58, the highest ever recorded. Membership surged to 63% by 1960, outpacing population growth; over 90% self-identified as Christian. 80% viewed the Bible as God’s revealed word; 70%+ deemed religion “very important.”
• Nuclear family ideal: Breadwinner father, homemaker mother, obedient children—reinforced by TV like Leave It to Beaver.
• Conformity and materialism: Suburban boom (e.g., Levittown), status via cars/appliances, but thrift eroded by buy-now-pay-later culture.
• Social conservatism: High religiosity (70% saw faith as vital), disapproval of premarital sex/divorce, racial segregation (pre-Brown v. Board 1954), gender limits (women as homemakers).
• Patriotism and anti-communism: McCarthyism, emphasis on wholesomeness over individualism.

To a great degree, it was the failings of the Church that led to the remarkable shift in the American landscape—superficial faith amid segregationist stances and theological drift—eroded moral authority, fueling 1960s upheavals and today’s polarization. Theological Shallowness prioritized social ethics over gospel basics, alienating laity. Seminaries embraced “new theology,” downplaying creeds (virgin birth, resurrection) for progressivist ideals; Churches often defended segregation, fracturing unity during civil rights. Cultural Accommodation - Shifting to “kingdom-building” ethics ignored sexual mores, inviting counterculture backlash.

Today, the Progressive wing of American culture has taken hold as the prime mover...replacing the church...intent on addressing the failings of the Church but, untethered from biblical values; Equality and justice: Prioritizing parity across social groups, fighting oppression, hierarchy, and discrimination to ensure fair treatment. Solidarity and cooperation: Emphasizing mutual support, collective action over competition, and aid for the disadvantaged. Progress and pluralism: Promoting human reason, reform, diversity of identities, and advancement toward a more inclusive society.

The lack of biblical restraints has resulted in tactics counterintuitive to those goals. In just the last year we have seen a number of incidents or attacks driven by ideological rage.

• Riley Jane English (Jan 28): 24-year-old arrested on the National Mall with a knife, two Molotov cocktails, and a lighter. She admitted intent to assassinate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (called a “Nazi”), House Speaker Mike Johnson, or Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, plus burn the Heritage Foundation.
• Charlie Kirk Assassination (Sep 10): Conservative activist killed by Tyler Robinson, 22, who etched “hey fascist, catch this” on the shell casing. Motivated by partisan hatred, fitting CSIS’s anti-Trump pattern.
• Dallas ICE Facility Attack: Bombing or assault on the detention center, blamed on anti-immigration policy backlash and “radical left” rhetoric; Trump linked it to Democratic attacks on his administration. 
• Other CSIS-Tracked Plots: Four of five early-2025 left-wing incidents succeeded as attacks (not just foiled), targeting government/law enforcement; examples include threats to Pete Hegseth and broader anti-Trump violence waves.
• Minneapolis ICE protests: Resulted in the deaths of two people.

Minds greater than my own ponder this dichotomy and posit some reasons...The Urgency of systemic threats like racism, fascism, or climate collapse are existential, making nonviolent delay seem complicit; examples include Antifa clashes at far-right events or 2020 riots amid police brutality protests. Deontological ethics (moral necessity) prioritize ending perceived evil immediately, excusing property damage, doxxing, or street fights as lesser harms compared to inaction (e.g., Occupy-era plots or 2025 ICE facility attacks). Media and elite framing downplay fringe violence (e.g., as “mostly peaceful”) while amplifying right-wing threats, creating a double standard perception.

I suggest the complete lack of faith foundation is the flexion point that turned our great country into a shadow of its former probity and propriety. And, we shouldn't be surprised; The children of Israel (specifically Judah) were exiled to Babylon primarily as divine judgment for chronic disobedience to God’s covenant, including idolatry, social injustice, and ignoring prophetic warnings. These failings violated Deuteronomy’s blessings/curses framework, culminating in 597–586 BCE deportations under Nebuchadnezzar. 

So, here we are...

But, we can return from exile, just as the Children of Israel did and, The Book Of Ezra Gives us a pathway home. The Book of Ezra was written to show how God restored Israel after the Babylonian exile by bringing His people back to the land, rebuilding the temple, and renewing their covenant life under His law.

• To describe the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem and the restoration of proper worship of the Lord. 
• To preserve how Israel’s covenant identity was reestablished through obedience to the law of Moses and reforms led especially by Ezra the scribe-priest. 
• To highlight God’s providential use of foreign kings (like Cyrus and Artaxerxes) to accomplish His redemptive purposes for His people. 
• To encourage later generations that God is faithful to His promises and can bring spiritual revival and hope even after judgment and exile.

Biblical texts like Deuteronomy 28 promise that covenant obedience to God’s law brings national blessings—health, prosperity, agricultural abundance—while disobedience triggers curses like disease and poverty. The Lesson is clear...this "exile" is our own fault. We can't blame the progressive left or anybody else. 2 Chronicles 7:14 states: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” As we work our way through God's Word, in the Book of Ezra, we can pray that God will see our hearts and restore us to the land He originally prepared for us.

Live boldly out there today...

Outline of the Book of Ezra

1. Return from Babylon Under Zerubbabel  ( 1:1⁠–⁠6:22 )

a. Return from Babylon  ( 1:1⁠–⁠2:70 )

i.   The Proclamation of Cyrus  ( 1:1⁠–⁠6 )

ii.  Cyrus Restores the Holy Vessels  ( 1:7⁠–⁠11 )

iii. List of Returning Exiles  ( 2:1⁠–⁠70 )

b. Construction of the Second Temple  ( 3:1⁠–⁠6:22 )

i.   Sacrifices Restored  ( 3:1⁠–⁠7 )

1. Building an Altar  ( 3:1⁠–⁠3 )

2. The Feast of Tabernacles Observed  ( 3:4⁠–⁠7 )

ii.  Temple Rebuilding Begins  ( 3:8⁠–⁠13 )

iii. Adversaries Hinder the Work  ( 4:1⁠–⁠24 )

1. Opposition under Cyrus  ( 4:1⁠–⁠5 )

2. Opposition under Xerxes  ( 4:6 )

3. Opposition under Artaxerxes  ( 4:7⁠–⁠24 )

iv. Completion of the Temple  ( 5:1⁠–⁠6:22 )

1. Temple Rebuilding Resumes  ( 5:1⁠–⁠5 )

2. Tettenai’s Letter to Darius  ( 5:6⁠–⁠17 )

3. The Decree of Darius  ( 6:1⁠–⁠12 )

4. The Temple Completed  ( 6:13⁠–⁠15 )

5. Dedication of the Temple  ( 6:16⁠–⁠18 )

6. The Returned Exiles Keep the Passover  ( 6:19⁠–⁠22 )

2. Ezra's Return from Babylon  ( 7:1⁠–⁠10:44 )

a. Ezra's Return  ( 7:1⁠–⁠8:36 )

i.   Ezra Arrives at Jerusalem  ( 7:1⁠–⁠10 )

ii.  Atraxerxes’ Letter for Ezra  ( 7:11⁠–⁠26 )

iii. Ezra Blesses God  ( 7:27⁠–⁠28 )

iv. The Exiles Who Returned with Ezra  ( 8:1⁠–⁠14 )

v.  Ezra Sends for the Levites  ( 8:15⁠–⁠20 )

vi. Fasting for Protection  ( 8:21⁠–⁠23 )

vii. Priests to Guard the Offerings  ( 8:24⁠–⁠30 )

viii. Arrival in Jerusalem  ( 8:31⁠–⁠36 )

b. Ezra's Revival  ( 9:1⁠–⁠10:44 )

i.   Intermarriage with Neighboring Peoples  ( 9:1⁠–⁠4 )

ii.  Ezra's Prayer of Confession  ( 9:5⁠–⁠15 )

iii. Shecaniah Encourages Ezra  ( 10:1⁠–⁠5 )

iv. The People’s Confession of Sin  ( 10:6⁠–⁠17 )

v.  Those Guilty of Intermarriage  ( 10:18⁠–⁠44 )

 So, who’s the smart one now?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

I’m of the mind that every generation thinks it’s smarter than its parents’ generation. So, they agitate for whatever change they believe will construct a better society. My generation upped the ante by freely using violence and terrorism to make its point and precipitated our current slide to Gomorrah. Today we see a wholesale deconstruction of a society that took over two centuries to build. The violence and anger is nearly unprecedented. The desire to eliminate every dissonant voice is alarming and, if successful, will end democracy as we know it. Chaos will rule. 

 I understand many believe the time for change is now. OK, take a look around. What do we imagine things will look like after this younger generation breaks everything? If we naively think their intention is to build a better society we are part of the problem. Any of us who have raised children know one character of immaturity is a tendency toward violence when triggered. Children break things, in anger, without any thought of the consequence. They never look into the future and ask what “better” might look like. This is “emotional incontinence” and one task of parenting is to train that out of our kids. It makes me think “safe spaces” are nothing more than pampers for untrained hearts and minds.

I remember my parents’ generation generally lived with self-restraint, respect for authority and attention to their reputation in the community. And, our society, though not perfect, was far more stable. Surely we need change for underrepresented segments of our society but, If violence and hatred were the answer, why haven’t we seen an improvement? Maybe...our parents were smarter than we thought.

I probably should have tried to learn more  about what informed my parents’ views on how to build a better society. I’d ask them now, if I could. 

I fear John Calvin was right in saying humanity is not naturally good or enlightened or thoughtful or generous or patient. We are selfish, impatient and hatefully violent toward others. That does not give me much hope for the future. Unless, of course, we allow the Christ whom John Calvin served reform our hearts and minds so we begin to think and act as He desires.

Christ tells us we will be judged by whatever standard we judge others. If I judge you to be racist I will be judged by that same standard. Sadly, I’m unaware of what a completely non-racist society looks like so, I have a problem. If I judge you to be stupid, or ignorant, or worthy of my disdain...I have the same problem. 

However, if I judge you to be worthy of God’s love, grace and forgiveness even if you don’t want it well, that’s a risk I can live with. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.

Live boldly out there today…

Blameless before God

“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin."  2 Samuel 22:21-24

How can David say this with Bathsheba in his life?

David’s claim (paralleled in Psalm 18) reflects a posture of general integrity before God, not sinless perfection—especially when read in covenantal and poetic context.

This song celebrates God’s deliverance from enemies like Saul and Absalom; David highlights his covenant loyalty (uprightness in following God’s law and heart) amid overall faithfulness, using heightened “blameless” language common in ancient Near Eastern royal psalms. It’s not a literal boast of zero sins but praise for God’s reward matching David’s direction: “With the pure you show yourself pure” (v. 27).

David contrasts his rule with pagan kings’ idolatry or Saul’s rebellion—he kept God’s commands broadly, earning divine favor despite flaws; by the time he penned these words, he’d repented deeply via Psalm 51, receiving forgiveness (“the Lord…has put away your sin).

Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness; 

According to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.

Wash me thoroughly from my guilt

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my wrongdoings, 

And my sin is constantly before me.

Against You, You only, I have sinned

And done what is evil in Your sight, 

So that You are justified when You speak

And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, 

And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, 

And in secret You will make wisdom known to me.

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 

Cleanse me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness, 

Let the bones You have broken rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins

And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

Create in me a clean heart, God, 

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence, 

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, 

And sustain me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach wrongdoers Your ways, 

And sinners will be converted to You.

Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation; 

Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

Lord, open my lips, 

So that my mouth may declare Your praise.

For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; 

You do not take pleasure in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; 

A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.

By Your favor do good to Zion; 

Build the walls of Jerusalem.

Then You will delight in [m]righteous sacrifices, 

In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; 

Then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Psalm 51, penned after Nathan confronted David over his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah (2 Samuel 12), models authentic repentance as raw confession, humble plea for renewal, and commitment to restored worship.

• Full Ownership of Sin - David doesn’t minimize or shift blame: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (v. 4), recognizing layers—transgressions (rebellion), iniquity (moral twist), sin (missing God’s mark)—as ultimate offenses against God’s holiness, despite harming others.
• Desperate Cry for Mercy - He appeals solely to God’s character: “Have mercy… blot out… wash me thoroughly” (vv. 1-2, 7), using hyssop imagery for deep cleansing (like leprosy rituals), admitting no self-help suffices.
• Inner Heart Renewal - Core plea: “Create in me a clean heart… renew a right spirit… restore the joy of your salvation” (vv. 10-12), tracing sin to innate brokenness (v. 5) and seeking God’s creative power for lasting change, not just pardon.
• Fruitful Response - Vows praise and guiding sinners (vv. 13-17)—a broken spirit pleases God over empty sacrifice—echoing his “man after God’s heart” trajectory via quick, thorough turning back amid consequences.

Have I sinned before God? Absolutely! Does God want this to characterize my relationship with Him? NO! Psalm 51 reassures us of God’s forgiveness by modeling humble confession as the path to full cleansing and restoration, grounded in His merciful character rather than our merit. David appeals to God’s “unfailing love” and “great compassion” (v. 1), confident that forgiveness flows from who God is—not earned by performance. This echoes 2 Samuel 12:13, where Nathan declares God’s immediate pardon post-confrontation.

Promise of Total Cleansing...Repeated pleas—“blot out,” “wash me thoroughly,” “cleanse me with hyssop… whiter than snow” (vv. 1-2, 7)—affirm God’s power to erase sin completely, removing guilt and shame. David’s assurance rests in divine initiative, not human effort.

“Create in me a clean heart… restore the joy of your salvation” (vv. 10-12) shows forgiveness renews fellowship, not just acquittal—God’s Spirit stays, spirit steadies. David’s trajectory (post-Bathsheba repentance) proves it works amid consequences.

In 2 Samuel 22, “blameless” (tamim - תָּמִים), applies to David, meaning wholeness, integrity, completeness, or soundness—not sinless perfection; highlighting his responsive heart—obedience, repentance, and divine enablement (v. 33). In Psalm 51:4, “blameless” applies to God, affirming His unimpeachable justice amid David’s sin. 

Whatever my situation, have I kept my covenant with God...agreeing that my life belongs fully to Him (though the work of Jesus Christ)...in spite of my human failures? Be assured...in reciting Psalm 51 regularly, that according to [His] faithfulness; according to the greatness of [His] compassion, [He] will wipe out my wrongdoings. [He] will wash me thoroughly from my guilt." Both underscore "Blameless" as wholeness: absolute for God, aspirational and grace-sustained for people. My standing before God rests upon His character...not mine. That's very good news.

That is the ground upon which we stand; blameless before God. 

Live boldly out there today...

 The Rape of Truth: 

“Let you yes be yes and your no be no” James 5:12

Language is an essential tool for people living in community. It is, by definition, a body of words, symbols, signs or gestures used in a uniform fashion by people, to intelligibly communicate thought, emotion, etc. Precise communication of important truths and ideas depends on the precision with which we construct our language. 

Simply put, words have meanings that the community agrees to espouse. This social contract affords each member of the community a high level of confidence that their thoughts and ideas are accurately understood by others. So, when I say “I would like a small non-fat latte”, I have reasonable certainty of what I receive at the other end of the counter.

When language loses its precision communities begin to lose cohesion and conflict results. And, language inevitably becomes a weapon for people living in conflict. Why? Because people in conflict do not use words to convey ideas but to assert power.

You need only look as far as our political discourse. The capricious use of words is most notably used to deride opponents rather than precisely convey ideas. And, when derision is the intent, words begin to lose their meaning. 

Ominously, this seems more the purpose than the consequence. Dissembling has become the strategy for prevailing in conflict. Unscrupulous people will use inflammatory words incorrectly to deride their opponent and gain power over them. 

Look at some of the dissembled words that have become ubiquitous in our discourse today...

HATER - (to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest) Unscrupulous people now use this word to describe anybody who disagrees with their deeply cherished beliefs. When Bruce Springsteen cancelled a concert to protest the bathroom laws in one state I suggested he should stick to singing. I was vehemently branded as a “HATER” multiple times...ostensibly hating transgendered people. I actually had not thought about the transgender folks...who I do not hate...but was thinking of the thousands of fans who wouldn’t get to hear his music...none of whom were responsible for the bathroom law. That nuance was lost on the people who wanted me to shut up.

FASCIST - (a person who advocates a rigid one party dictatorship and forcibly suppresses opposition; espouses centralized control of private enterprise; belligerently nationalistic and racist) This is one of the favorite terms used to discredit our President. It’s laughable on its face. Fascist economies, like Mussolini’s Italy or Hitler’s Germany, featured “corporatism”: the state tightly coordinated or subordinated private industry, labor unions, and guilds into national syndicates to serve state-directed goals such as autarky (economic self-sufficiency), militarization, and imperial expansion. Wages, prices, and production were often controlled; private ownership existed but only if aligned with the regime’s ideology, with harsh penalties for disloyalty Deregulation slashed rules on environment, finance, and labor, shrinking agencies like the EPA and defunding oversight—opposite of fascism’s state empowerment. 

RACIST - (a program or practice of racial discrimination, segregation, persecution and domination based on a doctrine that some races are inferior to others [racialism]) while racism is identifiable by certain action or policy, it must be rooted in the idea that one race is superior to another (racialism). Immigration policy is often used to label our government as racist. This is based almost entirely on the desire to effectively close our southern border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering. There is no evidence that the policy is based on race but, of course, labeling him a “protectionist” is far less incendiary or useful to opposing political advocates

TRANSPHOBIC (discrimination against, aversion to, or fear of transgender people) 

Standard definitions (fear, aversion, or discrimination against trans people) often stretch to include any skepticism about gender ideology, such as questioning child transitions, women’s sports fairness, or biological sex realities. This labels principled dissent—e.g., feminists protecting single-sex spaces—as “phobic,” equating it to violence or abuse without distinguishing intent or evidence. Critics argue “transphobia” is unfair when applied to those who merely disagree because it conflates reasonable, evidence-based concerns with irrational hatred or bigotry, shutting down debate. But...isn't that exactly what the radicals want?

BIGOT - (having an obstinate or blind attachment to a particular creed, party, sect or opinion; being prejudiced or intolerant) Bigotry is often rooted in prejudice, hostility, or refusal to engage evidence. Dictionaries consistently define it as stubborn narrow-mindedness: Merriam-Webster notes “obstinate or narrow-minded adherence to one’s own opinions and prejudices”; It involves emotional rigidity, stereotyping entire groups (e.g., “all X are Y”), and rejecting counter-evidence as exceptions. Disagreement alone isn’t bigotry—voicing evidence-based objections, even strongly, lacks the intolerance key. For instance, questioning policies on trans sports or transitions based on biology or data (as in our prior talk) is debate, not bigotry, unless it demands suppression of trans people. Bigotry demands hostility or exclusion; a principled “no” aligns with “Let you yes be yes and your no be no”.

So... why does all this matter? Indiscriminate misuse of language erodes clarity, trust, and civil discourse, fostering division and real-world harm.

• Erodes Meaning and Precision - When terms like “fascist,” “transphobia,” or “bigotry” (as we’ve discussed) get stretched beyond their definitions to smear dissenters, they lose specificity—turning nuanced debate into binary shouting matches. Words become weapons, not tools for truth, echoing biblical warnings for “yes” to mean yes and “no” to mean no (Matthew 5:37).
• Fuels Stigma and Policy Harm - Vague, loaded labels stigmatize groups, deter care-seeking (e.g., addiction labeled “abuse” reduces treatment uptake), and sway punitive policies over solutions. In politics or culture wars, this justifies censorship or violence against “bigots,” sidelining evidence-based disagreement.
• Undermines Peace and Society - It kills peacemaking (Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:9)—people retreat to tribes, emotions override reason, and shared reality fractures. History shows this path: dehumanizing rhetoric precedes conflict; precise language builds bridges

Indiscriminate language misuse has repeatedly fueled dehumanization, violence, and oppression throughout history by eroding empathy and justifying atrocities.

• Nazi Dehumanization - The Nazis called Jews “vermin,” “parasites,” and “subhumans,” stripping their humanity to rationalize the Holocaust—millions murdered after rhetoric normalized extermination.
• Rwandan Genocide - Hutu extremists labeled Tutsis “cockroaches” via radio broadcasts, inciting 1994 massacres that killed 800,000 in 100 days; this linguistic priming made neighbors slaughter neighbors.
• U.S. Historical Xenophobia - During WWI, German-Americans faced bans on speaking German, book burnings, and violence after being branded disloyal “Huns”—reducing German from America’s #2 language to obscurity. Native Americans endured boarding schools punishing tribal tongues as “savage,” erasing cultures.
• Slavery and Eugenics - Slaveholders banned African languages and drums to crush rebellion, while pseudoscience termed runaway flight “drapetomania”—a “mental disorder” justifying brutality. Nazis built on U.S. eugenics laws, sterilizing disabled people as “blights,” prelude to their murder.

Abusing language often serves insidious purposes like manipulation, control, and silencing dissent, as history and psychology show.

• Power and Control - Leaders or groups stretch terms (e.g., “Nazi,” “bigot”) to demonize opponents, rallying supporters by creating moral panic—easier to crush “evil” than engage ideas. This echoes Nazi propaganda priming genocide or modern cancel culture.
• Cognitive Manipulation - Vague, loaded words exploit brain shortcuts: ambiguity hides lies, presuppositions plant unverified “truths,” making people comply unwittingly (e.g., ads or politics). It fractures shared reality, fostering tribalism over reason.
• Silencing Dissent - By equating disagreement with “phobia” or “hate,” abusers police speech, chilling debate—our talks on fascism/transphobia illustrate how this dodges evidence for emotional blackmail. Biblical precision (yes/no, peacemaking) counters this; misuse breeds strife.

There’s a better way...if I am a Christian (and, I am), I cannot allow myself to participate in anything that will alienate the people God calls me to "love," so I need to constantly guard my heart and lips from becoming tools of destruction. James says we shouldn't equivocate. We should say what we mean, truthfully. Paul commands: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18)—doing our part diligently, even amid strife, by forgiving, seeking unity, and sharing the gospel. It means discussing our differences charitably, sticking to facts, and avoiding needless division.

Live boldly out there today...