Ezra is a witness to God’s faithfulness He allowed them to stay in captivity for 70 years, and yet God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia to let His people go back and worship Him, and built the temple. Although they faced opposition the land inhabitants tried to stop them by raising false accusations such as they will not pay taxes, and they are inciting sedition, like in former times and the king will have no power beyond the river. That caused the stall of the temple being built, Darius decrees that they may continue after the search for the record was found. And still the Israelites took wives from the inhabitants of the land and had children with them and Ezra was devastated, yet again the children of Israel repented and put their wives and children away and the temple was finished and dedicated.
Nehemiah inwardly a steward of Persia but inwardly a servant of God, gives me an example that I can submit to my bosses who are not Christ like and yet I don’t have to compromise serving God and God will honor that and even bless me through them. Nehemiah faced oppression from sanballat and tobiah mocked him and raised accusations but he never gave up, he prayed took action and continued, and the wall around the city was built and fortified. They read and taught the law, celebrated the feasts, and they dwelled in the land.
