BEMA Episode Link: 66: Ezra/Nehemiah — Passionate Leadership
Episode Length: 23:06
Published Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2018 01:00:00 -0700
Session 2
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the different leadership styles seen during the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Discussion Video for BEMA 66

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Transcript for BEMA 66

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

• Ezra and Nehemiah are two separate books but the Jews see them either as a single volume or as two very close companion books.
  • The Masoretic text has them as a single book.
  • Marty argues that these are more of a continuous narrative of the same story rather than two different, but related, stories.
• Marty is trying to look at what the people of the time would be taking out of the writings at the time.
• We set up the remnant period but never discussed what it was.
  • Babylon was overthrown by Persia.
  • Persians were much different in the way that they rules. Babylonians used brute strength but Persions impressed people enough to willingly surrender. Think of it like a very appealing Suzerain-Vassal covenant.
  • Babylon conquered but Persia asked are you interested in being part of our kingdom and living under our rule? Then go back and rebuild.
  • Mentioned the movie 300 as an example of the culture at the time.
• Ezra/Nehemiah is a letter about letters.
  • Jews are writing back to Cyrus in Persia.
  • Ezra and Nehemiah are both Prophets in the Ketuvim immediately before Chronicles.
  • We think of the Jews returning home and celebrating but they really returned in waves. One led by Zerubabel, one by Ezra and another by Nehemiah. We can assume more waves that were not even talked about.
• Marty finds it interesting the different forms of leadership. These books are about leadership in Marty’s mind.
  • Zerubabel has a pioneering spirit and goes first.
  • Ezra goes second.
    • Under the rule of Artaxerxes?
    • Ezra 7:10
    • Talmud teaches that Ezra had such a passion for the law that if Moses had not given the law on Mount Sinai, Ezra would have given the law here at the return of the exile.
    • He does read it during the rain. Verse?
    • Ezra wasn’t a chump that simply led people back. He was a major player.
    • He also doesn’t have a team of A+ students but a team of mediocre students. He was very passionate about the law.
    • Talmud says Ezra was the disciple of Baruch who was Jeremiah’s scribe. It is believed that is the reason Ezra has the passion that he does to restore the relationship between God and his people.
    • How does he have this passion? Ezra has the heart of a Pastor. He’s a shepherd. He’ll promote team work and care about feelings, etc. He will write letters, etc.
    • If you’re going to rebuild, intermarriage isn’t a great idea.
    • Ezra uses his voice to influence and organize the way in which the return will happen successfully.
  • Nehemiah goes third.
    • Nehemiah isn’t the kind to call a townhall meeting.
    • He is more tough on the people. “He pulled out their hair/beards.”
    • Reminder that the church has recently struggled with leadership and these are examples from 2500 years ago.
    • If I step back from the details, I see a completely different kind of leader.
      • Note that resistance, hardship, and troubles will come. If you want to rebuild anything in your life, it will not be easy.
      • The common experience is after a period of great excitement and fulfillment.
        • We go to camp or some retreat and return energize only to experience frustration, hardship, and testing.
        • Jesus gets baptized and then he goes to the desert to fast and be tested/tempted.
        • The Israelites experience the exodus and then go out to the desert to be tested.
        • This is the common experience.
      • Don’t just think the decree of Cyrus is going to show up in your life and it’s going to be easy to just go back and rebuild. There will always be bumps in the road.
      • In each story people are faced with obstacles. Good leaders help people overcome obstacles. They encourage people to keep going and ensure. They find a way to get the job done. This is what leadership does.
  • Zerubabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah all lead in different ways but they all share hardship and struggle in their experience. There are people that oppose their work, nay-sayers, disobedience, and lack of character that’s needed to succeed.
  • These leaders couldn’t be more different in their leadership styles.
  • Ezra leads with encouragement and tact. Nehemiah leads with an Elijah-like fire, inspiration, and hutzpah.
  • However, God blessed each of them because they are working the way God created them to work–they are working under their anointing.
  • Each of them were passionate.
  • It’s easy to see Nehemiah’s passion but don’t think Ezra didn’t lead each morning with passion.
  • It’s hard to encourage God’s people and write a letter without a response.
  • Each of us is a leader of something. If we are an Ezra, we need to be an Ezra, if we are a Nehemiah, we need to be a Nehemiah, if we’re a Zerubabel, we need to be a Zerubabel.
  • This is still ~580 years before Jesus.

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