S2 66: Ezra/Nehemiah — Passionate Leadership
Ezra and Nehemiah [23:06]
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.
Notes
*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.
BEMA Episode 66: Ezra/Nehemiah — Passionate Leadership
Title & Source Summary
This episode explores the books of Ezra and Nehemiah as companion volumes that tell the continuous story of the Jewish remnant returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The focus is on understanding different leadership styles demonstrated during the difficult work of rebuilding Jerusalem and re-establishing the Jewish people in their homeland during the Persian period (6th century BC).
Key Takeaways
- Ezra and Nehemiah are best understood as one continuous narrative, traditionally viewed as a single volume in Hebrew manuscripts
- The return from exile was not a joyous mass exodus but a difficult, wave-by-wave migration led by different leaders
- Three distinct leadership styles are demonstrated: Zerubbabel (the pioneer), Ezra (the shepherd/pastor), and Nehemiah (the prophet)
- Rebuilding always involves resistance, hardship, and opposition—this is the biblical pattern from the Exodus through Jesus’s ministry
- God blesses different leadership styles because leaders work according to how God created them, not according to a single formula
- Passionate leadership is essential for accomplishing God’s purposes, regardless of your specific leadership style
- Everyone has some form of leadership calling, whether in business, family, mentoring, or service
Main Concepts & Theories
Historical Context: The Persian Period
The Fall of Babylon and Rise of Persia
- Babylon was overthrown by Persia around 539 BC
- Persian rule differed fundamentally from Babylonian/Assyrian brute force tactics
- Influenced by Greek philosophy, Persians preferred efficiency over waste
- Rather than destroying conquered peoples, Persians established suzerain-vassal relationships
- Cyrus’s decree allowing Jews to return was part of Persian policy, not just generosity toward Israel
The Complex Reality of Return
- The return happened in waves over time, not as one mass migration
- Very few people were “filled with joy” on the journey back
- Those who returned were not the educated elite or wealthy—they were “below-average, C- students”
- The cream of the crop remained in Babylon where they had established prosperous lives
- Rebuilding Jerusalem would be incredibly difficult work requiring passionate, dedicated leadership
Political Tensions
- Ezra and Nehemiah contain numerous letters exchanged between Jews and Persian authorities
- Opponents of the rebuilding work wrote letters trying to portray Jews as disloyal to Persia
- The Jews had to carefully maintain their suzerain-vassal relationship with Persia
- Rebellion at “the crossroads of the earth” (Jerusalem’s strategic location) would not be tolerated
- This political complexity added significant stress to the already difficult work of rebuilding
The Three Leadership Styles
Zerubbabel: The Pioneer
- Led the first wave of return to Jerusalem
- Possessed pioneering spirit—willing to go first into the unknown
- Comparable to New Testament apostolic gifting
- Required tremendous passion and commitment to lead people into uncertain circumstances
- Represents leaders who start new things and blaze trails for others to follow
Ezra: The Shepherd/Pastor
- Described in Ezra 7:10 as devoted to studying, observing, and teaching God’s law
- This verse captures the three-step leadership process: pursue/study, model/observe, teach
- Talmudic tradition: Had such passion for the law that “if Moses had not given the law on Mount Sinai, Ezra would have given the law here”
- Second-generation disciple of Jeremiah (through Baruch), which explains his passion to restore relationship between God and people
- Led with encouragement, tact, and teamwork
- Called town hall meetings to address problems like intermarriage
- Created lists, worked collaboratively, cared about people’s feelings and buy-in
- Used his voice as a shepherd to guide the flock
Nehemiah: The Prophet
- Led with fire, inspiration, and direct action
- When discovering intermarriage: “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair”
- No town hall meetings—took immediate, forceful action
- Possessed Elijah-like fire and chutzpah
- Represents prophetic leadership that confronts sin and inspires through bold action
- Context note: This was 2,500 years ago, different period of human consciousness—not a model for abusive leadership today
Universal Principles of Rebuilding
Resistance is Inevitable
- Biblical pattern: Mountaintop experiences are followed by testing in the desert
- Jesus: Baptism → immediately tested in the wilderness
- Israel: Exodus → tested in the desert
- The remnant: Cyrus’s decree → hardship in rebuilding
- “One constant piece is hardship”
- There will always be bumps, obstacles, opposition, naysayers, and people losing heart
Good Leadership Navigates Hardship
- Helps people overcome obstacles
- Encourages people to keep going
- Helps all endure
- Finds a way to get the job done
- All three leaders (Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah) faced people opposing their work, losing heart, being disobedient, and lacking character
Passion is Non-Negotiable
- Easy to see Nehemiah’s passion in his bold actions
- But Ezra’s passion showed in daily perseverance—encouraging people to write letters and wait for delayed responses
- Zerubbabel’s passion evident in willingness to “mount up the troops and head back home into the unknown”
- Different expressions, same essential quality: undying commitment to persevere
Leadership and Calling
Everyone is a Leader
- You may be a recognized leader: business owner, supervisor, teacher
- You may be a less obvious leader: parent, mentor, role model
- You may serve in ways that influence others without realizing it
- A woman some young girl looks up to
- A man whose colleague is watching him
- “You are a leader of something”
Be the Leader God Created You to Be
- If you’re a Nehemiah, we need you to be a Nehemiah
- If you’re an Ezra, we need you to be an Ezra
- If you’re a Zerubbabel pioneer, we need you to be that
- Don’t try to lead according to someone else’s style
- Work under your anointing
- Both Ezra and Nehemiah were blessed by God because “they are working as God has created them to work”
The Contemporary Call
- We live in “a weird, disruptive time” marked by jaded cynicism with church and culture
- Whatever sits on the other side of this season will come through “people doing the one thing that God put you here to do”
- Passionate leaders are needed now more than ever
- Lead well in your sphere of influence, whatever that may be
Examples & Applications
Real-World Leadership Parallels
Church Planting and Ministry Contexts
- Pioneer church planters embody Zerubbabel’s spirit—going first into new territory
- Pastoral leaders embody Ezra’s approach—shepherding, teaching, building consensus
- Prophetic voices embody Nehemiah’s approach—calling out sin, inspiring bold action
- All three are needed; none is superior to the others
Organizational Rebuilding
- Any organization going through transition or rebuilding will face opposition
- Expect both external resistance (competitors, critics) and internal challenges (people losing heart, breaking rules)
- Different phases may require different leadership styles
- Initial pioneering phase → pastoral consolidation phase → prophetic reformation phase
Personal Life Rebuilding
- Post-addiction recovery requires rebuilding life structures
- After divorce, parents rebuild family identity
- Career changes require rebuilding professional identity
- Health crises necessitate rebuilding physical and emotional strength
- All follow the pattern: decree/decision → desert testing → difficult rebuilding requiring passion
The Intermarriage Issue in Context
Why It Mattered
- Not primarily about ethnic purity but about preserving cultural/religious identity
- “If you’re going to go back and rebuild, intermarriage is probably not a great way to get started”
- Genealogy and lineage were essential to re-establishing tribal identity
- In Nehemiah’s account: “Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod…and did not know how to speak the language of Judah”
- Language loss meant cultural loss meant loss of covenant identity
Two Approaches to Same Problem
- Ezra: Called everyone together, created a list, worked collaboratively to address it
- Nehemiah: Direct confrontation, rebukes, curses, physical action
- Both addressed the same issue; both were blessed by God
- Different contexts, different personalities, different methods, same ultimate goal
The Letter-Writing Culture
Political Reality of Vassal States
- Constant written communication with Persian authorities
- Every building project, policy decision, or conflict required correspondence
- Opponents weaponized the letter-writing system to create obstacles
- Required tremendous patience and diplomatic skill
- Ezra’s shepherding approach well-suited to this bureaucratic reality
Leadership Lessons
- Not all leadership is dramatic action—much is administrative perseverance
- Patience with slow processes is a form of passion
- Navigating bureaucracy for God’s purposes requires commitment
- “It’s difficult to crawl out of bed each morning and encourage God’s people to write another letter only to wait for a delayed response from some Persian king”
Potential Areas for Further Exploration
Biblical and Historical Deep Dives
- Detailed study of Persian-period Judaism
- How did Persian influence shape Jewish thought and practice?
- What is the full historical debate about Persians as benevolent vs. brutal empire?
- How does the movie “300” represent the other side of Persian history?
- The evolution from Israelites to Jews
- What theological and social changes occurred during the exile?
- How did Judean identity become Jewish identity?
- What was preserved vs. transformed during the 70 years in Babylon?
- The wave migrations and their leaders
- Detailed timeline of returns under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah
- Other possible waves not recorded in Scripture
- Demographic analysis: Who returned vs. who stayed in Babylon?
- Temple rebuilding history
- “They’re going to rebuild this temple four times, five times”
- What were the circumstances of each rebuilding?
- How does Herod’s temple fit into this history?
- Why was Herod “probably not the person that Jewish history will look at” favorably?
Theological Questions
- Ezra’s rabbinic tradition
- Explore the Talmudic claim that Ezra was Baruch’s disciple, making him Jeremiah’s “second-generation disciple”
- What does it mean that “if Moses had not given the law…Ezra would have given the law”?
- How does this elevate Ezra’s significance in Jewish thought?
- Ketuvim vs. Nevi’im classification
- Why are Ezra and Nehemiah in the Writings rather than the Prophets section?
- What does this classification tell us about how they were viewed?
- How does this connect to Session 3 content that will “make even so much more sense”?
- The desert testing pattern
- Why is testing in the wilderness the consistent biblical pattern?
- Jesus, Israel, the remnant—what theological significance does this hold?
- How does this inform Christian spiritual formation today?
- Leadership anointing and calling
- What does it mean to “work under your anointing”?
- How do we discern our specific leadership style/calling?
- Can leaders develop multiple styles or are we “hardwired” for one?
Contemporary Application Studies
- Leadership in “weird, disruptive times”
- How do we identify our current cultural moment’s specific challenges?
- What forms of passionate leadership does this moment require?
- How do we avoid “jaded cynicism” while maintaining prophetic critique?
- Avoiding abusive leadership
- How do we honor Nehemiah’s bold leadership without justifying abuse?
- What is the difference between prophetic confrontation and abusive control?
- How has “human consciousness evolved” regarding acceptable leadership practices?
- What accountability structures prevent leadership abuse while empowering leaders?
- Gender and leadership styles
- The episode mentions “the one woman that some young girl looks up to”
- How do these leadership styles manifest across gender lines?
- Are there additional leadership models needed to fully represent women’s leadership?
- The remnant mentality
- What does it mean to live as a remnant in contemporary Western culture?
- How does embracing “below-average, C- students” status free us from pride?
- What is God able to do with those who aren’t “the cream of the crop”?
Comprehension Questions
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Compare and Contrast: How did Persian rule differ from Babylonian/Assyrian rule, and why did this difference make it possible for the Jews to return to Jerusalem? What were the political implications for the rebuilding project?
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Leadership Analysis: Describe the three distinct leadership styles demonstrated by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. How did each leader approach the problem of intermarriage, and what does this reveal about their different approaches to leadership?
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Biblical Patterns: What is the consistent pattern in Scripture regarding mountaintop experiences and testing? Provide at least three examples and explain why “resistance, hardship, and troubles will come” during any rebuilding effort.
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Theological Significance: According to Talmudic tradition, Ezra was called a second-generation disciple of Jeremiah and was said to have such passion for the law that he could have given it if Moses hadn’t. What does this reveal about Ezra’s significance in Jewish thought, and how does Ezra 7:10 capture his three-step leadership approach?
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Personal Application: The episode concludes that “you are a leader of something” and calls listeners to “be the kind of leader that God created you to be.” What does it mean to work “under your anointing,” and why does God bless different leadership styles rather than requiring one correct approach? How might you identify your own leadership calling?
Personalized Summary
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell one continuous story of the Jewish people’s difficult return from Babylonian exile during the Persian period. This wasn’t a joyous mass exodus but a slow, wave-by-wave migration of people—primarily those who weren’t the educated elite—facing enormous obstacles in rebuilding their city, temple, and cultural identity.
What stands out most powerfully in this narrative is that God doesn’t require one “correct” leadership style. Instead, He blesses leaders who work authentically according to how He created them. Zerubbabel pioneered the first wave with courage to go into the unknown. Ezra shepherded with patience, teaching, and collaborative problem-solving. Nehemiah prophetically confronted sin with fiery boldness. All three faced opposition, naysayers, and people losing heart. All three required deep passion to persevere. All three were blessed by God.
The universal pattern of Scripture is that times of spiritual breakthrough are immediately followed by testing in the desert. The Jews received Cyrus’s decree to return, then faced decades of hardship rebuilding. Jesus was baptized, then immediately tested in the wilderness. Israel experienced the Exodus, then wandered forty years. Rebuilding anything meaningful in your life—relationships, health, vocation, faith—will involve resistance and hardship. This is not a sign you’re on the wrong path; it’s confirmation you’re on the biblical path.
Every person listening has leadership capacity in some sphere. You might be a recognized leader in business or ministry, or you might be a parent, mentor, or quiet example others watch. Whatever your sphere, God needs you to lead with passion in the way He designed you to lead. Don’t try to be Nehemiah if God made you Ezra. Don’t try to shepherd if God called you to pioneer. Work under your anointing.
We live in a disruptive time marked by cynicism toward the church and confusion about cultural engagement. But whatever sits on the other side of this season will come through passionate leaders doing the one thing God put them here to do. The call is simple but not easy: Lead well. Lead passionately. Lead as yourself. The people of God need it.
Original Notes
- 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.