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Teaching Outline for the Book of Ezra

IA. First Return Under Zerabbabel: Rebuilding the “House of the Lord” (1:1-6:22)

    1B. The Edict to Return (1:1-11)

      1C. Preamble: Fulfillment of the Lord’s Word (1:1-2)

        1D. Historical Context (1:1a)

        2D. Theological Context(1:1b-2)

      2C. Proclamation: Freedom and Finances (1:3-6)

        1D. The Proclamation Proper (1:3-4a)

        2D. The Response (1:4b-6)

      3C. Provision: Cyrus Opens the Treasury (1:7-11)

        1D. The Source of the Funds (1:7-8)

        2D. The Quantity of the Funds (1:9-11)

    2B. The Exiles Who Did Return (2:1-70)

      1C. The Leaders (2:1-2)

      2C. The Families (2:3-20)

      3C. The Cities (2:21-35)

      4C. The Priests (2:36-39)

      5C. The Levites (2:40-42)

      6C. The Temple Servants (2:43-54)

      7C. The Sons of Solomon’s Servants (2:55-58)

      8C. The Unknowns (2:59-63)

      9C. The Total Number (2:64-70)

    3B. The House of the Lord: Rebuilt and Dedicated (3:1-6:22)

      1C. Construction Begins: First Time (3:1-13)

        1D. Altar Built and Sacrifices Begin (3:1-6)

          1E. Altar Built (3:1-3a)

          2E. Sacrifices Begin (3:3b-6)

        2D. Temple Foundations Laid (3:7-13)

          1E. Workman Appointed and Paid (3:7-9)

          2E. Worship Enacted (3:10-13)

      2C. Construction Ceases (4:1-24)

        1D. The Enemies of Judah: The Threat of Syncretism (4:1-3)

          1E. The Context (4:1)

          2E. The Offer and Rationale (4:2)

          3E. The Response of the Jewish Leaders (4:3)

        2D. The People of the Land Appeal to Artaxerxes (4:4-24)

          1E. General Threat: Discouragement and Bribes (4:4-5)

          2E. Specific Threat: A Letter to Artaxerxes (4:6-24)

      1F. Those Behind the Letter (4:6-10)

      2F. The Accusation in the Letter: Rebellion and Revenue Losses (4:11-16)

          3E. The King’s Response: A Decree to Put An End the Work (4:17-22)

          4E. The King’s Response Implemented: The Work Halted (4:23-24)

      3C. Construction Resumes: The Second Year of Darius (5:1-2)

        1D. Haggai and Zechariah Prophesy (5:1)

        2D. Zerubbabel and Jeshua Resume Building (5:2)

        3D. Tattenai Objects to the Rebuilding (5:3-17)

          1E. Tattenai Queries The Jews (5:3-5)

          2E. Tattenai’s Letter to Darius: Did Cyrus Decree the Building? (5:6-17)

        4D. Darius Passes A Decree to Finish Temple (6:1-12)

          1E. Decree Issued To Find Cyrus Scroll (6:1)

          2E. Cyrus Scroll Found: Confirmation To Rebuild (6:2-5)

          3E. Darius Issues His Own Decree (6:6-12)

      1F. Tattenai and Others Not To Prevent Temple Construction (6:6-7)

      2F. Tattenai and Others to Promote Temple Construction (6:8-10)

      1G. By Paying For It through Taxes (6:8)

      2G. By Providing Everything Necessary for Sacrifices (6:9-10)

      3F. The Warning: Death! (6:11)

      4F. The Curse Formula (6:12)

      4C. Construction Completed (6:13-22)

        1D. The Temple Completed: The Sixth Year of Darius (6:13-15)

        2D. The Temple Dedicated: Joy (6:16-18)

        3D. The People Restored: The Passover Celebration (6:19-22)

IIA. Ezra’s Return: Reforming the People (7:1-10:44)

    1B. The Return To Jerusalem (7:1-8:36)

      1C. The Leadership of Ezra: God’s Hand Upon Him (7:1-10)

        1D. His Pedigree: Back to Aaron (7:1-5)

        2D. His Proficiency: He Was Skilled (7:6a)

        3D. His Position: Before God and King (7:6b)

        4D. His Pilgrimage: In the Seventh Year (7:7-9)

        5D. His Passion: He Had Set His Heart (7:10)

      2C. The Letter of Artaxerxes the King: A Decree (7:11-28)

        1D. The Decree To Return with Provisions (7:11-17)

        2D. The Decree To Freely Use the Trans-Jordan Treasuries (7:18-23)

        3D. The Decree To Prevent Taxation (7:24)

        4D. The Decree To Appoint Ezra Governor (7:25-26)

        5D. Ezra’s Response: Worship (7:27-28)

      3C. The Long Journey (8:1-36)

        1D. The People (8:1-14)

        2D. The Preparation (8:15-23)

          1E. Two Levitical Families Acquired (8:15-20)

          2E. Two Holy Disciplines: Fasting and Prayer (8:21-23)

        3D. The Priests and Precious Cargo: Gold and Silver (8:24-30)

          1E. The Quantities Weighed Out (8:24-27)

          2E. The Consecration of the Priests (8:28-30)

        4D. The Protection (8:31-34)

          1E. Of the People (8:31-32)

          2E. Of the Precious Cargo (8:33-34)

        5D. The People’s Praise: A Burnt Offering (8:35)

        6D. The Promulgation of the Decree (8:36)

    2B. The Remnant Reforms (9:1-10:44)

      1C. The Report of Israel’s Sin (9:1-2)

      2C. Ezra’s Prayer of Repentance (9:3-15)

      3C. Ezra Encouraged To Initiate Reform (10:1-6)

      4C. The Reform Proper: A Proclamation Issued (10:7-17)

        1D. The Exiles Gather at Jerusalem (10:7-8)

        2D. Ezra Addresses the Exiles (10:9-15)

        3D. The Exiles Put Away Foreign Wives (10:16-17)

      4C. The People Guilty of Intermarriage (10:18-44)

        1D. The Priests (10:18-23)

        2D. The Levites (10:24)

        3D. The Remainder of Israelites (10:25-44)

Related Topics: Teaching the Bible, Introductions, Arguments, Outlines

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