The Book of Ecclesiastes

The author of this book introduces himself as "son of David, king of Jerusalem"
(Ecc 1:1), which according to tradition refers to Solomon who reigned about
970–930 BC. He was widely known for his wisdom (Ecc 1:16, 1 Kings 4:29–32). 
He used his mind to study and to explore with wisdom all that was made under the heavens (Ecc 1:12–13a). He also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched and put in order many proverbs. (Ecc 12:9).

Despite his wisdom, Solomon fell into sin through pagan women, power, and wealth (1 Kings 10:26, 11:1–8, Deu (5 Mos) 17:16–17). It caused him to compromise God's Word (1 Kings 11:9–13).

The Book of Ecclesiastes is also called The Book of Foolishness because of the phrase "under the sun". "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecc 1:9 (NIV)).
That phrase is mentioned 27 times in this book. When Solomon refers to a life 
"under the sun" he speaks of a life separated from God. It means a life from a purely human perspective. But as wise as Solomon was, his conclusions are just
conclusions from man. 

The book presents conclusions based on human reasoning by Solomon after he had compromised God's Word. We must therefore approach this book with caution. 

The overall conclusion that Solomon gives is: "Everything is meaningless" (Ecc 1:2). Everything earthly as pleasure, wealth, work, and knowledge had been shown to be: "meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecc 1:14).

However, Solomon's conclusion is correct that we must: "Fear God and keep his commandments" (Ecc 12:13, 1 Tim 6:6, Mat 6:33–34), see
To Fear the Lord in Fear of Man. To be compared to Jesus and the Law.

Solomon answers several questions that he asks himself based on human wisdom:

1. What do men gain from all their labor (Ecc 1:3)?
1. History repeats itself all the time (Ecc 1:4–7, 9–10). 
2. We will basically all be forgotten (Ecc 1:11). 
3. No matter how much a man has, he wants more
   (Ecc 1:8b, 5:10 (9 in some translations)), see below. 
4. We are born with a need for satisfaction. When we run after the things
   of this world, we won't be satisfied. A life confined to this Earth is a life of dissatisfaction. It gives a life of emptiness and a lack of purpose 
   (Ecc 1:14).
   
   Christian remark: We live in a fallen world, see
   The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man. 
   
   
2. Is there any real lasting meaning to a life that is ultimately lived for pleasure and pleasure alone? That is, living a life in hedonism? (Ecc 2:3–10). 
1. This also turned out to be pointless, chasing after the wind
   (Ecc 2:1–2, 11). 
2. The best to be, in a life apart from God, is just to be happy while you are still alive (Ecc 3:12–13, 22). But this opens the door to sinful behavior. 
   
   Christian remark: Many wicked people seem to live in great prosperity (Psalm 73:1–5). They increase in wealth despite their pride and violence and people follow them (Psalm 73:6–12). This can be difficult to understand, especially when living a life of hardship (Psalm 73:13–16).
   However, we should endure all hardships as discipline,, see the first part of The Book of James. The wicked will end in judgement, their destiny will be terrifying (Psalm 73:17–20, 27). It's therefore wrong to envy them (Psalm 73:21–22). God is with us and takes care of us 
   (Psalm 73:23–25). When this life is over, we will enter the Lord's presence forever (Psalm 73:26, 28).
   
   
3. What is the benefit with wisdom (Ecc 6:8a)?
1. Although wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness, the same fate overtakes them both, that is death. 
   Wisdom is therefore meaningless. (Ecc 2:13–16). 
2. The righteous may perish in their righteousness, and the wicked may
   live long in their wickedness. Therefore, we shouldn't be over-righteous or over-evil. (Ecc 7:15–17 (16–18 in some translations)).
   
   Christian remark: See this explained at time 24:39–28:14 in
   February 2025 Bible Q&A. The "Word of wisdom" can be given by God
   as a spiritual gift, see Spiritual Gifts. These gifts are given for the common good, see The Golden Rule in The Sermon on the Mount.
   We receive our righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, see Righteousness by Faith in The Book of Romans.
   
   
4. Is toil futile (Ecc 3:9)?
1. The toil that is done is futile, a chasing after the wind, because the result must be left to the one who comes after (Ecc 2:17–23, 5:14–15). 
2. To toil hard and have no one to share the fruit of labor is futile (Ecc 4:8).
   
   Christian remark: God looks at our hearts and our motives, why we do what we do, see The Parables of the Talents and the Ten Minas. 
   
   
5. Do humans have any advantage over animals?
1. Man has no advantage over animals. The same fate awaits them both,
   as one dies so does the other. (Ecc 3:18–21).
   
   Christian remark: There are differences between humans and animals.
   Only mankind (and not the animals) is made in God's image
   (Gen (1 Mos) 1:26–27). Man consists of three parts; one body, one soul, and one spirit (1 Thess 5:23) which together form a human being. 
   An animal has no spirit. Through my spirit (intuition) I have contact with God. The spirit begins to work when I become a born again believer and receive Jesus in my life, see Salvation. See the description of 
   "born again" in The Book of Peter. See this explained in 
   Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism.
   
   
6. Does the dead know nothing (Ecc 9:5–6)?
1. See time 22:57–25:20 in October 2024 Bible Q&A.
   
   Christian remark: Physical death occurs only in the human body.
   It's only the body that dies. Our spirit and soul can't die, see
   Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism. To die and be absent from the body means for a Christian to be immediately with the Lord in God's Heaven (Phil 1:23, 2 Cor 5:8). People who reject Jesus will, sadly for them, go to hell, see The Great White Throne Judgement.
   
   
7. Will all souls go back to the Creator when we die (Ecc 12:7)?
1. See time 0:31–2:08 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ July 2023. 
   
   Christian remark: See 6. above.

Solomon also makes the following declarations for a life "under the sun":

• There is a time for everything (Ecc 3:1–8, 17b). Seasons come and go
  (Ecc 3:15). It seems to be the time for things that we can't control. 
  
  Christian remark: Sometimes we need to rest in God to work it out. God's timetable may not be ours. We can learn to yield to God's timing. 
  
  
• The dead are happier than the living. But even better is not being born. (Ecc 4:2–3). Solomon based this on all oppression that took place where the power was on the side of the oppressors (Ecc 4:1–2).
  The unborn need not be aware of this (Ecc 4:3).
  
  Christian remark: We must look at this evil through the lens of
  God's Word: We live in a fallen world, see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man. See also The Book of Job.
  
  
• All toil and all achievements stem from one person’s envy of another
  (Ecc 4:4a). The reason is to appear better and more respected than the next person. There is a competition going on. This is meaningless endeavour (Ecc 4:4b). It's better to live with little and just live a quiet life
  (Ecc 4:6, 5:11).
  
  Christian remark: See Who is the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
  
  
• Two is better than one. If one of them falls, one can help the other up. Although one can be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
  A cord with three wires doesn't break quickly. (Ecc 4:9–12).
  
  Christian remark: See Unity.
  
  
• Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning (Ecc 4:13–16).
  
  Christian remark: See King Asa of Judah.
  
  
• Don't be quick with your mouth, don't be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. When you make a vow to God, don't delay in fulfilling it. It's better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
  (Ecc 5:2–5 (1–4 in some translations)).
  
  Christian remark: See Jephthah the Judge and 
  Israel's Version of Sodom and Gomorrah.
  
  
• Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart
  (Ecc 7:7 (8 in some translations)).
  
  Christian remark: See Balaam and Balak.
  
  
• It only takes a little foolishness to destroy much wisdom (Ecc 10:1).
  
  Christian remark: See The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven.
  
  
• He who loves money never has enough, he who loves riches is never satisfied with his income (Ecc 5:10 (9 in some translations)).
  
  Christian remark: See The Love of Money.
  
  
• As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are caught in a snare, so men are caught by evil times that unexpectedly fall upon them (Ecc 9:12).
  
  Christian remark: See The Parable of the Rich Fool.
  
  

Solomon based these conclusions on his wisdom and experiences, but not on God. His conclusion was; to enjoy your existence, try to get some happiness out of it
and enjoy the fruit you get from your daily basis (Ecc 6:9a, 8:15, 9:7–10, 10:19). 
Even so; this too is futile, a pursuit of the wind which is emptiness (Ecc 6:9b).
In this case, a grievous evil that can occur, is having the things of this world but
not being able to enjoy them (Ecc 6:1–7). 

Christian remarks: 

We need to put on the full armour of God, so that we can withstand in the evil day and having done everything, stand firm. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Eph 6:13–18a).

Although outwardly we perish, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and temporary troubles attain for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, because what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our body is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in Heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Cor 4:16–5:1).

There is redeeming value in everything that we go through, even when we suffer, 
to become more like the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), see the first part of
The Book of James. It gives eternal benefit. As Christians, we need to lay off our
old self and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness,
to be made new in the attitude of our minds by the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:22–24).
By faith we understand this from Scripture. Despite Solomon's wisdom, this was hidden for him. As Christians we shouldn't live our lives "under the sun". We should keep our eyes on Jesus and on the revelation of his truth. It can move us live a life of contentment and godliness (1 Tim 6:6–10), see Sanctification.

See also The Old Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Job

Along with Genesis and the creation accounts, this book is considered to be
the oldest book in the Bible, related to the events that take place in it.
Job is referred to be a historical person in the Bible (Eze 14:14, 20, James 5:11). 
The author is unknown.

Job had great wealth. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 pairs of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east (Job 1:2–3).

The book raises one of the most challenging question, and that is:
Why does God allow suffering? Watch the following short videos:

• Suffering and Evil: The Logical Problem.
• Suffering and Evil: The Probability Version.

The Jews believed that suffering was always a byproduct of sin, see "Blind People", part of Healings in Miracles of Jesus. It was therefore difficult for many of them to accept a suffering Messiah. This book reminds us that suffering can enter a person's life without any specific sinful behavior.

Job was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil
(Job 1:1, 4–5, 8). The suffering that came into his life wasn't a byproduct of sin.
See it explained at time 19:44–21:09 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023.

Satan accused Job before God, that Job only feared God because God had blessed him. If he lost his possessions, he would curse God. God then allowed Satan to take everything Job had, but not to hurt him physically. In one day, Job was informed that he had lost all his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and that his sons and daughters and most of his servants had died. Job didn't sin by accusing God of any wrongdoing because of this (Job 1:22). (Job 1:6–22).

Satan asked God for permission to strike his flesh and bones, saying  that Job would then curse God. God allowed Satan to do it, but he must spare his life.
Satan tormented Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. In all this Job didn't sin in what he said (Job 2:10b). (Job 2:1–2:10). 

Jesus protects the believers. Satan can only do to us what God allows him to do. (1 John 5:18b). Satan challenged God by saying that if he was allowed by God to bring these things upon him, Job would curse God (Job 1:11, 2:5). Job cursed the day of his birth (Job 3:1), but he never cursed God in the entire book.

Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar then came to visit Job. They had heard about all the troubles that had befallen him. (Job 2:11–13). They talk to Job about his condition without knowledge about the reason behind it. These men speak truths that apply in most circumstances. But in Job's situation, these truth don't apply, because they make the false assumption that the cause of Job's suffering is due to sinless behavior on Job's part (Job 22:4–9). Their diagnosis of Job's condition is wrong because their assumption about Job is wrong.

Eliphaz asked: "Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?" (Job 4:7 (NIV)). He had observed that those who plow evil and sow trouble will reap it (Job 4:8, 15:20, Gal 6:7), see principle 3 in The Book of Obadiah.
He exalted his experiences above the Word of God (Isaiah 55:8–9). This limited his explanation to what he could understand. He based his theology on human observation and experience, see The Big-Bang Model Revealed. It's correct that we shouldn't despise the discipline of the Almighty (Job 5:17–18), see the first part of The Book of James. But this isn't the case why Job must suffer. Eliphaz wrongly assumes that God is disciplining Job, and it's arrogant and wrong to say such a thing to another person who is suffering without knowing the facts. 

Bildad accuses Job according to human tradition and the wisdom of the ages
(Job 8:8–10). He thinks Job get what he deserves (Job 8:4, 20, 18:5). He accuses Job of not knowing God (Job 18:21). It was an arrogant and incorrect assumption.

Zophar wants God to speak up and make Job right, assuming that Job is to blame for his suffering (Job 11:5–6). He thinks Job should beg God for mercy and put away his sin (Job 11:13–14). He believes that Job gets what he deserves (Job 20:5, 29).

Job believes that he is being punished even though he is innocent of these events
(Job 9:17, 21–22, 10:7, 13:23, 27:5–6, 31:6). He never claims to be sinless, but he thinks he is innocent and doesn't deserve the circumstances in which he finds himself, and rightly so. Job sees God as unfair and unjust (Job 12:4b, 6, 19:6–7, 34:5–6). Job becomes bitter and sees God through his eyes of bitterness (Job 10:1, 23:2). Bitterness blinds a person from the reality of who God is. Job makes faulty
assumptions about God (Job 19:11, 34:9). When people express their pain, they can say things they probably wouldn't say otherwise. Sometimes it will bring out the truth that may have been hidden, but never expressed. Sometimes things come out that are outrageously false. Correcting someone in the midst of their pain for saying things that aren't theological down the line shouldn't be done. There is a time for correction, see Dealing With Sin in the Church. This wasn't the time. When Job’s three friends came to him, they were first silent for seven days and seven nights (Job 2:13). Then when Job began to speak, they wrongly corrected him. They shouldn't have started talking. Instead they should have remained silent and just listened to Job. But Job is still in his pain a very God-fearing man, very close to the Lord and a man of great faith (Job 19:25–27, 28:28). 

Job's three friends stopped answering Job, because Job was righteous in his own eyes. But Elihu became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.
He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job and yet had condemned him. (Job 32:1–3). Elihu felt the need to defend God in all of this (Job 34:10–12). Scripture tells us to defend the gospel (1 Pet 3:15), but we don't have to defend God. God is capable of defending himself.

Then the Lord speaks to Job. God accuses Job of speaking of things of which he has no knowledge or wisdom (Job 38:1–2). God asks Job:
"Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"
(Job 40:8 (3 in some translations)). Job answered God and admitted that he had spoken of things he didn't understand. Therefore he despised himself and repented in dust and ashes. (Job 42:1–6, Psalm 139:1–6).

Then the Lord told Eliphaz that he was angry with him and his two friends, because they hadn't spoken the truth about him, as his servant Job had done. They should therefore offer a burnt offering for themselves. Job should pray for them, and God would accept his prayer and not deal with them according to their folly. They did as the Lord told them, and God accepted Job’s prayer. (Job 42:7–9).

This book shows the sin of presumption, assuming and claiming to know the reason behind something without actually doing it. It's the height of human pride and arrogance. They all did. Even Job who came with an attitude that God was unjust. They made the faulty determination based on what they thought they knew. They thought they knew the heart of the Lord, see God is sovereign in 
God's Attributes. God doesn't need to explain the reasons for his actions. God can allow suffering for a purpose known only to him. God works in ways only understood by him (Rom 11:33–34, 1 Cor 2:16, Isaiah 40:13). In most cases, only God knows what is in another person's heart. These mindsets are also seen in some of the Psalms, see for example Psalm 44:8–25 (9–26 in some translations). So: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5). 

After Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortune and gave him double what he had before. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had 14,000 sheep, 6000 camels, 1000 yoke of oxen, and 1000 donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters. After this, Job lived
140 years, and he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
And so Job died as an old man and full of years. (Job 42:10–17).

The restoration of Job's material wealth was onlt part of God's blessing. Misfortune doesn't mean that God has forsaken this person. It means that God has plans that the sufferer may not know anything about. A believer's tragedy may never be fully understood. Yet he can realize that God is in charge, that God still loves him and cares for him. That's what Job learned.

Many modern statements have their origin from this book:

• "The hair on my body stood up" (Job 4:15b).
• "My life is a breath" (Job 7:7a, 16b).
• "... by the skin of my teeth" (Job 19:20b).
• "The root of the matter" (Job 19:28b).
• "The land of the living" (Job 28:13b).
• "Eyes to the blind ... feet to the lame" (Job 29:15).
• "Spit in my face" (Job 30:10b).
• "Repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6b).

The book also contains the following scientific statements:

• The water cycle (Job 36:27–28).
• Wind directions (Job 37:9, 17).
• Composition of the human body (Job 33:6).
• Suspension of the Earth in space (Job 26:7, Isaiah 40:22).
• Ocean-bottom phenomena (Job 38:16).
• The orbits of the celestial bodies and their influence of the Earth
  (Job 38:32–33).
• Dinosaurs are mentioned by other names, see Dinosaurs and the Bible.

See also The Old Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Nehemiah

Nehemiah served king Artaxerxes of Persia as cupbearer (Neh 1:11b). This king was a son of Ahasuerus, see The Book of Esther. Nehemiah heard that the remnant of the Jews who had survived the exile and moved to Jerusalem were in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates were destroyed by fire. (Neh 1:1–3). When he heard that, he wept and mourned for days, and he continued to fast and pray before God (Neh 1:4–11a). The Jews had a great love for Jerusalem (Psalm 137:1–6). Nehemiah wanted to get permission from king 
Artaxerxes to travel to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The same king had previously stopped the rebuilding of these walls (Ezr 4:13, 21–23), see
The Book of Ezra. When he asked the king about this about letters from him granting this, the king approved it (Neh 2:5–8). He was appointed by the king to be governor in the land of Judah for twelve years (from 445 BC to 433 BC) (Neh 5:14, 13:6a). 
He then traveled to Jerusalem (445 BC) (Neh 2:11).

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he assessed the situation. He confirmed that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and its gates destroyed by fire. (Neh 2:11–15). He then told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the others who were to do the work, to build the wall of Jerusalem, so that they would no longer suffer derision. He also said that he had the king's permission to do so. They replied that they would. (Neh 2:16–18). When the people worked with the wall it was an act of obedience (Neh 3), see This World is Not Our Home in The Book of Romans.

But they had opposition who heard about it, who despised them and wanted to stop them in their work (Neh 2:19–20). When we make a decision in our hearts to follow God, we will be persecuted and have to expect hardships and struggles (2 Tim 3:12).
The opposition mocked them, and the Jews were despised as they worked on the wall (Neh 4:1–4a). Nehemiah prayed that God would punish them for it
(Neh 4:4b–5). That isn't how we are to pray in the New Covenant. Jesus said we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Mat 5:44–48,
Luk 6:27–28, 32–35), see Love and not revenge in The Sermon on the Mount. 
The Jews continued with the work with the wall despite the mockery (Neh 4:6).

When the opposition heard that the repair of Jerusalem's walls was going forward, they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it (Neh 4:7–8, 11). The Jews prayed to God and set a guard against them day and night. Half of the men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor, to protect the workers. (Neh 4:9, 16–23).
Nehemiah prayed before he acted, which is a good principle.

The Jews had food problems due to famine. The rich Jews didn't share their food with the poor, instead they sold food to them, but the poor Jews didn't have money to buy it. They therefore had to sell property to them, or borrow money, in order to buy food and pay their taxes. In order to repay those loans, they were forced into slave labor, to which they had to sell their own children. (Neh 5:1–5). 

The wealthy Jews didn't follow the Mosaic Laws on how this should be handled
(Deu (5 Mos) 15:12–14, 23:19–20a). God had promised to bless the Jews, but only if they followed the Mosaic Laws (Deu (5 Mos) 23:20b). Nehemiah told them to stop charging interest on the money they had lent to the poor and to immediately return their property to them. They promised to do so. (Neh 5:9–13). 
The rich repented from their sin.

Nehemiah didn't use his position as governor to tax the people because he feared God. He devoted himself to the work of the wall, he acquired no land and fed
150 Jews every day at his own expense. (Neh 5:14–19).

The opposition then tried to frighten Nehemiah, accusing him of leading a rebellion and trying to be king himself, but he denied it (Neh 6:1–9). They also tried to give him a bad name in order to discredit him (Neh 6:10–14).

The wall was completed in 52 days (445 BC) (Neh 6:15). Their enemies realized that this work had been done with the help of God (Neh 6:16). After the wall had been rebuilt and the doors were in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians, and the Levites
were appointed (Neh 7:1). The gates of Jerusalem wouldn't be opened until the sun was hot, and they would be closed and locked while the gatekeepers were still on duty (Neh 7:3). The reason was for protection of the city.

All the people came together as one. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law, to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. Ezra brought the Law before the assembly and read it aloud from daybreak to noon. The Levites taught the people the Law while the people stood there. They read from God's Law Book, made it clear and gave the meaning so that the people understood what was read.
(Neh 8:1–3, 7–8, 2 Tim 3:16).

Then they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles (Neh 8:13–18).
That feast will also be celebrated during the millennial kingdom
(Zechariah 14:16–19), see the last part of The Book of Zechariah.

The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth (Neh 9:1). They had separated themselves from all foreigners (Neh 9:2a, 10:28, 30), see the last part of The Book of Ezra. They confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors
(Neh 9:2b, 3b, 16–18, 26–29). They confessed God as the Creator (Neh 9:6), see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man. They promised to follow the 
Mosaic Laws and taking care of the temple (Neh 10:28–39).

Nehemiah returned to the king of Persia in 433 BC. While he was gone, Israel returned to a way contrary to God's Word. Nehemiah therefore returned back to Jerusalem. (Neh 13:4–7).

Many of the people had stopped following the Mosaic Laws and there was corruption (Neh 13:4–5, 7, 10, 15–16). They hadn't kept all the promises that they made when
Nehemiah was there the first time. He had to deal with this when he returned to Jerusalem (Neh 13:8–9, 11–13, 17–22, 30–31).

According to the Law, no Ammonite or Moabite was allowed to enter God's assembly, because they didn't meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them, see Balaam and Balak. As soon as the people heard the Law, they separated from Israel all who were of foreign descent. 
(Neh 13:1–3, 23–28, Deu (5 Mos) 23:3–6).

As Christians we belong to a different covenant and aren't under the Mosaic Laws, see Jesus and the Law. Jesus also gave us guidelines on how to pray, see 
The Lord's Prayer in The Sermon on the Mount. 

See also The Old Testament of the Bible.

The Book of Ezra

Ezra was a priest and scribe, a man learned in matters of the Lord's commandments and his statutes for Israel (Ezr 7:6a, 11). Ezra had set his heart on studying the
Mosaic Laws, to follow them and to teach these Laws in Israel (Ezr 7:10). According to Jewish tradition, he also compiled the Chronicles and perhaps even the Psalms.
He moved from Babylonia to Jerusalem, which was under Persian rule 
(Ezr 7:6 (1 in some translations), 8–9). Ezra also collaborated with Nehemiah 
(Neh 8:9, 12:26), see The Book of Nehemiah.

The Book of Ezra has the following content:

Chapters 1–3: Ezra describes what has happened before his own time: how the
Jews returned to their homeland by a decree of Cyrus, the first king of Persia.

Chapter 4: How the temple building came off because of the resistance from
the people who lived in the land and were adversaries to the Jews.
(It also describes the resistance to rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem,
which later occurred during the reign of Artaxerxes I, the fifth king of Persia.)

Chapter 5–6: How the temple construction was able to proceed by obtaining the permission of Darius I, the third king of Persia, and with the support of Haggai and Zechariah.

Chapter 7–8: How Ezra strengthened the people's temple service when he arrived.

Chapter 9-10: How Ezra strengthened obedience to the Law (see also Neh 8). 

We have the following chronology for Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther:

• 537 BC: The decree of Cyrus, the first king of Persia, to rebuild the temple
  (Ezr 1:1–4, Isaiah 44:28, 45:1, 4), see The Book of Habakkuk.
• 537 BC: Zerubbabel's expedition to Jerusalem (Ezr 2:2).
• 536 BC: The foundation of the temple was laid (Ezr 3:7–11).
• 535 BC: The temple work stopped (Ezr 4:4–5, 24).
• 520 BC: The ministry of the prophet Haggai began, see 
  The Book of Haggai and prophet Zechariah, see The Book of Zechariah.
  They prophesied that they would continue with the rebuilding of the temple. Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the Jews obeyed and continued with the rebuilding. (Ezr 5:1–2, 14). See also the picture in The Book of Ezekiel.
• 516 BC: The temple was completed after being given permission to proceed by Darius I, the third king of Persia, father to Ahasuerus 
  (known as Xerxes I). (Ezr 6:1–15).
• 486 BC: The reign begins of Ahasuerus (known as Xerxes I), 
  the fourth king of Persia.
• 479/478: Esther is crowned queen, married to Ahasuerus, 
  see The Book of Esther.
• 465 BC: The reign of Artaxerxes I begins, the fifth king of Persia 
  (son to Ahasuerus). The rebuilding of the walls is stopped during his reign (Ezr 4:13, 21–23).
• 458 BC: Ezra moves to Jerusalem with several other Jews during the reign of Artaxerxes I (Ezr 7:1, 8–9, 13, 28, 8:1–13, 18–20).
• 445 BC: Nehemiah arrives to Jerusalem (Neh 2:11).
• 445 BC: The walls of Jerusalem are completed after 52 days (Neh 6:15).
• 433 BC: Nehemiah returns to Persia but will later return to Jerusalem.

The Persia king Artaxerxes I stopped the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (Ezr 4:13, 21–23). This probably occurred at the beginning of his reign. Later he instead favored
Jerusalem and its temple by sending Ezra (Ezr 7:11–28) and Nehemiah

(Neh 2:1–9) to Jerusalem. 

Ezra and those who came with him from the Babylonian captivity, offered Burnt Offerings to God when they returned to their homeland
(Ezr 8:35).

Afterwards the officials came to Ezra and said that the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites hadn't separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations. For they had taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men had been foremost. (Ezr 9:1–2). See for example Samson.

This was against the Mosaic Laws (Deu (5 Mos) 7:3, Mal 2:11). The reason was that intermarriage would turn them away from the Lord and they would start serving other gods. If they did, the Lord's wrath would come upon them.
(Deu (5 Mos) 7:4). This was also a reason why they ended up in exile, something that Ezra understood (Eze 9:3, 7, 10–14).

Ezra had great influence on the people of Israel, but it was also a work of God 
(Ezr 10:1). "For you (God) will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:16–17 (18–19 in some translations)). Ezra was advised to make a covenant with God to send away all these wives and their children, to do it according to the Law, and that it was his job to do it (Ezr 10:3–4). 

The Jews probably would have lost their ethnicity and gone astray as a nation if they hadn't dealt with it. King Solomon, who was the wisest man in the world and loved by God, was led to sin by foreign women. His wisdom didn't protect him from it.
(Neh 13:26). God had a plan for Israel, Messiah would come from them, and therefore it had to be done, even if it wasn't easy for the people. 

Ezra gathered the people and told them that they had been unfaithful in marrying foreign women. They should separate from the peoples around them and
from their foreign wives. The whole assembly responded that he was right,
and that they must do as he said. (Ezr 10:10–12). It took three months to find out who of the people this affected (Ezr 10:16b–44). 

In the New Covenant that we live by, it's not an option to divorce a person just because that person is an unbeliever (1 Cor 7:12–16), see the 7th commandment in The Ten Commandments, and Jesus and the Law. 

See also The Old Testament of the Bible.