Israel had a sin problem. We have already seen how the people of Israel had been rescued from Egypt by God. They had seen God perform mighty acts on their behalf. Yet because of their sin condition, they continually rejected God and returned to doing whatever they wanted. Due to this sin, God gave them over to foreign powers. Both Ezra and Nehemiah pick up the story of Israel with those returning after the exile. Everything seems bright for them. God has granted them favor with the kings of Persia to return in waves to Judah and even provides for them to begin rebuilding. As priest and scribe, Ezra is more focused on the rebuilding of the temple, while Nehemiah the governor is more focused on rebuilding the city of Jerusalem and its walls. In both cases, they overcame their enemies because God had granted them favor with the Persian kings. According to Nehemiah, the people had a time of national worship, confession, and reading of the law. The made a signed vow to remain true to God. Yet their sin nature once again prevailed. While Ezra focuses on their sin of intermarriage with the Canaanites, Nehemiah notates several other sins. Both authors lament this return to sin, asking God to remember them for their faithfulness despite the sins of the nation.

Israel’s sin had led to them being cast out of the land for seventy years. Ezra and Nehemiah pick up the story after their time in another land. God made the kings of Persia like the people of Judah enough to send them back home. Everything seems to be going well. They rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem despite fierce hostility from their Canaanite neighbors. They make pledges to be loyal to God and his laws. But then their sin takes over again, especially while the leaders are gone. They return to their sin and both leaders ask God to remember how they were faithful while the people were sinning.

We all have a sin nature that makes us want to come back to our sin. It is difficult to turn away from sin; in fact, it is impossible on our own. Recognizing that we could not do it on our own, God sent His Son Jesus to live a righteous life for us and to die for us so that we could have His righteousness. When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, His Spirit comes to live within us. He gives us the power to overcome sin.