Ezra
Ngumphristi weTestamente eliDala futhi nombhali owabuyisa abanye bamaJuda eJerusalema besuka ekuthunjweni kwaseBabiloni (Ezra 7–10; Neh. 8; 12). Ngonyaka ka458 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu wathola imvume ku-Aritahishashita, inkosi yasePheresiya, yokuba ase eJerusalema noma yibaphi abadingiswa bamaJuda ababefuna ukuya khona (Ezra 7:12–26).
Ngaphambi kwesikhathi sika-Ezra, abaphristi cishe babephethe konke ukufundwa kwengqoqelelo yemibhalo engcwele ebhaliweyo ebizwa ngokuthi “umthetho.” U-Ezra wenza ukuba imibhalo engcwele itholakale kuwo wonke amaJuda. Ukufundwa kwe “ncwadi yomthetho” kwawo wonke umuntu ekugcineni kwaba umongo wesizwe sonke sabaJuda. Mhlawumbe imfundiso enkulu ka-Ezra yavela ngesibonelo sakhe uqobo ekutheni alungise inhliziyo yakhe ukuba afune umthetho weNkosi, awuhloniphe, futhi nokuba awufundise abanye (Ezra 7:10).
Incwadi ka-Ezra
Izahluko 1–6 zichaza ngezehlakalo ezenzeka kusuka eminyakeni engamashumi ayisithupha kuya kwengamashumi ayisishiyagalombili ngaphambi kokuba u-Ezra afike eJerusalema—isimemezelo sikaKoresi ngonyaka ka 537 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu futhi nokubuyela kwamaJuda ngaphansi kukaZerubabele. Izahluko 7–10 zikhombisa ukuthi u-Ezra waya kanjani eJerusalema. Yena, nebandla lakhe, bazila futhi bakhulekela ukuvikeleka. EJerusalema bathola abantu abaningi bamaJuda ababehambe baya eJerusalema ekuqaleni ngaphansi kukaZerubabele futhi abase beshade abesifazane ngaphandle kwesivumelwano futhi ngalokho bazingcolisa. U-Ezra wabakhulekela futhi wabafaka esivumelwaneni sokuba bahlukane nalabomka babo. Umlando wakamuva ka-Ezra utholakala encwadini kaNehemiya.