Like the Gospel of Luke (see Luke 1:1–4), the book of Ezra was compiled using lots of different sources. There are lists (Ezra 1:9–11; Ezra 2:1–70;Ezra 7:1–28; Ezra 8:1–14), letters (Ezra 1:2–4; Ezra 4:11–16; Ezra 4:17–22; Ezra 5:7–17; Ezra 6:2–5; Ezra 6:6–22; Ezra 7:12–26), as well as personal reflections from Ezra himself (Ezra 8:15–36).1 This shows us that the individual who edited the book was very deliberate in terms of what material he included and excluded. He wanted to tell us the history of how Jerusalem was repopulated, how the temple was rebuilt, and how the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt. But he did not want to tell this history in a bland way. Rather, he wanted to tell this history in a certain way in order to convey a theological message.2 He wanted to show how this history was an example of God keeping his promises.
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: