During the time of Ezra, after the return from Babylon, a group of people emerged who were eager to learn about what God said in the Law and to have it explained and interpreted for them. Ezra, a scribe and teacher of the Law, was used by God for this very purpose, to guide the people back to understanding the right way to live. Under Ezra's leadership, the people showed great respect for the Law, standing the entire time it was read, and they learned much that they had either not known or had forgotten during their captivity. Motivated by this renewed understanding, they made a covenant to bind themselves to the Law, separating themselves from the peoples of the land to dedicate themselves wholly to God's commands. This marked the early beginnings of a movement that started in a godly manner, with sincere zeal and devotion to following God's will as taught by Ezra.

In the history of God's people, a remarkable Feast of Tabernacles took place during the days of Nehemiah, after the captivity and scattering of Judah, when the Persian Empire permitted the Jews to return to their homeland. Ezra, preceding Nehemiah, played a vital role in restoring respect for God's law and worship among the people. On the Feast of Trumpets, Ezra the Scribe brought out the Book of the Law and read it aloud to the congregation from morning to midday, leading the people to bow their heads and worship the great God with their faces to the ground. Other leaders expounded and explained the law, ensuring the people understood its application to their daily lives. The reading of the law deeply convicted the people, prompting heartfelt repentance. They learned how to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in temporary booths and immediately obeyed God's command by building them, marking the first time the Feast was observed in this manner since the days of Joshua. During this time, the people were thrilled to hear and act on God's commands, experiencing very great gladness.

The book of Ezra records significant decrees by Gentile kings, highlighting the influence of God's will through pagan monarchs. Among these, the decrees of Cyrus the Great and Artaxerxes stand out for their praise of the Great God and their impact on God's people. Ezra, a priest from the tribe of Levi, arrived in Jerusalem about eighty years after the Temple's rebuilding, tasked with a comprehensive commission under Artaxerxes' decree. This decree empowered Ezra to establish a civil government in Judah, setting magistrates and judges to govern according to God's Law. It also authorized him to create an educational system to teach God's Law to those unfamiliar with it and to enforce obedience, even with severe penalties. Through this decree, God expressed His purpose to reestablish a form of theocracy in Israel, demonstrating that He could bend Gentile leaders to serve His aims. However, for this theocracy to function, God's people needed to separate themselves from Babylon and the surrounding pagan influences, both physically and morally. Ezra's mission, alongside Nehemiah, focused on reinforcing this separation by ensuring adherence to God's Law, which inherently distinguished God's people from the world. Despite these efforts, the people's commitment wavered, as seen in their struggles with intermarriage and other cultural assimilations, indicating a failure to fully embrace the separation God required.