Wisdom of Ezra: You warned them to turn back and discover true life by obeying your laws. But they stubbornly refused and continued to sin. Nehemiah 9:29

Nehemiah, the official of King Artaxerxes, and Ezra the priest and scribe were central figures in the reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem after the exile of the Jews in Babylon. And the lives of these men were a demonstration that when the leaders of a nation are blessed with the spiritual gifts of wisdom and the fear of God (constancy, firmness, devotion), the common good, prosperity, peace, and beatitude can be achieved.
The book that bears his name recounts that Nehemiah learned of the situation in his homeland after the Persian conquest of the Middle East and, moved by this fact, obtained authorization from Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem. With his determination, Nehemiah, despite the dangers, particularly the enmity of the Samaritans, triumphed where others failed, brought justice to the inhabitants of his country, and achieved the reconstruction of the city.
With the conclusion of their work, a great liturgical celebration was held in which all the inhabitants of Jerusalem participated, and Ezra, the priest, gave a long speech in which he recalled the history of the people of God. And Ezra, during his speech, recalled the central theme of the history of the people of Israel: how, in the face of a wise and merciful God who promised a land to the descendants of Abraham, just as there were men who feared God, such as Moses and the judges, there were also hard-hearted men who rejected the law.
And this is probably why Ezra referred in his speech to the times that arose with the political and religious schism after the death of Solomon with these words: "You warned them to turn back and discover true life by obeying your laws. But they stubbornly refused and continued to sin" Nehemiah 9:29. Ezra, with his knowledge, reminded the Israelites that the purpose of the law is not only the fulfillment of the covenant with God, but also the search for life itself, because the law of Moses is essentially an expression of that eternal and mysterious wisdom of God. Idolatry and hardness of heart led the kingdoms of Israel and Judah to their destruction, and Ezra, in order not to repeat old mistakes, finally invoked with wisdom the protection of God, the source of all good, during his extensive speech to the Israelites.

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