Bible Reading Plan

Author: Scott Walter

  • Nehemiah 4

    Nehemiah 4

    Read Nehemiah 4

    Opposition to the Rebuilding

    When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

    3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

    4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

    6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

    7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

    10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

    11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

    12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

    13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

    15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

    16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

    19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

    21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

    Go Deeper

    As if rebuilding the wall weren’t hard enough, Nehemiah encountered a new problem: the Samaritans and Ammonites. The Israelites had overthrown the Samaritans and Ammonites when they escaped from Egypt. Not only were the Jews back in town, they were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem to defend the city and the temple. Sanballet and Tobiah, leaders of these groups, did what scared and threatened people do to make themselves feel strong—they ridiculed the Jews. They also realized the Jews were busy building, and this would be a great time to attack, so they gathered the troops for battle.

    While this would have been an appropriate time to panic, Nehemiah did something else: he prayed and prepared. He recruited guards, equipped every worker with a knife, and developed a plan of defense. Even when the Jews fussed and fretted, Nehemiah called for them to focus: “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (v. 14).

    When met with adversity, how do we respond?  Do we panic and persist in anxiety, like the Jews in today’s story? Luke 12:25 reminds us that anxiety is an empty offer: “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his  span of life?” Do we ridicule and retaliate, like the Samaritans and Ammonites?  In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus commands us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Do we sit back in apathy and hope for the best? 1 John 3:18 urges us:  “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.”

    So what are we to do? We are to follow Nehemiah’s example to pray and prepare. We are to shift our focus from the fear and failure to God and the good. Philippians 4:6-7 promises, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

    Questions

    1. What is your default response to adversity? Does this response result in glorifying God?
    2. What is one challenge or area of difficulty you are dealing with today?
    3. How can you pray and prepare in this situation

    Keep Digging

    Read more about the Samaritans and their relationship with the Jews in this article from gotquestions.org.

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  • Nehemiah 3

    Nehemiah 3

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    Builders of the Wall

    Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

    3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

    6 The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. 7 Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10 Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

    13 The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

    14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

    15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16 Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

    17 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. 18 Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnuif]”>[f] son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. 19 Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.

    22 The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, 25 and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

    28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. 31 Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; 32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

    Go Deeper

    As you read this chapter, you might have thought that a map would have been helpful. There are many names and instructions that are included. The Bible Knowledge Series by John Wavoord and Roy Zuck emphasize Nehemiah’s skill of delegation. This pushes us to ask the question: What is the relationship between the people and the section of wall they are delegated to build?

    People were assigned to build near their houses. Nehemiah knew that people would care more about the wall in front of their house rather than the wall on the other side of the city. Wavoord and Zuck offer other reasons for this purposeful delegation which include: “the people would waste less time traveling, the people would be less likely to flee in the event of an attack, and the whole family would have the opportunity to contribute.” All in all, people were designated to segments of the wall that they would care more about.

    What does this mean to us? As the church, we should be mindful of where we build. It would have been inefficient, poorly executed, and negligent if the people would have built a part of the wall they did not care about. As we build relationships, form connections, and outreach, we should be mindful of where we focus our energy. God purposely put you where you are. With that in mind, we should not neglect our surroundings. We should be intentional and purposeful in the places and with the people we see everyday.. Lastly, we should keep in mind that even though each group was working on their own section of the wall, they were working on one final project. 

    This seems to mirror our ministry as the church. We are uniquely connected to co-workers, friend groups, and family. We should remind ourselves that Jesus sends us into the world to build but we (the church) are all working on one project: Building the Kingdom of God.

    Questions

    1. Think about where God has you today. Why do you think He placed you there? 
    2. How do you see what you are doing in your community and how that relates to the Kingdom of God?
    3. What does this chapter teach you about Nehemiah? What does it teach you about God?

    Dig Deeper

    Are you trying to visualize exactly what the wall looked like? Check out this helpful map!                            

     

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  • Ezra 10

    Ezra 10

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    The People’s Confession of Sin

    While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. 2 Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

    5 So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

    7 A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8 Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

    9 Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. 11 Now honor the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”

    12 The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. 14 Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

    16 So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, 17 and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

    Those Guilty of Intermarriage

    18 Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women:

    From the descendants of Joshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 (They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)

    20 From the descendants of Immer:

    Hanani and Zebadiah.

    21 From the descendants of Harim:

    Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.

    22 From the descendants of Pashhur:

    Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.

    23 Among the Levites:

    Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.

    24 From the musicians:

    Eliashib.

    From the gatekeepers:

    Shallum, Telem and Uri.

    25 And among the other Israelites:

    From the descendants of Parosh:

    Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.

    26 From the descendants of Elam:

    Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.

    27 From the descendants of Zattu:

    Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.

    28 From the descendants of Bebai:

    Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.

    29 From the descendants of Bani:

    Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.

    30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab:

    Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.

    31 From the descendants of Harim:

    Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.

    33 From the descendants of Hashum:

    Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.

    34 From the descendants of Bani:

    Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.

    38 From the descendants of Binnui:

    Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.

    43 From the descendants of Nebo:

    Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.

    44 All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

    Go Deeper

    This is a difficult passage, particularly as the ending of this book. This is a pretty hard burden to bear. Does God really want all of the wives from other cultures and their children sent back to Persia?

    Consequences are difficult, and make no mistake, that’s what this is. God is very, very clear with His people that they shouldn’t intermarry with people who don’t follow Him. This is for good reason: when God’s people intermarry with pagans, it does not go well for them. See Genesis through Malachi for more. In this case, it’s evident that God’s people haven’t listened. 

    Ezra is an interesting figure. We don’t get as complete of a sense of his character as we do with David or Moses or Paul. What we do see from him here and in Nehemiah is what he does best: seeking to change the hearts of God’s people with God’s Word. He’s looking for transformation and restoration, and he’s looking to the Word to provide it. Smart move! 

    There’s an overwhelming conviction on the part of God’s people that they’ve been disobedient to God. They’re almost unanimously willing to accept the consequences of their actions. As an aside, most scholars tend to agree that those sent away at the end of this book do not represent everyone that could be sent away. The elders of the people spend three months interviewing families, and given the prevalence of intermarriage, it’s clear that not every foreign wife is sent away—just those that refuse to forsake their foreign gods to follow the One, True God.

    So what do we see from God’s people that we can take and apply to our lives? It’s not that if we’re in a “pagan marriage” we should be looking for a divorce (1 Corinthians 7:12-17). It’s that disobedience to God draws us away from Him. Marrying pagans drew His people away from Him. They confessed, they repented, they faced the consequences, and they were absolved. What disobedience in your life is drawing you away from God? What do you need to confess to your community? What repentance is God calling you to? 

    “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

    1 John 1:8-9.

    Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, in whom we have this forgiveness!

    Questions

    1. When was the last time you dealt with consequences from your sin?
    2. Spend some time in quiet meditation—how is God calling you to repent?
    3. We’re called to be a community of faith like we see in Ezra—how are you going to confess and rely on your community to remind you that you are a forgiven, redeemed child of God?

    Watch This

    As we wrap up Ezra and move into Nehemiah, check out this video from The Bible Project for Ezra & Nehemiah.

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  • Ezra 9

    Ezra 9

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    Ezra’s Prayer About Intermarriage

    After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

    3 When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

    5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God 6 and prayed:

    “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

    8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

    10 “But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’

    13 “What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter of Ezra, he receives word that the Israelites who had started the work of rebuilding the temple and the city of Jerusalem had gotten distracted from their mission. They had disobeyed the Lord’s command by intermarrying with the surrounding cultures, acculturating to them and participating in practices that were detestable in the eyes of the Lord. 

    Ezra is absolutely devastated by the news. His anguish should cause us to pause as we reflect on how quickly and easily our own hearts, lives, and faith journeys intermingle with the culture we are immersed in and are called to follow Christ in. 

    Acculturation, or cultural assimilation, is so dangerous to our faith. Seemingly harmless practices lull our spiritual senses and desensitize us to the potential dangers and evil practices present within our cultures (although not all cultures are inherently evil, elements of them may be). Practices that start as being rationalized, become tolerated, and what we tolerate for long enough, becomes normal. Soon enough, what is normal and “what we’ve always known” becomes “the way things are” and we are nearly blind and numb to how our faith is sterilized and compromised as a result. 

    We need to notice what is at stake. The first group of Israelites sent back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city were led by Zerubbabel sixty years earlier. The same group of people who had disobeyed God’s command and assimilated into the cultures around them also suffered spiritual apathy, which led the work they were called to in the first place to be left undone. Disobedience, acculturation, spiritual apathy, and abandonment of Kingdom work all run in the same crowd. 

    Unchecked acculturation hurts our relationship with God, our relationships with one another, and our families. It jeopardizes the healing and redemptive work God wants to do in our communities. Ezra models an appropriate intervention: repentance. He acknowledges the extent and the severity of what our apathy may tempt us to gloss over. He also places our gracious Father at the center of his prayer, just as we ought to keep Jesus at the center of our faith. Despite all of our failings—those that we see and those that we are still blind to—He is faithful, and He, not our culture, is the true and only measure of righteousness and holiness we are to measure our lives and faith against.

    Questions

    1. In what ways have you experienced acculturation as a hindrance to your own walk with God?
    2. What values of your culture are normal, but in direct opposition, to the values of God’s Kingdom? 
    3. What cultural practices or belief systems in your own life do you need to recognize as harmful and ungodly, and repent of today? Confess your sin to a member of your faith community and ask them to pray for you.

    By the Way

    How could the Israelites have known that intermarrying was so problematic? Intermarriage with the Canaanites was explicitly forbidden in Scripture (Exodus 34:11-16; Deuteronomy 7:1-5; Leviticus 18:3) and had serious consequences in Israel’s past (1 Kings 11:1-8).

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  • Ezra 8

    Ezra 8

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    List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra

    These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

    2 of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;

    of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;

    of the descendants of David, Hattush 3 of the descendants of Shekaniah;

    of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;

    4 of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;

    5 of the descendants of Zattu, Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;

    6 of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

    7 of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;

    8 of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;

    9 of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;

    10 of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;

    11 of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;

    12 of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;

    13 of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

    14 of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.

    The Return to Jerusalem

    15 I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. 16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. 18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; 19 and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

    21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

    24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics,f]”>[f] and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

    28 I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” 30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

    31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

    33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

    35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

    Go Deeper

    Ezra embarks on his God-ordained mission to lead exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. He gathers exiled families, collecting a group of as many as 4,000-5,000 people. As Ezra assembles the group, he discovers no priests are journeying with them. He sends men to recruit Levites and “because of God’s gracious hand” (v. 18), 38 priests and 220 temple servants join the travelers.

    Ezra is keenly aware of God’s hand on the mission. He reveals his humble dependence and faith in God by calling on the people of God to fast and pray, asking God to provide a safe journey. Ezra reveals his immense trust in God’s protection when he denies King Artaxerxes’ offer to send soldiers to accompany them. Ezra wholeheartedly trusts that “the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks on him” (v. 22). Ezra records that the exiles fasted and petitioned God, and God answered.

    One reason Ezra sought the Lord’s protection is because the exiles were returning to Jerusalem with approximately 33 tons of silver and gold. Ezra distributes the wealth among the priests as it was consecrated (set apart) to the Lord for use in Jerusalem’s temple. Imagine the weight, both physically and spiritually, God’s people carry as they make this trip. Ezra reports that “the hand of God was on us and protected us from enemies and bandits” (v. 31). Because of God’s presence and protection, Ezra and the exiles return safely to Jerusalem and worship in the temple. They make it home! Maybe they even proclaim Psalm 122:1: “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” 

    Gathering Babylonian exiles and bringing them to Jerusalem was not an easy task. Yet, Ezra dedicated himself to the Lord’s work with humility and faith. As Ezra prayed, fasted, and walked in obedience, God made it possible for His people to return home. God preserved His people while they were in exile, He provided priests for the journey back, and He protected the people as they traveled. Not even one piece of gold or silver was lost along the way. 

    Ephesians 2:10 reminds us we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us.” As Christ-followers, God’s gracious hand is on us. We can humbly and boldly trust God to accomplish His work in and through us. Ezra exemplifies this well. Let’s follow Ezra’s example.

     

    Questions

    1. What task has God set before you and how are you responding?
    2. How does Ezra’s example of fasting and praying challenge your approach to tackling a task or making a key decision?
    3. How have you seen God’s gracious hand on you (His gracious guidance or protection)? Share that with your Life Group or close community.

    Listen Here

    Listen to this and imagine Ezra and the exiles singing part of the Song of Ascents, Psalm 121, as they journey to their home. 

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  • Ezra 7

    Ezra 7

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    Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

    After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

    8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

    King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

    11 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:

    12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,

    To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

    Greetings.

    13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

    18 You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.

    21 Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— 22 up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? 24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.

    25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. 26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

    27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

    Go Deeper

    The events of today’s reading take place roughly 60 years after chapter six. We finally meet Ezra! King Artaxerxes commissions Ezra, who is estimated to be only 22 years old at this point, to lead any of the Israelites in exile who desire to go back to Jerusalem. King Artaxerxes is beyond generous. He entrusts Ezra with silver and gold for the temple, encourages offerings for the temple, and even offers “whatever else is required for the house of your God… you may provide it out of the king’s treasury” (v. 20). It doesn’t stop there. He appoints Ezra to select judges that will enforce God’s law. He encourages Ezra to teach the Scriptures to all the exiles in Jerusalem. Not only is this a huge responsibility and honor for Ezra, but also unheard of for the king to make these sorts of commands!

    Immediately after reading the letter, Ezra responds by praising God for moving in the king’s heart. He knows God is working in every single detail of the king’s commissioning (Proverbs 21:1). Ezra proclaims in verse 28: “I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me!” He gives all credit to God! We see Ezra’s courage come not from his status as a gifted scribe, his approval from the king, or his age—but from the Lord. 

    Ezra sets an incredible example for believers. We see in verse 10 that “Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statues and rules in Israel.” He was determined to know God’s Word, to do what it says, and to teach it to others. His time with the Father overflowed into all he did. Even King Artaxerxes noticed Ezra’s godly wisdom and entrusted the leadership and finances of Jerusalem into his hands. Today, may we be spurred on by Ezra’s faithfulness and devote ourselves to spending time with God in His Word, doing what He says, and teaching it to others. May our confidence and identity be rooted in Christ instead of our age, status, or circumstances. Finally, today may we take heart, because the same God who was working in all the details in Ezra 7 is on the move in our lives and world today!

    Questions

    1. Ezra “had set his heart” to know God’s Word. What spiritual disciplines do you have in place to do the same? 
    2. Not only was Ezra determined to study God’s Word, but to actively do what it said. James 1:22 states, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” In what ways are you practically living out the Scripture you are studying? 
    3. “Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem!” (Ezra 7:27) – Throughout our reading today, we were able to see God working behind the decisions the king made. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8) He is actively working in our world today, too. How are you praying for our country’s leadership? Here is a great place to start: Government Officials Prayer Guide.

    Did You Know?

    Ezra and his traveling companions left Babylon during the Jewish month of Nisan. Nisan corresponds to our late March/early April. It took their group four months to cover the 900 mile journey.

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  • Ezra 6

    Ezra 6

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    The Decree of Darius

    King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. 2 A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:

    Memorandum:

    3 In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:

    Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, 4 with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. 5 Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

    6 Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. 7 Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

    8 Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:

    Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. 9 Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, 10 so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

    11 Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. 12 May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

    I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

    Completion and Dedication of the Temple

    13 Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. 14 So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

    16 Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. 17 For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. 18 And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

    The Passover

    19 On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. 20 The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. 21 So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. 22 For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

    Go Deeper

    If Ezra 6 was a movie we’d be on the edge of our seat, leaning in, waiting for the fist-pump-in-the-air celebration of the ending. On first reading it, we might miss the drama of it all, but look again: a lost letter of declaration found; the powerful opposition rendered powerless becoming the solution and resource to accomplish the work of the Israelites; an unlikely, ungodly advocate and defender of God’s people; a 21-year project completed; and a 70-year-old prophecy fulfilled. Sit with the drama, the weight, the excitement of it all.

    To understand the excitement of it all, we need a little background. Psalm 137 reminds us of the despair of the exiles. The pain of being away from their home. “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion (Jerusalem)…how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” They lived as aliens and foreigners in a place that was not their home. Yet, they longed for home and for God to fulfill His promise to them—that He would bring them back to Jerusalem. 

    God always pays for what He orders. About 70 years prior, God said (through his prophet Jeremiah), “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place.” Ezra 6 is the culmination of years of waiting. God is a promise-keeping, way-making God, who is faithful to the faithless and rebuilds places, dreams, and people out of ruins. Imagine the wonder and the buzz and the excitement when the final stone was put in place and the people of God were home again. No wonder the word joy is mentioned so often in this chapter. 

    What can we learn from Ezra 6? God is faithful to keep His promises. He hasn’t forgotten us. The work we get to do on this side of heaven is met with opposition and obstacles, but God will often use unlikely and unexpected people and circumstances to fulfill the work He has for us. Our faithfulness to sacred work matters and it will often be harder and require more patience than we thought. And one day, we, too, will experience the joy of being home. Until then, let’s do the work and trust Him to complete it. 

    Questions

    1. What surprises you about this chapter? 
    2. What do you learn about the character of God? What do you learn about the character of man? 
    3. How are you experiencing God’s faithfulness? Is there a situation or circumstance where you need God to move on your behalf? Answer both of these questions in a prayer to Him.

    Did You Know?

    Isaiah 44:28 says, “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”  These prophetic words were written 100 years before the events in Ezra 6. This prophecy confounds those who make it their mission to dispute the authenticity of the Bible. They cannot understand or make sense of how a King—who had not even been born—is NAMED 100 years before his rule.

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  • Ezra 5

    Ezra 5

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    Tattenai’s Letter to Darius

    Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

    3 At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 4 They“ also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” 5 But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

    6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. 7 The report they sent him read as follows:

    To King Darius:

    Cordial greetings.

    8 The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

    9 We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” 10 We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

    11 This is the answer they gave us:

    “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

    13 “However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. 14 He even removed from the temple“ of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple“ in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, 15 and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’

    16 “So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

    17 Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

    Go Deeper

    In order to better understand this chapter, we need to first remember how the previous chapter ended. King Artaxerxes had just ordered the people of God to stop rebuilding the temple, and, for about 10 years, the project had come to a “standstill” (v. 24). However, chapter 5 begins with a brand new hope for the rebuilding efforts. Haggai and Zechariah have prophesied to the Jewish people and encouraged them to restart on the mission of building the temple. But once the project begins again, the project once more runs into opposition from the governing authorities. This external threat is a discouraging reminder of what kept the temple from being built in the first place. This obstruction effort is an essential lesson for the people of God. As we seek to faithfully follow God, we should not expect to live our lives unopposed by the enemy.  When God calls on His people to complete a task, we should expect Satan to do whatever he can to keep the task from reaching its fulfillment. 

    In Ezra, the opposition comes in the form of the ruling government. But even those leaders who stood in authority weren’t the ones in ultimate control.  While the governor tried to shut the project down, “the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped” (v. 5). Upon receiving push back, the Jewish people could have easily put down their tools just as they did 10 years before. However, this time they decide to continue, in courageous faith, with their mission. 

    An essential lesson from this chapter that can impact our lives today is that resistance doesn’t mean something is wrong. If it feels difficult to obediently follow Jesus, remember that it should be expected more than it should be surprising. While Jesus promised that His burden is easy, He also asks us to pick up our cross each day. Even though we may encounter external or internal opposition to following God, we have the assurance that the eyes of God are watching over us. Today, we have an opportunity similar to that of the Jewish people: In the face of resistance, we don’t need to put faithfulness on pause. Instead, we can double down on obedience and choose to follow God even when it’s difficult.  

    Why do you think the Jewish people were willing to continue working on this mission in the face of resilience? 

    Questions

    1. What most sticks out to you in the letter to King Darius? 
    2. Where do you feel like you are receiving resistance in your attempt to follow God? 
    3. What can you do to make sure you don’t give up in the face of such resistance? 

    Did You Know?

    Both prophets listed in verse 1 (Haggai and Zechariah) have written books of the Bible. To read more about their life and message, check out the books titled with their names! 

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  • Ezra 4

    Ezra 4

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    Opposition to the Rebuilding

    When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

    3 But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”

    4 Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. 5 They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

    Later Opposition Under Xerxes and Artaxerxes

    6 At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

    7 And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.

    8 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:

    9 Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, 10 and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.

    11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)

    To King Artaxerxes,

    From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:

    12 The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.

    13 Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer. 14 Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, 15 so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. 16 We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

    17 The king sent this reply:

    To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:

    Greetings.

    18 The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. 19 I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. 20 Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. 21 Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. 22 Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?

    23 As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

    24 Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

    Go Deeper

    We all know what it’s like to face distractions that pull us off task. Sometimes, the distractions come from things like social media, phone calls, and text messages. We can’t seem to focus on the task in front of us because of the constant barrage of thoughts in our heads. Other times, they come from people who seem to interrupt us at the most inopportune times (all parents immediately think of their children!).

    We also know what it’s like to face opposition. There are days when it seems like the universe is conspiring against us as we seek to get through the list of demands we have on any given day. Even the writing of this Bible Reading Plan devotional was delayed multiple times by random distractions and points of opposition!

    We’re no different than God’s people. In Ezra 4, we see they have returned home from exile and are on task to rebuild the wall (Nehemiah) and temple (largely Ezra). As promised, God allowed His people to return from captivity to the Promised Land. Now that they’re back home, the people hope to resume the normal day-to-day activities of life in their homeland.

    As they begin rebuilding the temple, God’s people face distraction and opposition from both internal and external sources. In Ezra 4:1-5, we see God’s enemies initiate a fake friendship with the exiles. They pretend to want to help rebuild the temple. Israel’s leaders wisely told their enemies they didn’t want or need their help. During their rebuilding efforts, internal opposition seeks to pull them off course. These enemies of God showed their true colors by discouraging the people of Judah, raising fears, and bribing officials to work against them. God’s people also faced opposition from the outside. Letters were written that led to what was probably a 16-18 year delay in the rebuilding of the temple.

    Any good and worthy deed faces distractions and oppositions. What can you do today to deal with any distractions and opposition in front of you so that you can do the good works God has prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10)?

    Questions

    1. Why do you think God’s people wanted to rebuild the temple?
    2. What are some distractions you face today that are working to pull you off task?
    3. What can you learn from God’s people on how to deal with your distractions and opposition?

    Pray This

    God, today we know we will face many barriers and challenges. We take comfort in the fact that You are not surprised by anything we will face. Help us to say no to the wrong things and yes to the right ones so that we can do the work you have prepared in advance for us to do. Give us discerning hearts to judge between right and wrong. We confess that on our own, we are hopeless and can do nothing (John 15:5), so help us to rightly work through any distractions and obstacles that will come our way today. Amen. 

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  • Ezra 3

    Ezra 3

    Read Ezra 3

    Rebuilding the Altar

    When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. 2 Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. 4 Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. 5 After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. 6 On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.

    Rebuilding the Temple

    7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.

    8 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. 9 Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers—all Levites—joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

    10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

    “He is good;
        his love toward Israel endures forever.”

    And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter, we see Zerubbabel leading the rebuilding of the temple. Over 42,000 Israelites returned to Jerusalem with him, and they immediately began work on the altar and the temple foundations. However, we see in verses 12 and 13 that this work was met with very different reactions. Those who had seen the original temple, the older priests and Levites, wept at the sight of the new foundation. Those helping to rebuild shouted for joy. Verse 13 tells us that the sounds of both were so loud you couldn’t distinguish one from the other.

    Isn’t it interesting that the same event would bring such polar opposite emotions? The shouts of joy are easy to understand. This sight was a symbol of obedience, a promise of hope, and the beginning of a new future. Even though this new temple was not going to be as elaborate or ornate as the original built by Solomon, it was a reminder of God’s protection and promises. 

    But for those who had lived through the years of disobedience and punishment, who had seen the destruction of Solomon’s temple, this new building elicited weeping and conviction. The original temple was surrounded by a thriving empire, while Zerubbabel’s temple was surrounded by ruins. For those who had lived through the destruction and fall of the original temple, the sight of this rebuild was a physical reminder of God’s correction and discipline – a reminder of their failures and shortcomings. It is no wonder there was such a range of emotions. Their individual responses had a direct correlation to whether their work was destroyed by sin or whether their work was a result of obedience. 

    Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3 that we are now God’s temple, and just like the Israelites, our work will be tested on judgment day. Just as the new temple was built on the original foundation built by Solomon, we are now charged with building God’s kingdom upon the foundation of Jesus. Our work will be evaluated and either rewarded or discounted. 

    When that day comes and our kingdom work is looked upon, will we weep or will we shout for joy? Will the sight of it be a reminder of our sins or will it be a symbol of our obedience and God’s faithfulness? If we are honest, there will probably be some of both. Thankfully by God’s grace, we will be saved. Let’s get to work today building something that lasts, starting with a firm foundation in Jesus and continuing with materials that pass the test – obedience, love, and faithfulness to the God who has saved us. 

    Questions

    1. Do you think you will look back at your life and weep, or will you shout for joy?
    2. If you take an honest look at your life, have you established a firm foundation in Jesus?
    3. Spend some time praying and asking God what He is wanting you to do to build His kingdom. What specific step is He asking you to take in obedience? If you feel Him prompting you, consider sharing that with someone who will help hold you accountable.

    By the Way

    Haggai addressed those who were weeping in Ezra 3 and comforted them by prophesying that the glory of this new temple would exceed the glory of the former, because Jesus was going to come and fill it with His glory! See Haggai 2:7, written around 520 B.C.

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