Job 1

Job 1:8-9 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" (9) So Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?

Have you ever played a game of chess? The game is perfectly designed. Nobody has an advantage. Each piece has a unique move. Even though the pieces battle it out on the board it is truly a battle of wits between the two players sitting across from one another.

Welcome to one of the most unique chapters in the Bible. God is talking to Satan. The battle is over man. The board is earth. The stakes are high. There is one tremendous twist on this game then that of chess, we have a free will.

Satan has one goal and that is to kill, steal, and destroy (okay, three goals). The tremendous mystery here is that God is so deeply involved in our lives that He wants to draw near to us. This is what urks Satan. Satan wants the power that God holds that he might take us and do to us whatever he wishes, much like you would happily sacrifice a pawn in chess. Satan wants the glory, and he figures to use his power to attain it. God, on the other hand, allows us free will to choose to love Him. God seeks relationship, and only seeks our well being.

As we study through the Book of Job, consider, God does not test us simply to agonize us. Reread this chapter and look at God's character. He only thinks the best of us. He is only blessing Job. He calls Job blameless even though we can be certain Job had sinned. He is a caring loving Father, however, when Satan challenges God, God gives Job the most precious gift of all, a chance, on display for heaavenly hosts, to choose God rather than this world. The act of choosing something else, or someone else, over one's own comfort, is love. We all have our challenges before us today and everyone is a chance to prove our love for Jesus. With God it is all about relationship but with Satan, though he may offer us the world, it is all about power. Choose to follow God.

Esther 10

Short chapter today. As we close the Book of Esther we find it being more about Modechi than Esther herself. Like Joseph, Mordechi would rise to second in the kingdom. Like Joseph, Mordechi was just a guy doing the Lord's will. He was never seeking this fame and glory, he simply was seeking the good of his people. It is interesting that those who seek glory and fame are often rendered useless in their pursuit for glory and fame. Those who seek the Lord, they live blessed lives and through their dedication are sometimes given these things. Think about modern day Mordechi's. There are plenty of men out there who never seeked fame, but through their dedication to the Lord have been granted fame. Despite this, their main focus continue to be Jesus day in and day out.

Esther 9

Things just keep getting sweeter and sweeter for the Jews. Now they have full permission to go out and destroy their enemies. Modecai leads an army and ends upgetting rid of all that oppose the Jews. In just a matter of months the Jews looked from being wiped out to wiping out their enemies. The Lord had once again done a work to preserve Israel.

http://www.sixdaywar.org/war.asp

So is God done with Israel? Abosolutely not! Check the link above to find out the recent miracles God is working through Israel this very day. Israel has been on the brink of being wiped out several times since they have become a nation yet they continue to be preserved. I was watching tv the other day and someone asked, "You were wrong about your assesment of the Six-Day-War. You did not choose Israel."

The response was a quick, "Who did?"

Israel is continuing to be preserved by the Lord this very day and if you read your headlines you will notice that God is doing a work in Israel. Continue to pray for the Jews and Jerusalem, as the end world events will all be focused on that people and that city.

Esther 8

Est 8:16 The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.

Truly Israel has a unique history unlike any other nation. Yet, despite being the chosen of God, and having the Messiah of the world go through their lineage, there are few times where we could say Israel was fulfilling its purpose. You see, the Jews were to be a light to the world by following God. They were to be content with not being like the world. Through the story of Esther we see that Israel fulfills all of this. The verse above states that they had light and gladness, joy and honor.

Quickly scan through the Word and try to mark other times this is true. I would have to say that at the building of the new temple and during the early years of Solomon they were a light. Other than that, there are few moments Israel is getting it right. Keep in mind, the Lord is not finished with Israel. He plans to restore them completely to a nation that shines His light, reflects His gladness and joy, and once again fill them with honor.

Esther 7

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath subsided.

(Est 7:10)

Did you just see Haman’s life completely disintegrate when you read that chapter? Like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, Haman goes from public humiliation to being the object of the king’s wrath. When the king finds out about Haman’s plot he storms out in anger, attempting to compose himself. Haman makes a desperate attempt to beg for his life, and in the ensuing drama, he throws himself across Esther and the couch she is on. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect, for just as he lunges across Esther the king walks in, and from his perspective it looks like assault. HE IS FURIOUS, AND HAMAN IS TOAST.

Here is the detail that only God could have come up with. One of the eunuch’s comes forward and says, “look, see that gallows over there at Haman’s place? He planned on hanging our new buddy Mordecai there”. The kings answer is predictably wonderful. “Hang Haman on it”, he says.

And so, we see that Haman literally hung himself out to dry. Hate, pride, self-seeking… these things ultimately destroyed Haman. The very things he thought would fulfill him, ended up being his undoing.

About 2000 years later, Jesus said something that seems quite fitting as an epitaph to the life of Haman. He said this: “If you seek to save your life you will lose it…”

Esther 6

Back in chapter two something happened that maybe some of you have forgotten… It was something in fact, that the king had forgotten. The Lord however, had not forgotten, and it was this very night, the night after Esther’s first banquet that the Lord would remind the king.

You see, the king couldn’t sleep. Maybe he was worried about Esther and why she was asking for all these banquets. Maybe he ate something weird. These are both possibilites, but what we know as a DEFINITE FACT is that the Lord would not let the king sleep. Why you ask? Because tonight events were to be set in motion that would bring about Haman’s downfall.

The chronicles were brought out and read, and the story from chapter came up, the one where Mordecai saved the king. The king is filled with gratefulness when he hears about how he was spared, and he asks what was done for this man. They reply nothing, and the king decides something must be done.

At the same time the king is discovering the great deeds of Mordecai, Haman is on his way to ask the king if he an HANG MORDECAI on the gallows he had built. Now, I know Haman is totally poisoned with his own anger at this point, but COME ON! Talk about being self deceived, he was about to ask the king if he could kill a guy because he DIDN’T STAND UP WHEN HE PASSED!!! Haman doesn’t get to ask… instead the king here’s he is out in the court and calls him in to help him determine what should be done for Mordecai.

As Haman enters, it goes something like this…

KING: Hey, Haman, fancy seeing you… I have a question. There is this guy that I am SO THANKFUL FOR… I want to honor him, to bless him… What should I do?

HAMAN (to himself): He must be talking about me! Hmmm, what would I LLLOOOOVVVEEEE…. Ah HAH!

HAMAN (out loud): You should take one of your royal robes and put it on him. Then you should place him on one of your royal horses, and let him wear your royal crest. Then have one of your most noble princes parade him around town declaring how you honor this man!

KING: GREAT! Now hurry up and do all you have said for Mordecai, the man I want to honor.

I would love to have seen Haman’s face at this point! He does it, and then he rushes home feeling AWFUL. Within minutes of his arrival at home, the king’s men are at the door ready to take him to dinner… Haman’s fall has only just begun.

Esther 5

So Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, and that he did not stand or tremble before him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai. Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home, and he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh. Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. Moreover Haman said, "Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."

(Est 5:9-13)

You remember earlier this week when we talked about Haman being filled with “wrath” that could literally be translated as poison? Look at the way it is affecting him here. The sight of Mordecai fills him with indignation, and all he can think about is destroying him. The affect of the poison is instant… he goes from joy and gladness to total wrath and bitterness the MOMENT his eyes settle on Mordecai. Because of this, following the advice of his wife and friends, he builds a gallows to hang Mordecai on.

Remember the setting for all of these events… Haman’s anger and the building of the gallows are taking place between two banquets that Esther has thrown for herself and Haman. He just left one, excited about another one to take place the next day… little did he know that the reason he was invited to the banquet was so his evil plan could be exposed.

Sin often blinds us to what is really going on. Look at Haman. Because He is so full of evil, he can’t enjoy life, and he is totally blind to the fact that he is about to be uncovered. If we let sin reign and rule in our lives, it will poison us. It will make us blind to what is going on… it will fill us with pride and cause us to think and act in a very irrational way. Sin is nothing to play with.

When we look at Haman, we see a man whose life is being systematically destroyed by pride. Step by step, he is falling apart, inching his way closer to destruction, all because he is obsessed with himself. Don’t think you are above Haman though, I believe we all have the potential to be Haman’s… the only way to prevent it is to stay close to the Lord. If we are constantly reminded of who He is, we won’t forget how imperfect and broken we are.

Esther 4

And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"

(Est 4:13-16)

This has got to be one of my favorite passages in all of scripture. It is SO POWERFUL. The hand of God has moved, and the reason is coming to the surface… it will take a tremendous step of faith, but it looks like Esther has been given the opportunity to save the Jews from total destruction.

The scene goes something like this. Mordecai hears word about all that has gone down, and the pending doom of the Jews, and he tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth and ashes, and begins to wail. He doesn’t just cry, he weeps and mourns… His entire people is about to be wiped out. This scene is recreated all throughout the land; as word spreads among the Jews there is an outcry! They weep, they lament, and they adorn themselves in sackcloth and ashes… AND THEY FAST.

All across the land the Jews stop eating and start crying out to God. They plead for salvation; they know that He alone is their only hope. Meanwhile Mordecai works his way as close to the palace as he can get, and Esther gets word that he is mourning. This distresses Esther so she sends down new clothes for him so he can enter the palace, but he refuses to wear them. Not ready to give up, she sends a messenger down t find out what has happened. Mordecai sends up a copy of the decree signed by the king… her husband, the king! She can’t believe what she is reading! The servant tells her that Mordecai wants her to go to the king and plead for her people. She is afraid. If she does this, she could die. This is where our incredible verses come in… Mordecai reminds her that this may be the very reason that the Lord has brought her into the palace in the first place! She may have been appointed for “such a time as this”.

Her response is so great… it shows a faith that is so deep. Having counted the cost she decides to go and says “if I perish, I perish”. She asked only one thing… that Mordecai and the other Jews would fast and pray.

Today I leave the application in your lap… have you been called for “such a time as this”? What does that mean for you?

Esther 3

This next chapter starts out with the introduction of a NEW CHARACTER. His name is Haman, and he is a descendant of the wicked Amalekite king, Agag. The Amalekite’s were some of Israel’s greatest enemies in history, and we are about to see an altercation between HAMAN and our Jewish friend MORDECAI.

Haman earned a high and respected position in the courts of the king, and the servants in the gate would bow reverentially to him as he passed by… all of them except Mordecai. Haman found out that Mordecai refused to bow, and it caused him to be FILLED with WRATH. Stop and think about that for a minute… it didn’t just make Haman mad… it completely filled him with a desire to not only destroy Mordecai, but all of the Jews as well! The word used for wrath here can literally mean “poison” in Hebrew. As Haman allowed this to get under his skin and boil within him, it was as if he was completely filled with poison… we will see that the desire to destroy Mordecai would eventually destroy him!

Haman realizes that if he wants revenge on this level, he can’t do it alone; so he devises a plan that I would describe as nothing short of demonic. Haman’s plan looked something like this: He went to the king and told him that living all throughout his kingdom were a people called the JEWS. They were unlike ANYONE else in the kingdom, and lived by their own rules, disregarding the laws of the land. (We know Haman’s problem is really ONE JEW who wont HONOR HIM; but hey, why tell the king about that???) Haman tells the king that these people should no longer be allowed to live in his kingdom; and the solution he proposes is GENOCIDE. Haman says that a decree should be written that all Jews be destroyed. The king says; “that sounds good to me, I’ll provide the men and the money” and he gives Haman his signet.

Letters are written and sent out, and the message is loud and clear… “The Jews are going down”. The date is set for the 13^th day of the 12^th month, and preparations are made… there can be no reversal now. As a result, the capital city of Shushan was PERPLEXED. This word perplexed means that the message put them in a CONFUSED state, and as a result they didn’t know what to do about it.

They may not have known what to do about it, but God did… keep reading to find out just what it is that God had in mind!

The ESTHER Challenge

Here is a little challenge for anyone out there with some extra time and a lot of creativity.

Take the story of Esther, and rewrite the story in the context of today's culture using today's language... But keep the focus (as the book does) on the hand of God using ordinary people (like Esther and Mordecai) to do EXTRAORDINARY things.

If any of you take me up on the challenge, and the re-telling is KOSHER (ha,ha) I'll post it here a section at a time so others can read it!

Esther 2

Esther is a very unique book. It is the only book in the entire Bible that does not mention God a SINGLE TIME. Crazy huh?! Because of this some people have argued that it shouldn’t be in the Bible, even Martin Luther wanted to remove it. (Martin Luther was funny that way; he always wanted to take things out of the Bible… not a good idea!)

In this chapter we encounter the king after he has banished the queen. We see that he is lonely, and wants to bring a NEW QUEEN on to the scene. So, the SEARCH BEGINS.

It is here that we are introduced to Mordecai. He is a Jew, and a seemingly DEVOUT ONE. We note right off the bat that he is a loving man, for he is raising his little cousin Esther as if she was his own Daughter.

We can make a couple of safe assumptions here: 1.As a Jew, Mordecai was a man who loved and followed God. 2. Because of his Jewish roots, we can believe that Esther was raised with the word of God being taught to her, raised with the hope that one day they would be freed from captivity to return to Israel.

The plot thickens: Esther is taken away to the palace as a potential bride for the king. As she leaves Mordecai asks her to do one very important thing: SHE IS NOT TO LET ANYONE KNOW SHE IS A JEW! Now, there is no reason given for this, and it would be impossible to know why Mordecai said this if this chapter is where it all ended. As our story progresses we will see that this little fact is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE to the way that God unfolds His plan and purpose in this story.

Often, we are asked to do things and not given a reason. Maybe it’s our parents that ask, or a teacher, or even the still small voice of the Lord. We are told WHAT to do, but aren’t always given a why. If Esther HADN’T followed the instructions of Mordecai, we would be reading a completely different story today. God doesn’t always give us the why… we can’t always understand the why; but that is OK. Understanding all of the plans and purposes of God is not what we are called to do; instead we are simply called to trust and obey… and that is exactly what Esther did!

What a loaded chapter… Esther is made queen, and she continues to follow the Godly Advice of Mordecai. As time passes Mordecai catches wind of a plot to destroy the king, and he tells Esther about it. Esther tells the king, the plot is uncovered, the men are hung, and the story goes in the books, with Mordecai getting the credit for saving the life of the king… and the rest will have to wait until tomorrow.

Esther 1

I apologize for missing a few days guys. I will try to be more responsible.

The Bible is filled with wonderful stories and this is one of them. When you think about the story of Esther from start to finish, it becomes clear that either this truly happened or this was written by a master storyteller. It has complex drama with a simple plot, and eventually a happy ending. Of course, being God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians we believe every word to be true. It only becomes a bonus to us that this is one of the best stories eer told.

The plot is laid out for us. We have a king who likes himself a lot. He is the king of the Medo-Persian empire. He has a queen who decides she does not want to show up to the party just to be gazed at by drunk men. This is understandable. Finally, we have a law and a culture who really care very little about women. When told that the queen would not come, the king immediately stopped everything to deal with this issue. It becomes very clear: do not get the king angry. The queen is therefore retired. We do not know what exactly happens to her, except that she is no longer around.

Keep this chapter in mind when we enter the next couple stages of the story. This chapter is all story, however, it lays a very important foundation for the major application behind the story of Esther.

Nehemiah 13

Neh 13:30-31 Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, (31) and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!

Nehemiah completed the task he set out to do and returned home. Immediately Israel begins to compromise on the law of God. They are no longer worhipping false idols like in the days of their fathers before them, but we are seeing the begginning of what will become the Pharisees and everybody else.

You see in this chapter an Israel very similar to the one Jesus walked amongst. There are those who are laboring on the Sabbath. There are those who had defiled the temple. There are those who are marrying outside of Israel. This is especially forbidden because these marriages were a result of lust. We find merchants dwelling outside the city gates, therefore, if you wanted to break the Sabbath you could. Israel is immediately falling away from God but in a way like never before.

Nehemiah steps in and cleans house. This is a good thing. He cleans up the evil which is happening. His passion ignites another spiritual revival. He threatened all the merchants that he would attack them, and they left. He was a one man army for God. No doubt he birthed some followers through this, and hence we find two extremes during the time of Jesus. I am in no way saying that Nehemiah started the Pharisees. I am saying that sometimes the followers of a great leader take their eyes off Jesus and put them upon the leader. After this, there would people who did not really care about the things of God and there would be those who shoved the things of the Lord down everybody's throat.

Be careful who you are following. Great leaders will rise up and they will be full of passion. Follow Jesus. If you do, God will do a work through you like he did through Nehemiah. Just follow Jesus.

Nehemiah 12

Neh 12:43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

The ultimate result of true ministry is that the glory of God is shown through the lives of the people. This is one of the few verses where we read of Jerusalem actually fulfilling what it was appointed to do. Jerusalem was to be a light to the rest of the world. Before there were the great evangelist and even the great commission, there was Jerusalem. Its job was to spread the glory of God and shine in a world wrought with sin.

As we have been watching the Sunday night videos it becomes more and more apparent that Jerusalem is the focal point, or epicenter, of the world. Jerusalem can either bless those around it or curse those. The city is identified spiritually as the city of peace. Yet, when you read throughout history you will not find any other city which has gone through more disaster and still exists today. Like the people of Israel, there is no possible way to explain the preserved nature of this city except it be by God.

The ultimate fulfillment of Jerusalem was Jesus' death and resurrection. This is why it is truly that city of peace. The Prince of Peace made atonement for us, in Jerusalem. You are going to heaven because 2000 years ago, in Jerusalem, Jesus died and rose again.

Therefore, pray for Jerusalem. It is still God's city. Pray for the leaders there. Pray for the Jews there. Pray for the Muslims there. Pray that it will return to that place of worshipping the One true God. We know this will happen during the millenial reign, but nevertheless, pray for a revival in Jesus, in the city of peace.

Nehemiah 11

Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

(Neh 11:1-2)

Nehemiah was looking for a “few good men”. People who would be willing to take the risks involved in settling in Jerusalem itself, and continue the work of bringing that city back to its original state… a glorious city on a hill whose light could not be hidden. These men and women settling Jerusalem were putting themselves on the FRONT LINES; and they were doing it because God had called them to do it.

It’s interesting to me; I talk a lot about wanting to be on the “FRONT LINES” of what God is doing, but if I am honest, I often find myself on the “SIDELINES”. I think the reason for this is that the frontlines in my imagination look nothing like the real frontlines in this battle for God’s Kingdom that we are all engaged in. The frontlines in my imagination are glorious… they always look like a great scene from an epic war film; and in the scene we are “taking the hill for Jesus”. The problem is this; there is a lot of battle that must go on before we ever get to that place! Are you willing to lay it all on the line for Jesus, even when there is NO GLORY INVOLVED? If you’re not, you’ll find yourself living life on the sidelines. Hear the voice of God today, respond to his call, and allow him to place you into battle. Don’t worry about where you are; just do the work of a good soldier. Don’t get distracted, do your work, give it your all. Make yourself available to the Lord, just like these men and women in Israel did!

Nehemiah 10

Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:

(Neh 10:28-29)

This is the fruit of the time of prayer, worship, and the study of the Word that this group of people had just experienced. It wasn’t just a “feel good” time and then back to normal life; these people encountered God and as a result made some major life changes.

They were going to WALK in God’s law, not just know it. Today we talk about being a DOER of God’s Word and not a HEARER only. In order for us to be doers of God’s Word, we need two things to be happening.

1. We need to have the Holy Spirit active in our lives. If we are not born again, we will never be able to truly live for Jesus. It is impossible for the flesh to live in a way that truly glorifies God.
2. As people who have the Holy Spirit, we need to make the choice that we are going to live for Jesus. Having the Holy Spirit doesn’t make holiness automatic. We still are locked in a battle between the flesh and the Spirit and we must decide who we will serve. It isn’t a fun choice, and it isn’t an easy choice. Living the Christian life is impossible on our own. With the Holy Spirit, we can choose to honor the Lord by faith, knowing that the Holy Spirit will give us the strength that we lack.

What is the fruit of the time you are spending with God? If there isn’t any, which of the 2 parts above are missing? What are you going to do to confront this problem?

Nehemiah 9

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God. Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: "Stand up and bless the LORD your God Forever and ever! "Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

(Neh 9:1-5)

Talk about a serious church service… 6 hours studying God’s Word, 6 hours worshipping… no break for a snack, they were FASTING! By today’s standards this seems extreme… but the circumstances these people were facing were extreme. In parts of the world today, these kinds of “church services” still go on; I’ve heard stories from some of the pastors I know about being in India and teaching for 4 or 5 hours without stopping, and the people being disappointed when they do stop! When we are aware of just how much we need the Lord, we are much more likely to crave this kind of time with one another. In fact, it seems like the early church was getting together in one way or another EVERY NIGHT! Praying, fellowshipping, remembering Christ, sharing the word… they KNEW they needed the Lord and one another because that was literally ALL THEY HAD.

As this 12 hour worship service is winding down and coming to a close, a tremendous prayer is offered… go back and read the chapter again, and you will see that in the prayer the people are REHEARSING THEIR HISTORY, seemingly REMINDING GOD OF ALL THAT HAPPENED. Here is the question, DOES GOD NEED REMINDING? I think the obvious answer is NO, HE KNOWS ALL THINGS. So, is it right to “remind” God of the past in prayer, and if it is, what is the point? Before I answer, I want you to give this some thought and try and answer the question yourself…

Have you thought about it? Do you have an answer? If you do, go ahead and read on…

“Rehearsing the past” in our prayers is a GOOD thing. There is nothing wrong with “reminding God”. It is a practice we see time and time again in the scriptures… the question is, what is the point? The point is that it places our faith back in Christ where it belongs, and it makes it SURE and STEADFAST. Prayer doesn’t change God’s mind, but it does move His hand. We don’t MAKE God do things when we pray, but we open up our hearts and lives so He CAN do things. Prayer does change things, and one of the primary things it changes is US. It allows God to have access to our hearts, to move freely in our lives, and to provide vision for our future. What has God done in your past? Next time you find yourself facing challenging circumstances, spend some time praying, and rehearse with God the great things He has done IN YOUR LIFE… and don’t be SHOCKED if you rise from your knees to your feet a changed person!

Nehemiah 8

So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

(Neh 8:8)

I love this verse. In the context we have Ezra the priest sharing God’s word with all of the people who have returned to rebuild Jerusalem. In it, we see a perfect example of what the teaching of God’s Word should be all about.

1. They read DISTINCTLY from the book – The word distinctly means that the reading of the word was in a CLEAR and PURPOSEFUL manner. These were not vague references toward the scripture, but the word was the FOUNDATION of the time they spent together that day. It was presented clearly, in a way that all men could understand.
2. In the LAW of GOD – This was not just a good book, a history book, or even a how-to book. To them, it was the WORD OF GOD. This means that they took it seriously… I think this is lacking in a lot of Christians lives today, we say we believe the Bible is God’s Word, but we don’t really it treat it as such.
3. They gave the SENSE – Not just mere intelligence, but they pulled out the God-given meaning behind what was being said… they had insight into the scriptures and unfolded it to the people. In other words, they didn’t just HEAR God’s word; Ezra helped them to truly UNDERSTAND it.
4. They helped them to understand the reading – This may seem redundant, but it really isn’t. The idea is that they helped the people to see how these things that were being shared applied to their lives.

When Hector and I teach you, this is the pattern we try and follow. To honor God’s word, to make it come through loud and clear, to help you truly understand it, and then to apply it your life. In the same way, this is how you should come to the word of God each day. The Holy Spirit is your teacher, ask him to help make the text clear to you, to help you understand the principles, and then enable you to apply it to your life.

Nehemiah 7

Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. And I said to them, "Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house." Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt. Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return, and found written in it: These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.

(Neh 7:1-6)

Notice all that had been accomplished at this point: The wall was built, the gates were hung, and the gatekeepers, Levites, and singers had been appointed. Then 2 men who loved and feared God were chosen to have charge over the city of Jerusalem, to be leaders there. After all of this was done Nehemiah began to look around, and he saw that the city was large and spacious, that not many people were living in it, and the houses still needed to be rebuilt. In other words, there was a lot more work to do.

There are many times when people find themselves in the position Nehemiah is now in. They have finished what God has called them to do in one area, and they look around and see LOADS of needs, they see that there is WORK to do. Sometimes in these situations, people just give up. Overwhelmed by what remains to be done they say, “I did my part, I’ve earned the right to just sit back, relax, and let someone else do the work”. Other times, a person will see all of the needs and just pick one at random. Though this may be better than doing nothing, it really isn’t the best way to move on.

Nehemiah sets a good example for how a godly man or woman should respond in a situation of this sort. He SAW the work, but he didn’t just do what HE wanted to… He did what the LORD put upon his heart. This may seem like a subtle difference on the surface, but in reality it is huge. Nehemiah got involved in ministry in the first place because of a burden… Now he was letting the Lord redirect him into new ministry by developing that burden again.

If you want to see the Lord lay His will for your work and ministry on YOUR heart, then there are some practical steps you need to take.

1. Pray for the Lord to give you a burden for His people and His work.

2. Pray for the Lord to direct you in how to specifically meet the need he lays on your heart.

3. continue to pray throughout the process of the work… you need Him!

Nehemiah 6

Neh 6:10-11 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you." (11) And I said, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!"

Keith Green sings a song which goes, "I make my life a prayer to you. I want to do what you want me to. No empty words, and no white lies. No token prayers, no compromise..." Nehemiah is a beautiful example of this. Here he is at the very end of what he set out to do. The wall is almost complete. The only thing missing is the gates. Of course, Satan has planned one last assault.

Surrounding nations are doing everything they can to stop him. They are making up lies about him. They are trying to draw him out to change his mind or kill him. Finally, one of his fellow workers here about an attempt at Nehemiah's life. He suggests they hide in the temple, because no Jew would dishonor the temple by committing murder in it. Nehemiah responds by saying, "I will not go in!"

You see, this whole work of the wall had been a work of God. The nations realized this. Imagine now what it would be if Nehemiah disgraced the Lord by taking refuge out of fear, in His temple. That is not what the temple was purposed to be. Truly the Lord is our refuge, however, there are battles we need to stand up to. When we are called to the battlefield, we should be in the battlefield! Nehemiah was not about to take the easy way out. His job, given by God, was to complete the wall. Nehemiah intended to complete the wall.

What ministry has the Lord given you? Are you completeing it? Have you allowed trials to cause you to hide? It is a very good thing that we go to church and are equipped, however, we are equipping for battle. When we leave church, we are entering into the battlefield. What is the point of being equipped if you never intend to use the equipment? Complete the ministry God has given to you, not by might or power, but by His Spirit.

Nehemiah 5

Neh 5:7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, "Each of you is exacting usury from his brother." So I called a great assembly against them.

We are going to take a break from the outline of ministry to deal with this new problem in Israel. Because everybody was fully dedicated to working on the walls, nobody was working to make money. This became a problem when they had to pay for food and clothing. What ended up happening is the poor Jews would sell the children to the rich Jews (Rulers) in order to make sure their children would have food and shelter. The children would become full time servants. This went on until finally, the people could not take it anymore. The poor Jews wanted their children back and they needed a way to pay off their homes.

Nehemiah took time. "After serious thought" he came up with a solution. He was going to rebuke the nobles and rulers. Most of the nobles and rulers were not working on the wall anyways. They were also crafty business men. We figure this because, they too went to Babylon in captivity. However, they left Babylon rich and esteemed as nobles. These Jews thrived under the Babylonian market system and now they had come to the home land to retire. Here they saw another opportunity to make some profit. Being the crafty business men that they were they started to buy themselves servants from their fellow Jews. I am sure they made themselves look like this was their way of giving to the wall. Nehemiah would not have it.

Nehemiah rebuked, which is something we may all have to do when push comes to shove. It is not wrong to rebuke. It simply needs to be done in the right context at the right time. Nehemiah would no longer allow these men to fight the cause before them. He could not make them work, but he would not allow them to cheat everybody else. He was going to take advantage of their riches to fund the poor so they can continue working.

Nehemiah 4

Neh 4:17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.

Things are getting rough. Nehemiah has four armies ready to attack him and the Jews. He has a half built wall and the people are getting restless. What does he do?

1. Burden
2. Prayer
3. Decision/sacrifice
4. Action
5. Work (Possibly alone)
6. Trials and scorn
7. Working alongside of brothers and sisters

Well in this chapter we see the elements of ministry going to work. Nehemiah and the people still have a burden. They are praying every night. They are sacrificing everything to build the wall. They are certainly taking action. They realize the work at hand and they are addressing it. They are working through the trials and scorn. Finally, they are certainly working together. The eighth element of ministry is shown here:

8. A tenacious will and desire to get the job done.

Nehemiah and the people of Israel had just this. They were of a one track mind. In fact, our theme verse for the day tells us that they worked with one hand and carried weapons in the other. Imagine what that would do to production! Imagine how it would be to building a wall and think that at any moment you might here that horn which means the enemy is upon you. They were ready to fight. They were ready to build. Their hearts were of a tenacious will: Finish the Job. God has called us to minister in one way or another. Are we fervently attacking that? Are our hearts fixed on finishing the job? Do we allow circumstances to change our direction? Be tenacious.

Nehemiah 3

"Next to him..."

God uses an interesting term to describe the church. He calls it a "body." Truly the body is one of the greatest of all His works. Everything has a function. We then try to master every facet of the body. When someone has a certain part mastered, we call them professionals. Have you ever watched professional sports? Have you ever watched the Olympics. These are people with their bodies mastered and honed in for one thing and one thing only. When the runner races; his arms race, his legs race, his eyes race, everything races.

The church is one body. When we see a goal, we need to all be charging toward it. The greatest criticism against the church is its hypocrisy. Have you ever tried to run without using your arms? Instead you can just let them dangle and you will be forced to pull them along! The church sometime does just this. We look silly. Not everyone is in one accord because not everyone is looking toward the head, Jesus.

In our story today Israel is working as one. Remember, we are learning about ministry. We already have: 1. Burden 2. Prayer 3. Decision/sacrifice 4. Action 5. Work (Possibly alone) 6. Trials and scorn. There will be lonely times in ministry but it is crucial and element that there is united times as well. If you are ministering and there is no one there being ministered to, what is the point? Also, because we live in a culture where we have church functions, God has enriched us and designed us to be built up by Christian brothers and sisters. This is critical. We need to work alongside each other, encouraging one another, and building each other up. This does not mean that we do not bear a responsibility of our own. Hands grab, eyes see, ears hear, etc. But we are to move as one under the Lord's calling and leadership (He is the head). Therefore, work alongside each other. Do not bear another person's responsibility, but bear their burden. You are to cry when they cry and laugh when they laugh. Live as one body, under Jesus, indivisible, in Him.

7th. Element to Ministry - Working alongside brothers and sisters

Nehemiah 2

Neh 2:18-19 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. So they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work. (19) But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?"

Nehemiah's burden and Nehemiah's prayer turns into reality when he is face to face with the king. Remember, we are talking about the call of ministry. We all have a call to minister to the world around us, therefore, we should all take time to learn from the trials of Nehemiah. First he had a burden. Second, he prayed. Now, he is faced with a decision. Where there is a burden for ministry there will always be a decision of sacrifice. Nehemiah is brought before the king, and for reasons unknown (besides for the miraculous hand of God), the king supports Nehemiah's wishes.

1. Burden
2. Prayer
3. Decision/sacrifice
4. Action
5. Work (Possibly alone)
6. Trials and scorn

Nehemiah's next step is one of action. He has been given the means to minister. He has approval. He has made his decision. Now was the time to act upon it. Keep in mind, Nehemiah is still in prayer every step of the way. He and a few others head toward Jerusalem. When he arrives he surveys the entire city. He gets different angles. He examines every gate. He does all of this alone. Already, despite not having the approval of the people, he is taking the first steps to rebuild the wall. This is faith.

Finally he presents his plans and through the grace of God Israel is excited about it. The enemies of Israel are not. Because Nehemiah has the decree from the king, Israel is safe from a threat of attack. Yet the verbal abuse begins and we are told that Israel was being mocked throughout the making of the wall.

This gives us two excellent points. The first is, minister in the Lord's time. Nehemiah was now equiped with a decree fromt he king. Could you imagine what would of happened had Nehemiah just left his duty as butler and rushed into building the wall. He would of been defeated! Secondly, ministry always comes with adversaries. Just because God approves does not mean that everyone else does. Who are we going to listen to? If we truly care more for the things of God than the things of this world we will listen to HIM.

Nehemiah 1

Neh 1:3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."

Nehemiah is a fantastic Old Testament view of how to conduct ministry. The story is simple. The Jews have returned to Jerusalem, however, all the walls of Jerusalem are torn down. In those days, the only thing that kept you safe in your home from the things and people outside were the four walls that surrounded your city. This is what made Jericho such a formiddable foe. Therefore, the children of Israel were distressed. Surely somebody would attack them and without walls, they would have no safety.

As we go through the book of Nehemiah we will identify different ministry trials and different ministry "musts." The first ministry must is that we must find a need and respond to it. How do we respond? We respond in prayer, just like Nehemiah. Notice, he hears the news, he is touched by the news, and he then prays to God fervently. This is a must should we find ourselves involved in any ministry. Find a need and pray.

Think about some opportunities the Lord may have placed in your life. Start to pray about them just like Nehemiah. See where the Lord may take you.

Ezra 10

Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, "We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it."

(Ezr 10:1-4)

I love passages like this. It starts with one man, one man who is broken before God… and it spreads rapidly to a LARGE group of people. Look at what Ezra is doing… He is praying primarily, but while he prays he is engaged in three other things: Confession, weeping, and bowing down. As Ezra confessed his sin he was broken hearted and began to weep. He wept over his own sins, and the sins of his people. He realized how awful they were in the eyes of God. He then bowed himself before the Lord, symbolic of his reverence and Godly fear. Ezra was putting himself in the proper place before the Lord.

I love this… He didn’t go on a campaign to stamp out sin, or condemn those around him, he carried these things to the Lord. If Ezra had gone to these people caught up in sin and attacked them for their sin, I don’t think they would have responded the same way. When they saw Ezra, they broke… they recognized how evil their actions were in God’s sight, and they joined Ezra.

When was the last time you were broken over the sinfulness of the world we live in? If you want to be effective in your witness for Christ, it must begin with brokenness… the brokenness we see here led to revival; maybe we can see revival if we will be broken like Ezra was.

Ezra 9

When these things were done, the leaders came to me, saying, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass." So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice. At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.

(Ezr 9:1-5)

Sin. How do you respond to sin? Are you indifferent towards it? Do you rejoice in it? Does it break your heart? We see here that Ezra responds properly to the sins of his people. The Israelites were unequally yoked, they were marrying people that worshipped idols of every sort, and were being caught up in the idolatry. This is something that God views as WICKED. It is not the way that He wanted His children to live.

Ezra response shows us the heart of God. First he tore his clothes… this was an old school way of showing that something awful was happening, it normally took place after the death of a loved one. Why would Ezra do this now? Because there WAS death; death in the relationship between God and His people. When these people sinned, they separated themselves from a holy God… their choices made relationship with God cease.

Notice the Godly men and women in this passage… they are referred to as men and women who “tremble at God’s word”. This doesn’t mean they were literally frightened by it, but that they took it SERIOUSLY. God’s word is to be taken seriously. His commands are not mere suggestions, and the consequences for continued sin are grave. May we be like Ezra and the other Godly men and women; broken hearted by the sin we see, taking God’s word SERIOUSLY.

Ezra 8

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.

(Ezr 8:21-23)

Fasting. I’m sure you all know what fasting is, but at times feel like you don’t know what it’s all about. You can define it as a “time when you stop eating so you can have more focused time to seek the Lord”. That definition works, but it still doesn’t really tell me when, how, and why I should fast. In our passage today, we see a whole group of people fasting, and we are told the when, how, and why of all that goes on. Let’s take a peek at these verses and see what we can learn.

1. The fast was a way for them to humble themselves before God. – Unlike God, we are completely dependent upon food and drink for our survival. God alone is a fully independent being and He is completely self-satisfied. We are spiritually dependent upon the Lord. When we fast, we are humbly acknowledging our dependence on Him, how much we need him. It acknowledges that we CAN’T MAKE IT ON OUR OWN, that we NEED THE LORD’S HELP, and we need Him to provide us with CLEAR DIRECTION.
2. They were seeking the RIGHT WAY. – The right way for them, for their children, and for their stuff. Have you ever been in one of those situations where you come to a fork in the road and you don’t know which direction to go? Spiritually, this happens more often than we are willing to think or admit. Often, we come to this point and we just make a choice, hoping it is right. For Ezra and his fellow settlers, they NEEDED to make the right choice, THEIR LIVES DEPENDED ON IT. So they fasted. For them, fasting seemed like the best way to make a wise decision in the situation… not the only way, just the best way.
3. It was to be a testimony – Like I said, there were other ways they could have gotten help; but they were concerned mostly with the WITNESS THEY HAD TO THE WORLD AROUND THEM. They had claimed that the Lord would help them; if they turned now and sought help from man; it may cause the men around to wonder if God had let them down. We can get help from outside sources, but the best thing we can do is to seek the face of God. Fasting is a way we can demonstrate that we truly believe God has the answers, and He will help us.

So, where does that leave us? I hope it clarifies a bit of the when, why and how of fasting… helping us to feel equipped to utilize this gift the Lord has given us. We need to view fasting as a privilege, not a burden; a special way for us to “kick it up a notch” when we really feel like we need God’s direction. Don’t be afraid, fasting is your friend.

Ezra 7

Ezr 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

We are so funny concerning our walks with the Lord. Sometimes we feel that just arriving is enough to have a good relationship with Jesus. Have you ever had a friend who treated you this way? They arrive at your house and their body language just makes you feel like their saying, "Well, I am here. Entertain me." I feel that we do this all the time with Jesus. We finally take some time out of our day for Him or we enter church with the attitude, "I arrived, You do the rest."

Ezra's heart as nothing like this. The verse above tells us that he prepared his heart just so he could seek the Lord. Another thing that stands out is as he prepared to read the Law of God, he was preparing to do it. What a great attitude to have. I would encourage you, as you prepare to read God's Word today and tomorrow and for the rest of your life, first prepare your heart to obey it. If you read His Word with no intension to obey it than you truly are content with just showing up.

Finally, Ezra was preparing to teach and share God's Word. This is the beautiful step by step instruction for diggin into God's Word. You dig in to seek God, and to do His will, and finally to share that will with others. It was as if Ezra was saying, "Unless I am willing to do all of the above, I am not reading the Word." Ezra is a warrior. I need to be the same way. This is not just for me to take in, but it is a sword. Unless you intend to dish it out, it does no good. Let's all learn from Ezra and approach God's Word with a new heart.

Ezra 6 Round 2

I tried posting this this morning and the computer decided to mess up and delete the devo. Sorry its late...


Ezr 6:22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful,

Here we have the people of Israel finally getting to use their new temple. It was twenty years in the making and it was filled with adverisity. Now they were ready to put it to use, they were ready to use it as a way worchip the Lord. We are told that they were joyful in worshipping Him, and the Lord made them joyful.

Something I have noticed in the lives of most Christians is that there is a lack of joy in their lives. I know I am especially guilty of this. Here I am, blessed beyond belief, and yet I still spend time thinking about complications rather than being filled with the joy of the Lord. I like the picture made here. Israel came filled with joy and God made them joyful. Israel already had the right attitude, and God made filled them with even more joy. This is what the Lord will do for us.

We need to live lives that show we are filled with the joy of the Lord. There is something so attractive about a joyful person. It draws others toward them. We, as Christians, have something which should put a little more hop in our step. We have something which should make us more excited to live life. We have a relationship with Jesus. Let it show.

Ezra 5

Ezr 5:8 Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the temple of the great God, which is being built with heavy stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.

Israel now has to deal with politics as they continue to try to build their wall. In one sense they were being disobedient to the government. They had been commanded to stop for the time being. On the other hand, they had a very valid point in that King Cyrus gave them the decree to build therefore they shall build. So what was the right move? The right move was following God's plan.

Because you live in this world you will deal with politics. You may get involved in politics as pertaining to the government. You may not be interested in that at all yet you find yourself dealing with work politics, school politics, church politics, and even personal politics. Politics simply means, "The science of government." Since we all live in governments (Your home, your school, etc...) we find ourself victim to politics. The most important thing to do in this politically correct world is to keep your eyes on Jesus.

Keeping your eyes on Jesus may be the least political move possible. I would encourage you to read the biography on Charles Colson. He was deeply involved in politics. In fact, he was the main character with Nixon behind the Watergate scandal. Yet, he got off free and clear. Through all this the Lord touched his life and he became a Christian. Further evidence brought him back to court, but this time, he admitted to everything. Not a political move. He ended up making prison his stage for preaching Jesus. To this day he runs the ministry known as Prison Fellowship. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Let Him make your decisions for you.

Ezra 4

Ezr 4:1-3 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel, (2) they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers' houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here." (3) But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel said to them, "You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

The enemies of Judah and Benjamin hear about Jerusalem being rebuilt. What do they decide to do? They decide to help Israel build the temple.

Notice that they were not looking to help build the walls, or homes, but they specifically were interested in building the temple. Why? Because the temple was the place of communion between Israel and God. This is where man would talk to God and God to man. It represented the relationship between God and His people, and if the temple was defiled than Israel was defiled. 1Co 6:19 tells us "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" This is the New Testament equilevent of the Old Testament Temple. We now, through the Holy Spirit that dwells in this body, have access to our Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:22 tells us that in heaven there is no temple, but only God. This represents that we will have complete access to Him and will no longer have to go through something else.

Our enemy has similar tactics. Satan will stop at nothing to get something in our temple that will distract us from Jesus. He will even make it sound like a good thing at first. He will say he is helping us. We let God rebuke Satan. But indeed, like Israel, we need to learn to say to those distractions in our hearts, "You may do nothing with us to build the house of our God..." Keep your eyes on Him and keep your temple undefiled from this world.

Ezra 3

Ezr 3:12-13 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers' houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, (13) so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.

Have you ever returned to a house you grew up in or a place from your childhood. When you look at everything over again it looks way smaller because you remember it from when you were tiny. Israel was taken into captivity for 70 years. Therefore, anyone who remembered the old temple was very young when they saw it and was no doubt very old now.

We have a funny picture here. The people of Israel were rebuilding hte temple. Now the old temple was built by Solomon. Solomon was famous for his vast amount of riches. Consequently, he had plenty of money to pour into building the temple. The old temple (Solomon's temple) was huge, grand, and breathtaking. The new temple was none of these because Israel was returning as a nation without foundation. Conbine this with the childlike perspective of the old temple and we an see why the old men cried when looking upon these new foundations.

What I find refreshing about this verse is that the others were not crying. They were instead rejoicing at the new temple being built. This is a challenge to us. Our Christian lives are never to be lived in the past. We are never to look at a past outreach or past experience as a way to measure what is being today. If God is truly doing a work, than today is the day for rejoicing. The young people of Israel were all rejoicing over the new temple because they knew nothing of the old one. They were just happy that a house was being built for the Lord. Be glad for the work the Lord is doing today. Do not weep for latter days, because it takes you away from being used in the now.

Ezra 2

Have you ever been away on a long trip? Do you remember how it good it feels to finally come home after that trip? Now, imagine for a moment what it was like to be a Jew at this time in history. They had all been away from their homes for a LONG TIME. It had been 70 years for many of them. They didn’t have homes to return to really, they had been chased out, their homes burned to the ground… then they were rounded up and herded like cattle into Babylon. For 70 years they lived as captives in a land that was not theirs, but then the Lord moved, and they were allowed to return to their land, to rebuild their homes, and to restore their kingdom.

For the average Jew, this must have been such an incredible time. Though there would be great sadness when they saw their land and the destruction there, there was also great GLADNESS as they realized that GOD WAS AT WORK, AND HAD NOT FORSAKEN THEM. Over 40,000 people are listed for us as returning in this chapter; they were coming back to a lot of hard work, to a lot of sweat… But they were coming back with the assurance that GOD WAS STILL AT WORK.

Remember that simple thought as you go about your day today, GOD IS STILL AT WORK.

Ezra 1

Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. Then the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all those who were around them encouraged them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

(Ezr 1:2-6)

We pick up right where we left off yesterday. Here we see in the beginning of Ezra, that people are beginning to respond to Cyrus and return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the temple. The difference here is that Cyrus’ decree contains some detail here in Ezra that we weren’t given in 2^nd Chronicles. Cyrus tells us as is recorded here, that those of the Jews who couldn’t go down to Jerusalem should still involve themselves in the work by giving of their resources.

So here we see a two-fold response; the heads of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, all of the priests and Levites, and those who had their SPIRIT MOVED BY GOD head for Jerusalem; those who stayed behind gave willingly of what they had. So, why were some moved by God and others not?

I think the answer is simple; God didn’t want everyone to go back. We need to remember that. It doesn’t mean that those who stayed behind were less godly, gifted, or spiritual; it just means that God had other plans for them. There will be times in your life when you feel a strong move of God’s Spirit upon you to do, say, or be something. Maybe it will be a type of ministry you are called to, and maybe it will involve leaving. What you don’t want to do is get upset when some of the people around you fail to share your enthusiasm for what you are doing. Don’t go thinking you are better than them; instead just realize that God has different plans for everyone. The key is not “why aren’t they being moved?!?!” it is “God what are You moving ME to do?”

2 Chronicles 36

Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the LORD which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions. And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

(2Ch 36:14-21)

This passage makes me so sad; it is one of the saddest things that we read in all of scripture. Our God, reaching out in love to His people is rejected time and time again. Sin is getting grosser, the nation is going from bad to worse, and those few who are faithful to the Lord are mocked, scorned and persecuted. It got to the point that our God, the God who is willing that none should perish, the God who IS LOVE, declared that there was NO REMEDY. The nation as a whole was past the point of no return. As a result, His judgment falls.

The temple is looted and burned to the ground.

The walls surrounding Jerusalem are destroyed.

All of the beautiful palaces are destroyed.

Every precious thing is taken.

Every person that was not slain was ripped from there home and taken as captives into a foreign land, the land of Babylon.

Israel, the people who were to be “governed by God” have been displaced and destroyed, they have lost everything, all because they WOULD NOT REPENT. It could have been the end of the story. God’s plan of redemption could have been extinguished right then. There is no reason why couldn’t have walked away and said “I give up on you”. But the story does not end here. On the contrary, the story of redemption is just beginning. For out of the ashes, God was going to rebuild a nation that once again feared Him, and 400 years or so down the road, He was going to take on flesh, to walk among His people as a man, and die on a tree for their sins. God was just getting started. Though their may have been no remedy for the NATION, there is always a remedy for sin. It wasn’t cheap, and it wasn’t easy, but God was going to save mankind. It would cost Him everything, but He was going to do it because HE LOVED THE WORLD AND ALL THAT WAS IN IT.

Listen to the resounding note of hope that we read in the last verses of this book…

Now 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, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!

(2Ch 36:22-23)

The temple was to be rebuilt. What did this symbolize? God was going to once again dwell in the midst of Israel… He wasn’t finished, He was just beginning. Remember that. It applies to your life today. God isn’t finished… like Cyrus declared, God is moving, He is looking for HIS people who are willing to go up and engage in the work. It isn’t a physical temple we are building today though, it is a spiritual kingdom; and God isn’t finished, He is just beginning!