- And Even Now Declares Yahweh Return To Me <br /> April 20, 2018In the last chapter of Nehemiah, we find him turning the people back to serve God. Joel opens with the devastation of an army of locusts as the example, something so severe none of them have seen it before, and ...... more
- Two Choirs Stood In The House of God <br /> April 19, 2018The wall is finished, the gates are open. Nehemiah gathers, not just those in Jerusalem but from all of the region around. He gathers all of the Levites, and all of the singers, and all of the commanders, and all ...... more
- To Praise and To Give Thanks <br /> April 18, 2018The people are settling in to the whole region of Judah. This had once been theirs, and it is again but now under the rule of the Persian Governor. At least he is one of their own, Nehemiah. They still ...... more
- They Took Delight In Your Great Goodness <br /> April 17, 2018As the children of Israel stand together before Ezra and learn the Law of the Lord, they recognize their cycle of rebellion and God’s great faithfulness to them. God has warned them, been patient with them, and saved them many ...... more
- You Made Known Your Holy Sabbath <br /> April 16, 2018The time-line of the return of the exiles begins in Ezra 1:1 with the decree of Cyrus, 538 BC and covers more than a hundred years through 432 BC when Nehemiah returns to enforce the Law in Nehemiah 13. This ...... more
- With The Help of Our God <br /> April 13, 2018The walls and gates of Jerusalem are completed in just fifty-two days. Enemies of the Jews, the enemies of the returned exiles, now called the survivors, their enemies are amazed and recognize the hand of God at work. Though they ...... more
- God Strengthen My Hands <br /> April 12, 2018There are always a few people that may not agree with you or may not like what you are doing, but Nehemiah is facing people that want to stop his work altogether. We already know who they are, the Horonites ...... more
- Come Build the Walls <br /> April 11, 2018Nehemiah has been the cup bearer for king Artaxerxes for twenty years in “the citadel of Susa”. He has heard reports before, and might have seen others, like Ezra, as they made requests before the king. Now though, he is ...... more
- The Hand of God Was On Us <br /> April 10, 2018Ezra had a commission from the king and all the people had gathered ready to begin the journey a thousand miles to Jerusalem. This was a trade route but Ezra was nervous about ambush along the way. He didn’t want ...... more
- Any Who Are Willing <br /> April 9, 2018Psalm 106 reflects on the mistakes of Gods chosen people who God had asked to “observe justice” and do “righteousness at all times”. The Psalm turns to a plea in vs. 5 “that I may see the good done”, but ...... more