I loved this passage. Finally, Israel seems to have turned a corner from their ungodly ways and is pursuing the godly path. In the books of Kings and Chronicles, I was overwhelmed with the account of their evil ways, especially setting up idols in the temple and allowing religious prostitution in, as well. Every once in a while, a godly king set out to clean up and reform the nation. But as soon as he died, his son reverted back to the old pagan ways with the nation following. After the seemingly endless cycles of sin and judgment, Ezra and Nehemiah are like a breath of fresh air!
- A moment to remember: Ezra was a Bible scholar and teacher. He worked together with Nehemiah to bring the holy city of Jerusalem back to life and health. Part of the work involved rebuilding the temple. At the temple rededication, Ezra was overcome with sadness at Israel’s past rebellion and sinfulness. He wept, prostrate in front of the temple. As he prayed and confessed, huge numbers of men, women, and children joined him, weeping as if their hearts would break.
- Making things right: After this powerful moment of repentance, Ezra and the people mourned and fasted. They also divorced their foreign spouses; God had forbidden intermarriage with pagan tribes because the people seemed to be too easily swayed into idol worship (Ezra 10:1ff).
- Let’s get to work: Nehemiah is a book of action. Nehemiah was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia. He seemed to have a strong relationship with the king. He asked for the king’s permission, and the king’s help, to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem and begin the rebuilding of the city. The king granted his request.
- Golden Age of Greece: Some historical context. The events in the book of Nehemiah took place from 446-433 BC, a time when Athens was booming. Pericles was building the Parthenon (a temple to the goddess Athena) on the Acropolis. The philosopher Socrates was a young man.
- Fast tracking: The wall around Jerusalem was a group effort by Israelites newly returned from exile. Rebuilding the wall took just 52 days. In construction, expediting building projects is called “fast tracking.” Especially impressive given that the workers had to work with a tool in one hand and a spear in the other to ward off attackers.
- Celebration: When the wall was completed, a celebration began, featuring repentance, worship, confession, and readings from Moses’ writings. A powerful sermon reflected back on Israel’s history, especially the cycles of sin, judgment, and repentance. This verse struck me: “As soon as they had it easy again, they were right back at it—more evil” (Ezra 9:26-31). The Israelites had a hard time staying on the straight and narrow.
Elena’s verse of the day: "Our God, you are powerful, fearsome, and faithful, always true to your word" (Nehemiah 9:32).
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