Scan over the lists in Ezra 2:1-70 and Nehemiah 7:1-73. What do you notice about them? The repetition of Ezra 2:1-70 (the list of those who returned from the Babylonian captivity with Zerubbabel and Joshua) in Nehemiah 7:1-73 is deliberate. Again, these lists might seem boring to us, but they reveal an important point, which is … Continue reading –>
Read Ezra 1:9-11 and Daniel 1:1-2. How do the texts in Daniel help us understand what Ezra was referring to? Notice how in Ezra details are given, while in Daniel the big picture was presented. Together, though, these texts show that the Lord is in control. “The history of nations speaks to us today. To every nation and … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Ezra 1:9-11; Dan. 1:1-2; Dan. 5:1-30; Deut. 30:1-6; Ezra 8:1-23; Neh. 11:1-2; Neh. 12:1-26. Memory Text: “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 … Continue reading –>
Volleyball Evangelism By Wilson Measapogu Man Bahadur Rai and his family believed that six spirits inhabited their home in a rural village near Nepal’s border with China. Six clay pots were placed around the home for the spirits to live in. Whenever Mother cooked a meal, she placed food into each pot for the spirits … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Consecration”, pages 43–48, in Steps to Christ. “The ministration of the earthly sanctuary consisted of two divisions; the priests ministered daily in the holy place, while once a year the high priest performed a special work of atonement in the most holy, for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Day by day the … Continue reading –>
Look at Nehemiah 10:32-39 again. Why were the temple’s practices essential for the Israelites, as shown by “we will not neglect the house of our God” (Neh. 10:39, NKJV)? Why was the Temple so important for the faith as a whole? (See also Heb. 8:1-7). The Israelites pledged to take care of the temple. Even though they were a small group … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 10:30-39. What are four things the Israelites pledged to do as part of the renewed covenant? The people pledged the following: 1. No mixed marriages (no marriage to an individual who could lead one into idolatry); 2. True Sabbath observance (no distractions through business transactions); 3. Debt cancelation and Sabbatical year observance to care for the poor and give them … Continue reading –>
Bible scholars recognize that there is a typical structure to biblical covenants; this was even seen in covenants made by the ancient Hittites. That is, God communicated to the people in a manner that they, in their culture, could especially understand. The covenants that were common during the time of ancient Israel had the following … Continue reading –>
After the flood, God began again, now with Noah and the people who came afterward. With them, too, He sought a relationship, and central to that relationship was the idea of covenant. The Bible identifies seven major covenants that God has made with people: 1st Covenant – Adam (Genesis 1:1-3:24) 2nd Covenant – Noah (Genesis 6:1-9:29) 3rd … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 10:1-29 (and refresh your memory by reading Nehemiah 9:36-38). Who is making this covenant, and why did they enter into it? Although only the leaders signed the document, the text pointedly notes that all of “the rest the people” entered into “a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God” (Neh. 10:28-29, NIV). What was … Continue reading –>
