All through the Bible, we can find examples of leadership, both good and bad, and sometimes even a mixture of both. Bad leaders, at times, have done some good things, while good leaders, at times, have done some bad things. After all, all leaders are human beings and, as such, are capable of both good … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Kings 12:1-16; Acts 15:7-11; John 11:46-53; Neh. 4:7-23; Ezra 8:21-23, Ezra 8:31-32. Memory Text: “And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them” (Nehemiah 8:12, NKJV). Both Ezra and Nehemiah are examples of great leaders who were dedicated to … Continue reading –>
God’s Math By Andrew McChesney, Adventist Mission Jannie Bekker, a genteel South African with wavy blond hair, was deployed to Vietnam’s capital with $2 million and the momentous task of establishing the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s first “urban center of influence” in the southeast Asian country. Bekker, however, struggled to find a suitable property in Hanoi. … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “Reformation”, pages 669–678, in Prophets and Kings. “Industry in a God-appointed duty is an important part of true religion. Men should seize circumstances as God’s instruments with which to work His will. Prompt and decisive action at the right time will gain glorious triumphs, while delay and neglect result in failure and dishonor … Continue reading –>
From what we have seen in Ezra and Nehemiah about this issue of mixed marriages, it’s clear that God takes marriage seriously, and that we should, as well. We should prayerfully consider a potential marriage partner, and include God in the decision-making. And we should decide to be faithful to God’s principles, which can protect … Continue reading –>
Read Ezra 10:1-44. How did Ezra and the leaders tackle the issue of intermarriage? Together, the whole assembly decided to send the foreign wives away. Amazingly, even those who married them agreed with the plan, except for the four men mentioned by name in Ezra 10:15. The Jews promised to send their spouses away, and it … Continue reading –>
Read Ezra 9:1-15. How does Ezra respond to hearing about the Israelites’ intermarriages? Ezra 9:1-2 state that the people “have not separated themselves”. The word “separated” is used in the following verses as well: Lev. 10:10; Lev. 11:47; Exod. 26:33; Gen. 1:4, Gen 1:6-7, Gen. 1:14, Gen. 1:18. What does the use of this word imply about the issue of a believer marrying an unbeliever? … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 13:26-27. What does this show about how important biblical history is for informing us about the dangers of deviating from the right path? Solomon was led deeper into sin by the choices he made. It would be accurate to say that Solomon caused his own ruin by disobeying God’s command for the kings of … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 13:23-25. What happened here, and how do we explain Nehemiah’s reaction to the situation? Since the children didn’t speak Aramaic (the language used during the Exile) or Hebrew, they couldn’t understand the teachings from Scripture. This was a real problem, because the knowledge of God’s revelation could thus be distorted or even disappear. The … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Neh. 13:23-25; Deut. 7:3-4, 2 Cor. 6:14; Ezra 9:1-15, Ezra 10:1-44, 1 Cor. 7:10-17. Memory Text: “And I said: ‘O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens’ … Continue reading –>
