Week 12: Ezra & Nehemiah

Pre-understandings

• These are the books of rebuilding
• The Temple
• The Wall and City of Jerusalem
• Note the recurrence of “God’s favor” on Nehemiah and Ezra
• Note the urgency about the process of building
• Note the importance of Purity for God’s people
• No strangers allowed to help with the rebuilding
• Marriage to foreigners is to be repented of and rectified
• Importance of establishing valid family records for the priests
• Note the priority of Scripture (Gen.-Deut. The Book of Moses) and living according to what is found there
• First occurrence of Teaching Scripture
• Note the importance and recurrence of repentance
• Nehemiah chapter 1 contains a classic example of a prayer of repentance
• Key questions on the minds of those returning:
• “Are we capable of accomplishing the tasks set before us?”
• “Are the tasks worthy of our efforts?”

The tools God uses
Compare the end of 2 Chronicles with the beginning of Ezra:  Cyrus is God’s chosen instrument—as well as Darius and Artexerxes
Lesson:  The sovereignty of God is mightier than world powers and power brokers

Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Again
Muddled priorities because of adulterated worship accelerated by wrong-hearted relationships and “mixed marriages”

Leaders in Ezra-Nehemiah, as opposed to those in Kings-Chronicles are humble, prayerful and focused on the Word and the best interest of the people

Nehemiah 9:17

“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate;
slow to anger and abounding in love.”

The return of God’s people to the Promised Land and the rebuilding of the Temple and the City of God (Jerusalem) prove that God doesn’t give up on His plan for His people.

Week 11: 1 & 2 Chronicles

1 & 2 Chronicles:

·      Pre-understandings

·      Chronicles offers many of the stories from Samuel and Kings but retold at least 3 generations later.

·      These stories are remembered for the returning exiles

·      The timeframe of the hearers has more in common with Ezra and Nehemiah than with Samuel and David

·      God’s message in Kings was “Here is how you got to this miserable exile.”

§  His message in Chronicles is “Here is how to recover from this miserable exile.”

·      Key question on the minds of those returning: “Have we fallen too far to come back?”

·      Key observation: look for what is missing as you compare the same events told in Kings versus Chronicles.

·      Back to the Beginning

·      The genealogy of chapters 1-9 goes all the way back to Adam

·      Note God’s plan from the beginning

·      The genealogy hits the high points, almost ignoring the hardest times

·      God is able to make all things work together for good

·      The genealogy links God’s plan from the Garden of Eden directly to the returning exiles.

·      The message is “God’s plan is still in the process of being carried out and you still have a place in it.”

·      Remember the Glory Days

·      David and Solomon were part of God’s plan, now it’s time for the next steps.

·      Never forget the Lessons of Failure or Success!

·      Retelling of what worked and what didn’t-from Rehoboam to Zedekiah

·      Be like David, not like Ahab

·      God calls His people to Himself-even form Israel after the Northern Kingdom’s fall

·      Listen to the warnings God offers-the role of prophets as told in Chronicles

Chronicles 28:20

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord my God, is with you.”

o   Chronicles ends with a sense of pregnant anticipation-waiting to see what will happen next…

Week 10: 1 & 2 Kings

·      It’s place in the Whole

o   The period of the Kings extends from the coronation of Saul to the exile of Judah, about 465 years.

o   The “Pre-Exilic Prophets” ministered during this time period.

o   One way to understand the history of Israel is the move from exile (in Egypt) to exile  (in Assyria and Babylon).The SHALOM (spiritual success) of Israel is traced through its relative nearness to, or distance from God.

·      Defining Moments

o   From David to Solomon: The King is Dead! Long live the King!

o   Solomon asks for wisdom (1Kings 11:1-13)

o   The Kingdom divided

o   Jeroboam’s golden calves (1 Kings 13:28-31)

o   Northern Kingdom (Israel) carried into exile (2 Kings 17:18)

o   Southern Kingdom (Judah) carried into exile (2 Kings 25:21b)

·      Defining Characters

o   The Kings; especially

§  David and Solomon

§  Jeroboam and his golden calves

o   The Queens and Queen Mothers; especially

§  Bathsheba

§  Jezebel

o   The Prophets; especially

§  Elijah and Elisha

§  The Company of the Prophets

§  Isaiah

·      Notable Stories and Events

o   Elijah and the prophets of Baal

o   Elisha and …everything

1Kings 3:12

“I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will have never been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.”

Do you want to know god ??

Or do you just want to know enough of god to get by ??

Week 9: Samuel

1 and 2 Samuel

Let us remember, our God is "hesed", the covenant keeping God. He is faithful when we are not.

Samuel is the last of the Judges, transition from the time of Judges to the time of Kings.

         First to have brought the nation of Israel together as a unified society since entering

         the Promised Land

Sad condition fo the Priesthood within Israel

The people wated to me like the nations around them (1Sam. 8:19-20)

By asking for a king Israel was rejecting God as their King

Primary Characters:

        Eli, the Priest and Judge

        Samuel, the miraculous birth, prophet, Judge

        David, a man after God's own heart

        THE PRESENCE OF GOD as represented through the Ark of the Covenant

Basic Question:  Where is God?

        Eli and his sons thought God could be carted out with the Ark

        Saul thought "wherever I am, God is"

        David thought "wherever God is, I want to be"

  The Presence fo God is REAL and the Ark of the Covenant manifests it

   God won't be taken for granted; not by Eli, Samuel,Saul or David

    God really desires " a man after His own heart"

        1 Samuel 13:14

'The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart"

        1 Samuel 16:7

"Man looks at the outrward appearance but the Lord

        looks at the heart"

Obed-Edom in whose home the Ark came to rest

Mephibosheth to whom David showed kindness for Jonatha's sake

Week 8: Ruth

  

RUTH 

1.  Invites us to look forward...one of 4 women in Jesus' genealogy.  What do we know about Ruth? 

       a..She was a Moabite:  hated by Isreal and shunned

       b. Daughter-in-law of Naomi and a widow of Naomi's son 

2.  Naomi has a sense of resignation and yet she finds and acknowledges the majesty and power of God in her loss.  (husband and sons and all she has materially) 

3.  Ruth says she will dwell with Naomi...see Ruth 1 verse 16. 

4.  Ruth the Moabites  (racial slur) but also known as a woman of hard work 

5.  Star of the show in the book of Ruth is Boaz.  He shows himself as a kinsman redeemer.  Shows loyalty and faithfulness of God. 

6.  the heart of the story...like Boaz, God throws his arms out to us, the least worthy and calls us to his heart, accepting us. 

7.  Ruth is chosen to be the grandmother of King David. 

8.  Reveals God's heart to the least likely..Us! 

9.  God who throws His covering over the least likely..us. 

10.  the heart of Christ ..Kinsman - Redeemer, buys us back.