Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: Ezra receives the royal blessing to return to Jerusalem, along with all the Jews who want to go with him. The “blank check” he’s given is quite incredible and it makes me wonder what prompted Artaxerxes to be so supportive. It would be interesting to know definitively who Artaxerxes was since the surrounding references …
Continue reading “Ezra Returns to Jerusalem; Deals with Great Sin”
Read: As we conclude the book of Esther this morning, I’m reminded that we at a point in Jewish history where they are about to return to Jerusalem from exile. We don’t see those words in Esther, but the hope written in the prophets and spoken to one another in captivity must have been on …
Read: For us, the end of this story is no surprise, but for Esther and Mordecai, they had no idea of how this would play out. ODB this morning left me with this perspective as I prepare to breathe in the Word from Esther: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but …
Read: With Ether’s role now established, the stories begin to unfold: plots, deception, risks and faith. To set the stage, we’re given a sound-bite story about Mordecai overhearing a plot to assassinate King Xerxes. We actually learn a lot in just three verses, verse 22 in particular: But Mordecai found out about the plot and …
Continue reading “Esther: Part 2a – Plots, Deception, Risks and Faith”
Read: Before we get back to Ezra and Nehemiah, let’s pause and consider what’s happening back in the citadel of Susa, the mighty throne of King Xerxes. In Ezra 4, we read about the opposition writing letters to Xerxes and Artaxerxes, so it seems that Esther fits neatly around this point in Ezra’s narrative. Let’s …
Read: Zechariah has all kinds of words of encouragement, a song to sing for all to hear and be glad. He spends little time on past sins (thankfully), focuses on joy and laughter, then paints a picture of the future to give us all great hope. Two years into the reign of King Darius, Zechariah …
Read: , and We left the story at the point where it appears the opposition has won, the work in Jerusalem came to a halt. Does that read like an ancient headline or a text you just received? Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in …
Read: Finally, the remnant are able to return from exile, but this is just the beginning. Those who have occupied the land are not interested in seeing the Israelites succeed. Sound like a familiar scenario? the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to …
Continue reading “Ezra: Return from Exile, Rebuilding Begins and Opposition Mounts”
Last night I was having coffee with a friend as we explored Part III, Chapter 1 of Multiply, Disciples Making Disciples. The chapter is titled: Why Study the Bible? On the surface, those of us who were raised in the church don’t even consider the question, of course we study the Bible, don’t we? Or …
Read: Unlike Amos, Zephaniah was a man from royal lineage, from the line of Hezekiah, one of the greatest kings of Judah. He spoke during the time of Josiah, another notable king in Judah’s history. Even so, his message is just as hard as other prophets–he wasn’t trying to win friends because of his heritage. …