Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: Nehemiah wasn’t just building a wall, there was purpose beyond simple fortification and construction. As I type this a song is playing in my head that just won’t stop — Wonder (Hillsong UNITED, 2017). The artists paint the picture in words and music to pay tribute to those who have only seen the world …
Continue reading “Ezra Reads the Law — All Commit to Serve the Lord”
Read: Fake news is not a new thing, just a phrase that we hear more often these days. Simply put, fake news is a lie. We’ve been dealing with the issue since the days of Adam and Eve and here we witness Nehemiah’s response to Sanballat’s lies to lure him away from Jerusalem. Round One …
Read: I’m in no hurry to run through this fabulous story. In my imagination, Nehemiah had lots of discretionary time on his hands. After all, how much time could it really take to be a cupbearer? I can see Nehemiah in his office writing out details on his dry-erase board, sketching plans from memory, having …
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: , 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”
Read: Jonah is a short story that has captured the imaginations of countless people of all ages, but especially children in Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible Schools around the globe. It’s ironic that children enjoy the story while adults, if they would answer honestly, will most likely say it’s a fictional or allegorical work based …
Read: The narrative of Hosea is complete, the love of God prevails. I cannot escape the love of God intertwined in every word I read these days. For today’s reading, if you use the Bible Gateway link above, turn off titles and verse numbers and read the text like Hosea narrated it, let the poetry speak …
Read: I really believe the people of Israel know they are out of step with God, deeply in sin, to the point that they cannot see their way out. My heart breaks for the common family working in the fields, those trying to be faithful to God while their leaders chase fantasies. Hosea’s direction is …
Continue reading “Hosea: Israel’s Addiction to Prostitution”