Saturday, May 3, 2014
MAY 3 & 4 EZRA 7-8
Ezra 7-8
Ezra makes his first appearance in Ezra 7.
Sometime after the temple had been rebuilt, another Artaxerxes (My commentary says there were at least three of them!) recognized Ezra’s gifts and sent him back to Jerusalem as both priest and teacher. In yet another email, the king gave Ezra free reign to gather up other priests and Levites who would return to Jerusalem to teach the Law of the Lord, and to do the work of the temple more faithfully. Ezra obeys these directions, gathers up some more of the exiles and heads to Jerusalem.
At this point, Ezra 8:15, something rather beautiful happens: what had been a narrative becomes, for a chapter and a half, a personal journal. Let’s call it “Ezra’s BLOG!” I love the bits of personal insight we see. Ezra praises God for finding capable men (Ezra 8:18), he calls for prayer and fasting for a safe journey, because he was too ashamed to ask for a military escort (Ezra 8:21-23), and rejoices when they arrive safe and sound, gold in hand, to the city of David: The hand of our God was upon us! (Ezra 8:31)
Tomorrow, we’ll learn that Ezra, too, had to overcome obstacles in Jerusalem!
Your fellow traveler through the Word,
Pastor Gary
Friday, May 2, 2014
MAY 2 EZRA 4-6
Ezra 4-6
God never said it was going to be easy. Again and again he calls people to specific tasks, and then allows them to face daunting obstacles.
What obstacles faced Zerubbabel in the rebuilding of the temple? Chief among them are the enemies of Judah living in and about the largely vacated Judah. At first, they deceitfully offer to help with the temple. When Zerubbabel refuses their help, they begin a campaign of 6th Century B.C. red tape, that frustrates and eventually stalls the efforts of the returning exiles.
Reading this passage is like reading through email correspondence, the difference being that these “memoranda” (See Ezra’s use of the word in Ezra 6:2) took weeks or months to travel from Judah to Mesopotamia and back again. Here’s a summary of their correspondence:
Email #1: With Cyrus gone, the enemies of Judah emailed Artaxerxes warning the new king about the upstart Judeans, who were rebuilding Jerusalem. If allowed to finish their work, these Jews will rebel and your tax revenue will dry up!
Email #2: Artaxerxes emails his military leaders tersely: Stop these rebellious Jews. And they are stopped; no work is done on the temple for at least two years!
Finally, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai exhort the people of God to get back to work on the temple. And back to work they go.
Email #3: Representatives of the new king, Darius, email (or texted) the busy Jews: Who authorized you to rebuild this temple?
Email #4: The people respond, (Ezra 5:11-17) describing the whole series of events that led to their exile, at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and the instructions to return and rebuild, at the decree of Cyrus.
Email #5: The king’s local representatives send email #4 as an attachment to their own email, asking King Darius to check out their claims.
Email #6: After doing his homework, Darius sends his own detailed email to his representatives near Judah: Everything they claim is true. Let the temple be rebuilt. If anyone gets in their way, they will be skewered! And they finished the work of rebuilding the temple and re-establishing both temple worship and the feasts!
How did God’s people overcome the obstacles: emeries, naysayers, bureaucratic red tape and discouragement? They listened to the prophets God has raised up to light a fire beneath them. Now would be an appropriate time to read Zechariah and Haggai.
This is called the book of Ezra; where is he?
Tomorrow, we find out.
Pastor Gary
God never said it was going to be easy. Again and again he calls people to specific tasks, and then allows them to face daunting obstacles.
What obstacles faced Zerubbabel in the rebuilding of the temple? Chief among them are the enemies of Judah living in and about the largely vacated Judah. At first, they deceitfully offer to help with the temple. When Zerubbabel refuses their help, they begin a campaign of 6th Century B.C. red tape, that frustrates and eventually stalls the efforts of the returning exiles.
Reading this passage is like reading through email correspondence, the difference being that these “memoranda” (See Ezra’s use of the word in Ezra 6:2) took weeks or months to travel from Judah to Mesopotamia and back again. Here’s a summary of their correspondence:
Email #1: With Cyrus gone, the enemies of Judah emailed Artaxerxes warning the new king about the upstart Judeans, who were rebuilding Jerusalem. If allowed to finish their work, these Jews will rebel and your tax revenue will dry up!
Email #2: Artaxerxes emails his military leaders tersely: Stop these rebellious Jews. And they are stopped; no work is done on the temple for at least two years!
Finally, the prophets Zechariah and Haggai exhort the people of God to get back to work on the temple. And back to work they go.
Email #3: Representatives of the new king, Darius, email (or texted) the busy Jews: Who authorized you to rebuild this temple?
Email #4: The people respond, (Ezra 5:11-17) describing the whole series of events that led to their exile, at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, and the instructions to return and rebuild, at the decree of Cyrus.
Email #5: The king’s local representatives send email #4 as an attachment to their own email, asking King Darius to check out their claims.
Email #6: After doing his homework, Darius sends his own detailed email to his representatives near Judah: Everything they claim is true. Let the temple be rebuilt. If anyone gets in their way, they will be skewered! And they finished the work of rebuilding the temple and re-establishing both temple worship and the feasts!
How did God’s people overcome the obstacles: emeries, naysayers, bureaucratic red tape and discouragement? They listened to the prophets God has raised up to light a fire beneath them. Now would be an appropriate time to read Zechariah and Haggai.
This is called the book of Ezra; where is he?
Tomorrow, we find out.
Pastor Gary
Thursday, May 1, 2014
MAY 1 EZRA 1-3
Ezra 1-3
The last thought of Chronicles is the first thought of Ezra: Cyrus, the king of Persia, grants official permission for God’s people to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and re-start the daily worship of the Lord. Why? Why would Cyrus be interested in little old Jerusalem and her people’s worship practices. On the surface, it seems that he was given a heart for the Lord—the view I would hold. But many say that Cyrus was the sort of king who liked to “cover his bases,” that he didn’t want to risk offending the gods of any of his vassal states. He must have done a lot of re-building.
The returnees are named in Ezra 2; the leader of this wave was Zerubbabel. Soon after their arrival, they built an altar and reinstituted feasts and sacrifices. When the foundation of the temple was laid, they held a big celebration that nearly back-fired. They commissioned the choir and musicians; they sang songs of praise; they shouted for joy! But when the old-timers, who had seen Solomon’s temple, saw this foundation (Was it too small?), they wept as loudly as others cheered.
Will they overcome the obstacles they will face, and finish the temple?
Tomorrow, we find out.
Pastor Gary
The last thought of Chronicles is the first thought of Ezra: Cyrus, the king of Persia, grants official permission for God’s people to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and re-start the daily worship of the Lord. Why? Why would Cyrus be interested in little old Jerusalem and her people’s worship practices. On the surface, it seems that he was given a heart for the Lord—the view I would hold. But many say that Cyrus was the sort of king who liked to “cover his bases,” that he didn’t want to risk offending the gods of any of his vassal states. He must have done a lot of re-building.
The returnees are named in Ezra 2; the leader of this wave was Zerubbabel. Soon after their arrival, they built an altar and reinstituted feasts and sacrifices. When the foundation of the temple was laid, they held a big celebration that nearly back-fired. They commissioned the choir and musicians; they sang songs of praise; they shouted for joy! But when the old-timers, who had seen Solomon’s temple, saw this foundation (Was it too small?), they wept as loudly as others cheered.
Will they overcome the obstacles they will face, and finish the temple?
Tomorrow, we find out.
Pastor Gary
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
April 30, 2014 2 Chronicles 33-36
2 Chronicles 33-36
The final chapters of 2 Chronicles follow the same sad path as the final chapters of 2 Kings! The godly, Davidic reign of Hezekiah was not to be the last glimpse of goodness, but it was not far away. The immediate successor of the great Hezekiah was his worthless, evil son, Manasseh.
Manasseh was just 12 when he began to reign. This was probably just the wrong age; a little younger, like Joash and Josiah, and he might have listened to godly advisors; a little older, and he may have had more wisdom about him. As it was, he joins Ahaz in the race for WORST KING EVER. Too bad he ruled for 55 years! He rebuilt the pagan worship centers his father tore down; he set an idolatrous image inside the temple; he worshipped the stars; and he “burned his sons” (NOTE the plural) in the same smoldering ditch that Ahaz used for burning his son. But the writer of Chronicles mentions something the writer of Kings ignores: after being captured and taken to Babylon, Manasseh repented and prayed to the Lord. And he was restored to his kingdom in Jerusalem! The final acts of Manasseh’s reign were far different from the early ones; but Judah never fully recovered from the effects of his evil.
Amon was 22 when he became king and reigned just two years. He did not learn from his father’s late-in-life humility and repentance. His servants killed him. When they themselves had been executed, the people made Amon’s young son the king.
Josiah was the brightest light among the final six kings of Judah. He took the throne at age 8 and “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 34:2) Who helped this eight-year old become a man of God? Was it his mother, Jedidiah (mentioned in 2 Kings 22:2)? His secretary, Shaphan? Or his high priest, Hilkiah? Regardless, at age 16 (a rebellious age for some) Josiah “began to seek the God of David, his father.” (2 Chronicles 34:3). At 20, he tore down pagan worship centers all over the country. At 26, he ordered the cleansing and repair of the temple. It was then that Hilkiah found a copy of “the book of the Law of the Lord.” I always imagine rummaging through an old church, and finding a Bible! Many think that Hilkiah found a copy of Deuteronomy. Others feel that it was the entire Pentateuch. Either way, it was found, brought to Josiah and read aloud. It touched his already softened heart and swept him and the nation into a period of revival that lasted the length of Josiah’s life. The prophetess Huldah said that disaster would have arrived earlier for Judah, had it not been for Josiah’s humble heart! When Josiah was tragically killed in battle, the prophet Jeremiah uttered a lament for him.
Jehoahaz took over and reigned three months. The king of Egypt, whose archers had killed Josiah, deposed him and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim, his brother was made king in his place. He ruled—in a manner of speaking—for eleven years until another enemy, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, carried him away.
Jehoiachin reigned three months and ten days. He, too, was taken to Babylon.
Zedekiah, his brother, was set up as king in his place. He ruled wickedly for eleven years, and like the three kings before him, did not turn to the Lord. The writer of Chronicles spares us the details of the end of Zedekiah’s reign, which marks the end of Judah.
But Chronicles concludes on a note of hope. Jeremiah had prophesied the exile to Babylon, but included a time-frame; it would last just 70 years. During that time, Babylon was overthrown by Persia. And when 70 years was complete, Cyrus, the Persian monarch, decreed that Jews might go home!
Tomorrow, we find out if they ever did.
Pastor Gary
The final chapters of 2 Chronicles follow the same sad path as the final chapters of 2 Kings! The godly, Davidic reign of Hezekiah was not to be the last glimpse of goodness, but it was not far away. The immediate successor of the great Hezekiah was his worthless, evil son, Manasseh.
Manasseh was just 12 when he began to reign. This was probably just the wrong age; a little younger, like Joash and Josiah, and he might have listened to godly advisors; a little older, and he may have had more wisdom about him. As it was, he joins Ahaz in the race for WORST KING EVER. Too bad he ruled for 55 years! He rebuilt the pagan worship centers his father tore down; he set an idolatrous image inside the temple; he worshipped the stars; and he “burned his sons” (NOTE the plural) in the same smoldering ditch that Ahaz used for burning his son. But the writer of Chronicles mentions something the writer of Kings ignores: after being captured and taken to Babylon, Manasseh repented and prayed to the Lord. And he was restored to his kingdom in Jerusalem! The final acts of Manasseh’s reign were far different from the early ones; but Judah never fully recovered from the effects of his evil.
Amon was 22 when he became king and reigned just two years. He did not learn from his father’s late-in-life humility and repentance. His servants killed him. When they themselves had been executed, the people made Amon’s young son the king.
Josiah was the brightest light among the final six kings of Judah. He took the throne at age 8 and “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 34:2) Who helped this eight-year old become a man of God? Was it his mother, Jedidiah (mentioned in 2 Kings 22:2)? His secretary, Shaphan? Or his high priest, Hilkiah? Regardless, at age 16 (a rebellious age for some) Josiah “began to seek the God of David, his father.” (2 Chronicles 34:3). At 20, he tore down pagan worship centers all over the country. At 26, he ordered the cleansing and repair of the temple. It was then that Hilkiah found a copy of “the book of the Law of the Lord.” I always imagine rummaging through an old church, and finding a Bible! Many think that Hilkiah found a copy of Deuteronomy. Others feel that it was the entire Pentateuch. Either way, it was found, brought to Josiah and read aloud. It touched his already softened heart and swept him and the nation into a period of revival that lasted the length of Josiah’s life. The prophetess Huldah said that disaster would have arrived earlier for Judah, had it not been for Josiah’s humble heart! When Josiah was tragically killed in battle, the prophet Jeremiah uttered a lament for him.
Jehoahaz took over and reigned three months. The king of Egypt, whose archers had killed Josiah, deposed him and carried him to Egypt.
Jehoiakim, his brother was made king in his place. He ruled—in a manner of speaking—for eleven years until another enemy, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, carried him away.
Jehoiachin reigned three months and ten days. He, too, was taken to Babylon.
Zedekiah, his brother, was set up as king in his place. He ruled wickedly for eleven years, and like the three kings before him, did not turn to the Lord. The writer of Chronicles spares us the details of the end of Zedekiah’s reign, which marks the end of Judah.
But Chronicles concludes on a note of hope. Jeremiah had prophesied the exile to Babylon, but included a time-frame; it would last just 70 years. During that time, Babylon was overthrown by Persia. And when 70 years was complete, Cyrus, the Persian monarch, decreed that Jews might go home!
Tomorrow, we find out if they ever did.
Pastor Gary
APRIL 29 2 CHRONICLES 26-28
2 Chronicles 26-28
The kings of Judah after Amaziah were…
- Uzziah was called Azariah in 2 Kings 15. The commentaries say that Uzziah was his coronation name. He became king at 16 and ruled well, while under the tutelage of Zechariah, who “instructed him in the fear of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 26:5) Uzziah reigned 52 years. Sadly, he is best remembered for two things: his sickness and his death. In his latter years, Uzziah decided to take incense into the temple, as if he were a priest. The high priest told him to leave the temple, but Uzziah, in his pride, lost his temper. At that moment, he became leprous and remained a separated leper to the end of his life. His death is best remembered as the marker for Isaiah’s call to ministry. Look at Isaiah 6; it begins, “In the year that King Uzziah died…” The rest is history.
- Jotham, Uzziah’s son ruled in his place, and may have ruled while Uzziah lived with leprosy. He too ruled well and righteously.
- Ahaz, however, was a very different story. It’s easy to remember that Ahaz was a wicked king, because his name is so similar to Ahab, the quintessential wicked king of the northern kingdom. Ahaz gives Ahab a run for his wicked money. He was so idolatrous that he shut down the temple of Jerusalem and opened altars to idols in “every corner of Jerusalem and every city of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 28:24-25) But worst of all, he offered his son as a human sacrifice to Baal in the valley of Ben Hinnom. His sixteen year reign was sixteen years too long. We’ll read more of Ahaz in the prophecy of Isaiah.
Will there ever be another king like David? (I remember asking a similar question when we were reading through 2 Kings; do you remember the answer?)
We’ll find out tomorrow!
Pastor Gary
Sunday, April 27, 2014
APRIL 29 2 CHRONICLES 26-28
2 Chronicles 26-28
The kings of Judah after Amaziah were…
Uzziah was called Azariah in 2 Kings 15. The commentaries say that Uzziah was his coronation name. He became king at 16 and ruled well, while under the tutelage of Zechariah, who “instructed him in the fear of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 26:5) Uzziah reigned 52 years. Sadly, he is best remembered for two things: his sickness and his death. In his latter years, Uzziah decided to take incense into the temple, as if he were a priest. The high priest told him to leave the temple, but Uzziah, in his pride, lost his temper. At that moment, he became leprous and remained a separated leper to the end of his life. His death is best remembered as the marker for Isaiah’s call to ministry. Look at Isaiah 6; it begins, “In the year that King Uzziah died…” The rest is history.
Jotham, Uzziah’s son ruled in his place, and may have ruled while Uzziah lived with leprosy. He too ruled well and righteously.
Ahaz, however, was a very different story. It’s easy to remember that Ahaz was a wicked king, because his name is so similar to Ahab, the quintessential wicked king of the northern kingdom. Ahaz gives Ahab a run for his wicked money. He was so idolatrous that he shut down the temple of Jerusalem and opened altars to idols in “every corner of Jerusalem and every city of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 28:24-25) But worst of all, he offered his son as a human sacrifice to Baal in the valley of Ben Hinnom. His sixteen year reign was sixteen years too long. We’ll read more of Ahaz in the prophecy of Isaiah.
Will there ever be another king like David? (I remember asking a similar question when we were reading through 2 Kings; do you remember the answer?)
We’ll find out tomorrow!
Pastor Gary
The kings of Judah after Amaziah were…
Uzziah was called Azariah in 2 Kings 15. The commentaries say that Uzziah was his coronation name. He became king at 16 and ruled well, while under the tutelage of Zechariah, who “instructed him in the fear of the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 26:5) Uzziah reigned 52 years. Sadly, he is best remembered for two things: his sickness and his death. In his latter years, Uzziah decided to take incense into the temple, as if he were a priest. The high priest told him to leave the temple, but Uzziah, in his pride, lost his temper. At that moment, he became leprous and remained a separated leper to the end of his life. His death is best remembered as the marker for Isaiah’s call to ministry. Look at Isaiah 6; it begins, “In the year that King Uzziah died…” The rest is history.
Jotham, Uzziah’s son ruled in his place, and may have ruled while Uzziah lived with leprosy. He too ruled well and righteously.
Ahaz, however, was a very different story. It’s easy to remember that Ahaz was a wicked king, because his name is so similar to Ahab, the quintessential wicked king of the northern kingdom. Ahaz gives Ahab a run for his wicked money. He was so idolatrous that he shut down the temple of Jerusalem and opened altars to idols in “every corner of Jerusalem and every city of Judah.” (2 Chronicles 28:24-25) But worst of all, he offered his son as a human sacrifice to Baal in the valley of Ben Hinnom. His sixteen year reign was sixteen years too long. We’ll read more of Ahaz in the prophecy of Isaiah.
Will there ever be another king like David? (I remember asking a similar question when we were reading through 2 Kings; do you remember the answer?)
We’ll find out tomorrow!
Pastor Gary
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