Ezra 1-3

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The Book of Ezra is devoted to events occurring in the land of Israel at the time of the return from the Babylonian captivity and subsequent years, covering a period of approximately one century, beginning in 538 B.C. The emphasis in Ezra is on the rebuilding of the Temple. The book contains extensive genealogical records, principally for the purpose of establishing the claims to the priesthood on the part of the descendants of Aaron.

The book may be divided as follows:

- Chapters 1-6—The First Return under Zerubbabel, and the Building of the Second Temple.

- Chapters 7-10—The Ministry of Ezra.

Since well over half a century elapsed between chapters 6 and 7, the characters of the first part of the book had died by the time Ezra began his ministry in Jerusalem. Ezra is the one person who is prominent in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Both books end with prayers of confession (Ezra 9; Nehemiah 9) and a subsequent separation of the people from the sinful practices into which they had fallen.

The Book of Ezra covers the return from captivity to rebuild the Temple up to the decree of Artaxerxes, the event covered at the beginning of the Book of Nehemiah. Haggai was the main prophet in the day of Ezra, and Zechariah was the prophet in the day of Nehemiah.

Here are a few life lessons we can learn the first 3 chapters of Ezra:

1) God punishes and then restores! Israel and Judah had sinned horribly. That's why God allowed them to be exiled. Some 70 years had to pass (as prophesied by Jeremiah) before God would put it in the heart of a pagan king (King Cyrus of Persia) to send them back to Jerusalem to worship God. God used a pagan king to accomplish His purpose of restoring His people and sending them back to the promised land.

Simply put, God punishes us when we sin. When we seek His forgiveness, He forgives us completely, but it may be a while before things are back to normal. We may have to live out the consequences of our sinfulness. However, when God does punish us it is for the purpose of restoring us and making us more faithful and obedient to His commands.

God is a God of second chances!

2) God uses unbelievers to accomplish His purpose! Not only did God use a pagan king to send the Jews back to their homeland to rebuild the Temple and worship their God, but he commanded that their neighbors supply them with enough gold, silver, and money to make this possible. It's really interesting to see how God (just like the Egyptians did when Israel left Egypt) moved on the hearts of their neighbors to supply them with all they needed for the journey and for the successful rebuilding of the Temple.

3) A right relationship with God brings REAL JOY! It's exciting to read the end remarks of chapter 3! The emotional outcry from both shouting and weeping was so significant that the noise could be heard from miles around. Even though the Temple had not yet been completed, they first rebuilt the altar and began sacrificing on the altar in order to restore their relationship with God. That reuniting with God brought great peace and joy to the people!

4) A right relationship with God takes priority over a ministry for God. The leaders did what was right! The rebuilding of the Temple was second to making sure that they had a right relationship with God. This reminds me of how ministry is second to making sure that our relationship with God is the foremost priority of our lives.

I hope this ministers to you! Have a great day in the Lord!

2 Chronicles 33-36

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As we read the end of the book of 2 Chronicles, we notice a few lessons we can gain from this reading.

1) Christianity is only one generation from dying out! The last four chapters was a joy to read. It told us the story of a Godly king (Hezekiah) who lived a life that pleased the Lord (29:2). He reopened the Temple (the one Solomon built) and rededicated it to the Lord. He got the Levites and priests to serve the Lord again. And, he motivated and encouraged the people throughout Judah to serve the Lord with all their heart. In the end, he was successful in everything he did because he served the Lord with all his heart (31:20-21)!

However, at his death, his own son, Manasseh (only 12 years old) became the next king of Judah. In 33:2, the Bible says "He did what was evil in the Lord's sight." Unfortunately, either Hezekiah was too busy being king and didn't pass on the spiritual insights about God to his son, or his son simply rebelled. Either way, in spite of the fact that Hezekiah was so Godly, his son was so evil! In fact, the Bible says in 33:9 that he "led the people...to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land." Wow! That's saying something!

Even Hezekiah's grandson, Amon, was an evil king after the death of his father. It wasn't until Josiah (Hezekiah's great grandson) that a Godly king returned to the throne of Judah (34:1-2).

We, as parents, have a duty to be diligent to teach our children the ways of God and how to love the Lord, or they might lead several generations astray! Believe it or not, the impact of your parenting responsibilities can impact thousands of lives!!!

2) God's Word changes lives! There's is nothing more life changing than the words found in the Bible. In chapter 34, we read how Hilkiah (Jeremiah the prophet's father) finds the scroll containing the laws of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Once the king heard the message of God's Word, he changed his own life and charged the nation to change their ways! In fact, it so changed and moved him that he set up arrangements to reinstate the Passover Feast. In 35:18, the Bible records that this feast was the GREATEST PASSOVER ever! No other king had ever held a passover feast like this. It wasn't until Jesus' time did another remarkable passover feast occcur - Jesus' death on the cross!

That's why it is so important that you and I continually read the Bible. It is God's Way of speaking to us and shaping into the kind of people he wants us to be!

3) The Downfall and 400 years of silence! The last chapter (36) of 2 Chronicles tells the rapid succession of Israel's downfall and their unwillingness to listen to God's prophets or worship the Lord. Consequently, God allows Judah and Israel to be carried off into exile into Babylon (Iraq) and eventually into Persia (Iran). This leads to approximately 400 years of spiritual silence. It's not until Jesus begins His ministry that the acts of God begin to happen again in Israel.

When we, as Christians, fall away from the Lord, we tend to experience a great sense of emptiness and loneliness. While God is near, His presence seems to appear silent. This is what happened to Israel. Don't let this happen to you!

Have a great day in the Lord!

2 Chronicles 30-32

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Here are a few thoughts from today's Bible study...

1) Are you passionate about bringing people into a right relationship with God? Chapter 30 speaks of one of the greatest moments in Israel's early history. Judah finally receives a Godly king - Hezekiah. He took God and the need for a spiritual renewal seriously. Through his passion to make things right with God, he makes a formal decree to the entire nation of Israel and Judah to get back to the laws of Moses and to start by preparing a passover feast.

The first thing he did was to mend the broken fence so to speak between Israel and Judah. In verses 1-2, he made this offer to Israel, Ephraim, and Manasseh.

The second thing he did was to send out ambassadors to every part of Judah and Israel to encourage the people to return to the Lord (vs.6).

The third thing he did was to explain three very important things to them:
1) He explained to them the fact of their sin before the eyes of God. (vs.7)
2) He challenged them to repent of their sin and open their hearts to God. (vs.8-9)
3) He reminded them of God's compassion and forgiveness and healing. (vs.9)

Even the Bible shares (vs.12) how God's hand was on the people and how He motivated them to unify their hearts and their faith in Him.

The result of giving their hearts back to God brought "great joy" throughout the land! There's no greater feeling of peace than knowing you are right with God!

2) When tithing was reincorporated, it brought abundance and joy! Chapter 31 is an encouraging chapter about the importance of taking care of those who minister in behalf of the Lord.

3) When God is glorified, Satan loves to show up and ruin the party! Notice how in Chapter 32:1 it says, "After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah." The moment everything is going right, Satan stirs the pot by using an opposing enemy. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came to destroy king Hezekiah and take over the land. However, verse 21 says, "the Lord sent an angel who destroyed the Assyrian army with all its commanders and officers. So Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace to his own land. And when he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons killed him there with a sword."

In the end, God gets the victory!

I hope this brings encouragement to you today! May the Lord bless you!

2 Chronicles 27-29

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Here are a few lessons from today's Bible reading...

1) Obedience to the Lord can lead to a very powerful and influential life. Jothan did what was pleasing to the Lord and consequently received the comments of 27:6, "King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the Lord his God."

It takes all of us to be careful and intentional when it comes to living a committed and obedient life before the Lord. How careful are you? Do you live each day with the intention of pleasing the Lord?

2) Sin always leads us down a destructive path. Chapter 28 tells the tragic consequences of a king (Ahaz) who deliberately and unabashedly lived in direct disobedience to the Lord. He even sacrificed in own sons in a bonfire worship to the metal images he set up as his gods. He also closed the Temple doors so that no one could worship the God of Israel. In addition, he set up pagan shrines in nearly every town throughout Judah!

In verse 5, the Bible says, "Because of all this, the Lord his God allowed the king of Aram to defeat Ahaz and inflict many casualties..." God also caused the king of Assyria to turn on him and Judah, even after they were hired by Ahaz to help fight Israel. In spite of all this, Ahaz hardened his heart and still would not turn to the Lord. His common sense are lost. He turns to anything and everything but the true God of the universe! As a result, he died and was dishonored by his own countrymen by not allowing him to be buried in the royal cemetery.

3) A Godly mother changes things dramatically! Fortunately, in the line of horribly wicked kings, Hezekiah rises to the throne under the influence of a Godly mother! His mother is the daughter of Zechariah, a man of God. Throughout chapter 29 we see Hezekiah restoring Israel's faith in God and re-opening the doors of the Temple!

Godly parents can make a HUGE difference in the lives of others!

2 Chronicles 24-26

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Here are a few "take-aways" from today's Bible stories...

1) Spiritual accountability makes a HUGE difference! Chapter 24 is an important look at the influence of spiritual accountability. While Jehoiada remained the priest, the king and the leaders of Judah stayed close to the Lord and practiced godliness. Sadly, however, once Jehoiada died, spiritual accountability was gone and the leaders of Israel decided to abandon the Temple and the worship of God. Instead, they began to worship Asherah poles and wooden idols. As a result, the Lord helped the Aramean army to attack and defeat Judah as punishment for their abandonement. Even worse, the king calls for the killing of one of God's prophets (Zechariah) when he confronts the king about his disobedience and abandonement from the Lord.

All of us need some form of accountability! To whom are you accountable to for staying spiritually pure before God?

2) Will you be buried among kings? One of the most fascinating verses in the Bible is found in 24:15-16. Jehoiada is the only priest to be buried among the kings of Israel. Why? Because he had done "SO MUCH GOOD IN JUDAH FOR GOD AND HIS TEMPLE."

What GOOD are you doing for God and His temple? Is the influence of your life being felt in your workplace, among your family, in your city, and in this world? If people really knew what good you're doing, would they bury you among kings?

3) As long as we seek the Lord, God will make us to prosper! Through chapter 25, we see how abandoning the Lord creates disaster. In chapter 26, God uses the prophet Zechariah to teach Uzziah to fear the Lord and thus we get the statement in verse 5, "And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success! Our successes and failures often depend on just how closely we follow the Lord. As long as we seek Him, God will make sure we succeed. And, it's important to remember that what we might deem as failure in the eyes of the world may be or bring success in the eyes of God!

4) Power often leads to pride which leads to a tragic combination! At the end of chapter 26, we see in one verse (26:16) that Uzziah allowed these two intoxicating ingredients to ruin his life - "But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall." It was King Solomon who, many years before gave this warning - "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). God hates a proud attitude. Why? Because it is He who allows us the ability, the gifts, and the power to accomplish things. He is behind all things!

2 Chronicles 21-23

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Here are a few lessons you can learn from today's text:

1) You become who you hang with! In spite of the fact that Jehoram was raised in a godly home, when his father (Jehoshaphat) allowed him to marry the daughter of the most wicked king in Israel's history, eventually philosophies and ideologies of these wicked people dissolved into his life. In chapter 21, we read about horrible act he committed in killing his own brothers so as to protect his right to the throne. It says in verse 6 that he "followed the example of the kings of Israel and was as wicked as King Ahab, for he had married one of Ahab's daughters." Regardless of how spiritual of a foundation you might have grown up in, wickedness can rub its way into your life if you spend too much time around it!

This wickedness not only effected him, but it destroyed his son (Ahaziah) as well!

2) It takes great courage to do God's work! Doing God's work is not for cowards. Few people really want to hear the truth (God's truth). Many people don't like change or the feeling of the need to change, but that's effect God's Word and His work has on people. Many prophets have been killed for preaching and teaching the truth - you'll read about it in the pages ahead. Fortunately, in chapter 23, a man by the name of Jehoida (the priest) made a decision to bring Judah back into a relationship with God. It says in 23:1, "Jehoida the priest decided to act." That's the first step in doing God's work - a decision to act. The second thing he committed to doing was to "summon his courage." He simply had to trust God for the end result of his actions! Thirdly, he made sure that both the leadership of Judah and the people of Judah returned to following the law of Moses and entering into a relationship with God again.

2 Chronicles 18-20

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Here are a few thoughts from today's Bible story:

1) Be careful who you make an alliance with! In spite of the fact that Jehoshaphat is a Godly king, he makes two terrible mistakes within these three chapters. Both of them are the result of making a pact or agreement or an alliance with wicked king Ahab and his son Ahaziah. In the first alliance (18:1), Jehoshaphat makes the terrible mistake of allowing his son marry the daughter of one of the most wicked men on earth! He was scolded by one of God's prophets (Hanani) in 19:1. Hanani told him that "the Lord is very angry with you." The second mistake is found in 20:35-37. Jehoshaphat decides to make a business alliance with king Ahab's son, Ahaziah, who is also a wicked king. They decide to build a fleet of ships together. As a result of the alliance he made with this wicked king, another prophet (Eliezar) prophesies the destruction of the business - which happened within a few short years and the ships were never able to sail.

This story is a great example of why the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14 - "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?"

If you are going to go into business with someone or marry someone and you are serious about making the alliance successful, make sure they are committed believers in Christ! Otherwise, God may be angry about it and the blessing may never come!

2) Spiritual forces we can not see are always at work! In chapter 18, we get a glimpse of what goes on in Heaven. Micaiah, the prophet, was given the privilege to receive a vision of the Lord and his angelic army surrounding him. From the book of Job, we also know that evil spirits must appear before the Lord as well. In the case here in chapter 18, a lying spirit goes forth and entices King Ahab to go to war which, in turn, leads to his death.

This is what the apostle Paul is speaking about in Ephesians 6:12 - "For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." This is why it is so important that each of us, as Christians, continually seek the Lord and be aware of Satan's behind-the-scenes tactics to destroy each of us.

3) The battle is ALWAYS the Lord's in the life of a believer! Chapter 20 tells one of the greatest stories of the Bible. As news of an imminent attack on Jerusalem by 3 armies arrives by messengers, Jehoshaphat and the rest of Judah is terrified. However, they do exactly what God wants them to do:

The 7 Keys To Victory!

- They fasted and begged the Lord for guidance! 20:3-4
- They prayed to the Lord together! 20:5-12
- They waited on an answer from the Spirit of the Lord! 20:14-17
- They humbled themselves before the Lord and worshipped Him! 20:18-19
- They were encouraged to "Believe in the Lord." 20:20
- They went into battle praising the Lord! 20:21
- They didn't forget to worship and thank the Lord for the results! 20:27-28

I hope this lesson is a blessing to you. Have a great day in the Lord!