Ezra & Nehemiah: 9-17 – 11-19
Hope & Disappointment.
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah show that God has not forgotten his covenant people even though they had forgotten Him. The people are called to respond with repentance and return to the law in worship of the true and living God. Like them, our God is still in the restoration business today, through his son Jesus Christ, He is making all things new.
What is the point? These books begin with hope, but end in disappointment. The spiritual state of the people are unchanged. The political and social reforms don’t address the core concerns of the heart. The book points us forward to the need for the new covenant which would renovate the human heart as prophesied by Jeremiah (ch 31) and Ezekiel (ch 36).
9/17 – Ezra 1-3: Introduction: The Return & Rebuilding begins.
9/24 – Ezra 4-6: Overcoming Opposition & Finishing the Work
10/1 – Ezra 7-10: Ezra’s journey of a life time to rebuild
10/8 – Neh 1: Intro. Nehemiah (What breaks your heart?)
10/15 – Neh 2: Prayer and Planning
10/22 – Neh 3-5: The Work of the Lord, the Sword & Trowel
10/29 – Neh 6: Success in Adversity, Mission accomplished
11/5 – Neh 8: The People of the Book
11/12 – Neh 9: The Power of Prayer (5 Dimensional Prayer)
11/19 – Neh 10-13: The Work of Renewal / Spiritual Restoration
11/26 – Thanksgiving
Resources:
Background Notes on Ezra/Nehemiah – Pastor Dave Hentschel
Characters in Ezra & Nehemiah – Pastor Dave Hentschel
General Chronology of the Exile and Post Exilic Period– Pastor Dave Hentschel
Sermons
