This week we will finish up the last chapter of Ezra, read all the way through Nehemiah and begin the book of Esther. Remember Ezra and Nehemiah used to be one book and both deal with the return of the Israelites to Jerusalem after captivity. Nehemiah is about 20 years after Ezra. He is the cupbearer to King Artaxerses of Cyrus and is sent to help build up the wall around the city of Jerusalem and reform the people according to the law of Moses. The first part of the book is all about hard work - rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, setting up guards along the wall and gates, taking a census of the people, having the law of Moses read to the people, leading the people in repenting for their sins and beginning a new covenant with God. After twelve years of hard work, Nehemiah returns to Susa. Later he comes back to Jersualem and finds that the people have backslid in his absence. So he takes measure to enforce his earlier reforms and asks for God's favor.
Next we turn to another book of the exile, Esther. The book of Esther is interesting because while the name of God is never explicitly mentioned in the book, God's action is certainly implied. Esther is a Jewish woman living in exile in Persia. When the Persian king Xerses banishes his wife, a contest starts to seek a new queen. Esther is one of the women presented and ultimately Xerses' choice. Tensions arise between Xerses' right hand man Haaman and Esther's uncle Mordecai until the life of all Jews are threatened. My favorite part of the book is Mordecai's question to Esther which spurs her to take a risk: "And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"(Esther 4:14)
I love how we see God working things out among his people for a return after the exile..... prompting the leaders of foreign nations to help rebuild Jerusalem and provide native leaders for oversight. It reminds me of the truth of what Paul wrote centuries later in Romans 8:31: "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Here is the schedule:
17, Sunday: Ezra 6-9
18, Monday: Ezra 10 - Nehemiah 3
19, Tuesday: Nehemiah 4-7
20, Wednesday: Nehemiah 8-11
21, Thursday: Nehemiah 12 - Esther 2
22, Friday: Esther 3-6
23, Saturday: Esther 7-10
May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing, the understanding and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.
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