Milo

Nehemiah

APRIL 7

Reading 97

NEHEMIAH’S MISSION Nehemiah 1–3“Send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild it” (Neh. 2:5).Nehemiah’s concern for the state of the city of Jerusalem was in fact concern for the glory of God. The Holy City was in disrepair. Nehemiah’s mission was to restore the city that God had chosen to represent His name.

Background

City walls.

In the ancient world a city without walls was vulnerable to enemy attack, and thus insignificant. Only a walled city was considered respectable. This perception explains Nehemiah’s grief when he heard that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and its gates burned, and also explains Nehemiah’s references to the Jews’ “troubles” and “disgrace.” By rebuilding the walls of the city, Nehemiah would force the surrounding peoples to respect the Jews and to respect Israel’s God.

Overview

Nehemiah was moved at a report of Jerusalem’s ruined condition (1:1–4). After prayer (vv. 5–11), he begged King Artaxerxes to appoint him governor of Judah (2:1–10). In Judah he rallied local support (vv. 11–20) and set the people to work rebuilding the city walls (3:1–32).

Understanding the Text

“I mourned and fasted and prayed” Neh. 1:1–4. Nehemiah was secure in an important position in Susa, then the capital of the Persian Empire. Yet when he heard about conditions in Judah, he was broken-hearted. Not every Christian can be a wall-builder. But each of us can have Nehemiah’s concern for the welfare of fellow believers. First Corinthians 12 calls on us to view the church as a body, in which each believer is intimately linked with every other Christian. Thus the apostle writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (v. 26). Not every Christian can be a wall-builder. But each of us can pray. When we hear of others in need, the most important thing we can do for them may well be to follow Nehemiah’s lead, and express our concern in heartfelt prayer. And let’s remember. Nehemiah’s great ministry began with this prayer. If you or I wish to become spiritual leaders, we must begin where Nehemiah began. With prayer. “The place . . . chosen as a dwelling for My Name” Neh. 1:5–11. Nehemiah’s prayer acknowledged the sin which led to Jerusalem’s destruction. Yet Nehemiah remembered that God had chosen Jerusalem as a “dwelling for My Name.” The phrase means that God had chosen to identify Himself with the Holy City. Thus the glory of God was intimately linked with the condition of the city. The ruined condition of the city walls not only indicated hardships experienced by the Jews in Judah, but also cast a shadow that disguised the glory of God. This is another important aspect of prayer. Prayer rightly expresses concern for brothers and sisters in need. But prayer is also to reflect concern for the glory of God. We urge God to act, not only that we may be blessed, but that He may be glorified. First John observes that “if we ask anything according to [God’s] will, He hears us” (5:14). Nehemiah gives us a simple way to check whether our prayers are in God’s will. Does a prayer express concern for others? Does a prayer seek an answer which will glorify God? If the answer to these questions is yes, we can be confident that our prayer is in God’s will. “I was cupbearer to the king” Neh. 2:1–6. In ancient times the “cupbearer” had an important post in the administration of an empire. The holder of the office had direct access to the king, symbolized by the privilege of handing the ruler his cup at official banquets and functions. Thus Nehemiah was a very important person in Persia, whose services were highly valued by the king. How fascinating that Nehemiah was willing to exchange the honor of this post for the relatively insignificant title of governor of tiny Judah! Yet Nehemiah did not look at it this way. To him the importance of the post depended on the importance of the person he served. In Susa he served the ruler of the mighty Persian Empire. But in tiny Judah, Nehemiah would serve God. Let’s remember this truth and grasp its meaning for us. The simplest Sunday School teacher is far more significant than a person on the President’s staff, for the God he or she serves is far greater than any mere man. “The king granted my requests” Neh. 2:7–10. Nehemiah attributed the king’s permission to go to Judah and rebuild its walls to God’s favor. We can thank others who help us. But when our requests have been preceded by earnest prayer we realize the help is evidence of God’s grace. “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said” Neh. 2:11–20. When Nehemiah arrived, he surveyed the walls to discover how great the ruin was. Despite the heaps of shattered stone and burned timbers, Nehemiah then challenged the Jews to “come . . . rebuild the wall.” How did Nehemiah succeed in enlisting their aid? Rather than order, he encouraged. And he encouraged by (1) telling what God had already done, and (2) confidently predicting that “the God of heaven will give us success.” Effective spiritual leaders realistically evaluate difficulties. But they keep the attention of everyone on the Lord, seeking to build confidence in Him. “The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa” Neh. 3:1–32. Nehemiah showed effective leadership in his plan for rebuilding. Teams were formed and given specific responsibilities. The fact that each team is named here shows that Nehemiah was careful to give credit for accomplishments. Effective leaders learn from Nehemiah to assign ministry teams specific missions, and to give them credit by name for all they accomplish.

DEVOTIONAL

Spiritually Prepared (Neh. 1:1–2:6)

One of the sermons I remember hearing when I was young was on Nehemiah 2:3–4. Our pastor pointed out that Nehemiah must have been a fast prayer. The king asked him a question, “What is it you want?” And the text says, “Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king.” You can bet Nehemiah didn’t keep the king waiting for an answer for two minutes while he slipped out to pray. What Nehemiah did was to aim a quick prayer toward heaven, and answer the king immediately. As I remember, the point of the sermon was to encourage frequent, brief prayers offered during the day. Something like my wife’s habit of asking God for a parking space when she drives to the mall. And her more significant prayer for protection as she watches five or six cars on our dangerous Highway 19 zoom through an intersection after the light has changed. I think the point is well taken. Prayers can be brief, pointed, and frequent. But looking at Nehemiah we realize that the brief, pointed prayer is not really enough. Nehemiah himself says that “for some days I mourned and fasted and prayed” before seeking permission to go to Judah. Yes, standing there holding the king’s cup, Nehemiah did offer a brief prayer. But Nehemiah had prepared spiritually for that critical moment during the preceding days. Brief prayers are important. But they can never be the whole of our prayer life. It is taking significant time alone with God that provides the spiritual preparation we need to meet the emergencies of our life.

Personal Application

A vital prayer life prepares us to meet emergencies successfully.

Quotable

“For me, prayer means launching out of the heart towards God; it means lifting up one’s eyes, quite simply, to Heaven, a cry of grateful love from the crest of joy or the trough of despair; it’s a vast, supernatural force which opens out my heart, and binds me close to Jesus.”—Therese De Lisieux

Nehemiah

INTRODUCTION

This book continues the story of the Jews who came back to Judah after the Babylonian Captivity. Nehemiah, an important official in the Persian Empire, asked for the post of governor of tiny Judah in order to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls. He arrived for his first term in that office in 444 B.C., almost 100 years after the first group of exiles returned. He succeeded despite much opposition and, with the aid of Ezra, also carried out spiritual reforms. Nehemiah serves today as a model leader and model man of prayer.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem’s Walls	Neh. 1:1–7:3
II.	Nehemiah Institutes Reforms	Neh. 7:4–10:39
III.	Nehemiah Repopulates Jerusalem	Neh. 11–13

APRIL 6

Reading 96

A SECOND GROUP RETURNS Ezra 7–10“Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).Some 80 years after the first group returned, Ezra led a smaller contingent home. Ezra’s return was significant. This man who was dedicated to God’s Law called the people of Judah back to their original commitment to God.

Background

An exciting revolution took place in Babylon. The Jewish people, shaken by the loss of their land and temple, turned to Scripture in a desperate search for hope. They met together weekly to pray and to discuss the Scriptures—and thus the synagogue was born. Some men devoted themselves to study, to do, and to teach God’s Word—and the scribal movement was born. From the Babylonian Captivity onward the Jews, cleansed at last of idolatry, would be a people of the Book. Ezra is the most famous representative of this group of scribes, and perhaps its founder. His ministry in Judah is a beautiful illustration of the purpose of Jewish scholarship, and of the important role generations of rabbis played in encouraging faithfulness to the Lord.

Overview

Ezra’s journey from Babylon was summarized (7:1–10). Ezra recorded his commission from Artaxerxes (vv. 11–28), listed his companions (8:1–14), and gave details of the journey (vv. 15–36). In Judah, Ezra’s prayer confessing Judah’s intermarriage with foreigners (9:1–15) brought repentance, and the foreign wives were divorced (10:1–44).

Understanding the Text

“This Ezra came up from Babylon” Ezra 7:1–10. Ezra had had no opportunity to minister as a priest in Babylon. The temple rested in a faraway land. Though Ezra was uniquely equipped by his lineage to serve God as a priest, his circumstances made this impossible. But Ezra did have the Scriptures, and determined to serve God by studying them. Ezra’s problem, and his solution, have application to us today. For instance, some churches limit women to certain roles, even when they are equipped for other ministries. Ezra reminds us that a person who is determined to serve the Lord will find a way—and possibly have an even greater impact in that role than in the role he or she is denied! “Now I decree” Ezra 7:11–28. The Persian ruler Artaxerxes I issued this decree in 458B.C, and Ezra began the 900-mile journey the first of Nisan (March/April). The decree explains the purpose of the expedition: Ezra was to bring offerings from the Jews in Babylon to the temple, and offerings from the king himself. Levites and priests who accompanied Ezra were exempted from taxes. Most significant, Ezra was authorized to see that God’s Law served officially as the “law of the land,” and to appoint judges to administer that law. Ezra’s authority in Jewish affairs was thus absolute: “Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.” Judah was no longer an independent kingdom. But under the enlightened rule of Persia, God’s Old Testament Law would be better enforced than under many of Judah’s own kings! “I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers” Ezra 8:15–36. It’s clear that Ezra had represented the Lord as all-powerful to the rulers of Persia. How could he then ask to be protected on the long, dangerous journey by a guard of soldiers? Rather than turn to the king, Ezra turned to God. He called his company to join him in prayer and fasting. Ezra acted in what some might call a foolish way. He had announced that his God helps “everyone who looks to Him.” Now Ezra had to “put up, or shut up.” Sometimes we hesitate to make claims about what God can do. What if we make some claim, and God doesn’t come through? Ezra reminds us that God can and will care for His own. Speaking out about who God is and what He can do for those who love Him is not foolishness, but faith. Balance Scales. Ezra 8:24–30 records the weights of gifts donated for transport to God’s house. Many archeological finds demonstrate how carefully royal archivists weighed and recorded gold, silver, and commodities. “While Ezra was praying and confessing” Ezra 10:1–44. On arriving, Ezra discovered that many in Judah had married foreign wives and had children by them, in clear violation of Old Testament Law. Ezra’s anguished confession moved the people of Judah. Soon a large crowd was weeping and praying with him. As the spirit of conviction spread, all Judah assembled in Jerusalem. Ezra confronted them with God’s prohibition against such marriages. The people confessed their sin, set up an investigating commission, and forced all who had married foreign wives to “send away all these women and their children.” The event suggests a number of lessons for you and me. First, we are more likely to move others to confession by taking sin to heart, and weeping over it, than by being judgmental. Second, while it may have been painful to break up families, it was necessary. God’s people were to retain their racial purity. Third, the pain of separation could have been avoided by keeping God’s Law in the first place. If the men named had not married foreign wives, no breakup of families would have followed. Let’s remember, when we are moved by sympathy for those who suffer pain as a consequence of some sin, that the pain could have been avoided.

DEVOTIONAL

Pointing the Finger (Ezra 9:1–10:4)

It’s tempting, when someone we know sins, to come down hard on him. After all, we’re to discipline erring brothers, aren’t we? The more blatant the sin, the more justified we feel confronting or criticizing. Yet Ezra reminds us that it’s not appropriate to point the finger of judgment. What is appropriate when others sin is tears. Not tears for them. Tears that we have let God down. Tears that we, the people of God, have failed. When Ezra arrived in Judah, he learned that many Jews had taken foreign wives. This was a clear violation of Old Testament Law, and Ezra was appalled. But rather than strike out angrily at those who had sinned, Ezra identified himself with the sinners and confessed to the Lord. He did not speak of “their” guilt, but of “our guilt” (9:7). He did not condemn “their” disregard for God’s laws, but cried out that “we have disregarded the commands” (v. 10). Rather than stand self-righteously in judgment, Ezra cried, “Not one of us can stand in Your presence” (v. 15). Ezra’s heart was broken by the sin he found, and he accepted partial responsibility for the failure of men he had never even met. We can’t read Ezra’s prayer of confession in this chapter without sensing the depth of this godly man’s sense of anguish and shame. He was deeply hurt by the sins of his people: hurt for them, and for God. The reality of Ezra’s hurt, expressed openly in weeping, prayer, and confession, moved the men and women of Judah to confess as well—and to purge the sin from their lives. So next time you or I see sin in the body of Christ, let’s not point the finger. Let’s realize that if the church was what God called it to be, and if we were the Christians God called us to be, our brother or sister might not have fallen. Rather than judge, we need to let our hearts be broken, that through confession of our responsibility for one another God might purge the church as He did Judah in Ezra’s time.

Personal Application

We are to grieve over other’s sins as well as over our own.

Quotable

“The world doth scoff at what I now say, namely that a man may weep for his neighbor’s sin as for his own, or even more than for his own, for it seems to be contrary to nature. But the love which brings this about is not of this world.”—Angela of Foligno

Ezra

APRIL 5

Reading 95

THE EXILES RETURN Ezra 1–6“Everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:5).The enthusiasm of those who returned to Judah was tested by hardship and by opposition from local peoples. Despite a long delay, the Jerusalem temple was rebuilt and God was again worshiped at the site He had chosen.

Background

Timeline.

This time line relates events reported in Ezra with other postexilic events.

Decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1–4)	538B.C
The first return (Ezra 1:5–2:70)	539B.C
Temple construction begins	536B.C
Opposition & Delay
Ministry of Haggai	520B.C
Ministry of Zechariah	520B.C
Temple completed	515B.C
Events of Esther	483–473B.C?
Decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11ff)	458B.C
Return under Ezra	458B.C
Decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:17ff)	446B.C
Decree of Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:1–8)	444B.C

Overview

A decree of Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Judah and rebuild the Jerusalem temple (1:1–11). Ezra listed the returning families (2:1–70). They rebuilt the altar (3:1–6) and laid the temple foundation (vv. 7–13). Ezra quoted letters documenting opposition to the Jews (4:1–5:17) and the decree of Darius authorizing the temple completion (6:1–12). The task was completed (vv. 13–18) and Passover celebrated once again (vv. 19–22).

Understanding the Text

“In order to fulfill the word of the Lord” Ezra 1:1–4. Jeremiah had predicted the Captivity would last 70 years (Jer. 25:11–12; 29:10). Isaiah, writing in the time of Hezekiah, had named Cyrus as the ruler who would fulfill God’s will (Isa. 45:1–5). The very year this Persian conqueror supplanted the Babylonian kings, he did issue a decree permitting the Jews to return home. The decree also authorized reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple! Josephus says that Cyrus read Isaiah’s prediction and was moved to fulfill it. It’s more likely this decree was one of many similar orders issued by Cyrus, who reversed the Babylonian policy of deportation, and permitted all captive peoples to return home. The prophecy of Isaiah, and the action of Cyrus, remind us that God is sovereign. He controls the fate of nations, and all history moves toward ends which He alone has determined. The One we worship truly is God. “Everyone whose heart God moved” Ezra 1:5–2:70. While some 50,000 Jews turned their hearts toward home, many more thousands chose to remain in Babylon. The Captivity had not been harsh: recovered records show that Jews, who were settled in an attractive district by the Kebar canal, were successfully involved in trade and business in the enemy capital. Why go back to face hardship, when life was easy in Babylon? Only those whom God moved to complete commitment would make the difficult choice. Those who stayed were comfortable. But they missed out on so much. The names of the returnees are enshrined in Scripture. And only those who returned witnessed the restoration of God’s temple and worshiped there. How important to keep our hearts open to the Lord, so that if He calls us to a special place of service we will be willing to respond. “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord” Ezra 3:1–13. Those who returned to Judah found a desolate land. Thorns and thistles choked once-fertile fields, while Jerusalem was a heap of ruins. How hearts must have fallen as the enormity of the task before the returnees was driven home. Yet as soon as the people settled in their towns, they reassembled at Jerusalem. There they rebuilt the altar, roughed out the foundations for the new temple, and praised God. The greater our difficulties, the more important it is to put God first. When we do we, like those in ancient Judea, find our hearts also filled with joy and praise. “The enemies of Judah” Ezra 4:1–5:17. Judah was a tiny area within a larger administrative district of the Persian Empire. Neighbors in what had once been Israel at first offered to help build the temple. The offer was rejected: they were not members of the covenant people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The rebuff hardened local antagonism, which developed into active opposition. This opposition, with the difficulty faced by the returnees in scratching a living from ruined fields, halted construction of the temple. The letters in these chapters are written in Aramaic, the diplomatic language of that age, rather than in Hebrew. Ezra clearly quotes material available to him in the Jerusalem archives. Note too that the letters do not all date from the early return. What Ezra has done is to draw evidence from material written over a span of many years to document the fact that God’s people faced serious opposition. We too can expect opposition at times. Hostility from outsiders is no sign that God has abandoned us, but may in fact suggest that we are doing exactly what God wants! “A decree concerning the temple of God” Ezra 6:1–12. In the end King Darius confirmed the order of his predecessor, Cyrus. Not only was the temple to be rebuilt, but the very officials who had opposed it were ordered to pay all construction expenses from the royal treasury! The God of the Old Testament truly is sovereign. Men may plot against His people, but God’s plans will be carried out. “Then the people of Israel . . . celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy” Ezra 6:13–22. There had been years of struggle and discouragement. But at last the temple was finished. By showing his ability to “change the attitude” of the ruler of the empire that supplanted ancient Assyria, God had “filled them with joy.” God is still at work, even in the lives of our enemies. The wait may be long, but God can still change attitudes, and fill us with joy too.

DEVOTIONAL

Where Will the Money Come From? (Ezra 6)

I suppose it’s one of our most common worries. We need to build an addition on the church. But where will the money come from? I’d like to go to seminary. But where will the money come from? I wish I could help that missionary. But where will the money come from? I feel God wants me to go into nursing. But where will the money come from? The same question was surely asked in ancient Judah as the people considered finishing the temple. The Prophet Haggai described the desperate conditions of that time: “You have planted much, but have harvested little. . . . You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (Hag. 1:5–6). How could a destitute people, struggling to make ends meet, ever raise the funds necessary to complete God’s temple? In his message urging Judah to give priority to God’s temple, the prophet makes this statement. “ ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,‘ declares the Lord Almighty” (2:8). How the people of Judah must have struggled. They were convinced they must complete the temple. But where would the money come from? And then the decree of Darius, in response to the challenge raised by Judah’s enemies, arrived. There, with the permission to rebuild, were the words, “The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury” (Ezra 6:4). The endless wealth of one of the world’s mightiest empires was suddenly made available to God’s poverty-stricken people. The incident teaches us an important lesson. “Where will the money come from?” is an important question. But not knowing should never deter us from acting if we are sure of God’s will. The message from God that Haggai shared so long ago is still true. The silver is the Lord’s. And the gold is the Lord’s. When we commit ourselves to do His will, the Lord will provide.

Personal Application

Lack of funds cannot keep us from doing God’s will.

Quotable

“In building, we need not act as the people of the world do. They first procure the money and then begin to build, but we must do just the opposite. We will begin to build and then expect to receive what is necessary from Divine Providence. The Lord God will not be outdone in generosity.”—Alphonsus Liguori

Ezra

INTRODUCTION

During the 70 years of Exile most of the Jews settled into a comfortable life in Babylon and other Eastern cities. Then in 539 B.C. Cyrus the Persian issued a decree permitting any Jew to return to his ancient homeland, to rebuild the temple of the Lord. Only a few responded. This enthusiastic group of settlers laid the temple foundation, but local enemies delayed its completion for 18 years. The first six chapters of Ezra tell the story of these pioneers and their struggle to finish the temple of the Lord. In 458 B.C. another group of exiles, led by Ezra the priest, returned to Jerusalem. Ezra was a reformer, who taught God’s Law in Judea and called God’s people to rededicate their lives to the Lord. This book, written by Ezra, tells the story of these two groups of exiles who resettled the Promised Land.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS

I.	The Exiles Return	Ezra 1–2
II.	The Temple Is Rebuilt	Ezra 3–6
III.	Ezra Teaches God’s Law	Ezra 7–10